Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: USS Alexander on May 21, 2004, 11:07:34 am

Title: Need your advice!
Post by: USS Alexander on May 21, 2004, 11:07:34 am
Ok tommorow i'm gonna buy a new graphics card.

i now run on a:

4.2gig
4gig ddr
Nvidia FX5200 128megs

I want a new graphic card wich is the best at rendering and the fastest on the market and suites my system well, i need it for high end graphics and heavy rendering enz so i need the best of the best.

Wich one is it?price is no problem.
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: J3Vr6 on May 21, 2004, 11:15:46 am
If price is no problem, mind getting me one too? :D
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: Jiggyhound on May 21, 2004, 11:16:24 am
go look at the nvidia website
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: USS Alexander on May 21, 2004, 11:20:55 am
mmm GF6800 looks good but it aint for sale in holland i geuss:(
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: DragonClaw on May 21, 2004, 11:25:05 am
AFAIK, Rendering in professional 3d packages do not use the graphics card at all(except for OpenGL previews), it's all processor related.


And you have way too much money. Bastard.
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: USS Alexander on May 21, 2004, 11:26:49 am
hey earnt it fair and squar:) i work alot thats why i have little time to do animation besides my classes.

the fx seems to slow things down in the display from time to time in LW, and farcry is running slow also.
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: Rictor on May 21, 2004, 11:46:58 am
that must be the computer God has.

...rich bastard.

:p :p
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: Turnsky on May 21, 2004, 12:03:13 pm
Here you go you rich bastard (http://www.auspcmarket.com.au/index.php?redir=http://www.auspcmarket.com.au/show_product_info.php?code=VI-SAX800PRO256) :p
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: USS Alexander on May 21, 2004, 12:24:09 pm
OMG 800$ that card is 450 euro here in holland.

I'm thinking of waiting until the FX6800 comes out, or buying a good radeon.
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: 01010 on May 21, 2004, 12:28:21 pm
Just bought a 9800pro. Definitely worth the £150.
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: Ransom on May 21, 2004, 12:49:55 pm
I was disappointed with the 9800 pro. Guess I was expecting too much of it.
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: Admiral LSD on May 21, 2004, 12:58:44 pm
If price wasn't a problem then why does it have an FX5200? ;)
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: USS Alexander on May 21, 2004, 01:22:05 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Admiral LSD
If price wasn't a problem then why does it have an FX5200? ;)


It has a onboard silicon graphic cpu or something i switched it off and bought a fx 5200, but i'm in need of some more shinier graphics the fx is getting old.

woooo!! my notebook  has a fx5200GO! but bying a new one for that is much more expensive, even memory is twice the price:eek:
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: Flipside on May 21, 2004, 01:27:49 pm
Notebooks and Laptops aren't really recommended for render work, they tend to not like being on and computing hard for more than about 19-20 hours per day. The Sony Viao seems to be pretty sturdy for this, but if you are using it for rendering, I would still really recommend a Desktop.

On that note, I'm looking at getting a Render Server for exactly this job, graphics card/sound card would be cheap ones, Motherboard, Memory & CPU are very important. I've got about £1000 to spend. Ideas/suggestions anyone? ;) I'll be screamernetting it to my 1700XP I'm using now.
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: DragonClaw on May 21, 2004, 01:28:51 pm
If price isn't a problem, here's your solution Alex:

http://www.pcnation.com/web/details.asp?item=C20553
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: USS Alexander on May 21, 2004, 01:43:59 pm
OMG......
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: Martinus on May 21, 2004, 05:06:23 pm
[color=66ff00]Jesus wept DC!

Now we know what renders the matrix.
[/color]
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: Darkage on May 21, 2004, 05:36:50 pm
What you need is a WildCat 4

(http://www.3dlabs.com/product/wildcat4/images/wc4_7210.jpg)

roduct     Memory     Display     Performance     Value
Wildcat4 7210    384 MB DDR RAM total    Independent Dual Head    37.9 Million tri/sec
400.0 Million pixels/sec
33.9 Million vec/sec    Ultimate high-end performance and features
Wildcat4 7110    256 MB DDR RAM total    35.1 Million tri/sec
400.0 Million pixels/sec
29.4 Million vec/sec    Powerful high-end performance
   
Maximum Performance with AGP8x

Wildcat4 takes full advantage of the new AGP8x interface standard, which transfers 2 GB of graphics information per second between the graphics card and system. Couple this with legendary Wildcat performance and you get super-charged graphics for the most complex projects.
   
Exclusive SuperScene Antialiasing

Forget about jaggies and crawling, twinkling edges. SuperScene antialiasing dramatically improves image quality with true, multi-sampled scene mode antialiasing. Wildcat4 boosts SuperScene anti-aliased resolutions to an amazing 1920 x 1080!

Plus, SuperScene can be "forced" to work in any OpenGL window. Even applications with no native support for full scene antialiasing can experience improvements in image quality. With SuperScene, you get higher performance and significantly lower memory use than typical multisampled antialiasing techniques.
   
Six T&L Engines

Six T&L engines deliver outstanding performance - especially as scene complexity increases. Our T&L engines not only give you top performance, but also 32 light sources to work with for higher levels of real-time realism.
   
Abundant Memory

Apply numerous, extremely detailed texture maps without compromising performance. Large, dedicated frame buffer and texture memory support lets you create in rich, photorealistic shading and highly detailed textures - always in true color, with maximum depth accuracy and with double buffering enabled.
   
Complete OpenGL 1.3 Support

Complete OpenGL® 1.3 acceleration which sustains the highest level of real-time, on-screen OpenGL performance in the industry.
   
3D Volumetric Texture Support

Hardware accelerated 3D volumetric textures allow you to apply textures throughout the volume - not just the surface - of any model. Wildcat4 provides real-time performance with 3D textures for applications such as medical imaging and GIS.
   
Designed by Professionals for Professionals

3Dlabs is the only PC graphics company solely focused on designing professional-grade accelerators. Wildcat4 continues this tradition through relentless driver reliability testing and constant optimization and certification of leading professional applications.
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: Moonsword on May 21, 2004, 06:18:43 pm
Okay, if we're limited to maybe fifty bucks, and willing to go cheap but good, any recoomendations?

All I really want is good OpenGL support and decent speed.
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: Windrunner on May 21, 2004, 07:24:08 pm
IN the words of Homer J. Simson "SWEET MERCIFUL CRAP"

7 000 dollars for a graphic card, you sir are nuts i tell you nuts ;)
Title: Re: Need your advice!
Post by: mikhael on May 21, 2004, 07:50:58 pm
Quote
Originally posted by USS Alexander
Ok tommorow i'm gonna buy a new graphics card.

i now run on a:

4.2gig
4gig ddr
Nvidia FX5200 128megs

I want a new graphic card wich is the best at rendering and the fastest on the market and suites my system well, i need it for high end graphics and heavy rendering enz so i need the best of the best.

Wich one is it?price is no problem.


If you care about Lightwave, stick with Nvidia cards for the low end and Oxygen or Wildcat cards on the mid to high end.

If all you care about it games, get the top end ATI or the top end Nvidia (with Lightwave preference going to the Nvidia, naturally).
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: Setekh on May 21, 2004, 08:04:06 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Windrunner
IN the words of Homer J. Simson "SWEET MERCIFUL CRAP"

7 000 dollars for a graphic card, you sir are nuts i tell you nuts ;)


At least you save $4,391.99. :D
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: Jetmech Jr. on May 21, 2004, 08:07:14 pm
Quote
Originally posted by DragonClaw
If price isn't a problem, here's your solution Alex:

http://www.pcnation.com/web/details.asp?item=C20553


For $7000 ($11000 if you look at the 'retail price'  :wtf: ), that thing had better be able to magically transform my pc into solid ****ing diamond :rolleyes:
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: mikhael on May 21, 2004, 11:58:52 pm
Actually, that Wildcat has more raw processing power than your PC, easily. Buying workstation caliber graphics cards is very different from buying gaming graphics cards, in much the same way as buying a race car is different from buying a get-you-to-work car. You're paying for raw, unadulterated power.
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: DragonClaw on May 22, 2004, 12:03:08 am
Oh, mind you, the Quadro FX 4000 is very likely to be more expensive. Unfortunately, I could not find that for sale anywhere.

[edit] and seeing that the most expensive wildcat I could find was this one:
http://www.pcnation.com/web/details.asp?affid=303&item=901564

I'd imagine the Quadro is far better :p
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: USS Alexander on May 22, 2004, 06:36:10 am
Quote
Originally posted by Flipside
Notebooks and Laptops aren't really recommended for render work, they tend to not like being on and computing hard for more than about 19-20 hours per day. The Sony Viao seems to be pretty sturdy for this, but if you are using it for rendering, I would still really recommend a Desktop.

On that note, I'm looking at getting a Render Server for exactly this job, graphics card/sound card would be cheap ones, Motherboard, Memory & CPU are very important. I've got about £1000 to spend. Ideas/suggestions anyone? ;) I'll be screamernetting it to my 1700XP I'm using now.


well i use my notebook also for rendering and study from time to time but my desktop is purly for rendering(it's more a server then a desktop).

my noteook is a DELL inspirion 2.8gig 512 meg

i also want to play games with it so, and LW and Maya3D enz so it has to be a proffesional/gaming card, you think the FX6800 is that kind of card?
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: vyper on May 22, 2004, 08:04:50 am
Guys, while we're on this topic:

Do you think a motherboard limited to 4x AGP is significantly slowing down an 8x capable video card?
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: 01010 on May 22, 2004, 08:41:07 am
Quote
Originally posted by vyper
Guys, while we're on this topic:

Do you think a motherboard limited to 4x AGP is significantly slowing down an 8x capable video card?


Personally, I remember reading an article that states that even the latest video cards aren't even fully using 4x AGP at the moment, but I can't recall where I read it or how accurate it was.
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: mikhael on May 22, 2004, 09:56:22 pm
Quote
Originally posted by vyper
Guys, while we're on this topic:

Do you think a motherboard limited to 4x AGP is significantly slowing down an 8x capable video card?


No, its not, because almost nothing uses the AGP on-the-fly fetching that the AGP bus was meant to allow. nine times out of ten, your AGP card has enough memory, that the speed of the AGP bus is not slowing down the resource fetches except ONCE during intial load.

Long story short? don't worry about the AGP multiplier, except to be sure that you AGP card can handle the lower speed slot and that your motherboard can handle faster boards (some 4x mobos get a bit fruity when you put an 8x card in the slot, even though the card works just fine at 4x on another mobo).
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: Flipside on May 22, 2004, 10:09:38 pm
Quote
Originally posted by USS Alexander


well i use my notebook also for rendering and study from time to time but my desktop is purly for rendering(it's more a server then a desktop).

my noteook is a DELL inspirion 2.8gig 512 meg

i also want to play games with it so, and LW and Maya3D enz so it has to be a proffesional/gaming card, you think the FX6800 is that kind of card?


True, I've always had in inbred distrust of Laptops, but then, that's probably because the only one I ever owned was years ago, the thing weighed a ton, and ran for about 2 hours before the battery alarm went off :( They're probably a lot better than my tainted opinion suggests ;)

I hate ScreamerNet, I would very much like it to curl up and die like the unfathomable piece of ****e that it is. Although I have 3 computers on my Network, the only way I can get another computer to help me with my rendering is to copy lightwave onto the other computer, together with all the content files, and then load the scene into that :hopping:

Sorry, just spent the evening trying to set it up again and this seemed like the best place to rant ;)
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: .::Tin Can::. on May 22, 2004, 10:48:18 pm
I've had a 9600 XT and never will go back... no problems and runs every game like a dream. Frames on Freespace 2 never ever drop bellow 60... and it runs about 100 to 140 bucks.
Title: Need your advice!
Post by: Stealth on May 22, 2004, 11:14:52 pm
it's sad that nowadays your graphics card has as much or more 'memory' than your computer ;)