Radeon 9700 Pro

[Guest]

Just on the verge of buying this graphics card. General reviews seem very positive, but would appreciate any flightsimmers thoughts on this vs Geforce 4 Ti4600.ThanksPaul MantonAthlon XP2400+ (o/c 2100mhz)Epox 8KHA+ moboGeforce 3 Ti200 (soon to be replaced :-)) 512mg Ram

[erict 9]

You can't go wrong with this card. Drivers need some tweaking though. You can find an OEM for around $300 or less!Erichttp://www.cpavirtual.orghttp://www.flysva.orghttp://Thai.virtualATP.orghttp://JAL.virtualATP.orghttp://Malaysia.virtualATP.orghttp://Asiana.virtualATP.orghttp://Hawaiian.virtualATP.orghttp://Aloha.virtualatp.org

[Guest]

After buying and getting a taste of 3D (eDimensional's) but not having a card to support it well, I didn't flightsim for many months until I could get better equipment (especially the 9700 pro). For what it has done for FS2K2 I love it. It came in a new Dell 2.4 and I only got 256MB RAM but it has made flying a different (and wonderful) experience. (I even had to re-register here as my old Phil@KSMF was declared 'inactive', dang).Big down side for me: eDimensional doesn't support the card yet, so I still can't use the 3D. Up side is the increased detail and smoothness. I set the max framerates at 98 (because of an article I linked to from somewhere else on this forum having to do with the preset that will then load for minimums) and they consistantly run in the 40 to 45 fps. (by the way, good article and my sim is better at the 98 setting than at the unlimited setting).I'm still trying all the combinations of settings but all can be set to the max with framerates falling only to the low-20's at worst. I do get a little stuttering when the framerates get that low but it mostly goes away when I reset to 'defaults', and then start running the sliders back up one at a time. It's only been a month but FS2K2 is already better than I'd ever even imagined.At the best I get a slight 'hiccup' less than once a minute unless I'm set at the defaults. I was leaning toward increasing RAM, but this morning ran FS2K2 without running EndItAll and while downloading a large file on my dial-up connection. There was no difference... flight was smooth and excellent. Actually no different than if I had quit everything first so I think RAM isn't the problem but clouds or scenery or weather in the sim itself.But then, downloading and tweaking and testing and changing and experimenting is what this "game" is all about anyway to me. I've been jumping halfway to the wall of perfection for years and feel I'm "almost" there, which is where I want to be positioned for FS2K4.

[Guest]

This is brand new. No fan: Good article.http://firingsquad.gamers.com/hardware/sap...ltimate_review/ Also, test results:http://firingsquad.gamers.com/hardware/sap...view/page15.asp The only thing I would say is be careful about your motherboard choice. Some motherboards can cause problems.Check out www.rage3d.com . Most of the troubles discussed there are the result of hardware conflicts or use error. So you'll have to read through all of the stuff.Mine works great. I highly recommend it. After reading the above article, you'll see why.

[Guest PaulL01]

>Just on the verge of buying this graphics card. General >reviews seem very positive, but would appreciate any >flightsimmers thoughts on this vs Geforce 4 Ti4600. >>Thanks >Paul Manton >>Athlon XP2400+ (o/c 2100mhz) >Epox 8KHA+ mobo >Geforce 3 Ti200 (soon to be replaced :-)) >512mg RamIf you absolutely have to have a new card right now then go with the 9700 as nothing else even comes close.Just keep in mind that a better alternative is just around the corner as the Nv GFFX will start popping up (though in limited supply) with in weeks as well as a faster version of the ATI card.In this case it would be really wise to be patient just a bit longer so as not to have any regrets.

[gosta 0]

Hi Paul,I just got one, but unfortunately it's faulty. However, customer service is quite straightforward - they just sent out a replacement and charged a deposit to my credit card, which will be returned once they receive the faulty card. They didn't even require proof of purchase - just the serial number will do. So, if something does go wrong (hopefully it won't), getting it sorted out is quite hassle-free. That may also be something worth considering...Cheers,Gosta.http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/images/wxrebeta.jpg

[Guest]

Thanks guys, after reading your comments I'm going for it :-).Its a valid point the next Nvidia card is just around the corner, but I figure its going to be quite expensive at first and the Radeon is at the top end of my budget as is. Best RegardsPaul Manton