BFGTech & XFX GeForce 7800 GT's

Could work...but the culling engine in Guild Wars may limit the usefulness of that. For whatever reason, the draw distance is just not very far. I can run it at total max settings with 3xAA on my 6600gt at 1024x768. But, at least it's a step in the right direction!

 

There's never a risk of us using 3DMark. Who here is into RTS? Surely there must be some new stuff following the likes of C&C: Generals that taxes the system?

Actually, the irony is that developers want to sell as many copies as they can, and so do take measures to ensure their game is playable on as many systems as possible. Obviously cutting-edge graphics help sell games as well, but the super-high-end is never catered for exclusively to the detriment of the mainstream.

Our standards have changed over the years - more people look to game at 1280 or higher when a few years back 800x600 was the norm, and 1024 was being flash. What we ideally want is a game that can *scale* - still be playable on a midrange system, but unleash ALL the eye candy if you have a top system. And even then, still hold something in reserve for future cards.

Certainly a tall order

 

Some scenes in the ice regions are graphically demanding, but apart from that it tends not to be even on max at 9800 can take it easily.

 

Anyone run GTA: San Andreas pushed to the max?

 

Act of War was fairly demanding graphically
maybe GC2? that was pretty spectacular but was quite a while ago now...

 

Old tech, not demanding enough.

 

I forgot to include this picture in the review..... give you an idea of lengths of each card:

7800 GTX, 7800 GT, 6800 GT:

 

i hope quake4 to come to benches soon

 

if/when it comes out, we'll definitely be looking at it

 

if? haven't you see the qcon videos

 

nope, not seen any yet

I've been too busy writing this week's two articles

 

Only thing I didn't like was that the SC:CT graph seemed a bit cramped so I couldn't quite tell what went with what for visual effects on the far right. Great review overall... I've already spotted them for $419, including the overclocked XFX version. Cooler definately seems to have the same layout as the 6800-series, but no heatsink on the voltage regulators from what I can tell. A pic of the guts would have been nice, but seeing as you were holding $900 of unreleased graphics cards, you're somewhat forgiven.

Hopefully someone figures out how to hack open the other four pipes (assuming is IS using a plain G70 core and not some variant, I missed that if it was stated)... I wonder what it can do on watercooling

 

Firehed,

It's a plain G70, but the bios pipes are "disabled"...not able to be done by normal means...will require a bit more research, apparently.

 

Let me fire up rivatuner... I'll grab a shot of NVStrap

 

Notice that they say disabled in the state and there is no hardware masking.

 

Will require a genuine bios flash, as opposed to just 'enabling' them. Not a switch on/switch off operation.

Like the 9800SE... Only problem is, with that you turned it into a $150 paperweight if it failed. Now you'd be turning this into a $450 paperweight.

 

*cough* in SLi mode, obviously

 

If bigz tells me how best to go about it, i'll give it a go.........i'd have to rob a gig of memory out of another machine but that's easy fettled

The NV-68 blocks with fit the GT's without the memory on the reverse side but looks like the GTX guys are stuck with air until the end of the month when the NV-78's hit the streets, unless someone is prepared to getto one!

 

/raises hand

although seeing what the GT is capable of, I may just save a few quid and go for that

but either way, ill definitely be waiting for my states trip in november, where ill pick one up for the equivalent of £20 no doubt

 

i would love to see an 'apples to apples' F.E.A.R. run since apples to apples is all that matters to me

furthermore i would like to see a standard run through of 3dmark05. i fail to see why its so horrible. ive never taken it to be "you can run games that look like this!" ive taken it to be "card X gets this number and card Y gets this" or like a competition, its just fun to watch.