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About video cards....


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While I am no expert, I have learned a few things about these little contraptions that may be useful to some.

Firstly, about drivers. Although it's always recommended that users have the most recent driver upgrades, as some have already seen the most recent driver may not be the best. Either causing problems which are simply annoying to making a certain title practically unplayable. New drivers are usually released to address CERTAIN DISTINCT ISSUES. Don't expect a new driver to suddenly double your frame rates or fix some problem that you are having unless it is specifically designed to do so. By default, expect most driver updates to have something to do with fixing a problem in Company of Heroes or Half-Life 2 which, as we all know, are the only 3d games out there smile.gif .....

Secondly, it's a bad time for video cards. Nvidia has taken advantage of ATI's current situation to release a string of underwhelming "mid-line" cards. I know...I have one of them. As the owner of a new 8600GTS series, I have come to the conclusion there really is no "mid-line" right now. The card was obviously placed as a ringer to push it's much more expensive 8800 series. The 128 bit bandwidth on the 8600GTS (or GT) is just inadequate for the bigger maps in TOW and CMSF. On the smaller maps of CMSF, I can get some very respectable frame rates. But when I loaded up the Factory Outlet mission and looked across the terrain from a low elevation with my troops in the foreground....Whoa...FPS dropped to a miserable 5-6 FPS.

So what to do...drop $500+ for an 8800 series card or settle for frame rates that bounce like a yo-yo? Best recommendation is - neither - get yourself a 7950GT while they are still out there. Best bang for the buck. If I had it to do over, I would have gotten it myself. Sure, you give up future support for DX10, but the card can be had for around $189 dollars before rebates and it positively spanks the newer 8600 series at $220 plus.

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