Very happy with my hardware for CM

[Emthon]

Sorry if you have already read my similar post concerning my Voodoo3 problems and ultimate resolution (pun intended ). I had an overclocked V3-2k in my Celeron 516 mhz machine. I was having the texture white out problems that everyone else was having with large maps. I decided to give 3dfx two weeks, from the time I started playing CM, to rectify the problem. Well, we still have the problem. About a week ago I got a Hercules GeForce2-MX. Since my wife did not bat an eyelash at that purchase, I decided to go for the Gold... I also ordered a Cel566 with the intention of overclocking the beejeezus out of it. Got everything installed, overclocked the Cel2 to 922 mhz, overclocked the GF2-MX to core 195 and mem 190. As you might guess, CM runs like a friggin dream! I can actually run it at 1600x1200 with only some jerkiness on All or Nothing, when viewing the entire map on view level 3. I go ahead and run it at 1280x1024 because that is a better match for my desktop on my 19" monitor. Of course, it is quite smooth and the display is gorgeous.

So, for ~$120, you can get the GF-2 MX and be free of the white texture dropout! If you have been waiting for 3dfx to fix the problem, I would advise against it. If you can afford it, go for a different card. CM is too good a game to spoil by putting up with the texture dropout nonsense! I was doing the "make move, save game, wait for texture drops, quit game, reload game, play move, rinse and repeat". ARgh!

My heartfelt $0.02,

Em

[kipanderson]

Emthon, hi,

thanks for the hint about the MX card. I have a Voodoo3 3000 and have been thinking about getting the new MX card you went for in order to solve all the problems.

All the best,

Kip.

[Emthon]

hiya kip-

I cannot overstate how happy I am with the GF-2 MX card. To be able to keep CM running for hours on end, big map, small map, other tasks in background, ESC out of program, load HyperSnap DX, screenshots, and anything else I would have never dreamed about with my Voodoo is just GREAT!

Now, I did purchase the OEM version of the Hercules card. It has the slower memory. Some people are not able to overclock it at all. I was able to get a pretty good overclock on mine. YMMV. For another $25 you can get the retail version. It will likely overclock to core 210 and memory 220 mhz.

It also looks fabulous. Probably has more to do with running at 1280x1024 than the card or driver differences. I pretty much had to keep the V3 down to 1024x768 or 800x600 to minimize the whiteout problem.

L8r,

Em