posted
Yeah, I'll be needing to change computers altogether soon, anyway, I need a bigger HD, likle 120Gb, and neither the processor (1600MHz) nor the RAM (512Mb) and graphics card (128Mb) can take what "Far Cry", "Halflife 2" and "Doom 3" is dishing out. Which feels ridiculous, considering what we had six years ago...
I'm playing through "Far Cry" now, it's okay when I'm just walking around and stoeff, I get 100 frames per sec in 1024*768, but when I get into fights or pick objects up from the floor, the processor and graphics card (GeForce 4600) gets into a bottleneck it can't recover from, freezing for a minute or two before commencing, or more often than not, jumping into a Blue Screen Of Death that says either "Page Fault in a NonPaged Area" or "Your NV4DISP.DLL is phuqed, lol!".
Registered: Aug 1999
| IP: Logged
quote:Originally posted by Balaam Xumucane: I've had mixed luck with Maxtor drives, but a lot of people I know swear by them. Didn't Maxtor used to be Quanum?
Other way, IIRC Maxtor bought Quantum. I've had about the same luck with any brand, I just look out for the ones with 3 year warranty because I usually end up using it
Nim: I've played FarCry on a friends computer with similar specs. I'd say that the CPU is probably ok (assuming its an AMD) and while the ram is bit a cramped, its not that bad. The video card is definitely the bottleneck, replacing just that would be a lot more affordable than a whole new computer.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
I agree with Mucus. But even so, going from over 100fps to a speed so slow that the computer crashes seems a bit extreme.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
My new mobo/CPU/memory I ordered recently comes with a free copy of "Far Cry" for I don't know what reason. Is it any good?
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
It is very good, in fact I daresay it is the most beautiful Firstperson-Shooter in the market, until "Halflife 2" and "Doom 3" is let out. UbiSoft managed to sneak a 4th Gen game out before the big guns had time to release theirs. So play it while it's new, is my advice.
The human models and intricately detailed weapons are one thing, and the water effects and lightning, but the real meat and potatoes are the extremely big maps. It reminds me of the old "Delta Force" games, only a lot less sucky. You really need a Hummer or a Beach Buggy to traverse the maps and save time. Some newer features (doppler effect, Ragdoll principle on inanimate objects and corpses) round off the thing.
This one gives nice scale.
Also, this one. Guy on boat, getting surprised by antipersonnel rocket.
Registered: Aug 1999
| IP: Logged
Cartman
just made by the Presbyterian Church
Member # 256
posted
Don't play Far Cry for the story, though. Play it for the graphics, the sharp if inhumanly prescient AI, the sound (except the voice acting) and the very very large and beautifully sculpted outdoor levels. And the graphics. Even if you don't have a DX9-compliant video card. They are exquisite. The game's more of a nextgen 3D engine showcase than anything else. But a fantastic (and proprietary no less) nextgen 3D engine showcase with specular highlights and pixel shaders and displacement mapping and stuff. Play it. If only to marvel at the math being whizzed before your eyes.
-------------------- ".mirrorS arE morE fuN thaN televisioN" - TEH PNIK FLAMIGNO
Registered: Nov 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
I'm probably going to have to end up replacing my four-year-old video card, too. Crap.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
Cartman
just made by the Presbyterian Church
Member # 256
posted
Well, that's something I'd do without hesitation if I had to supplant my motherboard, CPU, and memory all at once. It'd just be a real bottleneck otherwise.
-------------------- ".mirrorS arE morE fuN thaN televisioN" - TEH PNIK FLAMIGNO
Registered: Nov 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
Well, I already spent over $400 on that stuff. Plus $90 (after rebate) on that new hard drive. I'd like to avoid much more spending at the moment.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
TSN, give it a try. If you can play in 1024*768 res with medium quality everything, your card is OK.
There is another problem with Far Cry that so far neither the creators, Microsoft or Dell has managed to isolate or compensate for. It has nothing to do with too low memory or shit like that (even gamerz with 3.4Ghz processor and 2Gb RAM and ATI9800 get it), it is some sort of game architecture problem, generates bluescreens now and then. The next patch will probably fix it.
Registered: Aug 1999
| IP: Logged
Cartman
just made by the Presbyterian Church
Member # 256
posted
Though, since you've done four years with your old graphics card, you might as well blow an extra $150 on a 9800 Pro now and spare yourself from having to upgrade any of your primary components for the next four.
-------------------- ".mirrorS arE morE fuN thaN televisioN" - TEH PNIK FLAMIGNO
Registered: Nov 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
Or, if he's not desperate to play any new games, he could wait a bit. It's not like the game is going anywhere.
quote:Originally posted by Nim the Fanciful: ...it is some sort of game architecture problem, generates bluescreens now and then. The next patch will probably fix it.
When I was growing up, we used to call that "bad programming".
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic
