Video cards for Doom 3??

[Dave T]

A question for the techs - is there currently a 3D Graphic card that can handle the projected graphics capability of Doom III (or at least has a good shot at trying) - at least one that anyone can tell from the current information Id is putting out on what features Doom III will have?

I'm building a new PC and I'd like to choose a card that can handle the graphics (or at least has a good shot at it) - or would I be better off to just plan on getting a newer card when DIII is released?

Thanks!

[gatewatcher]

Doom III is/was being built on the GeForce3. If you want a card now that will handle doom3 really well, get the GeForce4 ti4600. If you choose to wait, the next generation ATI will be very good.

[Xzyl]

Wait for the NV 30.

[dark santaclaus]

what is the nv30, when will it get out, is t like a geforce5 or what????

[Reisal]

I hope my GF3 Ti 200 will be sufficient..

[Naked Snake]

Dave T said:

A question for the techs - is there currently a 3D Graphic card that can handle the projected graphics capability of Doom III (or at least has a good shot at trying) - at least one that anyone can tell from the current information Id is putting out on what features Doom III will have?

I'm building a new PC and I'd like to choose a card that can handle the graphics (or at least has a good shot at it) - or would I be better off to just plan on getting a newer card when DIII is released?

Thanks!

The GeForce series cards, 1, 2 and 3 will be able to run Doom 3 decently. The GeForce 4 TI 4600 is the best one so far. The Matrox Paraphalia (sp?) isn't very good. The Raedon 8500 is the second place card for running Doom 3.

[Alientank]

The BEST card to run Doom 3 with will be the NV35, which will be out a few months after Doom 3 is released. Check out the stats here. http://www.3dcenter.de/artikel/2002/05-22_a.php Scroll down past the NV30 stats and look at the 35s. ATI OWNAGE

[gatewatcher]

Alientank said:

The BEST card to run Doom 3 with will be the NV35, which will be out a few months after Doom 3 is released. Check out the stats here. http://www.3dcenter.de/artikel/2002/05-22_a.php Scroll down past the NV30 stats and look at the 35s. ATI OWNAGE

uh, so i can assume John Carmack approves of the new ATI's drivers now?

[esayeek]

so with my gf2mx, ill be able to run doom3 kind of like the 386 ppl ran doom?

[Dave T]

So it sounds like for now I can get a GeForce 4 TI 4600 but may want to go to a NV 35 when DIII rolls out...

Any particular manufacturer of GeForce 4 TI 4600 that I should get? I'm leaning towards the Abit Siluro GF4 Ti4600.... or does it really matter, as long as the card uses the GeForce 4 TI 4600 GPU?

[Lord FlatHead]

If you can hold out a few months longer, I suggest waiting for the Doom3test benchmarks. If you can't, read some Ti4600 reviews to see what suits you best.

[gatewatcher]

well if your getting a system now, benchmark with any game using the new unreal warfare engine and you should come pretty close to what you'll get with Doom3, right?

[Lord FlatHead]

You can't really compare graphics engines like that. And it's not just about speed, it's about features. I find it ridiculous that Quake 3 Arena is still being used as a benchmarking program for the new vidcards that come out; the GeForce4 has a bucketload of features that Q3 doesn't even use.

If Doom III is pretty much the only thing you care about in terms of upgrading (like myself), just wait for the Doom3test benchmarks and read John Carmack's plan updates. Save up your pennies, wait till the time is right then go out and get the best card you can.

[Dave T]

Well if they're going to announce the benchmarks soon ('soon' being in the next 6 months?) then I can probably hold off getting a high-end card. Either keep running what I've got (Voodoo 3 3500) or better yet get something that's currently middle-of-the-road (maybe the Siluro Ti4200?) so at least I can decently run current games (at least better than I would with a old Voodoo card). Then, as you say I can save my pennies for the top end when the benchmarks come out.

[Lord FlatHead]

Here's a few interesting early Radeon 9700 reviews: http://www.tomshardware.com/graphic/02q3/020718/index.html, http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.html?i=1656. Apparently it's up to 40% faster than the GF4ti4600 in 3DMark benchmarks, and judging from the E3 presentation it runs Doom III like a dream even at high resolutions.

[EVIL]

esayeek said:

so with my gf2mx, ill be able to run doom3 kind of like the 386 ppl ran doom?

I think it would run doom 3 pretty fast.. because the polybump is off.. so the models look like q3 models.. and everything thats polybumped is just flat.. so you wont get the max doom 3 exprience

[Lord FlatHead]

For it to run decently on a GeForce or GeForce2MX, you'd probably have to disable specularity and/or bumpmapping to some extent to save on texture usage.

[Dubh]

Yeah, I'd say wait until October when the NV30 (GeForce 5) is released. OpenGl 2.0 support say some of the speculated specs.
(No pun intended)

We'll see what Johnny boy has to say then.
The NV35 is still far off but on the way nevertheless.

[Alientank]

gatewatcher said:

uh, so i can assume John Carmack approves of the new ATI's drivers now?

All I'm saying is that it's a back and forth trend. ATI owns, then Nvidia, then ATI has a new card and is back on top, then Nvidia gets one. Back and forth

[gatewatcher]

Alientank said:

All I'm saying is that it's a back and forth trend. ATI owns, then Nvidia, then ATI has a new card and is back on top, then Nvidia gets one. Back and forth

yeah, thats why buying vid cards is so annoying. i'll probaly get the 9700 over the gf4. but then the gf5 will come out, and if it's that much better i'll be kicking myself for a long time.

[WhilelM]

Nvidia won't name their next generation graphic card GeForce...
It's Nv30 for the moment, commercial name still not know

[Zoost]

"In Doom III, NV30 will be up to 3.5X faster, and possibly more, than the GeForce4 Ti 4600. The Doom 3 performance estimate was based on using the latest NV30 beta board and was not done via simulation."

OK, I wait for the NV30 !

[Zaldron]

Lord FlatHead said:

For it to run decently on a GeForce or GeForce2MX, you'd probably have to disable specularity and/or bumpmapping to some extent to save on texture usage.

That's not possible according to Carmack. Older GeForces most likely will use simplier versions of the lighting engine (less precision), but I don't think you can disable those features. It's pretty much like completely removing textures in today's games. You would be stripping out way too much of the experience.

[Insomniak]

/me is saving to get a new computer.

[Dima]

Alientank said:

The BEST card to run Doom 3 with will be the NV35, which will be out a few months after Doom 3 is released. Check out the stats here. http://www.3dcenter.de/artikel/2002/05-22_a.php Scroll down past the NV30 stats and look at the 35s. ATI OWNAGE

That's all rumors!

I don't understand how people constantly post that!

For everyone: NV30 will be the best card for DOOM III! NO, it WON'T have the GeForce name tag in it, since it's based on a COMPLETELY new architecture!

[Zoost]

http://www.quakecon.org/ATIoffer.html

DOOM III™ (as soon as available) (???????)


QuakeCon Limited Edition RADEON™ 9700 package
$449 US
A RADEON™ 9700 Pro in a Limited Edition box
An ATI REMOTE WONDER™
DOOM III™ (as soon as available)
Branded swag


Perfect !!

[Doom-Child]

It means that when it's available, you can buy it there. This stuff ain't rocket science.

DC

[Linguica]

Anyone who is buying, or has already bought, a video card in preparation for Doom 3 is dumb. I'm still using a TNT2 and I have no plans to upgrade until Doom3test is released. Why buy a video card now for an unreleased game, when in six months or a year they'll be faster and cheaper?

[Use]

I will have two computers that will be able to run DoomIII when it comes out. This machine is set with a Ti4600 and 512 PC2700, and my p4 is in the works. I plan on the new radeon for that machine. then i might consider buying human things like smokes and clothes. :P

[AIRmichael]

Alientank said:

The BEST card to run Doom 3 with will be the NV35, which will be out a few months after Doom 3 is released. Check out the stats here. http://www.3dcenter.de/artikel/2002/05-22_a.php Scroll down past the NV30 stats and look at the 35s. ATI OWNAGE

Ehh you mean NVidia ownage:p