NV3X subpixel precision in 3DMark03

[Ante P]

I just installed the 44.03 aka Detonator FX drivers on my testing rig and fired up the Abit FX 5800 (which has a really silent fan compared to other FX solutions I've heard btw).

The old problems with the dull sky etc. are gone. Performance is super (4700 points, this is a non Ultra btw).
But, therre seems to be a problem with the subpixel precision. Crawling pixels here and there. Especially noticable in GT1 on the planes and mostly in the scene in Mother Nature where there's a stone table.

Just miscolored "dancing" pixels, often close to the edges of the polygons.
Sort of looks like when you've overclocked to much and start to get bad pixels, but of course it's not anywhere near as bad as that.

I tried capturing some screenshots of it but it didn't show what I saw in motion. I'll try some more, perhaps until someone who's using an FX with these drivers can look and see if they are experiencing the same thing?

Thanks.

 

[pocketmoon_]

Hmm.. I dont see those on my 5800 (non Ultra).

Mind you when I select auto-detect in the overclocking tab it pushes up close to 500/1000!! I leave it at 440/880 and get no heat, noise or dodgy pixels. For what it's worth, my 3DM03 score is pretty much top of the tree for P4 1.8 cpu's. Thats with an untweeked machine other than GFX clocks.

What does autodetect suggest on your card ?

 

[Ante P]

Hmm.. I dont see those on my 5800 (non Ultra).

Mind you when I select auto-detect in the overclocking tab it pushes up close to 500/1000!! I leave it at 440/880 and get no heat, noise or dodgy pixels. For what it's worth, my 3DM03 score is pretty much top of the tree for P4 1.8 cpu's. Thats with an untweeked machine other than GFX clocks.

What does autodetect suggest on your card ?

It suggests 504/1020 but after some more testing I detected that 520/1040 are the optimal settings.

If I loop a benchmark for too long when the core's at 540 MHz it will pause and go back to lower clock speeds after a while.

 

[Dave Baumann]

You might hear more of this sooner or later.

 

[kid_crisis]

So the 4700 point score was for clock settings of 520/1040?

 

[Ante P]

You might hear more of this sooner or later.

More of what?

The card dropping back to lower clockspeeds?

 

[Ante P]

So the 4700 point score was for clock settings of 520/1040?

nonono, I get 5800 points when I've overclocked my 5800

neat huh? =)

 

[Dave Baumann]

No, the 'dancing pixels' you describe. Its not from an 'overclocking' type issue.

 

[LeStoffer]

No, the 'dancing pixels' you describe. Its not from an 'overclocking' type issue.

Don't tease so much, Dave! We already know you guys might something cooking about IQ on certain drivers, so...?

 

[Arun]

Damn, so they've really implemented 3DFX patented "Retrieve objects whenever you feel like it" technique AKA HSR? Hehe. Joking.

However, this does look strangely like HSR, although it would be based on actual data, not on random fun *grins*


Uttar

 

[[maven]]

Now I'm intrigued...
(downloads DetonatorFX and spins up the hair-blower...)

 

[Hanners]

No, the 'dancing pixels' you describe. Its not from an 'overclocking' type issue.

Don't tease so much, Dave! We already know you guys might something cooking about IQ on certain drivers, so...?

There are three or four people I've seen teasing about the IQ of these drivers, I wish somebody would get on with it and spill the beans....

* Goes back to sitting on edge of seat *

 

[Doomtrooper]

]Now I'm intrigued...
(downloads DetonatorFX and spins up the hair-blower...)

 

[Evildeus]

Tech-report didn't see anything it seems (well something with the FX 5200 )
http://www.tech-report.com/etc/2003q2/detonator-fx/index.x?pg=1

 

[Chris]

Maybe alternating frame hijinx?

 

[Ante P]

No, the 'dancing pixels' you describe. Its not from an 'overclocking' type issue.

Oh man, just spill it.
At least before I post my next review hehe, just e-mailed nVidia to ask what it's all about.

 

[Mark]

I heard from a pretty reliable person that ExtremeTech will also have an article with the words "cheating", "drivers", and a company named "nVidia" spread throughout...

 

[Ante P]

I heard from a pretty reliable person that ExtremeTech will also have an article with the words "cheating", "drivers", and a company named "nVidia" spread throughout...

argh

when will this ever end
seems like you can't post a single review without having to do x amount of follow ups due to either new and improved drivers or due to becnhes being cheated on etc.

guuhhh

 

[Pete]

Tech-Report[/url]]Swanky new drivers — NVIDIA has dubbed its upcoming 44.03 driver release "Detonator FX," and these new drivers promise much better performance in a range of games. In a no doubt related move, NVIDIA has reworked its texture filtering algorithms for techniques like anisotropic filtering in the 44.03 drivers.

The texture filtering routines in previous GeForce FX driver revisions have been a source of controversy because NVIDIA's engineers cut some corners, sacrificing visual quality and technical correctness for performance. As a result, I'm unsure of how to interpret NVIDIA's claims about the Detonator FX drivers. They say these new drivers take a "motion-based approach" to eliminating common texture artifacts like sparkles. Thus, these algorithms are not just about "focusing on still images." The resulting algorithms are intended to produce a "best of both worlds" result for quality and performance.

 

[digitalwanderer]

No, the 'dancing pixels' you describe. Its not from an 'overclocking' type issue.

Don't tease so much, Dave! We already know you guys might something cooking about IQ on certain drivers, so...?

There are three or four people I've seen teasing about the IQ of these drivers, I wish somebody would get on with it and spill the beans....

* Goes back to sitting on edge of seat *

The Dig sits impatiently on the edge of his seat next to Hanners

Yeah, c'mon and someone help out us little brains and explain it in small words with pictures with arrows on 'em!!!!