AnandTech meets image quality

[CarstenS]

"X² Well, AA is for sure, but ATi's also got much better blending, funny that no one noticed this 'til now.
But then, there's this alpha-issue. Just look at the engine glow. *shrugs*"
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the newest nVidia drivers have some "fixes" for x2. the fixes give a slower overall score in the rolling demo, but offer a playable framerate (as opposed to the stutter fest of previous drivers). funny how when x2 was "just a benchmark" the score was high. now that it's a game (got released), the stuttering is magicaly fixed and the score drops a bit.
c:

Didn't try those yet, but since the 'rendering errors' occur regardless of past driver revisions or even nV3x/nV2x, i'd guess, they just fix the jerkyness and nothing else.

 

[Tim Murray]

A comment from Derek Wilson, the article's author:

The FX cards support full DX9. In fact, they support more than the minimum to be DX9 cards and support some features that people speculate will be in DX10 (fp32, longer shader programs, etc...).

Unfortuntely, this doesn't make the FX cards worth any more.

Part of the reason ATI is able to lead so well in performance is that they don't support many of these features. And when games come out that can take advantage of them, it isn't likely that FX cards will run those features at very high framerates.

The only thing FX feature support does for NVIDIA is give them one more generation of experience in supporting those features. Of course, it remains to be seen what they will do with that.

ATI has proven that it can do a good job of hitting the nail on the head with actually leading the release of DX9 with full DX9 support. If they can do the same for DX10, then they will be doing very well.

When DX10 emerges, things will get very interesting...

please, destroy him. shatter his fragile psyche. just something. somebody. please. it makes me cry.

 

[digitalwanderer]

A comment from Derek Wilson, the article's author:

The FX cards support full DX9. In fact, they support more than the minimum to be DX9 cards and support some features that people speculate will be in DX10 (fp32, longer shader programs, etc...).

Unfortuntely, this doesn't make the FX cards worth any more.

Part of the reason ATI is able to lead so well in performance is that they don't support many of these features. And when games come out that can take advantage of them, it isn't likely that FX cards will run those features at very high framerates.

The only thing FX feature support does for NVIDIA is give them one more generation of experience in supporting those features. Of course, it remains to be seen what they will do with that.

ATI has proven that it can do a good job of hitting the nail on the head with actually leading the release of DX9 with full DX9 support. If they can do the same for DX10, then they will be doing very well.

When DX10 emerges, things will get very interesting...

please, destroy him. shatter his fragile psyche. just something. somebody. please. it makes me cry.

Sorry, can't....it's too easy. It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel with a double-barrel shotgun.

Besides, I'm working today. 8)

 

[Pete]

Derek's a nice guy, there's no need to destroy him. I'm more than a little pissed that someone who gets paid by one of the largest hardware websites can't get shit like this right, though. I mean, c'mon, dude--how can you write about filtering without even at least linking 3DCenter's many and detailed articles on the subject?!

I'm debating how to discuss things with him, either at Ars or at AT. We'll see if I even have the time, as much as I'd like to get his perspective. I honestly think Anand is skeptical of ATi, and that's translating to Derek. I'm not sure why A hasn't shared the source of his skepticism, though, beyond saying both companies do bad things.

 

[ben6]

Why are people so eager to destroy someone for writing an article? Truthfully, I expected more from Anandtech though, as I know Anand knows better. Derek I don't know

 

[Tim Murray]

Derek's a nice guy, there's no need to destroy him. I'm more than a little pissed that someone who gets paid by one of the largest hardware websites can't get shit like this right, though. I mean, c'mon, dude--how can you write about filtering without even at least linking 3DCenter's many and detailed articles on the subject?!

Bingo. I went a little overboard in my previous post, I know, but my God, how irresponsible is it to answer your critics with a reference to DX10 that is nothing but conjecture?

Considering we're still about 2 years away (at best) from DX10, which gives us time for at least another generation and a half... yeah, what the hell. Two years ago, we had the GF3 Ti. Nobody was talking about DX9 because it wasn't even on the horizon. A difference of one version does not equal "coming soon."

 

[digitalwanderer]

Derek's a nice guy, there's no need to destroy him. I'm more than a little pissed that someone who gets paid by one of the largest hardware websites can't get shit like this right, though. I mean, c'mon, dude--how can you write about filtering without even at least linking 3DCenter's many and detailed articles on the subject?!

Bingo. I went a little overboard in my previous post, I know, but my God, how irresponsible is it to answer your critics with a reference to DX10 that is nothing but conjecture?

Considering we're still about 2 years away (at best) from DX10, which gives us time for at least another generation and a half... yeah, what the hell. Two years ago, we had the GF3 Ti. Nobody was talking about DX9 because it wasn't even on the horizon. A difference of one version does not equal "coming soon."

Well, don't forget dx9.1 is coming out soon and it'll support 16FP as the minimum....I know it's true, someone told me that they heard that TeamDX told it to somebody and a friend of their friend's cousin overheard it at a place he works at so it MUST be true!

 

[vrecan]

After doing some hex editting on the exe i discovered how to enable soft shadows
add AllowSoftShadows=1 to graphics options in the swkotor.ini
also Soft Shadows=1
I can't see poor performance , it must be the hot fix drivers...

EDITTED EDITTED apparently I had enablesoftshadows=1 which is incorrect!
the correct line is AllowSoftShadows=1

I just tried this and everytime it reverts back to the original settings ie no soft shadows... also allowsoftshadows option isn't in my INI, I added it and seems 2 do nothing.

 

[indio]

You need the latest patch from lucasarts

http://support.lucasarts.com/patches/KotOR.htm
apparently they put in the functionality in anticipation of newer drivers
you should use the hotfix drivers as well
http://www.ati.com/support/infobase/4291.html
your ini should look something like this

[Graphics Options]
RefreshRate=85
Height=768
Width=1024
V-Sync=0
Anisotropy=16
Frame Buffer=1
Anti Aliasing=4
Texture Quality=2
Grass=1
Soft Shadows=1
Shadows=1
Brightness=57
EnableHardwareMouse=1
FullScreen=1
AllowSoftShadows=1

 

[MistaPi]

Just add the "AllowSoftShadows=" line if its not there. Worked for me

 

[vrecan]

hmm ok thanks guys!

 

[Iceman]

I just tested this without the hotfix and the performance is abmyssal. I could nearly count the fps. Downloading the hotfix now...