X600/300 can support SM2.0B and R3x0 cant?

yes instancing works. before I installed the above mentioned things, I tried it and it wasn't working, it would just result in slowdown when vegetation ratio was turned up. now I can turn it all the way up without slowdown. I'm not sure if lighting pass benefits are working because far cry 1.2 is buggy of course and I can't load any of my save games at indoor levels I'd like to test.

 

Oh, I don't read that site....just another ATi fanboy site.

 

Actually I was hoping there was another way to test it, I'm only running on 512MB system memory until I get a package from NewEgg tomorrow and FarCry runs a hell of a lot better on a Gig for me. :?

It'll wait, I'll practice my patience....gods know I need more practice at it!

 

The leaked 4.8's dont have the full SM2.0b/instancing support that the press drivers do afaik. I'm sure i saw it mentioned on some other forum that the press release drivers were the first 4.8 build to add in this functionality.

As for our (DH) comment that the X3 and X6 support 2.0b, i had specifically asked ATI about it and they confirmed that both do...so it wasnt a typo.

 

Would be a pisser for sure - wonder if one could hack it into the driver tho...?

 

*eats humble pie*

I checked with ATI again and they have confirmed that X6 and X3 do not support 2.0b after all. They apologise and i apologise for the incorrect info.

*continues eating*

 

^^^Are you serious,? I hate metaphors.

Anyway. Let me get this straight. the x3 and x6 support all the techniques that the R360 chips supports because they are based on it. but ati threw in some PS2.0b stuff to be consistent with the next gen name X300,600,800.

Seems to make sense to me. ATI created a new line of chips and it simply wants them to share similer properties. Hence the X3,6,800 family.

Or, ATI has not yet revealed to us that the R3xx line is capable of ps2.0b. this, I think, is highly unlikely.

 

Just listen to Veridian3.

Or check ATi's website... ATi's marketing-name for ps_2_b is "SMARTSHADER HD". Only X800's specs mention this, and also in more detail, some characteristics (instructioncount for example).
The specs for X300 and X600 list "SMARTSHADER 2.0", just like all other R(V)3x0-based products.

So my conclusion is that indeed only X800 supports ps_2_b, while the rest is just reworked R3x0-stuff with a PCIe-bus.

 

http://www.beyond3d.com/misc/chipcomp/?view=chip&orderby=semicon&order=ASC&n=0

 

D3DXGetPixelShaderProfile did't even report "2_b" on the X800 and the more complex (>2.0) ShaderMark v2.1 shaders aren't working on the X800 yet, even with the 4.8 beta drivers...
How can it take ATi longer to get working 2_b drivers out than NVIDIA getting working 3_0 drivers out ...

Thomas

 

Becasue the driving force to buy a 6800ultra is the sm 3.0 the driving force for the x800s is the performance.

THey will have the drivers out in a week. THe last drivers came out on the 7th. These will come out on the 7th with everything working

 

Don't you mean "the driving force to buy a 6800ultra is sm 3.0 and performance and the driving force for the x800s is performance"

 

The X800 has supported PS 2.x since its launch. Please check the D3D caps and be certain your shaders aren't being rejected for using a feature that is not supported. The Ashliviewer samples work fine.

 

Well In farcry its sm3.0 is slower than ati's x800 performance. So i don't think they would be buying it because of sm 3.0 performance

 

The app is using the PS 2.0b profile (AFAIK) however it's not exceeding the instruction limits of PS 2.0.

 

Not sure what you mean. It may have been that the app was not originally written to do lighting in less than one pass per light, if that's what you meant.