JG27_Arklight

Seeing as that the English Download version has been released, is there a date for the DVD version? Thanks!

The English version has more mission content according to SimHQ. Just about every other PC game in the U.S. is $49.99, I don't see an issue with Black Shark being the same. With the level of fidelity, IMO, it is a bargain at the current price.

Np! :) I get up too 85 fps. With a lot of action it dips down to about 35 - 50 fps. My videocard is really bottlenecking my system and it will only get worse when I try and OC to 3.8 ghz. My refresh rate is set to 85hz and I always have v-sync on so my FPS is pegged at 85 quite often. I run at 1600x1200x32 with 4xFSAA and 16xAF. All settings "Max" except water at "Normal" and view distance set to "Medium". Since you are going to be running at 1680x1050, the 4870X2 and possibly even the GTX 280 would more than likely be a waste for you since they really start to shine at 1920x1200 and above. If you envision yourself moving to a 24' inch LCD then a GTX 280 or 4870X2 might serve you well. On the other hand, having a blazing fast videocard wouldn't really hurt you at a lower resolution and it would be there for you if you decide to move up down the road. These are my "Top Choices" for current generation videocard offerings: ATI 1. Visiontek 4870X2 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129114 2. ASUS 4870 1GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121291 Nvidia 1. EVGA GTX 280 SSC http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130368 2. EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130400 You can wait for the new GTX 295 which is essentially two GTX 260's on one card, but I have a feeling the cost will be astronomical (I would guess in the $600+ range per card at launch in January/February). It really comes down to budget, expectations, and product stability. The GTX 260 series is currently at an excellent price point, the performance is solid, they are relatively cheap (comparatively speaking), and from what I have heard pretty darn stable. My only concern would be how much of a jump in performance you would see over your current card. I have never had one of your cards so it would be difficult for me to guage the performance vs what I read and talk to people about. You can find GTX 280's at Newegg for about $350 - $375 after rebate which is pretty nice when you consider the Visiontek 4870X2 I linked above comes in at $529. I like the performance of the 4870X2, but I appreciate the stability and driver maturity of GTX series.

I thought this was a thread about my ex-girlfriend.

I thought this wasn't supposed to come out until next year? Crazy Russians. :D

I would go with a Nvidia card. ATI puts out a good product, but they still are not quite as good driver wise. Some folks have no issues, other folks have nothing but issues. It works both ways though, I'm sure Nvidia users also have their ow horror stories.....they just seem, in my searches, less prevelant than those of ATI. You have an i7 system like me, so also keep in mind that the i7 needs a fast videocard or it will end up being bottlenecked (some even say that the Core i7 needs SLI or better to perform at it's fullest). It is an extremely fast processor and scales VERY well with a higher end GPU in single or SLI solution. If you only play LOMAC/BS then ATI might be an ok choice, however, I don't know of many folks that ONLY play one game. With a Nvidia solution you will get a solid performing card at a good pricepoint (prices are droppig quite nicely!) that is stable and can run most games at 1920x1200 without issue. Crysis is the only game that seems to somewhat beat up on current hardware, which I don't undertstand since Crysis doesn't look all that good, IMO. The GTX 260 is an excellent card that will run you in the low $200 range (depending on model) and can handle many applications at 1920x1200 with 4xFSAA and 16xAF. Also, because they are so cheap SLI might be a option for you. The GTX 280 is also dropping in price ad may also present a good solution for you, not to mention providing that extra "oomph". The Current ATI 4870X2 is very fast but also comes in at a $500+ pricepoint (for the Visiontek, which is the only one I would buy since they have a lifetime warranty). Also, the dual GPU setup seems to cause some issues with some games, hence the reason ATI has been known in recent times to release hotfixes. The 4870X2 heat issues can be solved by downloading that ATI tool that adjusts fanspeed (I think the fan defaults to 25% fanspeed or thereabouts, that's why there are heat issues), this pretty much alleviates the heating problem from what I have heard. It really comes down to: 1. What resolution do you play at? 2. What are your FSAA and AF desires (though AF seems to be quite "free" nowadays with modern videocards)? 3. What games do you play? 4. How much do you want to spend? We all place different emphasis on "value", so the above can be organized to suit your budget/needs (needs being a relative term :D). Hope this helps.

Flying fixed-wings is fun, but there is something inherently entertaining about hiding behind an object and causing things far away to go boom in the night.

It is tough to say without knowing the laptop specifically. OC'ing itself is "usually" not much of an issue but could pose a problem for a retail purchased laptop (retail computers usually have an OEM version of the OS placed on them and corrupting the OS from a bad OC could pose an issue if you need to reinstall without the install CD). Also, OC'ing is largely based on ram performance, cpu performance, heat amount (or lack thereof I should say!) from voltage, and the ability of your bios to allow such revisions to your system. A good place to ask about OC'ing for your laptop is http://www.hardocp.com. The folks over there know a LOT about OC'ing and may have experience with your specific laptop. If you do head over there and ask, be sure and list the model number of the laptop as well.

My new rig (just built the other night): Vista 64-bit SP1 Core i7 920 + Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme - 1366 RT ASUS PT6 Deluxe 1366 X58 6GB G.Skill DDR3 1600 EVGA 8800GTX (Haven't decided on a new videocard yet.) 640GB WD "Black" Corsair CMPSU-1000HX 1000W RT NEC FP2141-SB (19 inch Flat Screen CRT running 1600x1200 resolution) This rig scores all 5.9's in Vistas performance "Experience Rating"....whatever the hell that is good for. haha I will be testing Blackshark tonight and will report back my performance findings. I will also test this rig in an OC'd state and compare the performance change in Black Shark. For what it is worth, the rig in my signature below (the E6600) would run Black Shark at 1600x1200 with 4xFSAA and 16xAF just fine. Of course, seriously heavy action would tax the system. The Core i7 group of processors will show you an increase in performance, but with an SLI setup, the performance scales VERY well and you really start to see a jump. SLI is not an option for a lot of folks due to cost, however, with the impending release of the next round of videocards, current prices will drop (many already have!). GTX 280's at Newegg are already down to around $400 and lower in some cases. I plan to pick up a 24 inch or 30 inch LCD in the next few weeks (I spent the last week and a half trying a few LCDs and returning them to Best Buy). If you plan to purchase a 30 inch LCD than I would get at least one GTX 280 or 4870X2 (I would actually recommend against a 4870X2 since Crossfire still has quite a few issues, doesn't seem to be scaling all that well, and is still too expensive). Two GTX 260's in SLI will beat a 4870X2 and is cheaper in many cases I do believe. Personally, I would sticvk with a GTX 280 to start, and then add another GTX 280 on later if you decide you need it (need being a relative term. :D). The benefit of ATI cards in many cases is the ability to run higher levels of FSAA at higher resolutions with less of a performance hit, however, at 1920x1200 or 2560x1600 with 4xFSAA aliasing it is not really an issue any more, IMHO. Overall, the GTX 280 does have better driver support currently and does scale better in many games. One important thing to note is that Lock-On, Flaming Cliffs, and Black Shark all seem to run better with ATI products (not that they don't run very well with Nvidia as well). So, if these games are pretty much your bread ad butter and Counterstrike, etc.. can take a long walk on a short pier, than ATI may be your ticket. One last note. Lock-On, Flaming Cliffs, and Black Shark all seem to be more CPU taxing rather than GPU. So, you may be able to get away with a lower end card if your CPU is up to snuff. More of my opinions: Best "Value SLI setup": Dual GTX 260's Best "Value CPU": E8400 or E8500 (OC'd) Best "Value Mobo" for Conroe: ASUS P5Q Pro Best "Value 24" LCD": BenQ G2400 or BenQ V2400 (Whatever you do, do NOT buy a Gateway LCD. Gateway is in serious financial trouble right now.) If I was on a budget and did not wat to move up to a Core i7 rig, I would buy an E8500, a ASUS P5Q Mobo, and a GTX 260. Hope this helps! :)

I'm sorry, but when you say, "enter this statement in your profile"...what do you mean? How do I go about doing this? I have not used my Cougar in a LONG time. Thanks!

LMAO

Thanks for the feedback, all. I am still trying to decide what to do here, but may wait a ferw motnhs and see what ATI ad Nvidia bring tot the table at the next tech refresh. That GTX 260 deal is sort of hard to pass up though. lol

I've been looking for FSX bechmarks with the i7 myself...apparently quite a few people I have spoken to would also like some. Somebody mentioned that Microsoft actually ecouraged benchmarks be done with the new i7 and FSX. I think it would be very interesting, even if the results are not great.

What are the prices for stuff like this over there? Btw, do you have TrackIR?

What country are you from? Yeah, $490 = 2x GTX 260 Superclocked cards. Very nice. If ATI could get their drivers straight, their cards would be very very attractive. They have bee doing much better though ad seem to be improving. The 260 GTX Superclocked cards might be a good starting point to get into SLI. On the other hand, I can get a GTX 280 for close to $430. Decisions decisions..

Unless you are talking about FSX....which eats through CPU power like crazy. lol

The ATI X2 has dual GPUs on each card, that is what I meat. This seems to cause quite a few issues in some cases including horrible performance on some games (they talk about it at HardOCP in the forums), that is a concern of mine. The Nvidia offering is a single GPU solution running in SLI so it does not suffer from the same issues (though it does have it's own issues they do not seem to be as prevelant as what many seem to experience with ATI's X2). I think no matter which side you choose, there are going to be issues somewhere along the line. :) I can see the SLI/Crossfire solution coming into play at higher resolutions such as 1920x1200 and up (especially when you start throwing in silly levels of FSAA and AF). One of the toughest parts about this is I can get 2x EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked cards for less than 1x X2 and only $60 more than 1x GTX 280. lol

I have seen benchmarks of the new i7's in games go both ways. At this point, I think we all just need to see for ourselves. Guru3D reported rather sizeable gains, while others reported hardly any gains. I'm going try and OC it to 3.8 ghz if I can. Either way, it is much faster than the system I currently have and at least it provides me with an upgrade path. We shall see what happens! :)

My biggest concern with the ATI offering is what I have heard about regarding Dual GPU videocards and how at times some games just flat out do not like them. ATI drivers don't seem to be the best right now, but having been an Nvidia user for the past few years and an ATI user before that (the Radeon 9700 was solid gold), I am sort of out of the loop. Part of me wants to stick with my 8800GTX for the time being and see what Nvidia and ATI come out with next. Blackshark seems mostly CPU limited so I'm ot sure "seriously" beefing up my videocard solution will provide that much of a bonus. On the other hand, I would like to get something new for the build I'm doing so I ca give my wife my current system (in my sig). Newegg has EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked cards on sale right now for $245 each. That is pretty darn good.

I am interested to know how this product fares with Intel's new Core i7 processors. I am in the process of getting the parts for one now but will not be able to test for at least a week or so.

I would be interested to know if any test of this have been made at higher resolutions. The reason I am asking is because I am building a Core i7 system and I have the option of picking up 2 GTX 260 cards and running them in SLI or a GTX 280 (or the 4870X2 from ATI) and running it alone. I will be using 1920x1200 resolution (or higher), and I would like to maintain my 4xFSAA and 16xAF level.

The easiest way to do it (for me at least), is download FSscreen. Install it. Whenever you hit "Print Screen", your files are saved as BMPs to the location of the FSscreen exe. Easy. :) I personally prefer to save the files to BMP so I can have them at 100% quality before I open them in Photoshop and resize them.

Anybody here running an SLI/Crossfire configuration? If so, are you seeing a difference over a single GPU setup? How much of difference (positive or negative)?

Does the pilot seem to short when sititng inside the Blackshark? He doesn't seem to be able to see over the right-side armor. For reference: http://www.army-technology.com/projects/ka50/images/Ka50_12.jpg http://www.army-technology.com/projects/ka50/ Just an observation. :) Are my eyes decieving me?

So is this something we have to set manaually? There is no way to just make the game utilize mulitple cores by default without havng to ALT-TAB/CTRL-ALT-DLT out and set the affinity?