A nosey question about Matt's rig...

[mooshim]

Wags' system: Asus P6T, i7 975 @ 3.33, 6 GB DDR3, GTX295, and Win7 64

 

It's the card that I was principally curious about.

(I'm not familiar with the other components.)

 

I understand the practicality of having, say, a medium range card. I would be flying DCS a10c with a mid-range system that represents the average consumer. And so, have an accurate representation of how they might be experiencing my product.

 

However, I imagine that, if I were a developer...I would have the sweetest system on the planet for a very specific reason.

 

Selfishly, of course, to enjoy all that my software has to offer...but also practically--that is, to have the capability to experience all that my product has to offer my customers in the near future, as prices fall and as more (formerly) high-end systems get into the hands of us mortals :).

 

It's just something I've always wondered about.

 

It would seem to me, as a developer, a priority to run my product on a system with the best quality, fastest, most powerful available components. I assume, too, that it certainly would be a justifiable allocation of resources.

 

Perhaps I'm way off in my thinking.

 

Wags hasn't upgraded his system in a long while, it seems. I wonder why.

 

Cheers,

Moosh

[Napa]

GTX 295 isn't exactly a "medium range card" if thats what you are talking about. It has 2 GPUs inside and nearly 1.8GB or Vram.

 

I have the same card and I'm getting very satisfying results from DCS. The only issue that has is the flickering on TGP and Mav MFCDs, but that is solved through the "every frame" option.

[MTFDarkEagle]

Yes, as Innerloop states, this isn't a "medium range card" :P Not even close.

[chokko]

because its still more than adequate for sims which arent graphically intensive?

 

i had a gtx295 and recently put a gtx580 in my pc...both had same performance for my single monitor+mfd screen.

[MTFDarkEagle]

Even for graphically intensive applications it delivers! I mean: you cant run it in dx11, but still. Everything I throw at it: it chews up, and spitts out ;)

[mooshim]

this isn't a "medium range card" :P Not even close.

 

Ah...wasn't aware...thx...:music_whistling:

 

I just look at numbers and assume...

 

All I know about hardware specs I learned from

.

[BTTW-DratsaB]

GTX295 does go up to 11

 

Heh heh, great movie.

 

I too have the same card. Recently, for the first time with DCSA10, I disabled SLI for my DCSA10 nvidia profile (to see if it would help a current prob I am having) and Wow, SLI does make a big difference to DCSA10.

 

One odd thing I notice about Matt's setup is he must have SLI disabled as he is running 256 for "Cockpit display Res". And if SLI was enabled he would be getting a lot of flicker on the MFCD with this setting. Just an observation. I sure would love to know his thoughts on the whole SLI DCS thing and if there are any plans regarding it. It's so rare to find a developer that is using a SLI system.

[Headspace]

I doubt you'd want that card for this specifically unless you play other games and want to keep the same card for years. I am on a GTX 275 and it's more than enough for this. I could buy a 5xx card but the price to framerate for DCS and ArmA (the two games I find myself playing the most of these days) doesn't wash.

 

DCS is a relic of a bygone age: The CPU-heavy game. Your CPU (and to a lesser extent, any bus-specific stuff relating to that) is going to be the bottleneck with this one in most of the cases I've observed since I started playing it. While you might see some performance gains with a better GPU, if you are undergunned in the CPU arena it won't matter nearly as much.

 

But the ultimate boost for DCS, if you have a midrange system and can play it reasonably well already, would be the TM Warthog.

Edited April 17, 2011 by Headspace

[MTFDarkEagle]

But the ultimate boost for DCS, if you have a midrange system and can play it reasonably well already, would be the TM Warthog.

Very, VERY true ;)

(and don't forget a trackir obviously ;) )

[CDR Spectre]

But the ultimate boost for DCS, if you have a midrange system and can play it reasonably well already, would be the TM Warthog.

 

I would tend to disagree. Then again, I can't see paying $500+ for a HOTAS either....

[Headspace]

I just assume everyone has a trackIR already given that it's reasonably cheap. Good point.

[RodBorza]

I just assume everyone has a trackIR already given that it's reasonably cheap. Good point.

 

I don't have. Still. But I'm saving for it. Here in Brazil, unfortunately they are not available everywhere. Graphic cards, on the other hand, are very easy to find. But for Track IR, we have to import them. Right now I'm saving for a Track IR 5 and TM Warthog (the good side of being single...) :D

[Mule]

Well i was sceptical about buying a HOTAS Warthog but came by some money and decided to buy. I was expecting it to be good but i can honestly say it is more than good it has literally completely transformed the way i fly this sim. I can now strafe tanks with pleasurable ease and have so much more control over everything. My situational awareness has gone up by about 70% because now i can orientate and concentrate on where the target is as opposed to trying to sort everything out just to get the target in focus.

 

I can't praise it any higher just an awesome bit of kit. From a previous sceptic just get it . Well worth it. The last bit of hardware that did this for my flight simming was Track Ir this is on that scale i promise. :)

[oritpro]

TrackIR 5 and TM Warthog are the two things at the top of my list for A-10C. When TM fixes the throttle problem I'll buy one because I want one bad.

 

I am currently working with the Kinect on my PC and OpenNI source as a possible head tracking solution for A-10C and other flight sims. One of the biggest problems I've run into is the 24" minimum range the device requires just to see a subject. It cannot track reliably at this range but might be doable at 36". Additionally, Kinect seems happiest when it can see the entire subject, not just the upper body, and I really don't want to fly standing up.

 

I hope I can Kinect working as a reliable tracking solution for flight simming but if not, then I'll pick up a TrackIR 5.

[EtherealN]

I just look at numbers and assume...

 

That right there was your mistake. The model numbers in retail really have very little to do with what's actually in there unless you learn to decipher each vendors specific encryption... err, I mean, marketing... language. For example: Geforce 9800GTX+ and Geforce GTS250. The latter looks like a generation later, but it's the same card. Literally. ;)

 

Similarly, the 295 has more raw processing power than my "current generation" GTX560. Indeed, it has more raw FLOPS than a GTX580... ;) Pixel throughput is roughly equal to the 580, while texel throughput is higher than the 580. It's definitely not a card to be scoffed at.

 

The drawback of it is, as has been noted, that it's Dx10 and it's dual-GPU. But don't fool yourself through seeing that "2" in the start of it's marketing name. Marketing is marketing, and you always need to look closer at what's under the hood to make an informed purchasing decision. :)

[CDR Spectre]

@ Mule:

I totally agree with what you're saying about the TM Warthog as I have used one that a m8 of mine has. However, what I was trying to say (and probably should have chosen better words) is that I don't believe the kit to be the end all be all that it's been made out to be. A good pilot can fly with an Atari 2600 joystick if need be so why spend the money?? IMHO of course.

[CDR Spectre]

I hope I can Kinect working as a reliable tracking solution for flight simming but if not, then I'll pick up a TrackIR 5.

 

I seriously doubt it but, if so, let us know how you did it. I do believe you'd be better off with TrackIR though.

[BHawthorne]

Yes, as Innerloop states, this isn't a "medium range card" :P Not even close.

 

Actually, comparing to 500-series it technically around the performance of two mid-range cards in SLI. Mid-range, yes. Equivalent to two cards not one though. ;)

[Teej]

I would tend to disagree. Then again, I can't see paying $500+ for a HOTAS either....

 

Heh. How much are you going to spend on RAM in the next 10 years. Video cards? Processors? Motherboards?

 

I'm just talking about _each_ category, let alone combined. Is not your control system worth its fraction of the gaming budget?

[RodBorza]

That right there was your mistake. The model numbers in retail really have very little to do with what's actually in there unless you learn to decipher each vendors specific encryption... err, I mean, marketing... language. For example: Geforce 9800GTX+ and Geforce GTS250. The latter looks like a generation later, but it's the same card. Literally. ;)

 

Similarly, the 295 has more raw processing power than my "current generation" GTX560. Indeed, it has more raw FLOPS than a GTX580... ;) Pixel throughput is roughly equal to the 580, while texel throughput is higher than the 580. It's definitely not a card to be scoffed at.

 

The drawback of it is, as has been noted, that it's Dx10 and it's dual-GPU. But don't fool yourself through seeing that "2" in the start of it's marketing name. Marketing is marketing, and you always need to look closer at what's under the hood to make an informed purchasing decision. :)

 

Just to add at what EtherealN has said. Take a look at the NVidia link below. It will lead you to the Graphic Cards comparison table. It is under the Shop tab. This table will help guide you what video card suits you better. You'll see that the numbers can be (and really are) deceiving:

 

http://www.nvidia.com/object/graphics_cards_buy_now.html

[Madman777]

I don't have. Still. But I'm saving for it. Here in Brazil, unfortunately they are not available everywhere. Graphic cards, on the other hand, are very easy to find. But for Track IR, we have to import them. Right now I'm saving for a Track IR 5 and TM Warthog (the good side of being single...) :D

 

Nice! TrackIR was the best accessory purchase I've ever made. I wouldn't fly or even touch my computer with out it these days.

[S77th-konkussion]

Actually- Matt built that system not all that long ago. I know this only because we were discussing Velocity Micro on this forum. My current rig- and his former.

[Insanatrix]

Heh. How much are you going to spend on RAM in the next 10 years. Video cards? Processors? Motherboards?

 

I'm just talking about _each_ category, let alone combined. Is not your control system worth its fraction of the gaming budget?

 

 

It is a nice stick but for all intents and purposes an X52 can function just fine. Comparing it to performance items though is kind of odd.

[Napa]

Just to add at what EtherealN has said. Take a look at the NVidia link below. It will lead you to the Graphic Cards comparison table. It is under the Shop tab. This table will help guide you what video card suits you better. You'll see that the numbers can be (and really are) deceiving:

 

http://www.nvidia.com/object/graphics_cards_buy_now.html

 

As I thought so... since GTX295 is no longer in production for quite some time now, nvidia thought its better to leave it out and place the cards it suits them to sell as a priority.

[CDR Spectre]

It is a nice stick but for all intents and purposes an X52 can function just fine. Comparing it to performance items though is kind of odd.

Thank you. My point exactly. Would I love to have a TM Warthog? Yes. Am I going to buy one? Not at this price. It is not worth it to me.