DirectX 10 cards are here!

[lalex]

Read this and prepare for Santa! And NOT as speculated by the pessimists, the prices are exactly like any new super-power card at release time. And "read my lips" - before Vista is out, we'll see 512 cards priced at @$300 too.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/Videocards/391

If you read carefully you'll understand that all that " DX10 compatible" tag added lately to various cards were not more than mere marketing BS.

New architecture, new approach, new performance

I am surely glad I postponed my "dream PC" purchase <g>.

[beana5]

GF 8800 GTX....$599. This may be just the beginning.Will ultimately ,a home simulator equal the price of a reasonable C-150? I see many of us own multiple computers.The result of an evolutionary process,I guess,you can date them to corresponds with the release of a new Sim.FS,the tail that wags an industry.Such is progress.I ,chose to hold now.I have my FSX.Its promises are great.I want whats in it,all of it.No compromise will do.Unfortunately to achieve that,Ya need the stuff,the right stuff.(stuff=$$$)
Mr. Andrew Herd,here wrote a great "FSX REVIEW",the best analyzes I read yet.Note his "Verdict paragraph." Enlightening.



"Fantastic, stupendous, awesome, best version yet, most advanced desktop flight simulation ever. Yeah, "FSX needs macho hardware to run well", but we are on the "verge of a new generation of processors that will pack some serious muscle without absolutely breaking the bank". For now, download the demo and "if your system can run that," look forward to some serious fun - and stay with us and read the follow on articles " Andrew Herd ... quote marks are mine. "Car,Vacation,who needs that..what I need is a new Sim Machine" Thanx VIN

[lalex]

LOL! Nice post! :-)

[Andrew_L]

I've been fighting off the 'upgrade fever' for a lil while now...Hopefully i can keep my hand off the damned Visa card until about mid-winter and THEN blow the big bucks on the new system with all the bells n whistles (without my finance manager, aka wife, stroking-out on me). with any luck the prices of DX10 cards and core 2 duo systems will have dropped some more

Andrew

[Turnip579]

I upgraded 9 months ago and have no VISA card left. UGH!

[Andrew_L]

I'm trying to work up the courage to follow the principal of "its easier to ask for foregiveness than permission"

BUT I'M SKEEEEEEEEEREDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!

:P:P:P

[loki]

Don't forget though that we still need Vista and a patch to FSX before we'll see the real benefit of DX10. These cards are faster, but they still won't be running under DX10 until the above are released.

loki

[lalex]

MOI??? FORGET???? It was ME preaching Vista + FSX + DX10 = FPS all over the forum and being laughed at by a few skeptics (and maybe a few others who graciously enough did not show me the boot in the forum <g>.

Guru3D has experience a tremendous increase in gameplay (fps) on WinXP + DX9 and predicts even more value for DX10 games on Vista.

Sincew we're talking FSX here - and hopefully we know by know that FSX is no ordinary game - the impact will be less dramatic, the main reason being that FSX is (VERY) CPU bound. Unless the team at Aces pull some cool performance tricks when they put the DX10-specific code in, we still have to invest in other components too. We should always remember that such a graphics card needs a suitable CPU to pump data as fast as it can chew - and it can chew like there is no tomorrow. And that CPU needs a fast RAM and... you got the idea.

All this means that only buying the N80 will NOT put anyone in the high 50s (fps) with all the sliders maxxed.

Bottom line - a PC tuned to run FSX + Vista as God intended (or MS for that matter) is already available today - hardware-wise:

=========================
- Conroe 6800 = $1000
- 8800GFX = $600
- fast 2GB RAM = $300
- Nvidia 680 mobo = $200
- PSU = $150
=========================
Total = $2250

Now add the rest of the stuff for, say, $700 (no monitor, mind you) and we are still below the US$3000 "magical" number.

Want an SLI setup, add another $650 (allowing for a bigger PSU) and you're still at yesterday's "killer rig" price point.

A very smart man once said that at any moment, the PC that you want will always cost you US$5000. Ya know what? It just got cheaper!

[loki]

Sorry, that wasn't aimed at you. It was meant to clarify for others that even if you bought this card right now, it still isn't going to provide the benefits of DX10. Right now we're just seeing increases from a new GPU architecture in those test results. Adding a native DX10 version of FSX should give even more of an increase.

loki

[pvarn]

Not to mention new card and DX drivers are slow to shake out the bugs in the 1st few versions. If it wasn't for credit cards, there would be no beta testers.
-Pv-

[beana5]

Hi Loki,I tried to inquire a while ago,as to what machines,did the MS designers use?? I was told Oh,just your normal rig. That MS info would at least give us a target to aim for.I guess for high distribution sales they ,would not want to scare off people.However ,the opposite seems to be happing.Some of us are concerned. Don't get me wrong,I see great potently for FSX. I have my FSX,the future is here.But I do want to really enjoy it,totally,and not with severe compromises.Yea! some get hot,in these discussions.They may be directing their frustrations also.My currant rig is not to modest.I won't list it now.But it performs well in all other applications.My grandson puts "Games "on the thing.The latest and most intensive stuff.It performs flawlessly.So ,like an other ques. I asked,tongue in cheek, is WHY? That article I alluded to by Andrew Herd,may have sublimely reveled the answer... at least to me that is, there is not the technology to satisfy some of us now.To be sure ,its coming,at what cost however.At that time each of us will have to make a big choice. Thanks,good luck! Vin ;-)

[lalex]

Don't be sorry loki since no ofense was taken whatsoever. Actually I should have started my reply with a smiley :-).

[lalex]

Yes, but what about the situation in China?