Any help with Voodoo3 AGP? Or suggestions for an ideal system?

[Moog]

CFS3 was released here in Ireland today and I rushed out to buy it, knowing full well from the many internet reviews that I'd have a hard time with it...I plan to get a new system around christmas time, but really! — is there any point in keeping faith running the game on my PIII-550, 128megs, 16Meg Voodoo3 AGP? After using the suggested tweaks (user-defined Virtual Memory, Z-buffer trick in the CFS3config) the game ran in 1024x768x16, sliders to 1 except terrain to 3 but all the textures were mucky (after being fairly clear initially), and when autogen was turned on all the trees beyond a 200-ft radius displayed as blocks (not to mention the smoke!). Are there ANY tweaks that can get the sim up to scratch or am I living in a dream world?

Assuming the latter, what are the hardware components that would have the biggest effect? For instance, what's the best graphics card and why? What's the most efficient amount of memory to get (without going crazy)? Is processor speed the be all and end all as regards framerates?

I'd really appreciate any help...

Play It Cool

-Barra

[texerrn]

I don't want to hurt your feelings but your system is on the low average of "gaming" computers. That's ok I have a Pentium III 800. But I used to have a Pentium II 300, it was the state of the art, for a few weeks anyway. I used to play Flightsim on an Apple IIe at one time. I like the Pentium, Intel comb myself. A Wintel machine. But the new Athalon is getting better ratings at the momement in some reports. The Voodoo just doesn't cut it for me anymore. The Nvidia GeForce was the way to go until recently. I have a Ti 4600 and a 21 inch monitor and it produces amazing results. The ATI raedeon Pro 5900? is the top performer this month. How much RAM? all you can afford. Now consider the Pentium 4 which is already coming out in 3.1 Gh. I just ordered a 2.8 CPU, (prices really dropped recently)with an Intel motherboard which has a 533 bus and uses Rambus DRAM which is what Intel wanted to use all along but was so expensive it hasn't been that popular. The whole high end computer game is neverending. To the delight of those that supply the parts and OS. Keeping up with the others on your block is an expensive situation. And yes "they" keep releasing software (read games)that requires faster and faster stuff. we all know that of course.