SM3.0 is a scam.

[Pr0d1gy]

After owning both a sm 3.0 nVidia card & an X800XL, this is how I feel about SM 3.0

Obviously their plan worked because I see people everyday saying SM 3.0 is a reason to buy a video card. Well it isn't. Call it my opinion, baszh me, or do whatever else you fanboys feel you must. This is coming from the unbiased observation of someone who has owned both & really appreciated the quality of the x800xl's display.

In conclusion, if you think Sm 3.0 is some big deal & tell people that future games will have it, you are only telling nVidia "Yes, I want you to pay game developers to let you hack their graphics engine up & add some useless program so I can say i have the better video card".

 

[VIAN]

What?!

Anything to back that up? I've used both as well and didn't get that. The reason why SM3 is better than SM2 is because it's easier for developers to write it. That's the sole reason. And that's why SM3 will take over.

 

[Rent]

Originally posted by: Pr0d1gy
After owning both a sm 3.0 nVidia card & an X800XL, this is how I feel about SM 3.0

Obviously their plan worked because I see people everyday saying SM 3.0 is a reason to buy a video card. Well it isn't. Call it my opinion, baszh me, or do whatever else you fanboys feel you must. This is coming from the unbiased observation of someone who has owned both & really appreciated the quality of the x800xl's display.

In conclusion, if you think Sm 3.0 is some big deal & tell people that future games will have it, you are only telling nVidia "Yes, I want you to pay game developers to let you hack their graphics engine up & add some useless program so I can say i have the better video card".

Uh, who "hacked" their engine to implement SM3.0?

And just FYI, when you call out people as fanboys before anyone has even replied, your claim to be unbiased goes right out the window.

 

[apoppin]

Unbiased, my ass.

SM3.0 is NOT a scam. . . . it is the continuing evolution of gfx. ATI has adopted it - late - but they have embraced it.

Your opinion is the uninformed minority report.

noted.

:roll:

:thumbsdown:

 

[DRavisher]

Originally posted by: VIAN
What?!

Anything to back that up? I've used both as well and didn't get that. The reason why SM3 is better than SM2 is because it's easier for developers to write it. That's the sole reason. And that's why SM3 will take over.

Yup. Sure you can do most of what SM3.0 can with 2.0soooperdoooperATI edition, but i've heard it's a bitch to progam for. Wouldn't be surprised if future games (post R500) won't support SM2.0sooperdooperATI edition, but support only 1.1, 2.0 vanilla and 3.0. Today they have to support SM2.0sooperdooperATI edition since that is the top of the line from ATi ATM.

 

[Creig]

Pr0d1gy - Stop, just stop. We get enough flamewars around here already, thank you very much.

 

[Rent]

Originally posted by: Creig
Pr0d1gy - Stop, just stop. We get enough flamewars around here already, thank you very much.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[Busithoth]

I can't believe this is the first time this has come up here, but, I would say it's overhyped now, but will become more relevant in the next couple years (maybe).

Hardware T&L was similar to this, in its day. Some people were jumping up and down calling it a gimmick, since no games actually accounted for it in the code, so it was a zero gain.
Then, after more than a year of being on the shelves, games were released which could take advantage of it, and some people saw the benefits.

Right now, it's not a biggie, but it could, if developers find it easier to write for and easy to adopt. It's kind of a chicken or egg situation. I think video cards have outpaced programmers for the last couple years.
Happily, we've been able to up the resolutions and AA eye-candy.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Hi troll

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Originally posted by: Busithoth
I can't believe this is the first time this has come up here, but, I would say it's overhyped now, but will become more relevant in the next couple years (maybe).

Hardware T&L was similar to this, in its day. Some people were jumping up and down calling it a gimmick, since no games actually accounted for it in the code, so it was a zero gain.
Then, after more than a year of being on the shelves, games were released which could take advantage of it, and some people saw the benefits.

Right now, it's not a biggie, but it could, if developers find it easier to write for and easy to adopt. It's kind of a chicken or egg situation. I think video cards have outpaced programmers for the last couple years.
Happily, we've been able to up the resolutions and AA eye-candy.

Exactly my point. T&L was another pointless add on "feature" that turned out to be all but useless. Thanks to the nVidia fanboys for calling fanboy & troll, but it's not really a fanboy or troll statement when the last 2 cards I owned before this x800xl were nVidia cards. I was happy with both, but I am sick of seeing nVidia fans use sm3.0 as a good reason to buy nVidia because it's not.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Pr0d1gy

Originally posted by: Busithoth
I can't believe this is the first time this has come up here, but, I would say it's overhyped now, but will become more relevant in the next couple years (maybe).

Hardware T&L was similar to this, in its day. Some people were jumping up and down calling it a gimmick, since no games actually accounted for it in the code, so it was a zero gain.
Then, after more than a year of being on the shelves, games were released which could take advantage of it, and some people saw the benefits.

Right now, it's not a biggie, but it could, if developers find it easier to write for and easy to adopt. It's kind of a chicken or egg situation. I think video cards have outpaced programmers for the last couple years.
Happily, we've been able to up the resolutions and AA eye-candy.

Exactly my point. T&L was another pointless add on "feature" that turned out to be all but useless. Thanks to the nVidia fanboys for calling fanboy & troll, but it's not really a fanboy or troll statement when the last 2 cards I owned before this x800xl were nVidia cards. I was happy with both, but I am sick of seeing nVidia fans use sm3.0 as a good reason to buy nVidia because it's not.

you are ati fanboy. clearly

your next card will have SM3.0

:roll:

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Originally posted by: apoppin
you are ati fanboy. clearly

your next card will have SM3.0

:roll:

Right, because I don't subscribe to your obviously flawed logic I am a fanboy for ATi? Of course my next card will have SM3.0, but do we really need it? Are SM2.0 games really deficient in the shadows department? Do I really care if there are perfect shadows in a game? I mean I don't care for dark games, I want to actually see what I am shooting instead of shooting shadows inside a 100% dark room a la Doom 3.

 

[Ronin]

*chuckles* It's so useless that ATi is implementing it.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Originally posted by: Pr0d1gy

Originally posted by: apoppin
you are ati fanboy. clearly

your next card will have SM3.0

:roll:

Right, because I don't subscribe to your obviously flawed logic I am a fanboy for ATi? Of course my next card will have SM3.0, but do we really need it? Are SM2.0 games really deficient in the shadows department? Do I really care if there are perfect shadows in a game? I mean I don't care for dark games, I want to actually see what I am shooting instead of shooting shadows inside a 100% dark room a la Doom 3.

And because we don't agree with your inane comments, we are are nVidia fanboys? Do yourself a favor and start digging yourself out of the hole you're buried in.

 

[Busithoth]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
And because we don't agree with your inane comments, we are are nVidia fanboys? Do yourself a favor and start digging yourself out of the hole you're buried in.

has anyone ever seen this work?

 

[nRollo]

It would be fairly easy for Prodigy to think this way today; there are only a handful of SM3 games out.

The point is that SM3 is the natural evolution of the industry, and nVidia/OEMs should be rewarded for accelerating the advance.

It's well known that SM3 saves developers work and time, allowing them to bring us games faster.

The only question is whether you want to pay nVidia for their R&D that gave developers the tools to do this over a year ago, or reward ATI for following suit sometime later this year. (hopefully)

The games will be playing in the year to come will largely have been developed on nVidia hardware because ATI has been treading water with the R300 core so long.

Whether you like the tradeoffs or not, things like SM3, displacement mapping, soft shadows, and EXR HDR are the current cutting edge that nVidia brought you and developers over a year ago.

It's a given future cards by ATI and nVidia will do these things better, the buyers choice now is whether to reward the innovator who made them possible, or the follower.

My .02

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21

And because we don't agree with your inane comments, we are are nVidia fanboys? Do yourself a favor and start digging yourself out of the hole you're buried in.

No, if you read my statements I clearly indicated that people who called me a troll & such nonsense were the nVidia fanboys. Rollo, that is an excellent assessment & basically what I was getting at with this thread. SM3.0 is like Dx9.0x, or whatever they call the next version, and shouldn't be the reason you buy a video card right now. It's nice that nVidia created these features but this shouldn't be the reason you buy a video card. Buy a video card that best suits your budget and, more importantly, the game you will be playing the most for the next 6-12 months.

 

[Drayvn]

Originally posted by: Pr0d1gy

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21

And because we don't agree with your inane comments, we are are nVidia fanboys? Do yourself a favor and start digging yourself out of the hole you're buried in.

No, if you read my statements I clearly indicated that people who called me a troll & such nonsense we the nVidia fanboys. Rollo, that is an excellent assessment & basically what I was getting at with this thread. SM3.0 is like Dx9.0x, or whatever they call the next version, and shouldn't be the reason you buy a video card right now. It's nice that nVidia created these features but this shouldn't be the reason you buy a video card. Buy a video card that best suits your budget and, more importantly, the game you will be playing the most for the next 6-12 months.

So in the end Prodigy, we shouldnt have GFX cards because theres no point in advancement, because everything was a pointless scam right?

 

[malG]

Originally posted by: Pr0d1gy
more importantly, the game you will be playing the most for the next 6-12 months.

I agree, ALL my games that I'll be buying in the next 12 months will be SM 3.0

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Originally posted by: Drayvn



So in the end Prodigy, we shouldnt have GFX cards because theres no point in advancement, because everything was a pointless scam right?

Is that how you really feel? I made my point quite clearly. Thanks for attemtping to put words in my mouth though, now go pull your foot out of yours.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Originally posted by: malG

Originally posted by: Pr0d1gy
more importantly, the game you will be playing the most for the next 6-12 months.

I agree, ALL my games that I'll be buying in the next 12 months will be SM 3.0

Then you will obviously want an nVidia card with that feature. I will be playing Madden 2006 and Battlefield 2, so I'd need the x800 card I have. If I was playing Doom 3 or another SM3.0 game I would obviously need to opt for a 6800gt & spend the extra $20.

 

[DRavisher]

Doom 3 is OpenGL, so no SM3.0 in sight there. And i'd like to point out that some people will be keeping their GFX cards for more than 6-12 months, and as I said before, there is a good chance that future games will not support SM2.0sooperdooperATI edition, resulting in r400 owners getting screwed.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Right, but Doom3 obviously runs much better on nVidia cards as do some other games...SM3.0 or not. And its good you mentioned that about Doom3, because it kind of points out what my original post meant without me having to spell it out for everyone. Alright guys, this is getting boring, so commence the fanboy beatdown for my blasphemy against your favorite GPU mfg. Cya.

 

[hans030390]

Dude, wtf? This is like, uber troll post. At least most people (sm3 fanboys like myself or not) use facts and evidence to support a random statement.

I do hope you know that it is practically a well known fact that as the year goes on (and next gen comes) Sm3 will become heavily used. Yes, it does allow major graphical improvements over SM2 (mostly just in the fact that it can run it, and SM2 has more trouble running it due to shorter shader length...though, we haven't capped the Sm2 limit yet, though its proven SM3 still provides a performance boost if no IQ is added).

This isnt a scam. its called TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT. if you dont advance with technology, sorry for you. Its not like SM2 was a scam.

Besides, even you said get a card to fit your budget and gaming style. MANY people buy cards to keep for 2 years or more, and it seems that when the 6 series came out last year, within that 2 year period, next gen games using SM3 heavily would be common.

So it makes complete sense to buy a well priced 6 series card (like the 6600gt was) and get the added benefit of Sm3.

I mean, cmon. Sure the x800 performs great, but it doesnt have SM3.

I'd kinda like buying a card that has some chance of playing next gen games. And SM3 does give the cards more of a chance, because, for all i know, next gen could run on ONLY SM3. It's a rumor, and a stupid one at that, but i'd rather not take chances.

Its not like being "safe" cost any more money.

Its not like the 6 series suck, my 6600gt does great for what i paid.

Its not like i still cant get some SM3 benefit (SC:CT, far cry, FEAR, Age of empires 3, etc etc)

Once again, what a major troll post.

Did you know that all next gen systems/game engines (UE3 for example, ok so maybe not all engines) used 6800gts in SLI to make the engine? do you know why? well, for one, there were great performers in SLI, AND they have SM3.

Besides, its not like when SM2 came out that it was s

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: DRavisher
Doom 3 is OpenGL, so no SM3.0 in sight there. And i'd like to point out that some people will be keeping their GFX cards for more than 6-12 months, and as I said before, there is a good chance that future games will not support SM2.0sooperdooperATI edition, resulting in r400 owners getting screwed.

Heh- that's pretty funny.