video upgrade: Geforce DDR vs GF3

[SteakMan]

I currently have a P3-800, GF DDR (32 MB), 640 megs PC133 ram, Win2k, etc. Everything was running great until I played Max Payne on the system. Sure it runs ok, but it is a little jerky at the default settings (I could lower settings - but no way!). Max Payne recomends a score of like 2200 with 3d Mark 2001. My system scored 1500 area. Anyway, an upgrade is in my future. I'm kind of waiting on results from Nvidia's new chipset for mobo's. The question: if I were to pop in a GF3 into my current system, should I expect a score of 2200+ from 3D Mark 2001 (so I can sleep better at night)? Questions 2 & 3: GF3 vs new Radeon supposedly coming out "end of summer" - should I wait a while longer for this? Any new Nvidia cards coming out to wait for? For what it's worth, my projected upgrade will probably be an Athlon 1.4 +, 512mb PC2100 (already have this), *possibly* some Nvidia chipset mobo. I'm more or less waiting on reviews to come in before upgrading. I can hold out on the video card - I have a lot of software (and not much time) that don't need a GF3. However, Max Payne is mocking my current rig...

 

[BenSkywalker]

Question1- I hit ~2500 3D2K1 Marks with my DDR(underclocked at the moment due to the wonderful summer heat). It could be your processor is the bottleneck(running a GHZ Athlon here).

 

[amb#cog]

Hmmm tough call.

I'd start by tweaking what I've got first myself.

You don't list your full setup (start up a system rig page like the one in my sig to make it easier to help you). So it's hard to be specific.

However. Try, and overclock both the CPU, and video card. Try different drivers for the video card. A fresh install may even help ya some. Maybe even your BIOS, or video card settings are holding you back some. Do you have Direct x 8 installed?

If you do a new install. Try a win98se/2000 dual boot, and see if you can't get it to run better in 98. Your rig does meet the requirements of that game. So in theory it should work.

Check out this site. It just may possibly help you some more.

Good luck.

 

[amb#cog]

It could be your processor is the bottleneck(running a GHZ Athlon here).

Sure could considering a 1 gig Bird wipes the floor w/ any PIII.

BTW don't expect huge increases by getting another PIII. I went from a 550@733 to a 1Ghz@1125 PIII, and the difference was so small that I decided to sell it. Just try to get some more out of what you have first.

 

[Rand]

<< It could be your processor is the bottleneck(running a GHZ Athlon here).

Sure could considering a 1 gig Bird wipes the floor w/ any PIII.

BTW don't expect huge increases by getting another PIII. I went from a 550@733 to a 1Ghz@1125 PIII, and the difference was so small that I decided to sell it. Just try to get some more out of what you have first. >>



More accurately, the 1GHz T-Bird is very close in performance to a P3 at equivalent clockspeeds, in fact in 2DMark you'll find that the P3 would likely edge it out by a very narrow margin. Of course the Athlon is a much more well rounded processor, cheaper, available at higher clockspeeds etc.

 

[amb#cog]

Seriously???

I don't see that happening myself. The T-Bird seems like such a more superior design to me. I know seat of the pants feel is huge with my new bird, but that's just speculation of course.

Would that be because 3D Mark works better, and/or is optimized for the PIII?

I was seriously unhappy with the performance of my PIII, and am not with my Bird, but in all fairness it's almost 300Mhz faster, and I'm using DDR.

Unfortunately I also got a new video card. So I have no real comparison. I do have my scores saved at Mad Onion, and am quite tempted to borrow a friends Radeon, throw my Bird in the Duron rig I have (VIA chipset like I ran w/ my PIII, and it has the same RAM too). Just for curiosity sake. I truly think the Bird would come out ahead myself. Heck I think my Duron will come out ahead.

My friends Duron rig (600@1000, VIA, regular RAM, etc.) beat out my PIII w/ the same cards (Radeons). So I really don't get how the Bird would fare worse man? Sorry.

 

[Rand]

<< Seriously???

I don't see that happening myself. The T-Bird seems like such a more superior design to me. I know seat of the pants feel is huge with my new bird, but that's just speculation of course.

Would that be because 3D Mark works better, and/or is optimized for the PIII?

I was seriously unhappy with the performance of my PIII, and am not with my Bird, but in all fairness it's almost 300Mhz faster, and I'm using DDR.

Unfortunately I also got a new video card. So I have no real comparison. I do have my scores saved at Mad Onion, and am quite tempted to borrow a friends Radeon, throw my Bird in the Duron rig I have (VIA chipset like I ran w/ my PIII, and it has the same RAM too). Just for curiosity sake. I truly think the Bird would come out ahead myself. Heck I think my Duron will come out ahead.

My friends Duron rig (600@1000, VIA, regular RAM, etc.) beat out my PIII w/ the same cards (Radeons). So I really don't get how the Bird would fare worse man? Sorry. >>



If you'll check the benchmarks produced by many reputable sites, the P3 on a 133MHz FSB is almost always very slightly slower or faster then the T-Bird on a 200MHz FSB with SDR SDRAM. A 266MHz FSB would ceryainly push the T-Bird ahead, and DDR could benefit it also.
In general, software tends to be much better optimized for the P6 architecture then competing architectures. 3DMark has long favored the P6, and 3DMark 2001 especially is significantly more fond of the P4 then the
T-Bird and at equal clockspeeds tends to often prefer the P3 by a narrow margin.
On the whole I'd give the edge to the T-Bird but it is by no means a very significant difference.

This applies so long as your comparing 133MHz FSB P3's with 200MHz FSB T-Birds though, if the P3 is relegated to a 100MHz FSB or the T-Bird is on the faster 266MHz FSB that results will favor the T-Bird.

I can't speak for your P3, but if it was consistenly being outperformed by a Duron at equivalent clockspeeds then I would be very worried about some very definite performance issues there.
For example, a Duron at 850MHz usually performs similarly or very slightly faster then a P3 at 733MHz.

 

[TravisBickle]

no

the reason I write this is I guess it's been taken from a worse-case scenario...
e.g. QuakeIII which used to favor Intel CPUs + a PIIIeb + Duron on a KT133 SDR chipset.
even in such a worst case scenario, it's not so bad for the Duron:
just want people to know the Duron is at least as good as a PIII
bumping up the FSB and memory bandwidth is crucial to QuakeIII.

 

[Rand]

<< no

the reason I write this is I guess it's been taken from a worse-case scenario...
e.g. QuakeIII which used to favor Intel CPUs + a PIIIeb + Duron on a KT133 SDR chipset.
even in such a worst case scenario, it's not so bad for the Duron:
just want people to know the Duron is at least as good as a PIII
bumping up the FSB and memory bandwidth is crucial to QuakeIII. >>



The P3 does well in Q3 yes, but I don't believe anyone could find a review that would indicate a Duron consistently performing on par with a P3. The benchmark you've provided seems to agree as the P3 scores far better then the Duron in 640x480x32bpp the most processor limited resolution lsted there.