Oleg, the planned new Nvidia GPU for SoW?

[Flyby]

I'm wondering if the new Nvidia Fermi GPU will be able to handle the new SoW graphics engine, and vice versa: http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_gf100_architecture_overview/default.asp It would be wild and crazy if the SoW engine brought the new Nvidia powerhouse single GPU-based card to it's knees. It might be a bit demoralizing too. ;)
Flyby out

[Flanker35M]

S!

My bet is that SoW will bring to it's knees ANY brand GPU out at that time it is released. IL-2 did that back in the ancient times and so will SoW ;) If you make a game engine, make it last like IL2 did. SoW will not be any different..just my 2cents.

The article was interesting, thanks for linking it. Not starting a flame or fanboi war here, but I would not expect the Fermi to be a cheap card, especially if you want the higher end version of it. Same applied for ATI, their flagship 5970HD costs quite a bit...

[Flyby]

S!
Flanker35M, I'm a bit hesitant to agree with you, but just maybe you are right. Still, SoW has been in development for quite some time now. I don't know how long the Fermi has been in the making, to be sure, but it seems like a powerful architecture to operate from. I've only seen where ray-tracing truly over-burdens this technology. It would be interesting to find out if the SoW engine has a ray-tracing option though. Maybe we'll see something of a hint (hint, hint ;) ) in the updates this Friday. I'll keep my eyes open for up to date info on the Fermi cards. I do agree with you that the new Nvidia single super GPU will likely cost a fortune, but I hope not as much as the ATi 5970, unless it's at least as fast or faster. I better get Granny to drink her beer a bit quicker so I can cash in those aluminum cans!! :D
Flyby out

[Igo kyu]

My bet is that SoW will bring to it's knees ANY brand GPU out at that time it is released. IL-2 did that back in the ancient times and so will SoW
IL*2 did nothing of the sort. It may have made mid-range cards squeak, but in 2000 I had a new GeForce 2, and that was still good with Forgotten Battles. If it won't run on (high end) current cards, it won't sell. I'm sure SoW is being aimed at the possible.

[Flanker35M]

S!

There are titles that bring ANY card to it's knees even today and they sell, so arguing that SoW would not sell even it would require a nuclear powerplant to run full details is a bit vague. Every game has this setting that will strain the system to the maximum. SoW will run on DirectX 9 and DirectX 11..so there you go. Hardware is backwards compatible thus you can reduce settings and the game still looks good.

You could not play IL2 on all maxed out with more FPS back then..how could you if even today's hardware has to struggle in certain scenarios ;)

What I've seen floating around is that Fermi is a bit faster than 5870 but not faster than 5970. Again, benchmarks can be fabricated by any brand so I rather see myself how it performs in ACTUAL gaming. Sure will be a good card nevertheless, but still pricey. nVidia has always been more expensive than ATI and what would change that? They have dumped a crapload of money in this card and need returns..and they know hi tech junkies buy the card no matter what price they slap on it ;)

So I dare to bet that we need a very high end computer to really make SoW run with everything maxed out..and it won't hurt the sales of it. People just shell out more moolah to get better hardware..so has happened over the years already and nothing changes in that department ;)

[Igo kyu]

You could not play IL2 on all maxed out with more FPS back then..how could you if even today's hardware has to struggle in certain scenarios
You could, because you didn't have an option to set anisotropic filtering or anti-aliasing back then, even now if you want that in IL*2 you have to set it in the graphics driver software, those aren't options you can set in IL*2 itself. I'm sure you will be able to set those options within SoW.

I don't agree that games that bring systems to their knees sell well, Crysis hasn't sold to me. I hear it's a great benchmark, but a fairly short game, and once you get over going "Wow" at the graphics, not an exceptional game. I might buy it someday when I'm sure I will be able to turn everything up to the max, but not at full price.

[mazex]

IL*2 did nothing of the sort. It may have made mid-range cards squeak, but in 2000 I had a new GeForce 2, and that was still good with Forgotten Battles. If it won't run on (high end) current cards, it won't sell. I'm sure SoW is being aimed at the possible.

I agree... I had a Geforce 2 Ultra and a 1.2 Ghz Athlon back when IL2 was released and it ran smoothly as I remember it...

[13th Hsqn Protos]

S.o.W will be CPU LIMITED not gpu ...... that and map coding ..... which has tended to suck in IL2 .....

[Igo kyu]

Hmm, this may be interesting (url found via slashdot), a CPU test including some gaming benchmarks and a Pentium4:

http://techreport.com/articles.x/18448

I noticed that most of the games ran with okay framerates on the modern processors.

[Novotny]

S.o.W will be CPU LIMITED not gpu ...... that and map coding ..... which has tended to suck in IL2 .....

I had no idea you worked for Maddox games. Why didn't you say before?

Oh I just thought - is it possible that you're just making stuff up, as usual?

[13th Hsqn Protos]

Novotny who ???

[Lucas_From_Hell]

You may now kiss the bride...

[Novotny]

Sorry chaps: I descended to the troll's level. Moment of madness. Will not engage with him again.

[philip.ed]

You have a point though. Where does your info come from, protos? Simply common-sense or actual inside knowledge? ;)

[BadAim]

Don't you small minded fools know? The GREAT AND POWERFULL PROTOS KNOWS ALL. (que earth shaking and thunder)

[Old_Canuck]

I believe Oleg recommended trying the game first before making any hardware changes. But still .. that GTX 295 looks tempting. Just need a good enough excuse.

[flyingbullseye]

Although PROTOS could have posted better more than likely he's right. Most flight sims developed today are more CPU limited than the average game released ala FS9, FSX, ROF, and even to a lesser degree IL2 1946. OM already said he's developing SOW with multi-core in mind and if I was a betting man I'd bet SOW will also follow suit and when upgrading show a greater performance increase with a better CPU over a better GPU.

Flyingbullseye

[Old_Canuck]

Although PROTOS could have posted better more than likely he's right. Most flight sims developed today are more CPU limited than the average game released ala FS9, FSX, ROF, and even to a lesser degree IL2 1946. OM already said he's developing SOW with multi-core in mind and if I was a betting man I'd bet SOW will also follow suit and when upgrading show a greater performance increase with a better CPU over a better GPU.

Flyingbullseye

Rgr that :-) Core i7 should have been in my previous post (with a GTX 295). Yummy.

[choctaw111]

Interesting article.
I always enjoy reading those.
Thanks for posting.