could it be.....

[pam123]

We recommend clicking Application Preference, so that your game applies anisotropic filtering only to the textures that need it.

MaximumPC June 03.

I just had to try it.
So, before I reinstalled MOHAA, I upped the AF to 8X, I already had AA at 4X, and clicked Application Preference. As you can tell from my sig, I was pushing .
I then proceeded to turn on the eye candy.
There is no AF setting, per se, in the game.
What I have is an intermittently better looking game that still runs smoothly.
I'm not sure what's doing it but it means that you don't have to force AF, and take the frame rate hit, that having both AF as well as AA on at all times will cause.
Some games, at least, will make their own choices about when and where to apply AF.
Has anyone else tried this ?
With what games ?

[sleepypost]

Lol, well I may be the biggest idiot because of this. I used to run AF at 16X all the time. AA at 8X. Games ran fine but not extremely fast to say the least.

Any way, since we have the same card, all im saying is that AF at 8X is no big deal, Pam. It shouldn't slow down your games to much and yes, it is that much better than 4X. (or 2X for some!)

[Blakhart]

The ati cards will do aa and af without as much of a perf hit as nvid cards. I never use the aa and af, would rather have them build the cards for raw speed. When I want image quality, I set the res higher.

[pam123]

sleepypost,
If you'd like to swap that 2700+ for my 1.4 t-bird we could swap the ram and the mobo at the same time as well .
What amazes me is how well the old rig runs recent games, buying a radeon was one of my better moves last year, but there's no getting past the fact that I notice performance hits that you wouldn't.
Using Application Preference it that way means I can run AA and AF with smooth frame rates where it wouldn't otherwise be possible.

[pam123]

* Fights down a fit of pure envy and does no more then glare at Blakhart*

Someday, when the budget permits, I too will have a 21" ( if not larger ) monitor and be able to take that view of things.
For now I have a very serviceable 17" that runs at 1024x768.
To improve image quality I thank ATI who did a wonderful job with AA and AF ( and if they pull any NVidia type nonsense I'm going to roast the lot. ).

[sleepypost]

Well Pam, ill have to pass on the swap offer. However i would definetly recommend spending money on a faster processor or better RAM before buying a 21 inch monitor. I too have a 17" 80 dollar MAG monitor that works good with 1024x768. Larger monitors make what you HAVE ALREADY look BIGGER (duh)...

[Blakhart]

Hey, 17s are fine, but I need these big fat guys on my desk, there is simply no going back to a 19, although the diff between a 19 and a 21 is less than going from 17 to 19. 19 is the price/value break. You'll have better than what I have soon enough.

[pam123]

*fighting down envy and covetuousness*
I'm working on the patience thing, but it's hard !
Still, I've got no real complaint ( not like when I got stuck with a 15" screen ).
But, I must confess to my desire : I want the holodeck on the Enterprise.

[Hdcgamer]

An example of how the newer Nvidia cards take a hit with AA and AF turned on: with both turned off I pulled 13,500 3dmarks on 3dmark 2001SE, with AA at 8X and AF at 4X I only pulled 10,000

I have a 17" Samsung 753DF and it works fine for me.

[Blakhart]

Yeah, 13/15s are fine for server monitoring and the like, but torture for real work.... and worse yet, gaming. Still, any mon that works is far better than none at all. 17s are wonderfull. The real drawback to the 21s and up is the weight. My 21s are 75 pounds a piece. They do not come with handles..... this is bad.

Someday the holodeck may be something that is everyday.

[pam123]

I went to check out CompUSA this afternoon and they've almost stopped carrying CRTs ( I think they had 4 ) the rest are all LCDs.
The catch was, they're all by some company ( KMDG ? ) that I've never heard of. The few exceptions they had out had Compaq proudly emblazoned across their frames and I don't consider that a recommendation.
They wouldn't have looked bad except for one quirk in that store's set-up.
The monitor display is right next to the Apple section and there, direclty across from the no-name LCDs is the magnificent 22" , $2000 Apple LCD.
It's no contest.

[Blakhart]

Yeah, but lcd's don't game... yet.

[pam123]

If I'd been asked a few days ago I would have agreed but not now.
Read this : http://www4.tomshardware.com/display...626/index.html

The "yet" is no longer true.
I'm not ditching my CRT, it does a fine job, but my next monitor will be an LCD ( or whatever makes an affordable first place in the interim ).
My god, a monitor I will actually be able to carry home by myself !!!

Believe it, the Apple LCD games !