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From: dripton@netcom.com (David Ripton)
Subject: GPL with new TNT drivers
Message-ID: <driptonF6w72D.I88@netcom.com>
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Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 15:01:25 GMT
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Downloaded and installed nVidia's new "Detonator" reference drivers.
(Rant: Do we have to put marketing spin on _everything_?  It's just
a long-overdue driver release.)  I already had the second GPL OpenGL 
patch installed.

The good:
My previous problems with crashes past 640x480 are gone.  The
game still crashes if my desktop is in 32-bit color when I start
the game.  (Lots of games refuse to run in 32-bit color, though 
most pop up a message box and exit cleanly rather than blowing 
chunks.)

The bad:
The mirrors still kill performance, so I guess nVidia still didn't 
bother optimizing that GL buffer copy function.  I saw one video 
artifact, a black square hanging in the sky over the side of the 
track.

Approximate average frame rates, driving around alone at Monza, 
with a P2-333 @ 412 MHz, 64 MB, a non-overclocked CL TNT, cars 
and track in mirrors, many trackside objects, detail bias halfway, 
in-car view, mirrors refreshed only every 8th frame:

512x384:   36 fps
640x480:   36
800x600:   36
1024x768:  33
1152x864:  28 
1280x1024: 24
1600x1200: 17

Anyway, the game is now stable and quite playable at 800x600 or 
1024x768 on my TNT card.  Looks really great, except for the 
laggy mirrors.  I'll probably stay at 800x600 and bring the mirror 
refresh rate up a little bit.

I still wouldn't recommend a TNT card for someone whose primary
interest is GPL, because of the mirrors.  But if you do have a 
TNT, definitely try the new drivers.

-- 
David Ripton    dripton@netcom.com
spamgard(tm): To email me, put "geek" in your Subject line.
