9800 PRO F-Buffer

[Richdog]

Just read a couple of reviews of the new 9800 PRO, and am I right in assuming that the new F-Buffer that was missing from the 9700 PRO is equivalent to the Geforce FX's ability for almost endless shader instructions that the product was much touted for in the first place? If so 9800 here I come... WOOT!!

 

[BoomAM]

The 9800 is just a tweaked 9700.
The 9800 adds a buffer to allow infinite shader routines(source, PC Zone UK), where as the GF FX is limited to 65xxx shader routines.
In reality, it`ll be a least a year before games start using all of the 9700s features, let alone the 65xxx + shading routines capable on the 9800.
Look at UT2003/U2, they are just DX7 games, using high res textures, and more polygons on everything. Doom3, is only using some of the DX8 things.
So even by the end of this year, games still wont be using all of the features of the GF3.
So the features of the cards like the GF FX and 9500/9600/9700/9800 will be little used.
Having said that though. The speed of these cards allow us to use things like FSAA/AF without slowdown.

 

[Lonyo]

The movement of DX9 cards into the mainstream market will probably mean that DX9 features are used quicker than DX8 or 7 features were. There are 1million DX9 cards in machines at the moment, and many new computers come with 9500/9700 cards.
With nVidia adding to that, there will be many cards out, so developers may see it as reasonable to use DX9 features, since the games will take a while to develop, by which time the uptake of these cards may have increased.

I know that probably won't happen, but we can always hope.

 

[MarkFahey]

Some really EXCELLANT points to ponder...

 

[bgeh]

so does the F-buffer fix the problem with SC4?

TIA

 

[BoomAM]

Wouldnt have thought so. As SimCity doesnt use vertex/pixel shaders.

 

[BFG10K]

equivalent to the Geforce FX's ability for almost endless shader instructions that the product was much touted for in the first place?

No, the FX doesn't support unlimited shader instructions, it supports a maximum of 65536. Keep in mind though that both cards will be crawling long before they reach that amount anyway.

so does the F-buffer fix the problem with SC4?

No, the F buffer has nothing to do with depth. Also IIRC the latest patch for the game resolves the issue anyway.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: BoomAM
The 9800 is just a tweaked 9700.
The 9800 adds a buffer to allow infinite shader routines(source, PC Zone UK), where as the GF FX is limited to 65xxx shader routines.
In reality, it`ll be a least a year before games start using all of the 9700s features, let alone the 65xxx + shading routines capable on the 9800.
Look at UT2003/U2, they are just DX7 games, using high res textures, and more polygons on everything. Doom3, is only using some of the DX8 things.
So even by the end of this year, games still wont be using all of the features of the GF3.
So the features of the cards like the GF FX and 9500/9600/9700/9800 will be little used.
Having said that though. The speed of these cards allow us to use things like FSAA/AF without slowdown.

that's all true except Doom3 is OpenGL

 

[BoomAM]

My mistake, i was`nt very clear. What i was saying is that some of the features in DX8.1, such as pixel shaders v1.3, wont be used in Doom3, which is a OpenGL app.
BFG10K, has hit it on the head. Before even a 3rd of the shader instructions are used in games, the cards will be classed as budget cards, cos the gf fx and the 9800 wont be able to do that many instructions without significant slowdowns.