Can a R8500LE 128MB play@1280x1024?

[dbal]

I am ready to move to this card I found as a bargain from a friend-choice also directed from a good price/performance ratio since no more bucks are available and my GF2Ti can't help me anymore....
Question is wheter it can play all current 3D games @1280x1024 with all eye candy GAME settings turned on (not speaking of aniso or FSAA it's a different story). When I say all, I mean MOHAA, Jedi Knight, RTCW, UT2003 etc. Guess your experience with the chipset can answer my question
Thanx

PS: Just for the obsession in my mind-the 8500LE is only clocked at 250/250 instead of 275/275 with no other architectural or specifications' diffs right?

 

[BoomAM]

Maybe.
In a few of the games that you`ve mentioned, yes. But for the newer ones, not likely.
For a 8500, a recommend about 1024x768@max for most games, and the newer ones, medium details.
Why do you have a preference on 1280x1024? Do you have a TFT?

 

[dbal]

Main reason is my Philips monitor and its max resolution (bad choice maybe-not much money then for sure..). Secondly I believe this is a good res. to play having a nice quality/performance ratio for my system....

 

[Gatsby]

I play MOHAA on my system at 1280 x 1024 with a 64 meg 8500le. Its very nice but I don't have specs at the moment. no cpu in main machine

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

I think 1280x1024 is pushing the card a bit, I'd keep it at 1024x768 and run it there. You may want to try those lower resolutions with FSAA because that makes it look as sharp as a game at 1280x1024 since it gets all the jagged edges out of there.

 

[dbal]

I don't agree-higher resolution is unbeatable for my eyes. That's why I set it as the main criteria for byuing the card....
BTW someone confirm or not my thoughts in the PS??

 

[sandorski]

I play most of the newer games(UT2k3, U2, BF1942) at 800x600x32, this is for max smoothness. 1280=1024 gets a little too choppy for my liking.

 

[tapir]

you can play them at that resolution. turn the eye candy down though, and things will not be 100% smooth

 

[BFG10K]

MOHAA, Jedi Knight, RTCW, UT2003 etc.

No, the 8500 will crawl quite a lot in those games especially in the more demanding parts such as JK2's swamp levels and MOHAA's snowy forest levels.

1024 x 768 is a more realistic goal although even then you should expect slowdowns at times.

 

[rogue1979]

Your cpu is a little down on power, this will effect it some. My 7 year old son is running a retail Radeon 128MB @ 310/303. On his 2100MHz Athlon running UT at 1600 x 1200 no FSAA, he averages 80fps in a practice session with 16-bots going crazy on each other. I would say 1280 x 1024 with no FSAA should run fine. To remain completely smooth in Unreal 2003 he uses 1280 x 1024.

 

[xSauronx]

ive played JK, ut2k3, and RTCW with my 64meg 8500le
i usually keep it at 1024x768, 1280 x1024 is funky on a crt

but it runs things pretty well with the eye candy, my bro has a duron 1100mhz with his 8500le 64mb and it runs pretty well with the graphics higher than i thought would be playable on a duron, good good card

 

[dbal]

MOHAA's snowy forest levels.

BFG this was exactly the game part I decided my GF2Ti is inadequate...!

 

[dbal]

Thanx for all the input to everyone! I think that I should lower my demands a bit.... and tweak the game settings down in order to play at that res. right? Funny the 128MB local mem don't seem to help that much in higher 3D resolutions...
BTW, has the recent catalyst versions improved ATi's OpenGL performance? I ve read reviews for the RadeonLE at the time of market launch where it was left behind even from the GFMX....

 

[Vernor]

All shadows off is the first option I use if strapped for FPS.

 

[BFG10K]

BTW, has the recent catalyst versions improved ATi's OpenGL performance?

ATi's drivers have improved by leaps and bounds over the last 12 months.

l shadows off is the first option I use if strapped for FPS.

Yeah shadows and other things like FSAA and Truform. All of those things are real framerate suckers though anisotropic filtering is almost free on Radeon boards so that's OK.