Det. 43.45 vs. 30.82: My results

[Megatomic]

I just recently decided to try the Det. 43.45 drivers after using the Det. 30.82s for so long. I am very unfamiliar with the new GeForce Control Panel and the settings are all new (almost all). Can anyone linkify a setting/tweak guide for this driver set or even post some tips? I have an nForce2 board, AGP4X version of the Ti 4200 128MB, and WinXP Pro with DX9.0a installed.

Thanks for any help.

Edit: Changed thread title due to lack of interest in helping with a non-ATI card. :| See my second post.

 

[Megatomic]

Since I couldn't get any help I decided to go in a different direction. I tested my card using Det. 43.45 and 30.82 with Comanche4 Demo, 3DMark2001 SE, and Vulpine GLMark 1.1P. Pertinent system specs:

Epox 8RDA+ v1.1
AMD Tbred "B" 2100+ @ 2172MHz using 166MHz FSB
2 x 512MB PC2700 Kingston HyperX @ DDR333 2-2-2-5 100%
VisionTek GF4 Ti 4200 SE 128MB @ 275/550
WinXP SP1 DX9.0a

Det. 43.45 - IntelliSample Settings = Quality D3D Settings = Best Performance AA = Application AF = Off

Comanche 4 : 51.28fps 1024x768x32 FSAA = 0 VSync = Off DXTC = Enabled Audio = Off Shaders = Enabled
3DMark2001 SE: 13240
Vulpine GLMark: 77.3fps (48fps/101fps) 1024x768x32 All Features = On

Det. 30.82 - D3D Settings = Best Performance AA = Application AF = N/A

Comanche 4 : 53.56fps 1024x768x32 FSAA = 0 VSync = Off DXTC = Enabled Audio = Off Shaders = Enabled
3DMark2001 SE: 12293
Vulpine GLMark: 77.3fps (49fps/101fps) 1024x768x32 All Features = On

So, here's the breakdown:

DirectX Game: Det. 30.82 wins
OpenGL Benchmark: Tie
DirectX Benchmark: Det. 43.45 wins

Go figure. I was hoping this experiment would help me decide which driver set to use. I couldn't even discern visual quality differences so I can't even use that to help make a determination.

 

[BenSkywalker]

Try running benches with AF on and off, you should see a noticeable difference.

For general tweaks, which games do you play and what is the most important aspect of IQ for you? Texture filtering, AA, or simply raw speed?

 

[Megatomic]

The games I play most (for now, May 15th is coming quickly) are UT2003 and Serious Sam SE. On May 15th I'll be getting Enter the Matrix and maybe before then I'll purchase Freelancer. I really want those two games in a bad way.

For me, the most important aspect of IQ is probably AA. Will I get better AA performance with good texture quality by using the newer Detonator set?

 

[BenSkywalker]

For me, the most important aspect of IQ is probably AA. Will I get better AA performance with good texture quality by using the newer Detonator set?

Using AA+AF combined under the Balanced setting in the Det 43.51 drivers there is a decent boost, but nothing worth writing home about(~10%-15%). UT2K3 still has an allergic reaction to UT2K3 when running AF(if you are worried about framerate and AA more then anything, skip AF altogether under UT2K3). SS:SE played fairly well on the older driver versions, a slight boost with the latest drivers running AA is likely but nothing staggering.

Freelancer isn't a terribly demanding game, have you downloaded the demo yet? You shouldn't have much trouble running at high resolution with a decent level of AA applied. I'm not sure how The Matrix will play, although I assume with a XBox port available you can expect a decent experience on a GF4 level board.

 

[Megatomic]

Thanks for all the advice/help Ben Skywalker, but this issue is purely academic for me now. I have a Radeon 9500 Pro coming and the GF4 is no longer installed in my computer.

For the record though, I sure did enjoy my time with the GF4 that I had. It was a rock solid card that showed me many hours of gaming goodness. It's next owner will enjoy it also I'm sure.