Gaming in Window mode

[doanster]

When you play games in 'windowed mode', is it still 3D accelerated through hardware?? Or is it now software rendered?

 

[imported_Kensai]

Whatever it is. It takes a sh!t load of power because WoW in windowed mode on one monitor and a webpage on another monitor slapped my old system around.

Old system:
3200+ Venice @ 2.6GHz
2GB OCZ EL Platinum PC3200 2-3-2-5
x850XT
x800XT PE

Gathering parts for my new system right now. 🙂 (Gotta love the states)
Hopefully my new system will be able to handle my tasks.

AMD X2 XX00+ (Haven't decided yet, most likely 4400+)
Dual 7800GTX
4GB OCZ EL Platinum PC3200 2-3-2-5

 

[pulsedrive]

Really? Wow Doesn't hurt my machine that much and it isn't nearly that butch, look at the sig and you will see what I mean. I don't have any trouble running WoW in windowed mode, do you have it maximized, because I have noticed that if any of that window of WoW gets over onto the other screen it will SCREECH to a halt and run at like 1-5 FPS on my machine, but as long as it is maximized in the one screen it is pretty good, not as good as when it is full screen, but still playable by all means and that is with all the grapics settigns up as high as they will go.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Play EQ2 in window form all the time to look up stuff on alakazam, runs like a charm and both are still very fast.

 

[Munky]

It still uses hardware 3d acceleration, however running in windowed mode definitely slows things down (unless you run it in some half-size window), so I wouldnt do it.

 

[doanster]

Why does it slow down though?

 

[Munky]

I'm not clear about the detailed technical aspects, but I do know that when running an application in windowed mode, it literally registers as a different display mode on the video card and the drivers. This is not only for 3d apps, but for 2d apps as well. I'm guessing it's because the app doesnt have full, exclusive use of the screen, so there's additional overhead involved in drawing to a non-fullscreen window.