Half Life 2 DX8 Reflection patch

[nemesismk2]

"This is for DX8 users ONLY if you have a DX9 card that can render DX9 well DO NOT use this patch

Compatable cards

Nvidia Geforce 4 Ti and up ATi 9200,9500

to install extract to the hl2/materials folder.

This patch give Nvidia and ati9200/9500 users near DX9 quality water. Real time reflections 0 performance loss and just about the same quality as DX9 water."

HL2 DX8 Reflection patch at pc game mods

Please post your experiences with this unofficial patch, I will reinstall my fx5900xt and post mine later today!

 

[Sonic587]

I applied this last night after seeing a post about it on the steam forums.

Text

To say it's a night and day difference would be an understatement. If you have an older model card, this is a must download!

However, It looks like I took a good hit to the FPS, but somehow it still felt smooth. Didn't seem like I really lost 15-20FPS. This is on a GF4 TI4200 128MB @ 275/600.


BTW, why is this patch also for the 9500? Don't they have full dx9.0? Or is my memory playing tricks on me?

 

[nemesismk2]

Originally posted by: Sonic587
I applied this last night after seeing a post about it on the steam forums.

Text

To say it's a night and day difference would be an understatement. If you have an older model card, this is a must download!

However, It looks like I took a good hit to the FPS, but somehow it still felt smooth. Didn't seem like I really lost 15-20FPS. This is on a GF4 TI4200 128MB @ 275/600.

BTW, why is this patch also for the 9500? Don't they have full dx9.0? Or is my memory playing tricks on me?

HL2 defaults to DX8 with my 5900 so I was using my 9700 pro because although my 5900 was faster it's image quality was rubbish. However after applying the patch the image quality is now almost identical to my 9700 pro. The best news is that even though the image quality has improved so much I am only getting a small performance hit of usually 5fps!

I don't know why they say the patch is also for the 9500 which should have DX9 already enabled with HL2, maybe the 9500 isn't fast enough and also defaults to DX8 like Nvidia's Geforce FX range.

 

[CaMSpoon]

To me the water looks so damn fake in dx9. I never seen water looks so clean in my life and its pretty much all water looks that clean. Dx8 water looks so much better, and realistic.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Sonic587
I applied this last night after seeing a post about it on the steam forums.

Text

To say it's a night and day difference would be an understatement. If you have an older model card, this is a must download!

However, It looks like I took a good hit to the FPS, but somehow it still felt smooth. Didn't seem like I really lost 15-20FPS. This is on a GF4 TI4200 128MB @ 275/600.


BTW, why is this patch also for the 9500? Don't they have full dx9.0? Or is my memory playing tricks on me?

They do, but they aren't the fastest at handling it (with the exception of the 9500Pro) and thus some users would be kicking them down to DX8.1 to nab some frames at the cost of eyecandy. This enables a bit of that missing lustre back.

- M4H

 

[OmnipotentSpleen]

this patch worked geat for me. i'm very pleased. i'm gonna go benchmark it to see if there's any perf loss. i think there's something political at play at valve.

 

[RealityTime]

Originally posted by: CaMSpoon
To me the water looks so damn fake in dx9. I never seen water looks so clean in my life and its pretty much all water looks that clean. Dx8 water looks so much better, and realistic.

this is probably becuase you are running a 5200 or 5800 or 5900 that cannot properly render the dx9 path. on a proper true dx9 card the water looks fantastic.

 

[FearoftheNight]

would this also be better for 9700 pro users?

 

[Wag]

Originally posted by: FearoftheNight
would this also be better for 9700 pro users?

No. 9700 is a dx9 card.

 

[MadEye2]

Won't the 9700 pro work in DX8 mode though?

 

[FearoftheNight]

Originally posted by: Wag

Originally posted by: FearoftheNight
would this also be better for 9700 pro users?

No. 9700 is a dx9 card.

i mean for increased perf and close iq

 

[Drayvn]

How do u install this, its says materials folder, but i dont have one, only a GCF file for Source Materials and thats it.

HELP!!!

 

[nemesismk2]

Originally posted by: Drayvn
How do u install this, its says materials folder, but i dont have one, only a GCF file for Source Materials and thats it.

HELP!!!

Just copy the nature folder containing the patch into the HL2 folder (it doesn't matter if the nature folder exists or not), incase you still don't know which folder to use here are the contents of my HL2 folder:-

bin
cfg
maps
media
nature (these are the dx8 reflection files)
resource
save
screenshots

 

[Drayvn]

Originally posted by: nemesismk2

Originally posted by: Drayvn
How do u install this, its says materials folder, but i dont have one, only a GCF file for Source Materials and thats it.

HELP!!!

Just copy the nature folder containing the patch into the HL2 folder (it doesn't matter if the nature folder exists or not), incase you still don't know which folder to use here are the contents of my HL2 folder:-

bin
cfg
maps
media
nature (these are the dx8 reflection files)
resource
save
screenshots

Cheers dude, its working now!

 

[McArra]

It looks better in the screenshot. A DX9/DX8 patched screenshot would be nice to see the diference.

 

[XBoxLPU]

Originally posted by: MadEye2
Won't the 9700 pro work in DX8 mode though?

NO

it is a DX 9 card

http://www.dswann.com/yum.jpg

 

[nemesismk2]

Originally posted by: Drayvn

Originally posted by: nemesismk2

Originally posted by: Drayvn
How do u install this, its says materials folder, but i dont have one, only a GCF file for Source Materials and thats it.

HELP!!!

Just copy the nature folder containing the patch into the HL2 folder (it doesn't matter if the nature folder exists or not), incase you still don't know which folder to use here are the contents of my HL2 folder:-

bin
cfg
maps
media
nature (these are the dx8 reflection files)
resource
save
screenshots

Cheers dude, its working now!

cool

 

[McArra]

Originally posted by: McArra
It looks better in the screenshot. A DX9/DX8 patched screenshot would be nice to see the diference.

So... any comparison screenshot please? It would be nice to see DX9 vs DX8 patch.

 

[episodic]

Ok is there anything like this for Flight Simulator 2004? Just curious?

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: RealityTime

Originally posted by: CaMSpoon
To me the water looks so damn fake in dx9. I never seen water looks so clean in my life and its pretty much all water looks that clean. Dx8 water looks so much better, and realistic.

this is probably becuase you are running a 5200 or 5800 or 5900 that cannot properly render the dx9 path. on a proper true dx9 card the water looks fantastic.

Overstatement. I've only played on a 6800Nu and a 6800GT, but I don't think the water is that big a deal.

Actually I don't think this game is that big a deal- Doom3 held my interest for weeks, HL2 a few days.