Some non-chipset specific video questions

[Skibby9]

1. BIOS settings-- My A7V133 has an option for the Video Memory Cache Mode: Uncacheable (UC), or Uncacheable, Speculative Write Combining (USWC). My mobo manual claims "USWC is a new cache technology fot the video memory of the processor. It can greatly improve the display speed by caching the display data. You must set this to UC if your display card cannot support this feature; otherwise your system may not boot."

I think I enabled it, now that I have a vid card (Radeon 8500) newer than my mobo. Is there really any difference?

Also, what about AGP 4x Drive Strength? Does anyone go with settings other than normal? Does changing the Graphics Aperature Size affect anything at all? (I have mine set at 256 MB, with 512MB installed)

2. What is the benefit of running a game, like Unreal Tournament, or Operation Flashpoint, at resolutions above 800x600? I haven't looked all that closely, but is it a matter of more pixels=smoother curves, kinda like ATI's Trueform effect? I understand that higher res=more gamespace or more of the map visible without scrolling in some games, but why for a FPS game?

 

[Skibby9]

no takers?

 

[Bozo Galora]

AGP cards dont need vid cache - they use the gart (graphics address reallocation table in RAM) thru the
AGP sizing hole (aperture) to offload and cache textures.

AGP drive strength controls the P and N voltages to the vid card, sometimes "feathering" these two hexadecimal
numbers "D" "A" can make card more stable, especially in overclocking.

When set to manual, some bios don't change value, so most use WPCRset to change value higher, to FA
EA or such, clears loop in some systems starved for voltage when in 4X mode.

Edit: spelling

 

[Clock2theMax]

About the best BIOS optimization guide there is, since Adrian's isn't up anymore...