What Does This Mean

[shaynoa]

If i am using a 42inch led lcd monitor will

this card cause problems as far as HDMI connector goes
and i would not be using multi monitors just the 42inch

please read below

Final Words & Conclusion

MSI designed a terrific card with the new Lightning. If you want something really special, look no further. It has it all, the looks, the very nice factory overclock, the (relatively) low power consumption, downright excellent noise levels and obviously the performance to play any game really well.

It however is not all golden and praises from us today though ...​

In order to get this card Eyefinity6 support MSI had to make a compromise, and that meant splitting the available DP bandwith -- one dual-link link DVI connector has been merged into single-link DVI connectors. Honestly I have a lot of issues with that design choice. Nobody, and I do literally mean not one of our readers (consumer) makes use of Eyefinity with six screens with the big phat bezel in the middle. Next to that this one card is not powerful enough to game on with six monitors really.
Now, lots of people have a DVI monitor that needs dual-link DVI, all 27"/30" monitors for example, but also DVI-D based 3D Stereoscopic monitors. So keep that in mind, if you need a high-resolution like 2560x1600 / 2560x1440 etc .. then your monitor MUST have a DisplayPort connector (HDMI won't suffice either), otherwise this graphics card will force you to purchase a new 1000 EUR monitor or an active DP to DVI-D converter, easily running into 100/150 EUR a pop. MSI could have prevented this by applying a switch, forging two links to one dual-link DVI (ASUS does this for example on their 7970 DCII cards). So that choice in my eyes is that MSI opted rather to have an extra feature on the box, as to rather offer better functionality to the end user. A graphics card should have at least one dual-link DVI connector, period.
Secondly, and I can't say it any other way then it is -- I simply expected better overclocking performance. The card has been overhauled, equipped with military standard components, custom PCB, gold plated components, a GPU reactor, 8-pin power headers with a lot of power phases, a superb cooler and so on .. still we end at roughly the same overclock as any reference card can achieve just as well.

 

[imaheadcase]

Nothing you mentioned guarantee a overclock. It all comes down to the GPU itself if it was picked for good O/C.

That is why with GPU you are better off buying one that is factory overclocked so you know its binned right from the start.

Besides, the stuff you mentioned "The card has been overhauled, equipped with military standard components, custom PCB, gold plated components, a GPU reactor, 8-pin power headers with a lot of power phases, a superb cooler and so on" is standard on any computer component anyways now which means nothing for the overlock.

 

[shaynoa]

This was what i was talking about , and i don't understand what they are saying,

are they saying that the bandwith has been split and the card is not as good,

It however is not all golden and praises from us today though ...​

In order to get this card Eyefinity6 support MSI had to make a compromise, and that meant splitting the available DP bandwith -- one dual-link link DVI connector has been merged into single-link DVI connectors. Honestly I have a lot of issues with that design choice. Nobody, and I do literally mean not one of our readers (consumer) makes use of Eyefinity with six screens with the big phat bezel in the middle. Next to that this one card is not powerful enough to game on with six monitors really.
Now, lots of people have a DVI monitor that needs dual-link DVI, all 27"/30" monitors for example, but also DVI-D based 3D Stereoscopic monitors. So keep that in mind, if you need a high-resolution like 2560x1600 / 2560x1440 etc .. then your monitor MUST have a DisplayPort connector (HDMI won't suffice either), otherwise this graphics card will force you to purchase a new 1000 EUR monitor or an active DP to DVI-D converter, easily running into 100/150 EUR a pop. MSI could have prevented this by applying a switch, forging two links to one dual-link DVI
shaynoa

 

[Anteaus]

What resolution is your 42"?

 

[shaynoa]

i am using 1680x1050

 

[shaynoa]

it can go to 1920x1080

 

[chimaxi83]

Even running 1080p, you'll be fine man. Just use the included DVI to HDMI adapter, plug it into your TV, and you're good to go.

 

[shaynoa]

Well i think ill just put my order for the MSI Lightning on hold and wait
for the Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 Toxic 6 GB
I must have one of these, the more on board ram the better
shaynoa

 

[chimaxi83]

Not really. Are you using 6 monitors? Lol

 

[shaynoa]

No im not ,,,,,but the game i play is so memory intence that 6GB will be just what the game needs to remember it all after it is loaded to the ram, not just the map but all the assets of the map
imagine a railway network the size of NSW Australia with all assets buildings produce
industries people and all servising each other as well as coal mines power station,200 train station all with passengers and all are numberd.
2 gtx 580's will not run this game smooth without jerking, however 1 AMD 6970 oc does far better than 2 580's
so why wouldn't i go for the bigger video card
shaynoa

 

[hyrule4927]

What game on earth would that be?

Alternately I need to recalibrate my sarcasm detector . . .

 

[chimaxi83]

Lol, bro, you won't be using 6GB of RAM on a single card for one screen. Not only that, but even if you were using that much, a single 7970 wouldn't be able to make use of all 6GB with any kind of decent performance.

 

[shaynoa]

Auran/N3V TS12 it can be a very simple game for a learner or a massive intence game the pro and if you are creating massive routes then you had better buy the best hardware to run it
http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/9102/steve123201103100006.jpg
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/4118/steve123201103100007.jpg

Shot at 2011-03-10

 

[shaynoa]

you can run as many locos as you wish all at the same time and have as many passenger or freight cars as you wish and each car with it's own inventory list to be delivered to a destenation on the route

 

[dust]

I'm sure Sapphire had that exact game in mind when they designed the card

 

[shaynoa]

Im sure they don't give 2 hoots for my game, all they want to do is to out do Nvidia, but they have killed 2 birds with 1 stone, i don't care either way but that AMD 6GB card is built for better game play for the game i play and quiet possibly alot of other games as well

 

[chimaxi83]

Perhaps you should educate yourself a little bit before you make an unnecessary purchase, bud. You sound like the typical Best Buy "gimme moar ramz nao pewpew" buyer, and there is no need for that when you're a member here. Just trying to save you some money.

 

[shaynoa]

please then be my guest eductate me
but first with all respect tell me how long you have use the game i am talking about so in that aspect you do know what you are on about

 

[chimaxi83]

I don't play train sims. However, with system requirements like your game has (which I listed below), one can come to the logical conclusion that 6 GB of VRAM is beyond overkill for this game, or any game, on ONE screen. If you think a video card with more VRAM than the amount of system RAM they recommend will help you, I don't know what else to tell you my friend :what:

Recommended
Minimum

Processor: Core 2 Duo (or equivalent),
Processor: Pentium D 3.4GHz (or equiv)

Memory: 1 GB RAM
Memory: 2 GB RAM

Graphics: nVidia GeForce 7200/128MB or equivalent
Graphics: nVidia GeForce 8800 (or equiv)

DirectX 9.0c
DirectX 9.0c

 

[shaynoa]

system requirements have nothing to do with a big route, some people buy this game thinking that they are ok to run it when in fact every time you add some type of asset to the game you have changed those system requirements haven't you ?
so after a few months those system requirements are far greater than you could imagine ,
but this it why i asked you if you had the game or not because you really with all respect have no knowledge of the game apart from what is written on the box and no understanding of the asset build up in the game .
my data base within the game is around 100gb of assets added to the original install

 

[chimaxi83]

You are correct, I have no first hand experience with this game. You're participting in the other thread about this card, ask them if it makes sense to have a 6GB card for one screen. Again, the card only makes sense if you will have at least two in Crossfire, that way the GPU's together will actually have the horsepower to utilize all 6GB.

 

[shaynoa]

i have 2 gtx 8800 they could not run this game ,not now not 1anhalf years ago
i also have 2 gtx 580 no good either they were but not now
this is why i have said this game is a good test for any video card
traiz TS12 does not like SLI and the game runs way better with AMD cards
didn't see that written on the box did you
am i eductating you ? never judge the book by the cover do you nor the game
i have 2 AMD 5970 but Trainz doesn't like 2 GPU's on the 1 card didn'tread that on the box either
i can go on and on about what is not written on the box but i think maybe you understand that the Trainz TS 12 by Auran/N3V is far more complext
than you and many others first thought
so before you can ever eductate someone else you must first educate yourself on the subject at hand .
kindest regards shaynoa

 

[chimaxi83]

Lol, you seem to not comprehend that I'm taking this OUTSIDE of the game itself.

Forget the game. Remove it from your mind. Let's keep it general. 6GB will not benefit any game, in single card/screen situations. None. Not even epic 100 car long trains, with unlimited visibility, with lots of pretty buildings and trees.

Seems like you're a stubborn person though obviously, so by all means, get that 6GB card. After all, more is better, obviously... right? Just make sure you monitor VRAM usage and facepalm yourself as either 1. Half your frame buffer is twiddling its thumbs doing nothing, or 2. It actually does fill up and the GPU chokes in performance.

Do post back with your experience.

 

[shaynoa]

i don't want you to take it outside the game because the game is all i do on the computer

the gtx 580 was only 1.5 ddr the amd 6970 that i am using now is 2gb and runs way better than all other video card setups that i have,
now here is the thing i can go and buy a 7970 oc 3gb or i can wait a
bit longer and get a sapphire 7970 oc 6gb yes it will cost more i undertsand that and yes it might not use all of 6gb could only use 4gb but
if Trainz was to be coded better if i go from a sbridge 2600k to ibridge the ram on the video card is there to be used in the future.

 

[imaheadcase]

Ok you are confusing two different things, the memory they game is using is NOT the video card memory its the system memory.

You will NOT, i repeat NOT see a difference in more memory for gpu.

You did not even mention the CPU/ram you have so that could also be a huge factor.