When was the last time you could run a game on HIGHEST settings?

[SlitheryDee]

I can do it more now than ever.

I never had any money around the time the op is talking about. Every rig I had since about the Doom 3 era was a little higher up the quality scale (for it's time) than the last, mostly because every time I upgraded I was a little better off financially. I started off with budget level graphics cards and processors without ever having quite enough RAM or HDD space, and eventually worked my way up to mid-range level stuff with adequate RAM and HDD space over many upgrade cycles. Every time I would replace my graphic card or CPU I would seem to choose whatever I considered to be the next "level" up in whatever the current generation of hardware was. If the card I had last year was budget level for that year, I would choose whatever is a step above budget level this year, and a step above that next year.

So my experience has been almost the exact opposite of the OP. Even though games were advancing all the time too, every upgrade brought a better gaming experience because my hardware choices were catching up to them.

This last video card upgrade was the first time I ever bought the very highest end card that a company made at the time of purchase. Sure it was a lot of money, but I can afford it now.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Is the problem really the hardware, though? I would think that the issue is more with games, that have such extreme settings when "maxxed", that they really require two generations newer in hardware to make those settings remotely playable.

 

[escrow4]

Is the problem really the hardware, though? I would think that the issue is more with games, that have such extreme settings when "maxxed", that they really require two generations newer in hardware to make those settings remotely playable.

But I want 16x SSAA with 4K textures on a single GPU at a solid 60FPS NOW!

 

[Rezident]

Now. And all the time since I got my 290X Windforce

Currently replaying Deus Ex:HR maxed out -and it is glorious. Looks so good, so slick, stealthy, I had almost forgotten how good it was. Surely one of the best games I've ever played. And smooth as butter.