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In the Forums... |
Posted: April 26, 2000 Written by: Dan "Tweak Monkey" Kennedy The Quake3 Map The Quake3 map that Nvidia had someone create specifically for the GeForce 2 GTS is very cool, and bogs even the best of systems down. Called "Area 15: Nvidia Bunker," the map has very high detail textures on nearly all surfaces, tons of extra geometry, and incredible effects. With the P2 450 system, the level slowed the GeForce 2 GTS down considerably (the GeForce 256 was crawling along). Here are a couple screenshots to tease you:
Yes, that's right, it's making GeForce 2 chips. :)  Hopefully, Nvidia will allow people to download the Area 15 map. Then they can see just how good Quake 3 would look (and how slow it would run) with these very high detail features enabled. Power Consumption You might think that the GeForce 2 GTS would use a lot of power. However, it uses less than half that of the GeForce 256. We experienced no power related problems in testing the card on the Athlon 824 MHz system. Conclusion The GeForce 2 GTS is definitely an impressive piece of hardware. The power consumption problems are solved, the performance is very good, and the drivers are always looking better. Hey, Nvidia even released Linux drivers today... but they're not open-source. If you're looking to buy an NV15 -- err, GeForce 2 GTS, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the 64 MB versions that are likely to pop-up soon. The 32 MB version is plenty for most users, but if you're looking to play 1600x1200x32bpp or higher, make sure to look into the 64 MB version. GeForce 2 GTS cards are likely to hit stores within weeks, so watch out for them. They will be priced around $300 for the 32 MB version (AGP or PCI), $400 for the 64 MB version, and up to $1000 for the 128 MB version (the high end graphics solution). As always, thanks for reading. |
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