A warning Graphics cards
 

My machine spec are …….
A Tsunami Dream cased Vpn support special build.
Motherboard with Sata and ide slots updated bios (3.1) 512board ram
Intel Duo core Processor 6400 at 2.13 GHz and 2.13 GHz
4x1gb DDR2 memory sticks = 4gb Ram
Samsung 400gb sata Main C: hard drive also a 160gb sata Backup drive D:
Inno 7600 Series 512 ram graphics card.
System type 32-bit
a total of 6 internal cooling fans
Running Windows Vista Home Premium…Service pack 1

Ok you say so what.. well I was thinking it would be good to upgrade to a series 8 graphics card so out I went with cash in my pocket and purchased a series 8 gamers graphic card … it will improve your game play … Wow I need that Ok.:up:
3D .. GeForce 8 Series get it in there latest drivers loaded away we go widows Vista likes it gives it all a 5.4 rating … HHmmm Silent Hunter 3 here we come.
Something wrong here it looks crap and it isn’t running smooth lets change the settings of the Graphics card NNooo its no better back out you come:nope: . Back to the shop I want the same make as my 7 series card please HOW MUCH Plonk:o .
After picking myself off the floor im on my way back home with a inno3D 8500GT 1gb DDr2 PCI-e Graphics card yes lets kick some ass .. Blah Blah .. Silent Hunter 3 hey all looks good lets go up to the Bridge .. Ok lets not … Why because the crew movements are jerky the water splashing over the bow is also and the game looks like its stuttering … F*^”£!” Dam F*^”!:nope: so now its back to the inno 7 series graphics card … so don’t think the new stuff is better and/or will work better than what you already have :yep:

You do know that there's a world of difference between the low-end and high-end 8-series cards? The 8500 GT is definitely one of the low end, and in a few tests I checked it performed well below a 7600 GS. Not really comparable to say a 8800 GTS, which isn't even the highest performing in the series.

I've got the 8800GT 512DDR3 Ram
and SH3 + GWX (GWX effects enabled in JSGME) is running around 60 FPS straight (Sync on)
35-45 in harbours.

HunterICX

Yeah me too and can't understand why Pheonix1957 should have the problems. My first thoughts were drivers / settings but maybe Vista thrown in as well as I'm still XP.

Anyway my upgrade to an 8800GT was a major improvement with none of the problems mentioned.

you know you were dam right i went on a tec site for inno graphic cards and my 7600 is a higher spec than the 8500 card what a rip off..

and yes to the other two replys my 7600 is nearly the same as you 8800GT cards :o

and now there are the 9 series out Oh man:stare:

I had an 8600GT and went to an 8800GT - world of difference. The 8500/8600 cards are really not worth the money these days (any amount of money). And they should really never have been called gaming cards in the first place as they came out behind the technology curve to begin with.

Testament to SH3's versatility!
 

I run my SH3+GWX2.1 on P4 2.0GHz, 1024 Mb Ram and a GeForce FX 5500. Yes people, a 5500. It's an old rig but can amazingly run but there's a little lag when coming on to convoys.:damn:

At least its I can attest to anyone that any graphics card after March 2004 is OK for SH3.:up:

I fell into the "get a new graphics card" trap with my old pc 4 years ago. The pc originally shipped with a 64mb Nvidia Geforce MX 420. As I wanted to play higher end games like IL-2 I got a 256mb Geforce FX 5500 installed. It cost me about $350 (with the installation fee). Big waste of money: IL-2 ran better but not by much. The 256mb cards were marketted towards people like myself who don't know a lot about graphics cards; they advertised the extra 128mb as adding more power to the card. What they didn't say was that, for whatever reason, the card didn't use the full 256, only 128.

In my newer pc (with SH III installed) I have a 256mb Geforce 7300 LE. SH III with GWX works alright for the most part. Unless the card breaks down I won't be replacing it. Too much money & I've been down that road before.:damn:

Off topic but I've always wondered this & never seen anything about it it: Can SH III be played at 16-bit settings? Other games that I have can and, in fact, are designed to be.

I had my graphics card set to 16-bit and SHIII looked OK, but I changed to 32-bit as there was little gain if any from lowering these graphics settings.

Nemo