9800 pro video card - good for SH3?

Fenris_Wolf · 02-15-09, 12:28 AM

Hi all. I have a spare computer with an old ati 9800 pro 256mb gpu and enough ram (1 gb) and cpu power (p4 2.4). I was wondering if anyone is using that video card and if it would run the game?

Thanks.

Firebird · 02-15-09, 03:32 AM

My previous computer had a Hercules 3D Prophet 9800 Pro, with 128 MB I believe. The video card will run the game. There were a few exceptions where it didn't run smoothly, but that's all.

The lack of RAM will slow you down a bit, especially in loading. You should be able to play though

.

irish1958 · 02-15-09, 09:40 AM

Yes the game will run fine; If you run GWX 3.0, the game will slow to a very few frames/sec in harbor and with a lot of particle (as in smoke and explosions) Adding 1gb of RAM will speed up the loading and increase frame rate a bit.
If slow harbor bothers you, use the option in SH3CMDR to start at sea; and if slow frame rate bothers you when you torpedo a vessel, turn the particle rendering down in options.
The only other time you will have slow frame rate is when you encounter a large convoy, especially if you are running at a high time compression. Even at normal time, you will have a slower frame rate.
I played and helped develop mods for three years with the ATI 9800Pro and 2 Gb of RAM.

wetgoat · 02-15-09, 10:39 AM

Still running a 2.8 p4. Ran a 256 9800pro for about 4 years. Only had minimal trouble in harbor. Never had a problem anywhere else. Biggest improvement I ever made (gameplay wise) was going to 2gigs of memory. Recently upgraded to a ATI radeon 512mb 1650. Am very impressed with this setup, but I still think (correction- I know) the 9800 is a fine card in spite of it's age.

danurve · 02-15-09, 11:01 AM

Previous rig was a 2.0g 939 w/9550-256 it ran the game with no problems. Frame rates took a liitle hit in harbour and if your zoomed in on exploding-burning ships.
It had 1-gig of ram for a time, I upgraded it to 2-gigs and the difference in the game was night and day.

Keelbuster · 02-15-09, 11:27 AM

I've been running SH3 (all modded up) on a 2.4 Ghz with 1 GB ram, and a Radeon 9700 128mb card. This machine is basically an antique, but runs SH3 fine. I don't have any AA or AF on, but it's fine - I run her at 1280x960, and she looks great. Basically, it's my dedicated SH3 machine.

flakmonkey · 02-15-09, 03:29 PM

Your card will easilly run this game, you can run sh3 pretty well on a bottom of the range dx8 card (radeon 8500/9200 etc) whereas you have a fairly high end dx9 one so youll be fine + since its an ati card you can crank up the AF to 16x with no framerate hit for some beautifully crisp textures, although i wouldnt stray too far above 4x AA.

Ram is the biggest performance limiting factor with sh3, i recently upgraded from 512mb to 4gb of ram, the difference blew me away, it was like playing on a new pc, faster loads (down from ~9min to less than 1) and around 10-15fps increase across the board.

Faamecanic · 02-16-09, 11:56 AM

I have YET to get a video card that made SHIII look as pretty as it did on my 9800Pro. All my cards since the 9800 have been NVIDIA though. The Water just looked BEAUTIFUL with the 9800pro, and like poo poo with all the others.

I would say up your RAM to 2 GB and the rest should be fine. Now if your going to run GWX or any other big mod...I cant say for sure.

USAMP1980 · 02-16-09, 02:15 PM

Ah ok.. intially I thought you meant Nvidea 9800, not ATI.

I am running the GeForce Nvidia 9800 GTX+
It runs nearly any game suburbly with the graphics jacked all the way up.

Do you have an AGI or PCIe slot?

02-15-09, 12:28 AM	#1
Fenris_Wolf Sparky Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 155 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	9800 pro video card - good for SH3? Hi all. I have a spare computer with an old ati 9800 pro 256mb gpu and enough ram (1 gb) and cpu power (p4 2.4). I was wondering if anyone is using that video card and if it would run the game? Thanks. __________________ NO HOOCHIE WOOCHIE - NO LIFE!

02-15-09, 09:40 AM	#3
irish1958 Ocean Warrior Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Carmel, Indiana Posts: 3,250 Downloads: 320 Uploads: 11	Yes the game will run fine; If you run GWX 3.0, the game will slow to a very few frames/sec in harbor and with a lot of particle (as in smoke and explosions) Adding 1gb of RAM will speed up the loading and increase frame rate a bit. If slow harbor bothers you, use the option in SH3CMDR to start at sea; and if slow frame rate bothers you when you torpedo a vessel, turn the particle rendering down in options. The only other time you will have slow frame rate is when you encounter a large convoy, especially if you are running at a high time compression. Even at normal time, you will have a slower frame rate. I played and helped develop mods for three years with the ATI 9800Pro and 2 Gb of RAM. __________________ Irish1958

02-15-09, 11:01 AM	#5
danurve The Old Man Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Syracuse, NY Posts: 1,481 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 3	Previous rig was a 2.0g 939 w/9550-256 it ran the game with no problems. Frame rates took a liitle hit in harbour and if your zoomed in on exploding-burning ships. It had 1-gig of ram for a time, I upgraded it to 2-gigs and the difference in the game was night and day. __________________

02-15-09, 11:27 AM	#6
Keelbuster Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: BA 72 Posts: 1,092 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	I've been running SH3 (all modded up) on a 2.4 Ghz with 1 GB ram, and a Radeon 9700 128mb card. This machine is basically an antique, but runs SH3 fine. I don't have any AA or AF on, but it's fine - I run her at 1280x960, and she looks great. Basically, it's my dedicated SH3 machine. __________________

02-15-09, 03:29 PM	#7
flakmonkey Grey Wolf Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Staffordshire, Uk Posts: 944 Downloads: 78 Uploads: 0	Your card will easilly run this game, you can run sh3 pretty well on a bottom of the range dx8 card (radeon 8500/9200 etc) whereas you have a fairly high end dx9 one so youll be fine + since its an ati card you can crank up the AF to 16x with no framerate hit for some beautifully crisp textures, although i wouldnt stray too far above 4x AA. Ram is the biggest performance limiting factor with sh3, i recently upgraded from 512mb to 4gb of ram, the difference blew me away, it was like playing on a new pc, faster loads (down from ~9min to less than 1) and around 10-15fps increase across the board. __________________

02-15-09, 03:32 AM	#2
Firebird Torpedoman Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 111 Downloads: 45 Uploads: 0	My previous computer had a Hercules 3D Prophet 9800 Pro, with 128 MB I believe. The video card will run the game. There were a few exceptions where it didn't run smoothly, but that's all. The lack of RAM will slow you down a bit, especially in loading. You should be able to play though .

02-15-09, 10:39 AM	#4
wetgoat Loader Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 87 Downloads: 101 Uploads: 0	Still running a 2.8 p4. Ran a 256 9800pro for about 4 years. Only had minimal trouble in harbor. Never had a problem anywhere else. Biggest improvement I ever made (gameplay wise) was going to 2gigs of memory. Recently upgraded to a ATI radeon 512mb 1650. Am very impressed with this setup, but I still think (correction- I know) the 9800 is a fine card in spite of it's age.

02-16-09, 11:56 AM	#8
Faamecanic Ace of the Deep Join Date: May 2005 Location: Off your Stb side with good solution Posts: 1,065 Downloads: 44 Uploads: 0	I have YET to get a video card that made SHIII look as pretty as it did on my 9800Pro. All my cards since the 9800 have been NVIDIA though. The Water just looked BEAUTIFUL with the 9800pro, and like poo poo with all the others. I would say up your RAM to 2 GB and the rest should be fine. Now if your going to run GWX or any other big mod...I cant say for sure.

02-16-09, 02:15 PM	#9
USAMP1980 Watch Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 27 Downloads: 18 Uploads: 0	Ah ok.. intially I thought you meant Nvidea 9800, not ATI. I am running the GeForce Nvidia 9800 GTX+ It runs nearly any game suburbly with the graphics jacked all the way up. Do you have an AGI or PCIe slot?