Detonator 50 First Look

Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
edited September 2003 in Science & Tech
<b>Gamer Depot <a href="http://www.gamersdepot.com/hardware/video_cards/ati_vs_nvidia/dx9_rel50/001.htm&quot; target=_blank>Detonator 50 First Look</a></b>

There’s no doubt that all the recent news regarding NVIDIA’s beat-down in Half-Life 2 has created quite a buzz – not only with our readers and the industry – namely with NVIDIA. Over the course of this last week it’s been issuing a beta build of Detonator 50, which is promised to bring much needed improvement to DirectX 9 shader-driven games like Halo, Tomb Raider and of course Half-Life 2 when it ships.

We did a <a href="http://www.gamersdepot.com/hardware/video_cards/ati_vs_nvidia/dx9_desktop/001.htm&quot; target=_blank>story</a> a couple of weeks ago on Halo and Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness – and since we still don’t have a copy of the Half-Life 2 benchmarking program we’ll use those two games again here.

Rather than run a benchmark that both NVIDIA and ATI would have ample opportunity to “optimize” for, we’ll stick to real-world games for now – after all, who the hell plays <a href="http://www.gamersdepot.com/games/action/aquanox2/001.htm&quot; target=_blank>Aquanox</a> anyway? :)

ATI has long been suspect that NVIDIA is doing things visually (spelled sacrificing image quality) in Detonator 50 to help make-up the performance delta Today, we’ll put that theory to the test. Of course, NVIDIA has been rather “gung-ho” about getting us to test out Aquamark; however, as <a href="http://www.driverheaven.net/articles/aquamark3/index3.htm&quot; target=_blank>tests</a> will show (watch the flash animation there), they’re giving up image quality in that benchmark as well.

Comments

  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    This is probably why Valve refused to use the 50's, they new NV would do something, and they were right.

    Why don't nVidia just not bother to render textures at all, it will look crap, BUT YOU WILL GET BETTER BENCHMARK SCORES AND HIGHER FPS!!!!111

    :mad:

    NS
  • TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
    edited September 2003
    they just keep stabbing themselves in the head ... sooner or later this'll get back to them
  • edited September 2003
    Must be because of all those engineers they inherited when they bought 3dfx out.:buck: It seems like they've done nothing but stumble in the graphics department since then.:(
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited September 2003
    muddocktor said
    Must be because of all those engineers they inherited when they bought 3dfx out.:buck: It seems like they've done nothing but stumble in the graphics department since then.:(

    It certainly seems so, doesn't it :scratch:
  • SimGuySimGuy Ottawa, Canada
    edited September 2003
    NVidia should hire the Iraqi Information Minister as their PR spokesman. At least some people would believe what the company says regarding their driver "enhancements" :D

    "There are no cheats here! The infadel will be made to pay dearly for detering the conquest plans of the mother-company!" :)

    Maybe I'll put the caffinated-beverages away now...
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