Pandapunch's Weblog

Nvidia–what are they thinking?

pandapunch — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:06:13 +0000

This is a very interesting time to be in the market for a new video card. ATI has garnered alot of attention with their new 4850/4870 cards, and the new dual GPU cards promise to blow Nvidia’s latest single GPU 260/280 cards out of the water. The monster 260/280 GPUs, stuck on the 65nm process, are ineligent and expensive. So…we get the 9800GTX revisited. Remember, the 9800GTX is essentially an 8800 GTS (512MB)–same G92 GPU, same number of multi-function stream processors (128), same amount of DDR3 memory, same 256-bit memory bus, etc, etc. Unless you need an HDMI plug, slightly higher core and memory clocks speeds, and an extra six pin power plug are about all that separate the two cards–and, from what I hear, the 8800GTS overclocks pretty well–due in part to the dual slot cooler, no doubt.

So rather than giving us a more efficient 260/280 on the 55nm process (hopefully paving the way for a dual GPU card that doesn’t require a cold-fusion reactor and liquid nitrogen cooling), we get the 9800GTX+ (if you missed it the first time, its a 9800GTX, but with a plus!). Is Nvidia toying with us? With the new hotness already here, why are we going backwards? Even more puzzling, why is the new card not much better than the old one? Sure the clocks increase over the 65 nm 9800GTX, but the new 9800GTX+ is otherwise the same card–except it actually draws more power. EVGA, for one, already factory overclocked an old 9800GTX (no plus) to virtually the same speeds as the 9800GTX+. But wait, this is where things start getting good.

OK, we have a new 9800GTX. Vendors have old stock of the old 9800GTX’s (and G92 8800GTS’). So…why not leave all the prices the same and see what happens? Seriously, as of 9:37 pm on Thursday, July 24, 2008, Newegg.com lists the following: EVGA 9800GTX+ 512MB (738 MHz core clock, 2200 MHz mem clock) for $199. Or, for the savvy shopper, an MSI 9800GTX (no plus) 512MB (700 MHz core clock, 2200 MHz mem clock) for the low, low price of $299. Yesp, $100 more. Of course, that’s an overclocked 9800GTX–albeit still slower than the 9800GTX+, and still on the older 65nm process. But don’t worry, there are plenty of other deals on the old, non-plus 9800GTX cards. There’s a PNY 512MB option with a 675 MHz core clock and 2000 MHz mem clock for…$204.99. So maybe the deals are on the 8800GTS cards still sitting around. OK, there is an EVGA G92 8800GTS, 512 MB, 670MHz core clock, 1940 MHz mem clock for $199. The exact price of a new 9800GTX+. Or, for $9.99 more, you could get the EVGA “knock-out” edition 8800GTS with a 679MHz core clock and 1944Mhz mem clock. If having a name brand isn’t important, ECS (Elitegroup) has an 8800GTS 512MB for $209.99. Maybe it is super overclocked–I can’t tell, since the clocks aren’t available (on Newegg or on the manufacturer’s website). Point is, what’s up with these prices?

Now, I’ll admit, these prices are probably going to be dropping–and soon. They kind of have to, since the status quo doesn’t make any sense (particularly with the push from ATI). But for a few days anyway, it’s an interesting time to be in the market for a new video card, and Nvidia–what are you thinking?

Half Life 2

pandapunch — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:15:15 +0000

Is this the best game ever for PC? I doubt it–I would be hard-pressed to come up with one, single “best game ever” for the PC. How can anyone compare games as diverse as Half Life, Civilization, Baldur’s Gate, Unreal Tournament, Starcraft, Diablo–the list seems endless. For different tastes and different moods each of these games could stake a reasonable claim to the title of “greatest ever.” For minutes of my life spent, Elder Scrolls Morrowind surely deserves mention, as does Heroes of Might and Magic 2 (and 3), Civilization 2, and Medieval Total War. For pure adrenaline, few games can match Call of Duty 2 and Call of Duty 4, and what better way to kill an evening with friends than a rousing round of Unreal Tournament, or maybe Command and Conquer Red Alert, or even Diablo 2? Each of these games reminds me of why I enjoy games to begin with–the immersion of playing a character, the escapism of entering a different world and, of course, the fun.

Given this, when I do hear or read a critic or fan proclaiming the “best game ever,” I have to wonder what drives such a decision. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy Half Life 2, despite the embarrassing secret that I never made it all the way through the first game. Half Life 2 shows the potential of technology mixed with story to create a truly convincing world–which, in many ways, is the whole point of video games. Many objects react as one would expect as, for the most part, do the characters. The freedom to interact with the surroundings masks the linear story, making the game feel just as open as “sandbox” games that tout an open-world–GTA and Oblivion both come to mind. Yet, despite the quality of Half Life 2′s execution, story telling, and technology, can I honestly say that I have enjoyed it more than any other game? I’ve spent far more time with Galactic Civilization 2, which sucks up time like no other game I’ve played since Heroes of Might and Magic, or maybe Civilization. Conversely, I’ve spent far less time with Call of Duty 4, despite having played it through numerous times (no multiplayer, though). I find it hard to say that I have enjoyed either of these games any less than Half Life 2.

I don’t honestly believe that any true game can pick a single game out as the best game ever–especially in a constantly evolving world. I remember when I dreamed of Mario, running and jumping along in a two-dimensional world. Think of how much storytelling, technology, and game play have evolved since then, and tell me that there has been–or will ever be–a greatest game ever. I won’t believe you, and I’ll have many, many games to back me up.

9800?

pandapunch — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:16:04 +0000

As we all know, the problem with cutting edge technology is that it’s never cutting edge for long. I am slowly coming to the realization that my video cards are consumable goods–I just replaced the tires of my car after 5 years, but I’m ready to replace my video cards after barely two 2. When I built my current rig, AMD was king of the hill with the X2 and FX series, and the 7800 series was Nvidia’s latest. A month later they released the 7900s and, thanks to EVGA’s step-up program, I upgraded to keep up-to-date for another month. Soon after, however, Intel took back the the processor crown with the new Core Duos, and the 8800 series introduced the new era of DirectX 10. Somehow I managed a whole two years without any major upgrades, but now there is Crysis, and I’m getting the itch for new video card (and possibly processor, which means a new motherboard, which means new DDR2 RAM…). Do I need it? Definitely not–so maybe I’ll put it off. Then again, an 880ogt isn’t out of reach, and the 512mb 8800gts looks pretty good…

Which brings me to the 9800. Inevitably, as soon as I make up my mind on a shiny new 8800, Nvidia will release the 9800GX2, with GTs not far behind. Oh well, I guess I’ll see what EVGA has to offer–I can always step-up! (Despite the way it sounds, I really try to avoid blatant consumerism–Best Buy commercials are an example of what I strive not to be–but everyone has to have a hobby, I suppose.)

SiN

pandapunch — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:59:17 +0000

While not a Game of the Year contender by any means, I enjoyed playing the first episode of the Source-powered SiN. I enjoyed the lighthearted tone of the original, which was a pretty good game back in the day, and hoped that we’d see more of the same in the new series. I will say that the game play of SiN Episode 1 was very similar to Half Life 2 (no surprise given the shared engine), but I was all about giving the series a chance. Unfortunately, according to a recent article in PC Gamer magazine, it sounds like the first episode is all the chance it’s going to get. It would be nice to see another game step up to provide an over-the-top, satirical tone backed by solid game play. A game aimed at the a mature (but still immature) audience that still enjoys gratuitous violence and even more gratuitous cleavage. Duke Nukem, where are you?

The beginning

pandapunch — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:15:08 +0000

Everyone has to start somewhere, so where better than here? This is my first post on my first blog, so I suppose it should be something good. Or not. I guess the purpose of this blog is to share my thoughts and talk about things that interest me, such as technology, gadgets and games.

Call of Duty 4

pandapunch — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:59:00 +0000

To start with, I really enjoyed this game. I won’t say that it’s ground breaking or earth-shattering, and to quote the Barenaked Ladies, “it’s all been done before.” That, however, doesn’t change the fact that it’s fun, pure and simple. The graphics might not be on the cutting edge, but it looks good to me, and it runs smoothly on my computer (AMD FX60, 2gigs PC3200, 2 GeForce 7900gt cards in SLI). It might not have the unique artistic styling of Bioshock, but in my opinion it looks better, and it certainly runs a heck of a lot better than Gears of War. I can’t compare it to Crysis since, given the hype about the way Crytek’s new game brutalizes Core 2 Duo systems with the latest 8800 video cards, I’ve been reluctant to even bother trying to install it in my current rig. Suffice it to say that Call of Duty 4′s graphics look good. The game is more than the graphics though, and more than the story which, while interesting, is really nothing more than action-movie fare. Call of Duty 4 is about experience, which it delivers in droves. Each load screen, each in-game cut scene, and especially each battle is a visceral, entertaining experience. Whether you’re crawling through the brush as a sniper, battling through war-torn middle-eastern villages as a marine rifleman, or just checking out the armament of an AC 130 gunship, the game draws you into an experience and leaves you wanting more. My biggest complaint is that the single player game is short, and while the arcade mode is an interesting idea, it detracts from the sense of immersion that makes the game so much fun to play. I haven’t played it online, but my guess is that is a whole different game when playing any of the multiplayer modes.

Having enjoyed the single player experience so much, I am eagerly waiting for a follow-up. If Infinity Ward can maintain the level of immersion and the pace, a purely single-player expansion can’t come too soon. If anyone knows if or when we might see such a follow-up, let me know!