[Novalug] Fwd: OT: Gaming Video Cards

[Ken Kauffman]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ken Kauffman <kkauffman at headfog.com>
Date: Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 20:37
Subject: Re: [Novalug] OT: Gaming Video Cards
To: "Bryan J. Smith" <b.j.smith at ieee.org>


I use an EVGA NVIDIA 8800 GT and it works perfectly on both Windows (of
course) and Linux (with 'tweaks').  I am sure I have my nvidia based
xorg.conf files around here if you need them.

I used to play Unreal Tournament 2004 on Linux.

Ken


On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 19:54, Bryan J. Smith <b.j.smith at ieee.org> wrote:

> Correction ...
>
> That should be ...
> - NV0x-10/15 (TNT2, GeForce, 2), and
> - NV11/17-3x (GeForce2 Go/MX, 3, 4 and FX)
>
> In any case, if you have a nVidia card bought in '04+ (NV4x), it's still
> supported with the leading-edge feature driver.  If you bought an
> "overpriced, old stock" card like a GeForce4 MX (NV17 -- really a
> GeForce 2MX redesign) at Microsoft^H^H^H^HBest Buy in '04 or later,
> when GeForce 6xxx series and later cards were available, I can't help
> you if you can't run the absolute latest DirectX software.
>
> But you can _still_ run older software with supported legacy drivers.
> nVidia updates them because there are still older workstations with
> those cards that aren't updated.  You just can't run the latest games.
>
> *KNOW* what you're buying.  Same issue with AMD/ATI (let alone Intel).
> I still invite anyone to best nVidia's long-term support on
> feature-forward.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Bryan J. Smith <b.j.smith at ieee.org>
>
> Huh?
>
> nVidia is still supporting legacy drivers for cards all the way back to the
> NV0x-15 series / TNT2 - GeForce2 ('98-'00), although no new feature support
> because, well, the architectures don't support them.  The NV17-3x series /
> GeForce2 MX, 3, 4 and FX ('01-03) were prior to the new texel/shader
> redesign, and support has now been regulated to a legacy driver as well.
> The FX was more of an experimental design which would become the new
> texel/shader and did not sell well to anyone who knew much about them.
> At the same time, nVidia is still releasing legacy drivers.
>
> E.g., my 2001 Toshiba notebook with the original GeForce Go Mobile
> (NV17, based on the MX) can still run OpenGL/GLX without issue, including
> composite functions.  Can't say the same about Vista/Aero (which requires
> more of a NV4x for WGF).
>
> The NV40+ / GeForce 6 on-ward ('04+) is the new texel/shader units and all
> drivers work forward and back through the latest 200 series.  That's six
> (6)
> years of four (4) major generations and four (4) minor revisions with
> 50%-100%
> performance increase.  Don't know where you get 9-12 months?
>
> Unless you're buying 3 year-old hardware and expecting support for 3+
> more years?  These are GPUs.  GPUs evolve much faster than CPUs,
> and are sacked with IP non-sense and all sorts of trade secrets.  There is
> no "open" GPU with any performance, and even Intel withholds access to
> many of its GPU trade secrets (always has).
>
> Compared to ATI's driver support (especially on Linux), sorry, disagree.
> Unless, of course, you want a "dumb" framebuffer with few features.  Even
> the open source driver for ATI is basically the old, hacked R100 with
> little
> hack here and there to get R200 and R300 support forward.
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Gregory Maxwell <gmaxwell at gmail.com>
>
> I think you've misstated "nVidia's Law", which I think goes something like
> "The duration a card will be correctly supported by the driver after
> the release of the next generation is 9-12 months"
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