Geforce experience /Shadowplay vs FRAPS

[Hestntonpms]

I am just putting this out there for those that may not know.
When you buy a Nvidia Graphics card,if I am not mistaking above 550-560 series the cards are able to record video and actually damn great video right through the video card without using any type of FRAPS or anything else, it is called Shadow Play and I have to say for those of us that do like to record video for Youtube or whatever, then you know also that FRAPS has almost as much of a Resource hit as FSX it's self as well as everything else out there , well when I use Nvidia's Shadow play not only are the videos awesome looking but there is virtually no resource hit , I mean I see absolutely nothing change in every test I run with it on and with it off . . . .

Just throwing that out there for those who may have these cards but just didn't know and also for those that might be on the fence about choosing a video card, personally I think that FSX plays nicer with Nvidia than ATI, I had ATI and one of the biggest issues I had with ATI was their lack up driver updates , Nvidia is updating sometimes twice a month without fail but I honestly feel FSX just likes Nvidia better I had the top of the line ATI card two years ago and I wound up just smashing it with a baseball bat in frustration , Bought a 660 TI after that and that card was AWESOME for FSX but when I rebuilt my system I went with another Nvidia card called the GTX Titan and this thing is probably as fast as my PC it's self but I just wanted to be ready for future progress figuring if 1 gig is OK and 2 gig is great and 4 gig is awesome well than 6 gig has to be off the wall ! and . . . . it is

[Jetranger]

I've got an XFX 6950 Graphics Video Card in my set up and, I took the time to configure it properly with my FSX Gold /Acceleration, and I've had very few problems with it, it seems to render everything really good, FROOGLE also uses XFX Video cards too for his videos on YOU TUBE.

Dunno, I rarely have to go and tinker with it tho.

Tho I don't use many other programs like some of the younger bunch, trying to cram every known program out there into the Sim, and then spend copious amounts of hours and frustration trying to tweak whatever to get it to work like they'd hoped, and not much flying ???

I'd rather spend time Flying, then Tinkering all the time, just me tho.

*** I should also Add, that I also upgraded the "POWER SUPPLY" to properly handle this Video Card too, went with a 600 watt Power Supply.

Also this is where a lotta problems persist, when upgrading a Video Card - users Neglect to spend that additional amount needed to upgrade their Power Supply, then have Mega Troubles down the road and frustration !!!

Always read the Video / Graphic cards Power Supply Requirements when buying a new Video Card, don't try to Skimp there, or , you will have problems - if it says by the MFR. that 600 or 800 is needed then either get the 600 watt supply or higher !

this is an area where most "Ignore and Neglect" and think they can "Just" get by without doing it and tweak and make it work, = Problems down the line, and more Tinkering & Frustration = NOT Much Flying !!!

so whats the POINT ??

Then again, I also took the time to inject over 4500 Aircraft in My Sim too, some Payware & Freeware - so I can Fly !

XFX 6950 Video Card : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeUdYxDfNzI

[Jetranger]

Also, another area often Neglected is proper Maintenance !!

I keep my Tower up "high" not down low on the floor , where all the dust settles and what nots !

every other month I shut down my computer turn it off, and unplug all the cables from the back, front etc. and take my Tower out to my work bench and fire up the Air Compressor and turn down the Regulator so the Air Supply is only about 20lbs and then Blow all the Dust away from all the cooling fans and Heat Sink and Vents and anywhere else .

Heat & over-Heating really impacts performance on computers Big Time !!!

This an an area very often neglected the "Cleaning and Maintenance" .

[OldAirmail]

The video card manufacturers are very competitive.

Who's in first place varies almost month to month, with NVidia often, technically, ahead.

BUT, unless you replace your video card with the NEWEST card that comes out, you can have little in the way of bragging rights.



As to brand loyalty: if you have an NVidia GTX260, and NVidia makes the "fastest" video card, does that make your GTX260 any faster?

No.



You mentioned that NVidia has to update their drivers frequently. Personally, I don't hold it against them that they have to keep putting out updates every few weeks to fix things.

True, it might be nice if they got it right on the first try, but they do keep on trying.



I have three criteria by which I judge video cards, and the "specifications" isn't one of them.

1) Does the video card provide smooth, trouble free, video for the programs that I use?

2) Of two similar cards, which give more bang for the buck.

And the one most important to me.

3) How well does the video card handle multiple monitors.

From what I've read, the AMD Eyefinity solution works much better than the NVidia card multi-screen solution.

And from experience, even my old HD card runs my 6 monitors very well.

If NVidia comes out with a card that better suits my needs (and at a better price), I'd buy one the next time I want to upgrade.



Another thing about "speed".

If product A is "faster" than product B, but that extra speed is beyond a humans ability to detect that extra speed, what good is the extra speed?

[Hestntonpms]

Jet Ranger , Power supply is overlooked so much , a lot of people I guess do not understand that certain cards require much more power .
As soon as I saw that my card had one 6 pin and one 8 pin power connectors I knew I had better scrap my 600 watt power supply and go with a 1200 watt just o be safe, they say it needs 550 watts so that 600 I had was too close for comfort plus I am planning on running 2 GTX titans in SLI as soon as I save up the cheddar, right now as far as single GPU the GTX Titan and I believe the GTX 780 are the fastest video cards out, I have heard the 780 Ti is just as fast but I wanted the absolute best video card out at the time and everyone was saying nothing can out perform the Titan so that is what I got so I should not have to upgrade my video card for a little while I hope and if I do, well then I have a pretty decent backup. . . . . unless I smoke it

The only thing I run is FSX on this computer and I believe once I get that SSD this thing will go into beast mode

[Hestntonpms]

I want a 1 TB SSD right now they are asking a ridiculous price for it so I am waiting for it to come down, as far as the GFX Card, I was offered a deal I simply could not refuse for that card so I pulled the trigger on that, I have so many video cards sitting on the floor still in Boxes that I thought were no good, only to find out it was my processor that was acting as a bottle neck so I was not able to use the cards to their fullest Brand new 550 Ti used for about 1 week and a 660 Ti used for about 2 months before I was offered a deal on the GTX Titan . . . . was actually thinkng about trading my Titan for a 1 TB SSD and just put the 660 Ti back in and I should be fine but I don't know , I kinda like having this even though it takes up 2 of my 4 GPU slots , people are saying SLI and crossfire is useless for FSX , I do not know because I have never tried for myself ??

[Hestntonpms]

Old Air Mail what do you have to use to be able to run 6 monitors from one video card ? is there some type of splitter? I can only use 3 also at what resolution do you run 6 monitors in ?

[OldAirmail]

Old Air Mail what do you have to use to be able to run 6 monitors from one video card ? is there some type of splitter? I can only use 3 also at what resolution do you run 6 monitors in ?

I'm sorry, Hestntonpms. I totally forgot to reply to your question.

Short story - if you have more than one PCI-Express slots on your motherboard, you will probably be able to insert additional PCIE video cards. ESPECIALLY if they're of the same type.

And from what you wrote, it isn't going to cost you any extra money!


Extra monitors . . . AGAIN
And
"New" Video card setup



Let me say again, what I did was just put a different AMD card in my computer that could use the same AMD universal driver. The two of them ARE NOT ties together with SLI or CeossFire.

But it does work very well, none the less!

[Hestntonpms]

It's all good Old Air Mail,thanks for getting back, If I get the day off tomorrow because of snow I might give it a shot .