Software and Hardware T&L

[zackbass]

Will I gain performance in games by setting the option to software, since my processor is so much faster than my graphics card?

[japin]

You see, your processor is designed for certain things but the T&L processor on your graphics chip was designed specifically for doing T&L functions, a processor can be made to do thoes functions but it will not be as fast by any means, when you emulate something with software it is always slower than if you were to do it with hardware specifically designed for it. ex. Hardware DVD decoding or software DVD decoding, which would you choose? I rest my case.

[d_k]

Originally posted by zackbass
Will I gain performance in games by setting the option to software, since my processor is so much faster than my graphics card?

No it wont

[Un4given]

Actually, it is possible that you might. This has been discussed before. Yes, the T&L unit in your video card was meant specifically to do those calculations, but the fact is that CPU power has increased faster than video card power. There are cases where your CPU may actually be able to handle T&L calculations, along with everything else it is doing, and still do it faster than the video card.

This is something you just have to experiment with and see how it goes.

[qmul]

Originally posted by japin
You see, your processor is designed for certain things but the T&L processor on your graphics chip was designed specifically for doing T&L functions, a processor can be made to do thoes functions but it will not be as fast by any means, when you emulate something with software it is always slower than if you were to do it with hardware specifically designed for it. ex. Hardware DVD decoding or software DVD decoding, which would you choose? I rest my case.

i think you used a bad analogy about dvd playback. dvd decoder cards have inferior playback quality and performance. for example, powerdvd vs "any decoder card", powerdvd (the software player) is always better. sorry about that japin, i just had to say

[lostlilchild6]

Hehe. think about it. .


T-birds and P4's are 32-bit CPU's... Geforce's are 256-bit . So even at 250mhz as opposed to a 2.2ghz NW... the Geforce can still do many more calculations, and calculations it was designed for. My two cents .