Got a new graphics.

[gptech]

What are your AA settings Trev?

[ttjph]

Who cares technically what a graphics card can do, I don't, gave up on all that years ago. The proof in the pudding to me is what it looks like and runs like on screen. I am getting frame rates up to 90fps on some routes like the Riviera route and down to about 30fps on South London Network with lots of traffic on my new card.

I care, because I can't afford to just buy lots of cards at random and test them in my system to find out "what it looks like and runs like on screen".

If I were to invest in a new one, I'd want to be pretty confident that the specs were suitable for the resolution, settings and target frame rate I want. Therefore, I want to understand how these things relate to card specs.

[gptech]

......specs were suitable for the resolution, settings and target frame rate I want. Therefore, I want to understand how these things relate to card specs.

Hence my question about the AA settings---the more vRAM you have, the more SSAA/DSR you can theoretically apply (up to the processing limits of the GPU of course) but all the settings 'work together' and influence each other---you want high frame rates?...lower the resolution and AA; you want smoother looking visuals?...raise the AA but be prepared for lower frame rates. Frame rates in the 90s are certainly not essential, ideally the FPS figure should match the monitors refresh rate but we don't live in a perfect world and often it dips. A constant(ish) frame rate is more desirable than a high one and we can argue till the cows are tucked up in bed as to exactly what figure that is but as a rule of thumb anything over 20fps will appear fluid and in 'real time'
V-Sync is arguably the most elegant method of attaining a smooth frame rate coupled with smooth gameplay, unless you're really posh like Peter and have a G-Sync monitor
That now adds another variable when/if you're looking at an upgrade---go for the most powerful GPU and force V-sync or go for a slightly lower card coupled with a new G-Sync monitor for (around) the same total cost?

[Trev123]

What are your AA settings Trev?

FXAA + 8 MSAA. That's is what is selected when you go to the highest graphics settings.

[gptech]

FXAA + 8 MSAA. That's is what is selected when you go to the highest graphics settings.

That's not particularly high anti-aliasing, try using the 'Custom' /'Advanced' options and set it to <FXAA + 2x2SSAA>---your frame rates will drop a bit (I also have V-Sync enabled in the nVidia Control Panel which matches the frame rate to the refresh rate, or a whole integer of the frame rate so I don't see over 60FPS---then again, I rarely see anything under 30) but I'd be very surprised if the game didn't look a lot better.

[aussiebob]

Just my personal experience with Graphics Cards for TS.
After replacing the onboard card with a GTX 730 I have again replaced this card with a GTX 960 and now find the 960 will run 75% of my around 70 Routes installed on the highest settings, the others on lower varying settings but every Route will load and run well.
Of course there are more powerful cards to run TS but in OZ you need very deep pockets to purchase one of these.
I have posted not to start posting about which cards are better for TS we have seen all that before this is just my experience and hope that it may help those that are thinking about new cards.
My GTX960 runs with Intel i7-4790, Windows 7, 8gig memory.
Regards Bob.

[peterfhayes]

Gary
Surely you couldn't display 90 fps or anything greater then 60 fps on a 60Hz monitor that would only be possible on 120/144 Hz and higher monitors/TVs.

My Figures above for VRAM are using the highest AA settings ie 3 x 3 SSAA in TS2015 and that really hits the frame rates from the cpu to the gpu, but the latter due to the bandwidth and VRAM available still manages to give a smooth ride in TS2015.

I don't know if it is generally realised but the fps displayed by TS2015, Bandicam and FRAPS are the frame rates delivered by the cpu to the gpu with the gpu processing/interpolating those instructions to the monitor, (they do not necessarily reflect the frame rates or frame dwell times that are actually displayed on the monitor - they are just a guide). IMO Smoothness is a much better indicator of graphics performance. Hence, even a low displayed fps can be seen as smooth action on the monitor and a high displayed fps can show stuttering on the screen and vice versa of course.

pH

[gptech]

Surely you couldn't display 90 fps or anything greater then 60 fps on a 60Hz monitor.....

You're probably right Peter, I've only seen high reported frame rates on a 'blank canvas route'---no scenic assets, just a blank terrain, and as you've explained what gets reported as happening isn't always what's actually happening. Like you I've never been too concerned with frame rates, if it works and looks good at 20FPS why bother chasing 50? Unfortunately it's the only thing we can actually quantify, we don't have a measure of 'smoothness' so yes, we're often talking about the wrong thing.

[ttjph]

Unfortunately it's the only thing we can actually quantify, we don't have a measure of 'smoothness' so yes, we're often talking about the wrong thing.

The GamersNexus review you linked earlier quotes lowest 1% and 0.1% of frame rates (really reciprocal of frame interval?) which sounds like a useful measure of 'stuttering'-type behaviour - possibly a bit involved for most people though!

[gptech]

....possibly a bit involved for most people though!

Too right it is.... in this case I'd go with Trev's sentiments... "Who cares .........The proof in the pudding is what it looks like and runs like on screen."
All people really need to know is "Will GPU 'x' work?...and how well?" and we've really come a wee bit off topic in refuting a claim that a 960 isn't up to/can't/won't use 4GB of vRAM

[Trev123]

What are your AA settings Trev?

FXAA + 8 MSAA. That's is what is selected when you go to the highest graphics settings.

Tried that AA setting and some scenarios on the SLN went to a crawl when there was a lot of AI traffic. Gone back to my settings which I'm quite happy with. I'm very conservative when playing around with AA settings as it uses up a lot of your resources on higher settings.

[gptech]

Tried that AA setting and some scenarios on the SLN went to a crawl when there was a lot of AI traffic

Is that a limitation of the GPU or a case of the scenario creator adding too many services?

You see now the problem when trying to evaluate graphics cards and why people like to know the technical things? you originally posted that it was the best thing since the last best thing since sliced bread but just by changing a single setting (to an in-game supported one, nothing outlandish) you can bring it to it's knees.
The settings you use that give you a pleasing experience may not be the same settings that others would like, or prefer, to use and that's before we start looking at tweaks applied through the control panel or 3rd party tweaking tools.

I'm very conservative when playing around with AA settings as it uses up a lot of your resources on higher settings.

which is a further explanation of why ttjph, and many others, like reviews and explanations.

[longbow]

I have just upgraded to a high-end PC (i7-4790K/GTX970) and I'm wondering about replacing my elderly Samsung 226BW monitors. My current thinking is to keep a twin screen set-up which would restrict me to no bigger than a 24in screen. The gaming mags suggest a 60MHz Acer G237HL or a 144MHz ASUS V248QE, but as I don't do much PC gaming other than TS2015 I wonder if the latter is really worth it at twice the price.

Any thoughts please?

[Trev123]

How much memory does your 970 have ?

[gptech]

and I'm wondering about replacing my elderly Samsung 226BW monitors

Why?


What are you seeing/not seeing that makes you think the monitors need replacing?
Tied in with that is "why do you need 2 monitors----what do you do that makes a dual monitor setup so useful? (not being judgemental there, but if the reason you have 2 monitors isn't particularly gaming related, and they work just fine then we/you need to determine just what a 300+ quid investment would bring)