Mr Buckshot
July 14th, 2007, 02:05 AM
NOTE: IF YOU FIND ANY ERRORS IN THIS GUIDE, FEEL FREE TO COMMENT ABOUT THEM AND CORRECT THEM.
I've seen many graphics newbies being completely lost when it comes to determining whether their video cards are good enough for H2V or any game. I have therefore decided to compile a list to make things easier.
Just a note: H2V is an unfair performance hog with no impressive visual features to show in return. On the low graphics settings, it looks approximately as good as the Xbox version. On the high graphics settings, it doesn't look much better apart from slightly improved texture resolutions and other crap that may not get noticed in a hectic firefight.
I therefore recommend running H2V at lower graphical settings if you have a less capable video card. You can still enable high resolutions and AA. to smooth out the game a little. If you bump up the visual settings, you get very minimal visual upgrades and the framerates will start to shed tears - certainly a poor tradeoff. However, if you've got a super duper video card (more on that later), go ahead and run at high settings.
Now, the video card analysis! The oldest card I will start from will be the Geforce FX 5200 and ATI Radeon 9500. Anything lower and fat chance of any modern gaming.
Nvidia offerings (There will be GT, Ultra, GS, whatever variants of each card - those are usually to be ignored, but if they are significant I will point them out)
Geforce FX 5100/5200 - Avoid
Geforce FX 5500/5600 - Avoid
Geforce FX 5700/5800 - May hit the game but still a poor choice
Geforce FX 5900 - same as above.
Geforce 6100/6150 - Avoid - this is an integrated video card. You shouldn't even be playing modern games if you have this card.
Geforce 6200/6400/6500 - Avoid, it is a poor performer.
Geforce 6600 - Here's where the good stuff comes in. Would not recommend high settings, but this card will do in a pinch.
Geforce 6600 LE - LE unofficially stands for Lame Edition. It's a sorely crippled 6600 - AVOID
Geforce 6800 - Very good
Geforce 6800 LE or XT - Have only 8 pipelines, will do but there are better choices.
Geforce 6800 GT or Ultra - have 16 pipelines as opposed to 12 in the 6800, stick with 'em if you already have 'em.
Geforce 7100/7200 - Avoid
Geforce 7300/7400 - If it's all you can afford, it'll do, but you're better off saving a little more and getting something better
Geforce 7300 GT - Same league as Geforce 6600, go for it if that's all you can get.
Geforce 7600 - Here's my video card. Not bad, good bang for the buck.
Geforce 7800 GT - Superb
Geforce 7900 GS - Same as 7800 GT - has 20 pixel pipelines instead of 24 in the other variants
Geforce 7800 GTX - has 24 pipelines, superb
Geforce 7900/7950 - Superb, same league as 7800 GTX but faster.
Geforce 7950 GX2 - this is actually two Geforce 7900 GT's in SLI on one single board. You know what to expect. By the way, two 7950 GX2's (quad sli) will not improve performance.
Geforce 8400 (laptop) - Adequate but there are better choices
Geforce 8500 - same as above.
Geforce 8600 - Pretty good, go for it if you can
Geforce 8800 GTS - Superb, blows the game away
Geforce
Geforce 8800 GTX/Ultra - Holy shit...the best of Nvidia's offerings. If you buy one of these, prepare to cut down on future expenses until you recoup the loss.
ATI offerings (The Pro, XT, whatever will be ignored unless they actually mean a difference)
Radeon 9500 - Not sure, but wouldn't recommend
Radeon 9600 - same as above
Radeon 9700 (laptop) - same as above
Radeon 9700 (desktop) - Good, though this card is discontinued. If you already have one, you might still want to upgrade
Radeon 9800 SE - avoid, only 4 pipelines
Radeon 9800 Pro - Same league as desktop 9700.
Radeon Xpress 200/1100/1150 - Avoid, they are integrated video cards.
Radeon Xpress 1200/1250 - Integrated again, try to avoid
Radeon X300 - avoid
Radeon X600 - barely hits it, but still not recommended
Radeon X700 - Good, grab a cheap one if that's all you can get
Radeon X800 - Very good
Radeon X1300 - Avoid, but it does manage H2V
Radeon X1550 - same as above
Radeon X1600/X1650 - Good, though the Geforce 7600, its main competitor, is a better choice
Radeon X1800 - I don't think these are available any more, but they're superb
Radeon X1900 - Superb
Radeon X1950 Pro - good bang for buck, plus there are AGP versions lying around...
Radeon X1900 XTX - More than superb
Radeon HD 2400 - adequate but don't waste your money
Radeon HD 2600 - good
Radeon HD 2900 - Heh, I hope the bank account doesn't scream if you buy one of these. The games will rejoice though.
Intel's offerings
Any video card produced by Intel should never exist in the first place. Intel makes fabulous, breathtaking CPUs but their video cards do not meet the same standard as their CPUs. While the later ones (GMA 950, X3000) will run Vista's Aero mode, don't try H2V.
Edit: As for windows Vista, you don't need videocard muscle if you're content with a bland 2D interface that just looks like a differently skinned XP. Radeon 9200's and such will run Vista. However, Aero Glass, the translucent effect and all that which gives Vista a unique next-gen feel, requires a Radeon 9500/Geforce FX 5500 or better to run smoothly. The modern integrated cards will run Aero, but expect lag if you open multiple windows.
A word about video memory: 128 MB is now the minimum to run modern games comfortably, but 256 MB is really the way to go these days. 512 MB and up isn't necessary unless you want to run everything at 1920x1200 on max with 60 fps. Also, while video memory is important, more of it won't help the lower end cards. For example, a Radeon X1300 won't get any better with 512 MB of memory - a 256 MB Radeon X1600 will own it all the way, because the X1300 is a low end card with 4 pipelines. I don't even know why manufacturers waste resources by adding so much memory to the crappiest video cards because the crappy video cards can't take advantage of more than 128 MB.
With PCI express, some dedicated video cards can now steal memory from system RAM. Nvidia uses Turbocache and ATI uses Hypermemory to achieve both. Turbocache is faster than Hypermemory, but either should be avoided, since GPU RAM is much faster than system RAM. Don't worry, shared memory cards are usually limited to the super low end which you should be avoiding anyway.
RAM requirements
I'm not an expert on types and speeds of RAM, so I won't be mentioning DDR or DDR2 or anything like that. However, 1 GB (1024 MB) is recommended. Even Vista itself struggles with less than 1 GB. I use 1 GB myself and I'm feeling the need to double that. If you have the cash, go all-out for 2 GB.
CPU requirements
We're past the Pentium era, so the minimum system requirements can be confusing for owners of Core 2 Duos...
Intel Pentium 4/Pentium D - the Pentium D is a dual-core Pentium 4. If you're still using one of these, 2.5Ghz is what I would recommend at the minimum.
AMD Athlon 64 (X2) - I recommend at least an Athlon 64 3000+. The Athlon X2s are dual-core Athlon 64s.
AMD Athlon FX - All of these are monsters, go for them if you can afford them.
AMD Turion 64 - All the Turions are fast enough. Turions are only in laptops
Intel Pentium M (single core) - Get at least the 1.73 Ghz Pentium M 770. These are the first-generation Centrino processors, for laptops only.
Intel Celeron (D) - please avoid at all costs.
Intel Core 1 Duo for laptop - Most of these are good. The low-end ones are usually restricted to the ultraportable laptops, so you're safe.
Intel Core 2 Duo for desktops - Get any of them, but the best bang for the buck is the E6600. The X6800 is the super version that's limited to the rich spoiled kids.
(important edit) Some people think that just because a 2.00Ghz Pentium 4 is the minimum requirement, they must get the super Core 2 Duos with more than 2 Ghz. NO, THE GHZ RATIOS IN CORE 2 DUOS ARE NOT THE SAME AS THE PENTIUMS. To put it in perspective, a 1.8Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo completely and utterly trashes a 3.4Ghz Pentium D (dual-core Pentium 4). A 2.5Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo will own at everything but chances are you won't be able to afford it. A 3 Ghz and up Core 2 Duo is ridiculously powerful and would cost more than the rest of the PC.
therefore, a 1.6Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo would actually be more than enough for H2V.
Intel Core 2 Duo for laptops - Chances are that if your laptop is 14" or larger, you'll have the faster variants (1.66Ghz and above). Slow variants are again mostly limited to ultraportables. As with desktops, don't be fooled by the "low" Ghz ratios.
About laptops: If you need to use a laptop for gaming, cooling and power requirements mean that good video cards can only be found in 14.1" laptops and larger. True super-end laptop video cards (i.e. Geforce Go 7950) are limited to 17" and higher. If you want to use an ultraportable or tablet laptop, forget gaming altogether.
I've seen many graphics newbies being completely lost when it comes to determining whether their video cards are good enough for H2V or any game. I have therefore decided to compile a list to make things easier.
Just a note: H2V is an unfair performance hog with no impressive visual features to show in return. On the low graphics settings, it looks approximately as good as the Xbox version. On the high graphics settings, it doesn't look much better apart from slightly improved texture resolutions and other crap that may not get noticed in a hectic firefight.
I therefore recommend running H2V at lower graphical settings if you have a less capable video card. You can still enable high resolutions and AA. to smooth out the game a little. If you bump up the visual settings, you get very minimal visual upgrades and the framerates will start to shed tears - certainly a poor tradeoff. However, if you've got a super duper video card (more on that later), go ahead and run at high settings.
Now, the video card analysis! The oldest card I will start from will be the Geforce FX 5200 and ATI Radeon 9500. Anything lower and fat chance of any modern gaming.
Nvidia offerings (There will be GT, Ultra, GS, whatever variants of each card - those are usually to be ignored, but if they are significant I will point them out)
Geforce FX 5100/5200 - Avoid
Geforce FX 5500/5600 - Avoid
Geforce FX 5700/5800 - May hit the game but still a poor choice
Geforce FX 5900 - same as above.
Geforce 6100/6150 - Avoid - this is an integrated video card. You shouldn't even be playing modern games if you have this card.
Geforce 6200/6400/6500 - Avoid, it is a poor performer.
Geforce 6600 - Here's where the good stuff comes in. Would not recommend high settings, but this card will do in a pinch.
Geforce 6600 LE - LE unofficially stands for Lame Edition. It's a sorely crippled 6600 - AVOID
Geforce 6800 - Very good
Geforce 6800 LE or XT - Have only 8 pipelines, will do but there are better choices.
Geforce 6800 GT or Ultra - have 16 pipelines as opposed to 12 in the 6800, stick with 'em if you already have 'em.
Geforce 7100/7200 - Avoid
Geforce 7300/7400 - If it's all you can afford, it'll do, but you're better off saving a little more and getting something better
Geforce 7300 GT - Same league as Geforce 6600, go for it if that's all you can get.
Geforce 7600 - Here's my video card. Not bad, good bang for the buck.
Geforce 7800 GT - Superb
Geforce 7900 GS - Same as 7800 GT - has 20 pixel pipelines instead of 24 in the other variants
Geforce 7800 GTX - has 24 pipelines, superb
Geforce 7900/7950 - Superb, same league as 7800 GTX but faster.
Geforce 7950 GX2 - this is actually two Geforce 7900 GT's in SLI on one single board. You know what to expect. By the way, two 7950 GX2's (quad sli) will not improve performance.
Geforce 8400 (laptop) - Adequate but there are better choices
Geforce 8500 - same as above.
Geforce 8600 - Pretty good, go for it if you can
Geforce 8800 GTS - Superb, blows the game away
Geforce
Geforce 8800 GTX/Ultra - Holy shit...the best of Nvidia's offerings. If you buy one of these, prepare to cut down on future expenses until you recoup the loss.
ATI offerings (The Pro, XT, whatever will be ignored unless they actually mean a difference)
Radeon 9500 - Not sure, but wouldn't recommend
Radeon 9600 - same as above
Radeon 9700 (laptop) - same as above
Radeon 9700 (desktop) - Good, though this card is discontinued. If you already have one, you might still want to upgrade
Radeon 9800 SE - avoid, only 4 pipelines
Radeon 9800 Pro - Same league as desktop 9700.
Radeon Xpress 200/1100/1150 - Avoid, they are integrated video cards.
Radeon Xpress 1200/1250 - Integrated again, try to avoid
Radeon X300 - avoid
Radeon X600 - barely hits it, but still not recommended
Radeon X700 - Good, grab a cheap one if that's all you can get
Radeon X800 - Very good
Radeon X1300 - Avoid, but it does manage H2V
Radeon X1550 - same as above
Radeon X1600/X1650 - Good, though the Geforce 7600, its main competitor, is a better choice
Radeon X1800 - I don't think these are available any more, but they're superb
Radeon X1900 - Superb
Radeon X1950 Pro - good bang for buck, plus there are AGP versions lying around...
Radeon X1900 XTX - More than superb
Radeon HD 2400 - adequate but don't waste your money
Radeon HD 2600 - good
Radeon HD 2900 - Heh, I hope the bank account doesn't scream if you buy one of these. The games will rejoice though.
Intel's offerings
Any video card produced by Intel should never exist in the first place. Intel makes fabulous, breathtaking CPUs but their video cards do not meet the same standard as their CPUs. While the later ones (GMA 950, X3000) will run Vista's Aero mode, don't try H2V.
Edit: As for windows Vista, you don't need videocard muscle if you're content with a bland 2D interface that just looks like a differently skinned XP. Radeon 9200's and such will run Vista. However, Aero Glass, the translucent effect and all that which gives Vista a unique next-gen feel, requires a Radeon 9500/Geforce FX 5500 or better to run smoothly. The modern integrated cards will run Aero, but expect lag if you open multiple windows.
A word about video memory: 128 MB is now the minimum to run modern games comfortably, but 256 MB is really the way to go these days. 512 MB and up isn't necessary unless you want to run everything at 1920x1200 on max with 60 fps. Also, while video memory is important, more of it won't help the lower end cards. For example, a Radeon X1300 won't get any better with 512 MB of memory - a 256 MB Radeon X1600 will own it all the way, because the X1300 is a low end card with 4 pipelines. I don't even know why manufacturers waste resources by adding so much memory to the crappiest video cards because the crappy video cards can't take advantage of more than 128 MB.
With PCI express, some dedicated video cards can now steal memory from system RAM. Nvidia uses Turbocache and ATI uses Hypermemory to achieve both. Turbocache is faster than Hypermemory, but either should be avoided, since GPU RAM is much faster than system RAM. Don't worry, shared memory cards are usually limited to the super low end which you should be avoiding anyway.
RAM requirements
I'm not an expert on types and speeds of RAM, so I won't be mentioning DDR or DDR2 or anything like that. However, 1 GB (1024 MB) is recommended. Even Vista itself struggles with less than 1 GB. I use 1 GB myself and I'm feeling the need to double that. If you have the cash, go all-out for 2 GB.
CPU requirements
We're past the Pentium era, so the minimum system requirements can be confusing for owners of Core 2 Duos...
Intel Pentium 4/Pentium D - the Pentium D is a dual-core Pentium 4. If you're still using one of these, 2.5Ghz is what I would recommend at the minimum.
AMD Athlon 64 (X2) - I recommend at least an Athlon 64 3000+. The Athlon X2s are dual-core Athlon 64s.
AMD Athlon FX - All of these are monsters, go for them if you can afford them.
AMD Turion 64 - All the Turions are fast enough. Turions are only in laptops
Intel Pentium M (single core) - Get at least the 1.73 Ghz Pentium M 770. These are the first-generation Centrino processors, for laptops only.
Intel Celeron (D) - please avoid at all costs.
Intel Core 1 Duo for laptop - Most of these are good. The low-end ones are usually restricted to the ultraportable laptops, so you're safe.
Intel Core 2 Duo for desktops - Get any of them, but the best bang for the buck is the E6600. The X6800 is the super version that's limited to the rich spoiled kids.
(important edit) Some people think that just because a 2.00Ghz Pentium 4 is the minimum requirement, they must get the super Core 2 Duos with more than 2 Ghz. NO, THE GHZ RATIOS IN CORE 2 DUOS ARE NOT THE SAME AS THE PENTIUMS. To put it in perspective, a 1.8Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo completely and utterly trashes a 3.4Ghz Pentium D (dual-core Pentium 4). A 2.5Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo will own at everything but chances are you won't be able to afford it. A 3 Ghz and up Core 2 Duo is ridiculously powerful and would cost more than the rest of the PC.
therefore, a 1.6Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo would actually be more than enough for H2V.
Intel Core 2 Duo for laptops - Chances are that if your laptop is 14" or larger, you'll have the faster variants (1.66Ghz and above). Slow variants are again mostly limited to ultraportables. As with desktops, don't be fooled by the "low" Ghz ratios.
About laptops: If you need to use a laptop for gaming, cooling and power requirements mean that good video cards can only be found in 14.1" laptops and larger. True super-end laptop video cards (i.e. Geforce Go 7950) are limited to 17" and higher. If you want to use an ultraportable or tablet laptop, forget gaming altogether.