maha_x
08-24-01, 02:47 AM
I saw this at the MadOnion forums. Somebody had found out that the NATURE demo of 3DM2k1 runs faster when run with software T&L. Tbird 1Ghz and better CPU seemed to do the trick. Up to 10fps speed increase.
Unfortunately the other tests suffer when on software T&L, so U cant benefit from this in yer score.
Best candidate for the reason was that the GF3 GPU was loaded with tasks (T&L, vertex shading, pixel shading), and the mem bandwidth got used up. As there was no difference if the CPU was 800Mhz or 1500Mhz when the HW T&L was enabled. Lowering the resolution helped the HW score, obviously because of the relief on the mem bandwidth. More bandwidth for geometry data.
This, offcourse, stirred alot of talks about Kyro2 and Kyro3. Kyro2 being non-T&L card. Someone speculated even that mayby Kyro3 would come out with only Vertex and pixel shaders, but not with T&L.
To me this makes little sence, because AFAIK the Vertex shading is done before T&L. This would result in sending the vertex shaded data back to CPU for T&L and once more back to the Kyro. Not a viable sollution.
Still, the GF3 performed better with software T&L. So did the vertex shading go to software too? I dont know if these chips use the DX7 hardwired T&L with the vertex shader, or is the whole T&L moved to the shader? If this is the case, the CPU was able to very well cope with the polys while the GF3 was only doing the 2D part of rendering. This again would defy the whole meaning of the T&L unit.
Lets see if U can replicate these results.
Unfortunately the other tests suffer when on software T&L, so U cant benefit from this in yer score.
Best candidate for the reason was that the GF3 GPU was loaded with tasks (T&L, vertex shading, pixel shading), and the mem bandwidth got used up. As there was no difference if the CPU was 800Mhz or 1500Mhz when the HW T&L was enabled. Lowering the resolution helped the HW score, obviously because of the relief on the mem bandwidth. More bandwidth for geometry data.
This, offcourse, stirred alot of talks about Kyro2 and Kyro3. Kyro2 being non-T&L card. Someone speculated even that mayby Kyro3 would come out with only Vertex and pixel shaders, but not with T&L.
To me this makes little sence, because AFAIK the Vertex shading is done before T&L. This would result in sending the vertex shaded data back to CPU for T&L and once more back to the Kyro. Not a viable sollution.
Still, the GF3 performed better with software T&L. So did the vertex shading go to software too? I dont know if these chips use the DX7 hardwired T&L with the vertex shader, or is the whole T&L moved to the shader? If this is the case, the CPU was able to very well cope with the polys while the GF3 was only doing the 2D part of rendering. This again would defy the whole meaning of the T&L unit.
Lets see if U can replicate these results.