RipTen Videogame Blog » GeForce http://www.ripten.com Real Independent Press To Every Nerd Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:00:55 +0000 en-us hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Real Independent Press To Every Nerd RipTen Videogame Blog no Real Independent Press To Every Nerd RipTen Videogame Blog » GeForce http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://www.ripten.com New Nvidia Beta Drivers Offer 25% Skyrim Performance Upgrade http://www.ripten.com/2011/12/21/new-nvidia-beta-drivers-offer-25-skyrim-performance-upgrade/ http://www.ripten.com/2011/12/21/new-nvidia-beta-drivers-offer-25-skyrim-performance-upgrade/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:00:09 +0000 Dave Oshry http://www.ripten.com/?p=102475

Got an Nvidia GPU?  Want to get more out of Skyrim?  Well rejoice, new beta drivers have just been released and they promise a 25% Skyrim performance upgrade!

Here’s the FUS RO DAH (rundown) from Nvidia:

This is the second beta release from the R290 family of drivers. For more information, read the 290.53 driver article on GeForce.com.

This driver package supports GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500-series desktop GPUs as well as ION desktop GPUs.

New in 290.53

Optimizations for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Increases performance by up to 25% in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim vs. 290.36 drivers (measured with GeForce GTX 560 at 19×10 Ultra – Indoor Scene). Results will vary depending on your GPU, system configuration, and in-game location.
Updates the NVIDIA Control Panel ambient occlusion support for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to a higher performance profile.
Added new 3D Vision laser sight /crosshair options to better match Skyrim crosshairs.
For a full Skyrim tweak guide, visit GeForce.com.
NVIDIA SLI

Adds SLI profiles for Trine 2, WRC 2: FIA World Rally Championship 2011, and Afterfall: InSanity.
3D Vision

Fixes issues with Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 not launching into 3D Vision mode
Added new 3D Vision laser sight /crosshair options to better match The Elder Scrolls Skyrim crosshairs
Added or updated the following 3D Vision game profiles:
AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome – rated Good
The Adventures of Tintin: The Game – rated Excellent
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – rating changed to Fair
Driver San Francisco – updated settings to work better in 3D Vision
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – updated in-game compatibility message
Hard Reset – updated in-game compatibility message. FXAA x2 and x4 are now supported by the game
Ignite – rated Good
Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighters – rated Fair
Jurassic Park: The Game – rated Good
Orcs Must Die! – rated Good
PAYDAY The Heist – rated Poor
PT Boats – Knights of the Sea – rated Good
PT Boats – South Gambit – rated Good
Race 07 – updated in-game compatibility message
Race Room – rated Good
Serious Sam 3: BFE – rated Poor
SkyDrift – rated Good
Star Wars: The Old Republic – rated Good
Stronghold 3 – rated Good
Take on Helicopters – rated Fair
Trine 2 – rated 3D Vision Ready
Waves – rated Excellent
Key Bug Fixes

Fixes some random instances of triangular artifacts when playing Battlefield 3 (fix is now enabled for GeForce 400 and 500 series GPUs).
Fixes a default panel resolution/ timing bug in 290.36.
Other Details

Supports multiple languages and APIs for GPU computing: CUDA C, CUDA C++, CUDA Fortran, OpenCL, DirectCompute, and Microsoft C++ AMP.
Supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI technology on DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 11, and OpenGL, including 3-way SLI, Quad SLI, and SLI support on SLI-certified Intel and AMD motherboards.

GET THE NEW DRIVERS HERE!!

For more Skyrim performance tweaks be sure to check out Nvidia’s 20 page Skyrim tweaking guide.

Also, don’t forget to check out our Ultra Quality Skyrim screenshot gallery and, of course, the RipTen Review!!

]]> http://www.ripten.com/2011/12/21/new-nvidia-beta-drivers-offer-25-skyrim-performance-upgrade/feed/ 2 Nvidia Releases Comprehensive Skyrim Graphics Tweak Guide http://www.ripten.com/2011/12/07/nvidia-releases-comprehensive-skyrim-graphics-tweak-guide/ http://www.ripten.com/2011/12/07/nvidia-releases-comprehensive-skyrim-graphics-tweak-guide/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:00:31 +0000 Dave Oshry http://www.ripten.com/?p=101413

Nvidia’s GeForce blog is good for lots of things.  I’m sure you’ve glanced over it while updating your drivers, but it turns out they also make some rather useful guides to tweak your game performance.

That being said, they’ve just released one for Skyrim!!

Here’s a part of the “Advanced Tweaking” section from the comprehensive 20 page guide:

For Skyrim, Bethesda has created the Creation Engine, a new, advanced engine featuring a real-time shadowing system and a number of other technological advancements. Fortunately, the game’s files and configuration options are easily accessible, allowing us to push the Creation Engine well beyond its limits through four different avenues:

  1. By adding or altering variables in the initialization (.ini) files.
  2. By using console commands.
  3. Through the use of user-made game modifications (Mods).
  4. Through alterations made to the graphics driver settings.

We’ll examine all of these methods in detail on the following pages. Before proceeding with any advanced tweaking however, you must take precautions to prevent losing your original settings and saved games. The easiest way is to make a backup copy of the entire \My Documents\My Games\Skyrim directory and store it somewhere safe.

.ini Tweaks

Skyrim’s engine uses .ini files to store various settings, which are then read and implemented at startup. These plain text .ini files can be edited using any text editor such as Windows Notepad. There are a range of these .ini files under the game’s main \Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim directory, however those are simply templates and none of them should be edited.

The .ini files which you should edit are found under the \My Documents\My Games\Skyrim directory. These files are Skyrim.ini and SkyrimPrefs.ini and the relevant file to be edited is noted in each tweak below. Importantly, if you mess up these files and don’t have a backup, or if you suspect that your adjustments to them are the cause of any problems, you can delete them and the next time Skyrim starts up it will recreate them with default settings.

Altering the in-game settings using the Skyrim Launcher will change or reset a range of variables in the .ini files, so it is best to first adjust all of your in-game settings to a level you’re reasonably comfortable with before moving on to doing some fine-tuning with .ini tweaking. You may also wish to separately note down any .ini tweaks you make, as future official patches are likely to alter or reset the .ini files, and you should never copy an .ini file or large portions of it from an older version onto the new one.

The tweaks listed here are not prescribed “fixes”. Advanced tweaking requires experimentation. Some general guidance is provided, but ultimately it comes down to your particular tastes and your system’s capabilities as to which tweaks you implement, and what values you use for them. Most importantly, do not simply copy anyone else’s .ini file contents. They are typically filled with non-functional or undesirable changes which will not suit your particular tastes or may cause problems. Every tweak requires that you understand the tradeoffs and changes that are involved, and that you test them personally and decide what is acceptable on your system.

Note: variables which can be fully altered using the in-game settings, and those which have no discernible performance or visual impact are not covered.

General Performance

uGridsToLoad=5 - This variable does not exist and need to be added to bottom of the [General] section of the Skyrim.ini file to be implemented. It controls the radius around the character within which the engine loads up the most detailed objects, characters and terrain. It can have a substantial impact on both image quality and performance. Any value assigned to this variable needs to be in odd increments, e.g. 3, 5, 7, 9, 11. The screenshot comparisons above demonstrate the way in which there is progressively higher detail in the distance as the value of this variable is raised (a better example showing uGridsToLoad=7, the most stable value, can be seen here).

While altering this variable is tempting given the image quality improvement it provides, you should experiment with any uGridsToLoad value in various areas, particularly those where you usually experience the lowest FPS. The default of 5 is already a good compromise of performance and image quality, but if struggling for FPS, you can drop it to a lower value such as 3, though Bethesda strongly advises against this as it may lead to game instability.

Importantly: Aside from lowering performance and causing potential instability due to the greatly increased resource usage when raising uGridsToLoad, if you save a game after you have altered this value, the new value will be incorporated into your saved game. This is worth noting because the game only allows you to load a saved game which has an equal or lower uGridsToLoad value than your current value; you will not be able to open a saved game with a higher uGridsToLoad value. This means if you lower your uGridsToLoad value again, you won’t be able to load up the saves which used the higher value. So you should extensively test any change to your uGridsToLoad before committing to saving the game. If you need to revert a change in uGridsToload in an existing save game follow the steps below:

  1. Backup SkyrimPrefs.ini, Skyrim.ini and your Skyrim ‘Saves’ folder.
  2. Load your last save game.
  3. Press tilde on your keyboard, most commonly placed directly to the left of ‘1.’ If it is elsewhere, the keyboard symbol should be ` or ~.
  4. In the now-visible in-game console type setini “ugridstoload:general” 5
  5. Hit Return on your keyboard.
  6. Type saveini
  7. Hit Return on your keyboard.
  8. Type refreshini
  9. Hit Return on your keyboard.
  10. Close the console using tilde.
  11. Create a new save game.
  12. Exit Skyrim.
  13. Delete Skyrim.ini in My Documents\My Games\Skyrim.
  14. Reload the Skyrim configuration tool.
  15. Close the tool.
  16. Re-tweak Skyrim.ini if necessary (and SkyrimPrefs.ini if it has since been modified).
  17. Reload Skyrim and your most recent save.
  18. Enjoy the game.

uExterior Cell Buffer=36 - This variable controls the number of world cells (controlled by the uGridsToLoad setting) that are buffered to RAM to provide smoother transitions and improve stability. The general rule for the optimal value to assign to this variable is to take your current uGridsToLoad value, add one to it, then multiply it by itself. For example, if you set a uGridsToLoad value of 7, change uExterior Cell Buffer to 64.

iPresentInterval=0 - A form of Vertical Synchronization (VSync) is enabled by default in Skyrim and cannot be disabled in the in-game settings. If this variable is added to the bottom of the [Display] section of Skyrim.ini and set to 0, it will forcibly disable VSync. Disabling VSync reduces/eliminates mouse lag and removes the cap on your FPS, and can also improve overall performance. However disabling VSync also has several potentially negative impacts: you may see screen “tearing” which is harmless but may be annoying; in areas where you get very high framerates, such as indoors, the vertical (up/down) axis of your mouse will become much more sensitive than the horizontal axis; game world physics and timing may also accelerate or glitch, especially in areas where you get high FPS.

The two main alternatives for VSync in Skyrim are:

  • Leave VSync enabled in Skyrim (i.e. the default), and enable Triple Buffering instead using the D3DOverrider utility which comes with the free RivaTuner software. This will improve performance and can reduce mouse lag without resulting in other negative effects. Furthermore, because the FPS cap from VSync remains in place, your vertical mouse axis will not become incredibly sensitive, though it will still become sluggish at low FPS. The only issue is that Triple Buffering uses more Video RAM which may cause problems on some systems, and it may not reduce mouse lag to the same degree as simply disabling VSync. To counter this, check the other mouse-related variables in this section.
  • Disable VSync and use a FPS Limiter Mod to maintain any FPS cap you wish, though 60 or 30 FPS is recommended. This will prevent extreme vertical mouse sensitivity and physics issues, and will remove mouse lag, but there may still be some tearing.

Note that iPresentInterval can also be given a value of 2 to implement VSync with a reduced FPS cap (typically 30 FPS instead of 60 FPS), but this increases mouse lag, does not improve performance, and also results in extremely long load times, so it should not be used.

You may notice that several prominent memory and caching tweaks have not been included in this guide, such as those sourced from this Memory Limit Increase mod, and those found in guides for previous Bethesda games, e.g. the uInterior Cell Buffer and iPreloadSizeLimit and various threading variables. In experimenting with these in Skyrim I didn’t find them to have any practical impact on the actual performance, resource usage or smoothness on my system. At the same time, I can’t conclusively disprove their effectiveness across all systems. On balance I believe that altering them is unnecessary.

Only a change like altering the Large Address Aware (LAA) flag on Skyrim’s main TESV.exe file can have any real impact on improving Skyrim’s resource usage. This LAA change allows Skyrim to potentially use more than the 2GB limit imposed on 32-bit executables, but it only recommended if you have 4GB or more of system RAM. Any patch which directly modifies the game’s executable is not allowed by Steam, so you need to use something like this 4GB Skyrim LAA mod instead. This should not be treated as a cureall for instability issues, but it can help if you’re using a range of resource-intensive mods or .ini changes in Skyrim.

Yep, 20 pages of awesome nonsense just like this for you to browse through.  Even a hardcore PC gamer like me can benefit from a guide like this.  You can be sure I’ll be giving it a good look over.

Read the entire guide HERE.

For more Nvidia game tweaking guides go HERE.

For more on Skyrim check out these 150 screens to die for and of course the RipTen Review.

]]> http://www.ripten.com/2011/12/07/nvidia-releases-comprehensive-skyrim-graphics-tweak-guide/feed/ 0 Nvidia Unveils 3DVision 2. Bigger, Better, Sleeker and Cheaper. http://www.ripten.com/2011/10/14/nvidia-unveils-3dvision-2-bigger-better-sleeker-and-cheaper/ http://www.ripten.com/2011/10/14/nvidia-unveils-3dvision-2-bigger-better-sleeker-and-cheaper/#comments Sat, 15 Oct 2011 01:30:55 +0000 Dave Oshry http://www.ripten.com/?p=94644
I’ve been dying to tell you all about Nvidia’s NEW 3DVision for months now, and the time has finally arrived.

With their new tech, Nvidia is making the entry barrier into 3DPC gaming smaller than ever, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Let’s get started.

Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger.

The Glasses:

NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ 2, the next generation of NVIDIA’s award-winning 3D glasses, features a sleek new design and other features to enhance the immersive experience when playing 3D games, or enjoying 3D movies or photos.  Among these is NVIDIA 3D LightBoost™, a unique new display technology that dramatically improves the 3D experience by delivering images that are up to twice as bright and colors that are far richer than those provided by other 3D display technologies.

What that corporate blurb means is this:  Gone are the days of having to turn up your brightness every time you enable 3DVision.  Gone are the days of your 3DVision glasses being uncomfortable when you wear them with headphones and gone are the days of your 3D glasses looking anything but bad ass.

Brighter is Better

NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 glasses were designed specifically for gamers and 3D enthusiasts. They provide deeper immersion in games through lenses that are 20 percent larger than those in first-generation glasses, resulting in a wider viewing area and increased external light blocking.  In addition, 3D Vision 2 glasses are made of soft composite materials for a more comfortable fit with gaming headphones.

So yeah, they’re also bigger.  You won’t get light coming in from the sides or top of your 3DVision glasses anymore.  You’ve got full immersion.  But they’re also lighter and more comfortable.  Trust me, I’ve worn them.  I’ve played Arkham City in 3D with them.  You jelly?  Yeah, you jelly.

Bigger is Better.

But Dave, they’re NEW, these have to cost MORE than the old models, right?  WRONG.

Same Price as The Previous Models. Word.

That’s it.  No catch.  Nvidia is banking on the fact that by making their 3DVision better than ever and keeping the pricing just as low as the old models, they’ll sell a ton of new 3DVision kits and create a whole new army of 3DPC gamers that will go out and buy the latest and greatest 3DPC games.

For more on 3DVision 2 and the latest monitors that come embedded with 3DVision technology, head on over to the 3DVision Website.

3D_Vision_2_image8 3D_Vision_2_image7 3D_Vision_2_image5 3D_Vision_2_image1 3D_Vision_2_Front Same Price as The Previous Models. Word. Brighter is Better 3DVision2 Larger 3DVision 2 Header

]]> http://www.ripten.com/2011/10/14/nvidia-unveils-3dvision-2-bigger-better-sleeker-and-cheaper/feed/ 1 Battlefield 3 GeForce LAN BYOC Spots Sell Out in Two Hours http://www.ripten.com/2011/09/20/battlefield-3-geforce-lan-byoc-spots-sell-out-in-less-than-one-day/ http://www.ripten.com/2011/09/20/battlefield-3-geforce-lan-byoc-spots-sell-out-in-less-than-one-day/#comments Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:00:39 +0000 Dave Oshry http://www.ripten.com/?p=90856

Were you looking forward to hauling your PC up to the USS Hornet off the coast of San Francisco in order to frag it out with a thousand other PC gamers in Battlefield 3 this October?

Well, TOO BAD.

The BYOC (bring your own computer) section for Nvidia’s upcoming GeForce LAN has already sold out and as of this writing there are only 300 or so general admission tickets remaining.

If you’re still interested in being there at all, you may want to get your ass over to the GeForce website ASAP.

I warned you guys this would happen weeks ago, and a few days ago I told you I could get you a spot, but did you listen? nooooooooooooo

Anyhow, stay tuned to RipTen as we head up to the GeForce LAN in October to check out Battlefield 3 and a few surprises you won’t see coming.

]]> http://www.ripten.com/2011/09/20/battlefield-3-geforce-lan-byoc-spots-sell-out-in-less-than-one-day/feed/ 0 Nvidia Builds Bad Ass Duke Nukem PC Mod For DNF Launch http://www.ripten.com/2011/06/17/nvidia-mod-dnf-aaronalex/ http://www.ripten.com/2011/06/17/nvidia-mod-dnf-aaronalex/#comments Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:30:14 +0000 Aaron Alexander http://www.ripten.com/?p=75949

At the Duke Nukem Forever launch in Dallas, the fine folk at Nvidia unveiled an awesome PC modification in honor of the game.  The build featured dual 3D enabled screens, GTX 580 SLi GPU’s and one “kick-ass” cooling system.

Project: Hail to the King

The project was presented to Randy Pitchford, president of Gearbox Software.  Nvidia conducted an interview with the man himself, and also captured some footage of this kick-ass PC mod. Check it out below;

The people at Nvidia never cease to amaze me, but is this monstrosity better than the Keg-Puter they showed off at the CES?

Let us know your thoughts on this absolute monster of a rig in the comments below, and be sure check out our review for Duke Nukem Forever.

 

]]> http://www.ripten.com/2011/06/17/nvidia-mod-dnf-aaronalex/feed/ 1 GTX 560 Teaser Trailer Shows Off Alice, Dungeon Siege and Duke In 3D http://www.ripten.com/2011/05/13/nvidia-geforce-gtx-560-shows-off-duke-nukem-in-3d-brycew/ http://www.ripten.com/2011/05/13/nvidia-geforce-gtx-560-shows-off-duke-nukem-in-3d-brycew/#comments Fri, 13 May 2011 12:19:02 +0000 Bryce Wilson http://www.ripten.com/?p=70255

Want to get a sneak peek at the just revealed GeForce GTX 560? Well check out this teaser trailer and watch as it shows off gameplay from Duke Nukem, Alice: Madness Returns and the awesome looking Dungeon Siege III.

Situated roughly between the GTX 460 and GTX 560 Ti, the GTX 560 is set to offer blazing performance at a price that wont leave a heavy dent in your wallet.

Check RipTen out on May 17th for the full unveiling of the GTX 560 including prices and specifications for the card.

]]> http://www.ripten.com/2011/05/13/nvidia-geforce-gtx-560-shows-off-duke-nukem-in-3d-brycew/feed/ 2 Nvidia Set to Start Adding SLI Support for AMD Motherboards http://www.ripten.com/2011/04/28/nvidia-set-to-start-adding-sli-support-for-amd-motherboards-brycew/ http://www.ripten.com/2011/04/28/nvidia-set-to-start-adding-sli-support-for-amd-motherboards-brycew/#comments Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:36:04 +0000 Bryce Wilson http://www.ripten.com/?p=68389

Hoo-ray! The only thing stopping me buying a second GTX 580 was the lack of official support for SLi on my ASUS AMD motherboard.

Well nVidia/GeForce is set to change that with the inclusion of SLI support in the next generation of AMD motherboards developed by ASUS, Gigabyte, ASRock and MSI.

In the last monthly hardware survey by Steam, it was revealed that ninety-three percent of all multi-GPU systems were using SLI (Over CrossFire), so it was a bit of a no-brainer to include SLI support giving the consumer and enthusiast more options.

One of the first AMD designed motherboards to include SLI capabilities will be the upcoming Republic of Gamers Crosshair V Formula ASUS board.

Source: [GeForce]

 

]]> http://www.ripten.com/2011/04/28/nvidia-set-to-start-adding-sli-support-for-amd-motherboards-brycew/feed/ 1 New nVidia 270 Driver Boosts 3D Performance 6x And More! http://www.ripten.com/2011/03/30/new-nvidia-270-driver-boots-3d-performance-plus-more-brycew/ http://www.ripten.com/2011/03/30/new-nvidia-270-driver-boots-3d-performance-plus-more-brycew/#comments Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:04:17 +0000 Bryce Wilson http://www.ripten.com/?p=64802

I’m new to the 3D gaming world, but I fucking love it!

Thanks to our editor Dave Oshry I was lucky enough to get my hands on a gorgeous nVidia 3D Vision kit and whilst the performance hit you sustain when enabling 3D mode is upsetting, it’s something I happily sacrifice to enjoy titles like Just Cause 2 in vivid (and damn right gorgeous) 3D!

With that being said, nVidia isn’t content with their hardware users having it tough, so they’ve offered up a new driver that allows a buttload of performance gains for their 400 and 500 series graphics cards.

For those of you running SLi 580′s in your rig you can get huge performance gains – up to six times faster in fact when running Dragon Age II.

However don’t let my words do all the explaining for you, check out the graphs below and see figures for yourself.

As well as the normal one monitor applications, nVidia has also managed to offer performance increases for those gamers using 3D Vision Surround. Check out the performance graph below.

If you’ve updated to the newest driver have you seen any of the above mentioned performance increases?

Let me know in the comments below or via Twitter – @DrjftGaming.

]]> http://www.ripten.com/2011/03/30/new-nvidia-270-driver-boots-3d-performance-plus-more-brycew/feed/ 0 RipTen Hardware Review: Nvidia GeForce GTX 590 http://www.ripten.com/2011/03/25/ripten-hardware-review-nvidia-geforce-gtx-590/ http://www.ripten.com/2011/03/25/ripten-hardware-review-nvidia-geforce-gtx-590/#comments Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:34:57 +0000 Dave Oshry http://www.ripten.com/?p=64216
It was only a matter of time.  Everyone knew the GTX 580 wasn’t the true flagship of Nvidia’s fleet of graphics cards.  Well, the GTX 590 is finally here – and I’m happy to report that Nvidia’s true flagship has sailed into port.

The 590 is one beastly piece of tech – boasting two GF110 GPUs on one board with 1024 CUDA cores and 3GB of memory.  It’s literally two GPUs in one, but it comes in one sleek package.  It’s also Nvidia’s quietest dual-gpu card to to date, continuing the trend they started with the introduction of the 500 series, which has been known as both a quiet and cool line of graphics cards.

I was the proud owner of Nvidia’s last dual-gpu card, the GTX 295.  Hell, I had two of ‘em in my old rig.  They were LOUD, they were HOT, but they got the job done.  Nvidia has come a long way since then, and here is what they had to say about their new flagship:

The GTX 590 is the ultimate graphics card for enthusiasts who crave performance without compromising acoustics and want the flexibility of running PhysX and Surround from one card, or pairing two cards in Quad SLI for ultimate bragging rights.

Quad SLI?  Let’s not get carried away now…

But just how much of a beast is the GTX 590?  Can it stand up to today’s most brutal DX11 gameplay testing and still remain as quiet and cool as Nvidia says while achieving awesomely smooth FPS?  There’s only one way to find out.

But first, lets check out the stats:

Beastly.

Looks good on paper, but how does all that tech fit into one sexy 11 inch package?  That’s right, I said 11 inch package… ladies.  Anyhow, let’s dive in to the GTX 590 with this handy flash breakdown:

As you can see, the card features 3 DVI outputs which allow for tri monitor surround gaming from just one card. Now, while I don’t personally have a surround setup (yet) I did get the chance to play Crysis 2 in 3D Surround with Nvidia on a rig that was outfitted with 2 GTX 590′s in quad SLI. (Yeah, I know, it’s overkill) However, I am pleased to report that the game ran smooth as silk in 3D at extreme settings across all three monitors. It’s truly a sight to behold… if you can shell out the green for that sort of setup. But I digress…

]]> http://www.ripten.com/2011/03/25/ripten-hardware-review-nvidia-geforce-gtx-590/feed/ 26 The Nvidia GeForce GTX 590 Is Here!! Check It Out (Video) http://www.ripten.com/2011/03/24/the-nvidia-geforce-gtx-590-is-here-check-it-out-video/ http://www.ripten.com/2011/03/24/the-nvidia-geforce-gtx-590-is-here-check-it-out-video/#comments Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:00:40 +0000 Dave Oshry http://www.ripten.com/?p=64241

Behold!  Nvidia’s flagship GPU is finally here.  Well, their new flagship GPU (sorry 580 owners)  Anyway, check out this video in which Nvidia’s Tom Petersen runs us through the ins and outs of their new beastly creation:

Not too shabby.  Did anyone else notice that sweet Captain America wallpaper across the surround screens?  #Winning

Anyway, luckily for you we’ve had our hands on the GTX 590 for awhile now and we’ve been putting it through it’s paces. 

Look for the full RipTen Hardware Review later today!!

]]> http://www.ripten.com/2011/03/24/the-nvidia-geforce-gtx-590-is-here-check-it-out-video/feed/ 2 Nvidia Launches GTX 550 and Drops Price on 3DVision – Now What’s Your Excuse!? http://www.ripten.com/2011/03/15/nvidia-launches-gtx-550-and-drops-price-on-3dvision-now-whats-your-excuse/ http://www.ripten.com/2011/03/15/nvidia-launches-gtx-550-and-drops-price-on-3dvision-now-whats-your-excuse/#comments Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:23:47 +0000 Dave Oshry http://www.ripten.com/?p=63064  

Today, Nvidia has made it easier than ever to get into 3DPC gaming.  With the launch of the GTX 550 and a serious price drop on their 3DVision, you’re seriously running out of excuses not to be a 3DPC gamer.

The GTX 550 may not be the powerhouse that it’s big brothers like the 570 and 580 are, but it’s plenty capable of playing great games at great frames in 3D with 3Dvision.  Plus it’s only $149!! Bulletstorm in 3D?  Hell yes. The Witcher 2 in 3D?  Hell yes. Crysis 2 in 3D? Hell yes. Metro 2033 in 3D!?  Hell… maybe!  Check out the full specs here.

Here’s what Nvidia had to say:

Just in time for Crysis 2, we are excited to announce the new GeForce GTX 550 Ti, capable of powering through the 2023 alien-infested streets of New York at over 40fps… at 1680×1050 with the ‘Advanced’ setting, no less. GeForce GTX 550 Ti is available in stores today for $149 USD and offers 28% faster gaming over the recent GeForce GTS 450.

But that’s not all.  As I said, Nvidia has also cut the price on their 3DVision glasses to $149 (down from $200)  So now it’s more affordable than ever to get into 3D PC Gaming.  I play games like Arkham Asylum, Metro 2033, Hawx 2, Mafia 2, Black Ops and Bulletstorm in 3D constantly.  Trust me… it’s awesome.  The new glasses also integrate with new 3d monitors from Asus and Acer so bye bye USB Pyramid!  It’s also infinitely cheaper than buying a 3DTV for your living room. Better yet, the new 3Dvision glasses also offer better battery life.

Nvidia had this to say:

Today we are happy to announce an updated version of our 3D Vision wireless glasses kit for a new low price of $149 (US), $50 less than the original price.  Plus, the glasses provide 50 percent longer battery life from a single charge, 60 hours compared with 40 hours before, giving you even more time of uninterrupted 3D entertainment.

You can also upload and share all your 3D gameplay screens and videos to 3Dvisionlive.com.  Hell, I hear our own Bryce Wilson is even going to be managing a RipTen 3Dvision live channel soon.  Sounds like a rough job.

Nvidia also has guides for how to build a great gaming PC around this new hardware on the cheap – so go check it out.

So to recap… you can now get a GPU capable of running games like Bulletstorm and Crysis 2 at max settings plus the ability to do it all in 3D – all for around $300. That’s the same price you’d pay for just a PS3. Seriously, what’s your excuse!?  There has never been a better time to get into PC gaming!!  Get Some!!

Want to talk to me about building a 3DPC gaming rig?  Shoot me an email at Dave@RipTen.com or find me @DaveOshry on Twitter.  Your PC doesn’t have to look like for you to get a great gaming experience:

You Do Not Need My Rig To Be a PC Gamer ... But It Helps ^__^

]]> http://www.ripten.com/2011/03/15/nvidia-launches-gtx-550-and-drops-price-on-3dvision-now-whats-your-excuse/feed/ 1 Nvidia Officially Unveils The World’s Fastest DX 11 GPU – The GeForce GTX 580 http://www.ripten.com/2010/11/09/nvidia-officially-unveils-the-worlds-fastest-dx-11-gpu-the-geforce-gtx-580/ http://www.ripten.com/2010/11/09/nvidia-officially-unveils-the-worlds-fastest-dx-11-gpu-the-geforce-gtx-580/#comments Tue, 09 Nov 2010 14:00:14 +0000 Dave Oshry http://www.ripten.com/?p=44718

All rumors can be put to rest.  Nvidia has officially announced the GTX 580 and RipTen was at the press conference to get all the juicy details on their new flagship GPU.

We all knew it was coming, it was just a matter of when.  Well, “when” is today, and we’re gonna let you in on everything you want to know about this sexy beast.

First of all, check the specs:

Oh, Hell Yes.

But it is the fastest right?  I mean, there have to be some sweet bar graphs to show just how much faster it is that the competition, right?  Well, you’re in luck:

We're Talkin' Up To %30 Faster Than The GTX 480

Those Green Bars Sure Are A Lot Higher . . .

But get this, it’s somehow quieter than the GTX 480!!

Just Like a Lexus!!

You've Just Been Ventilated

So, THAT's How They Do It!!

Nothing kills frame rates in DX 11 like tessellation and 3D, and nothing on the market handles them both better than the GTX 580:

That's a Lot of Triangles

You Can Say That Again

Not sure what tesselation is?  This video may help explain.

Basically, it’s what makes DX11 such an improvement over DX 10.  Games like H.A.W.X 2 and Lost Planet 2 really take advantage of extreme tessellation.

The mountains in this H.A.W.X 2 benchmark only look this good due to DX 11 tessellation:

The same goes for the water, terrain and giant beast in this Lost Planet 2 benchmark:

Look for our upcoming article in which we explain all the benefits of DX 11 with our own full HD benchmarking videos.

So, what else do you need to know?  The GTX 580 is Nvidia’s new flagship GPU for a reason.  It’s up to 30% faster than it’s predecessor, yet manages to run quieter. It’s quite simply the best GPU on the market.

We know what you’re thinking, and you’re right - that will come at a price. Around $499 to be exact.

Better start saving or waiting for a price drop.  Don’t expect one anytime soon however, Nvidia has told us that all prices on their 400 series of GPUs will remain firm for the time being.

Don’t worry though, they are only getting started with this 500 series, and more affordable gaming power is soon to come - We promise :-)

Hey, That's Today!!

Want to know more?  Head on over to the all new GeForce.com – Your one stop shop for everything GeForce related.

Want to talk PC gaming with us?  Think your rig can take on the RipTen master rig? Email Dave@RipTen.com or follow @DaveOshry and @RipTen on Twitter.

Come Get Some!!

]]> http://www.ripten.com/2010/11/09/nvidia-officially-unveils-the-worlds-fastest-dx-11-gpu-the-geforce-gtx-580/feed/ 2 Paintballs Show the True Power of the GPU http://www.ripten.com/2008/09/01/paintballs-show-the-true-power-of-the-gpu/ http://www.ripten.com/2008/09/01/paintballs-show-the-true-power-of-the-gpu/#comments Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:00:13 +0000 Dan Landis http://www.ripten.com/?p=7112

Computer graphic pimps Nvidia, makers of all things GeForce, recently held their own little tradeshow dubbed “Nvision”. During the final hours of the event, Nvidia had some special guests take the stage to give a little visual presentation on how great graphics chips are. In order to demonstrate the advanced power that a GPU has over a regular ol’ CPU, Nvidia hired the Mythbusters guys. What resulted was some paintball-shooting robots and some typical Mythbusters over-the-toppedness that you just have to see. Video follows.

Source: TG Daily

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