how much difference will a video card upgrade make?

[Griphos]

So, I have an apparently fast aging machine. It's an i7 920 I've overclocked to 3.7 ghz. I have 6 gb of fast memory, and a GTX 275 (900mb). I'm eyeing an EVGA 560 Ti Superoverclocked. But I'm just not sure how much difference that upgrade will make. RW is clearly more of a GPU sim than FSX (which doesn't seem to care much what card you have...it just wants CPU speed and plenty of it).

So, what can I really expect in terms of FPS from just the video card upgrade from the 275 to the 560? Will it make WCML-N playable in the 20s at least? (I don't have WCML-N but I sure want it).

Phil

[imnew]

My system

Intel E8500 core 2 duo, 3,16 ghz overclocked to 3,7 ghz
Kingston 4gb ram
Kingston 120gb x2 Hyperx SSD
Windows 7 64 bit


I got my EVGA gtx 570 superclocked a little over two months ago, i went from the same card you are replacing, gtx 275.. What did it give me in terms of fps increase? Tests done before and after, average 8-15 fps increase. Not alot, but everything helps right ?

[Griphos]

That's very helpful info! That's a good improvement. If I can pester you further, since you went from my exact card, how would you say it improved the bottom end on demanding route?. I can't really play Ohio Steel, for instance, as it drops to about 4-5 FPS for me in the yard. HSC drops into the teens, but mostly is in the 20s and up to my 30 FPS lock. Do you have either? What were the lowest rates you used to get compared to the lowest rates now.

[imnew]

No problem. Took some screenshots of the following Ohio Steel freeroam ( Yard Fall ) scenario, i then selected the UP sd40-2, pics with fps below along with my settings. The pics are with the 30fps limiter switched off, when its on it says 30fps.

Havent run HSC in a while, what free roam scenario would you like me to check? I could fire up a scenario to compare with your fps. Fire up a scenario, select an engine, write down the fps and view and il compare them with mine. Let me know.

[Griphos]

Hey,

Just got back home. Thanks for all this helpful info. Looks like your settings are the same as mine except for shader and shadows. Both of those are medium for me. But I'm not using any AA.

You could run the second HSC scenario if you wanted. The burning tower one. I drop down into the mid-teens when pulling back the second set of cars, for instance.

EDIT: Just loaded up the OS freeroam you reference above using your settings (except only x4 AA) and I'm at 14fps or less inside and outside the cab in the same spot with the same views as above! I'm thinking the 560 Ti is worth the money if it can bring me to what you're showing. My CPU is different from yours, of course, but I think it might even be better.

[imnew]

I cant run the second one because i havent completed the first one, i spend most of my time building my route project However, fire up a HSC freeroam scenario, tell me your results and i will compare them with mine. 560 TI is a great card ! Lots of bang for your buck.

[Griphos]

Alrighty. I fired up Altoona in winter with your settings, grabbed the freight consist with the 3 GP7s, and backed her into the East yard where all the yard tracks are most congested. Never dipped below 29FPS, where she stays because of my 30FPS lock (in command lines).

So, I switched to my normal settings, which run everything but HSC and Ohio Steel at lock all the time.





Then I did the same thing, and when I got to the yard with all the AI trains were sitting, she dropped into the upper teens, as usual in such a situation.



Could you try it with these settings? Or if you have WCML-N updated, could you run something in the Glasgow yards and tell me what kind of FPS you get there at your settings.

It's weird to me that Ohio Steel, which doesn't have shadows, as far as I know, runs the same for me (crawls) with your settings or mine (with or without shadows set). I've tried minimal settings on everything and running in a window and without TSX and still get lousy framerates in Ohio Steel. Don't understand that at all.

[imnew]

Alright, I used my settings in these first two screens, both with 30fps lock on :

First pic: Free roam , Glasgow Central Station ( 21fps )
Second pic: Free roam , Altoona winter ( 29fps )

Then i applied your settings, both pics with 30fps lock on:

Third pic: Free roam , Glasgow Central Station ( 14fps )
Fourth pic: Free roam , Altoona winter ( 19fps )

Your settings eat fps

[Griphos]

That's very helpful! It's shadows, of course. I bet you could use my exact settings and just turn off shadows and get your usual FPS. From this test, it looks like my GTX275 is about the same as the 560Ti with my settings. May give an advantage at the top end (unknown since we kept it locked at 30 for this), but pretty close on the bottom end. I guess the upshot is that if I get WCML-N, I'll have to run it without shadows. Kind of sad, but I can probably live with that until I can upgrade the CPU. I'm sort of waiting for the next CPU to use my 1366 socket so I don't have to get a new motherboard and memory, but the prices of the K2500/2600 seem to be getting pretty reasonable. Seems that CPU cycles are the necessary mojo to really improve performance. Just like FSX.

Thanks again for taking the time to do this. Really pretty close to an apples to apples comparison (same CPU speed if not CPU architecture). I think this is useful information beyond my specific situation.

P.S. Is 21 about the low end for you on the new WCML? If so, I'll jump on it, because running it without shadows is worth it, I think, to have such a great route.

[imnew]

No problem Griphos, glad to help . Been lookin/pondering K2500 myself, and yes prices are coming `down`. Dont have time to run the VCML tonight, and cant really remember what my average fps are during a scenario, will have to check it out. Heck, come to think of it, i havent run it even after the TSX upgrade, time time time...

[Griphos]

Yes, the i5 2500K seems to be the cpu to get.

But I'm really puzzled about Ohio Steel. Your CPU is about the same as mine, gamewise. I might have a little edge. We're running the same speed. And your results in HSC are the same as mine with the same settings. If I turn shadows off, I stay locked at 29. If you use my settings, we're both at 19 (I seemed to hover at 19-20 at that point in the yard, although the screenshot shows 18, which I didn't actually see in the game). So, it seems we're pretty even. But in OS, I can't get above 14 in the yard no matter what I do, and it's really something like 4-7 because I can pretty much count the frames in each second. I've deleted the route and reloaded it twice. This just doesn't seem right to me. As I said, I've tried it without TSX, in a window, with all settings on low, and it's basically always the same. I can't figure it. You're getting into the 40s with your settings, and we have basically the same equipment and seem to run HSC right at the same (can't compare WCML as I don't have it yet).

[arizonachris]

I guess I need to run Ohio Steel 2 with my new setup. I'll either spank y'all or I'll dye trying.

[imnew]

I guess I need to run Ohio Steel 2 with my new setup. I'll either spank y'all or I'll dye trying.

good one! , remember to drop in again with your results and spec.