ARMA HD to lowres in Pictures

[dirtylarrygb 0]

After numerous posts here, I decided to show what your missing if your PC is not running ARMA maxed out at HD res with AA and all eye candy on.

ARMA HD ALL SETTINGS MAXED.

Everything set high, and the position in Coro' shows shadows view distance and all the angles I need to demonstrate what bits of the GXF engine do. Sexy huh? Note the sidewalk/pavement has bump effects on Texure very high. Its crisp and looks amazing on a 32" LCD, this is how I play ARMA at 60 FPS, although I do turn off supersample AA and post process to low. This is how all 8800's GTX some GTS should see ARMA at 30-60 FPS. Photobucket resizes my images from 1600x1024 to 1024 width. Note slower cards than a 8800 can run like this at LOWER screen resolutions. A 7 series nvidia card should be able t do the above at 1024x768 (aa meduim).

New 1600x1024 HD version:

http://www.buyarma.com/dirtylarry/allveryhighssaa.jpg

Anti Alias Turned off

Suddenly all verticles lines have gone very jagged even at 1600x1024 res at lower screen resolution the effect is magnified! This hurts the immersiveness of the game and this res is how all 7800 or better Series and Ati 1950 cards can play arma at 60 FPS even at very high res. Some cards can turn on AA and start to ramp it up but they can't also run Supersample AA and maintain stable FPS. If you want AA very high and high creen res you NEED an 8800.

New 1600x1024 HD version:

http://www.buyarma.com/dirtylarry/2aaturnedoff.JPG

Some people have no idea how high AA makes the above shot so different especially when you are looking around (panning your view). Here is a comparrsion, note: how the buildings look very different aa on or off, then imagine the effect of looking around and moving the camera and how VERY annoying those jaggies suddenly are!

AA on AA off!

Shadows OFF

Turning off shadows makes many machines suddenly play ARMA at a stable FPS. But look at what you just lost! Shadows "very high" adds massive realism to ARMA. Notice the sunlight filtering through the leaves onto the bark of the tree to my right GONE! Just compare shadows on and off pictures in HD, to see how much was lost. Most 6600-7600* and ATI eqiv' cards can run ARMA like this fine.

HD Version: http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w270/dirtylarrygb/3shadowoff.jpg

SHADERS LOW

OMG those super sexy swaying trees just turned into green blobs and look more fake that a woolworths xmas tree! FPS is up, realism has taken a punch to the noggin! Geforce 6200 and 5 series owners here is your ARMA! The way it's mean't to be played has stopped applying...

HD Version:http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w270/dirtylarrygb/5shaderslow.jpg

TEXURE LOW

Oh yuck to texture off! We have gone from the best looking game on the PC to well, nice game play and the sort of graphics you expect from a 1997 PC title. If this is how you see ARMA, then buy a NEW PC, or reinstall or start reading all the tips here to improve FPS!

HD VERSION: http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w270/dirtylarrygb/6texturelow.jpg

Now for anyone who say's ARMA looks like OPF, or is not a really powerful GFX engine (most probably the best we have ever seen, yet! please view the above!

If you have a GPU listed above, but can only see ARMA like the views below where you should be, there is something WRONG with your PC not the game! If you can see above where I think you should GRAZ you have a well built, maintained PC, you know how to get the very best from it!

RIG:AMD 4000 64 Single Core, 8800 GTX EVGA KO ACS3 768, 2 GIG DDR, 32" LCD and a XIFI.

[4 IN 1 0]

after running it on my LCD TV, i just couldnt find anything better then that, turning AA off didnt really hurt immersiveness through as fire fight always draws your eye away from that, alos it just too little to be notice with such large screen filling up your view, but as you said, it is better when you sit down and just look around when there isnt any battle

[Teliko 0]

A geforce 7 series can NOT handle all settings maxed at those FPS... my 7600GT runs at 15-35 fps with all normal except PP low, AA low, AF low, and shadows high

EDIT:Nvm, just read what 7600GTs should be and it's better than that

[dirtylarrygb 0]

A geforce 7 series can NOT handle all settings maxed at those FPS... my 7600GT runs at 15-35 fps with all normal except PP low, AA low, AF low, and shadows high

EDIT:Nvm, just read what 7600GTs should be and it's better than that

LOL, as I said Gratz your Pc is above the curve ;} Unlike some.

I really thought an 8800 GTX would bottle neck like crazy with a single AMD 4000 64. My utter surprise is that its ok for now.

My E6600 new mobo and ram are sitting in boxes on a shelf as I'm not messing my PC up for ARMA till BIH say Dual core rocks LOL!

Quote[/b] ]after running it on my LCD TV, i just couldnt find anything better then that, turning AA off didnt really hurt immersiveness through as fire fight always draws your eye away from that, alos it just too little to be notice with such large screen filling up your view, but as you said, it is better when you sit down and just look around when there isnt any battle

I sit 1 foot from a 32" LCD, I find lots of alias issues , power lines, jaggies on buildings etc I have turn ON AA. AN 8800 can run AA at medium even at 1600x1024 no issue. I also find it easy to spot someone 1km with AA on than OFF! High Anti Alias settings ars something you miss when you are used to it. I find the "jaggies" on my X360 now annoy me alot.

[Pinch 0]

Arma looks good with textures set to low. Having AF on normal or high helps the low-rez textures tremendously!

My FPS during this screen was 29.

P4 3.4

ATI - X1950pro AGP beta 7.3

2 gigs Ram

X-Fi Fatality pro

Abit IC7-G Max-2

24" LCD

FPS range = 19-40

High rez version

[dirtylarrygb 0]

Arma looks good with textures set to low. Having AF on normal or high helps the low-rez textures tremendously!

My FPS during this screen was 29.

but i think you prove here that texture low is NOT the maps BUT the amount loaded, I have noticed on my 8800 that there are no LOD or texture bugs when set to high, even normal means I can get odd textures fromtime to time.

I suspect the world texture bump maps and specular maps only take effect at VERY HIGH texture.

Also you can see how the fog bug affects a white mist to my entire image on the 8800. The ATI still is far less foggy, look at the trees in the distance I has vis range 5km and no fog in weather. The injoke being the 8800 is so powerful it renders ozone effects other cards can't ROFL

I was getting a steady 60 FPS in town even with aa on.

[-CS-SOBR-1st-I-R- 0]

Guys.... better I tell you before a MOD does so.

1. Maximum size for a picture posted is 100 KB, anything higher will result in a warning point.

2. Do not quote images.

[Banzai! 0]

Meh, playing with everything low/off isn't too bad. It's the only way to play online, that's for sure.

[Pinch 0]

SOBR[1st-I-R] @ Mar. 25 2007,23:19)]Guys.... better I tell you before a MOD does so.

1. Maximum size for a picture posted is 100 KB, anything higher will result in a warning point.

2. Do not quote images.

Aww.. Thanks for the heads-up!

Sorry for the inconvenience and bandwidth usage. Wont happen again.

[hardrock 1]

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums....umb.jpg

Hmm yep, that's approximately what ArmA looks to me, only resized down to 800x600. But hey, the gameplay is okay and hopefully a lot of the bugs and glitches will be fixed

[frederf 0]

Doesn't matter. A couple alt tabs during a MP coop game to mess with TS and all your models are cubes and your textures solid tan.

[dirtylarrygb 0]

Doesn't matter. A couple alt tabs during a MP coop game to mess with TS and all your models are cubes and your textures solid tan.

Not if textures and objecst are set high very high, I have noted with testing that higer settings seem to avoid the LOD issue, you do see cubes and tans but seconds later everything is back in high res and stays that way.

Of course not alt-tabbing out prevents this issue rofl.

8800 owner's get free smog less cubes...

[hoz 0]

Pimp, lets respect the forum rules regarding image size.

[Heatseeker 0]

Hey, that looks nice.. once the 8950 GTX with 1 gig on DDR4 arrives could you send me your 8800?

Its just that... i've just bought another porshe to fill the garage so im kinda broke atm .

[dirtylarrygb 0]

Pimp, lets respect the forum rules regarding image size.

Is it real?

AA OFF, PP OFF, AF OFF, Everything set to VERY LOW.

PP OFF, Everything set to NORMAL.

PP ON, Everything set VERY HIGH! The way it's meant to be played!

Very low still looks fine, there is still alot of 3d detail much more than many games but Normal looks better, but with shadows set to normal NOT very high, the better lightings better but not realistic, shadows are blocky. The trees and grass look better with terrain / shaders at normal but not perfect! Very High produces photorealistic lighting and shadows the tress and grass look amazing. The screenshot looks like a photo or render from an advanced 3d package not a 3d game.

NOTE: 8800 GTX shows 62C at low 66c at normal 75c at very high. Gives you some idea how much data is flying....

[dirtylarrygb 0]

Hey, that looks nice.. once the 8950 GTX with 1 gig on DDR4 arrives could you send me your 8800?

Its just that... i've just bought another porshe to fill the garage so im kinda broke atm .

GF has dibs, on the 8800, she will max it out on yahoo games like blasterball etc. (nah she will burn it out on oblivion lol).

Ill wait now till the 9800 (probably needed for Crysis at 60 fps with things up high!

[Pinch 0]

Pimp, lets respect the forum rules regarding image size.

Pimp? LOL, I lost the cane, the strength in my pimp-hand, and the purple feather hat a long time ago..    

Ok adjusted the size, wont happen again.

[Shashman 0]

Other than pimping your PC, I don't see the point of the thread.

It's a well known fact that ArmA's performance issues are inexplicably variable on even similar systems, so saying "TIHS IS WAT UR ARmA SHUD LUK LYK!1!!" (sorry for the exaggeration, but I really do get the impression that this was the general tone of your opening post) is wrong, unnecessary and stupid, considering the facts.

I for instance, run ArmA with all graphics settings set to high (except for blood and shadows which I have on normal), AA and AF very high, at a resolution of 1280x1024 with an average FPS of 25-35, which for me is playable.

My system:

XP 3800+

1024 DDR

Factory overclocked 7800GT with 512 VRAM

Onboard AC97 sound

Certainly not the best available.

I've seen people with much better systems than that complaining about the peformance they experience while running the game on lower graphics settings than I do

[max power 21]

Slashman, the point is that dirtylarrygb is a sales associate for nVIDIA.

I hope that crossfire becomes available for this game soon. I could use that extra graphics card :/

I do appreciate the comparison of different levels of graphical settings, although it has only made me bash my head against my desk at the my crossfire fiasco in doubletime. ArmA is a very good looking game! Right now it's really a graphics settings ballet for me, though.

[Shashman 0]

Shashman, the point is that dirtylarrygb is a sales associate for nVIDIA.

I wasn't aware of that. My apologies.

But to be honest, I still don't see the point of the post. We're being told that high settings=good , low settings=bad.

What's new

[sbsmac 0]

Personally I think it's useful to see shots of the different settings next to each other so thanks to dirtylarry for doing the research and sharing.

This thread has at least as much of a point as the innumerable 'ARMA rocks/sucks' topics.

[Fekin-Detri 0]

Yeah, it is a good idea that someone could be bothered to do this in a post as a good comparison.

Top job

[dirtylarrygb 0]

Yeah, it is a good idea that someone could be bothered to do this in a post as a good comparison.

Top job

I did the post as I'm very fed up of the reviews/posts of ARMA saying the graphics are rubbish. Or people saying "I have a high end machine why do I not see ARMA like some of the stills on the combat photo thread".

I have made post explaining even the mighty "8800" can't do it all at 60 FPS at HD res, I have to turn off Post Process and Lower Terrain to Low and set VIS to 3km.

I have three PC's in the house I have now tested ARMA on each, the 6800 machine provides ARMA inbetween the Low and Normal settings at a stable FPS. My 7800 runs ARMA near high but not with Super Sample AA at 1024x768 60 FPS. The 8800 can do the lot at 1600x1024 with just a few things turned down.

So if your are ugrading your PC and GPU, the post above shows what sort of GPU to aim for depending on how you want ARMA to look like. The Nvidia 7 series and ATI 1950 are now very cost effective. The 8800 GTS is also cheap.

If you run upto a 19" monitor and you want eye candy, a 7900 1950 should be fine for now. If you want eye candy on a large monitor 21-42" then right now only a 8800 can do that and has the DX10 stuff.

Basically if you spend 200-400 pounds on a GPU you should see the HD high res stuff at 1024x768 up to 1600x1024.

"Different performance on different machines", ARMA seems to be driven by the GPU. The CPU does not appear to make a huge difference. It plays pretty much the same on an AMD 2000 as it does on a AMD 64 4000. So if you upgrade, I'm currently using one of the slowest CPU's you could buy brand new and my "old" CPU seems ok.

It seems a Xifi card (start from 30 quid) and 2 Gig Ram (100 quid), a nice defragged hard drive, win xp sp2 and a min 7900GS or 1950 (200 quid) and an AMD 4000 (90 quid), is all you need to run ARMA really well. In fact if you buy all the above as new components the 7 series PC would not cost much more than PS3 in the UK, same machine with a 8800 would cost same as a PS3 and a few games.

If you are running a top range GPU but ARMA plays like hell then you can spend weeks messing with the FX settings. Or just quickly reinstall windows on a partition, download only the lastest drivers, install ARMA and see if it suddenly works fine. The problem most PC's have is their owner tries to play the lastest games on a machine that has a printer installed with MS office and 800 pieces of other software and it only takes one of them to be causing an issue. Its not generally the game as to many people run it fine.

Ac97 onboard sound, Audigy cards, badly configured raid setups, virtual hard disk mounts, dvd copying software, IM software, virus and spyware software, third party drivers for printers, faxes, webscams, etc are what cause these issues 99% of the time.

BIH appear to get the blame though for what you did to your PC ?

In the same thread I will now show what SSAA MSAA and AA do, and the difference between HDR 8-16-32.

[bravo 6 0]

edit:

Quote[/b] ]

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w270/dirtylarrygb/1awoodsoff.jpg

AA OFF, PP OFF, AF OFF, Everything set to VERY LOW.

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w270/dirtylarrygb/woodsnormal.jpg

PP OFF, Everything set to NORMAL.

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w270/dirtylarrygb/woodsveryhigh.jpg

PP ON, Everything set VERY HIGH!

looks like in the last picture we lost a tree..

where is it.. i want to see the details of it

can you plz post a better picture? thx

[Dwarden 1125]

hmm viral marketing on it's best ...

now ... some1 should finally post pic from R600