The Official Graphics Card and PC gaming Thread

Hey sam, what do you use to clean your displays. Ive heard of mixing a solution of isopropyl alcohol(Rubbing alcohol), and water. What do you think?

 

For really annoying smudges, a licked finger. Globally though, just screen wipes - they dry up crazy quickly so it's expensive, but I don't trust anything else.

 

Screen wipes? Where do you pick those up? LOL, as if We have such a store here in the US...
Your wipes are probably a combination of Alcohol, and soap eh.

 

Quite possibly - I binned my last set as they had dried up. You can buy them from any PC shop.

 

Your probably right about the PC shop. I've only been there a couple times. They've had everything else I've asked for...I simply stopped going there since Newegg blows them away when it comes to pricing!

 

Ok So I recently updated my 9800m GS drivers to v186.81, are these the most recent drivers, I was under the impression that they were as I got them by searching on the nvidia website, that said, I get this message from my Batman Arkham Asylum game which tells me that the graphics drivers are not updated, does this have to do with my physx drivers (v 909.08.14)or is it the game programming unable to recognize it. Should I just disregard it or search for a missing driver. Any Links would be appreciated greatly

 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but evidently you cannot play it on a laptop yet because although you are using the newest M drivers it would appear the game requires the newer version currently only available to desktop (not M) cards.

This is a fairly harsh reminder that games are designed and programmed for desktop systems and although laptops try there hardest to work with games it isn't guaranteed or in fact supported.

 

Arkham Asylum is under strict PR restriction from nvidia to prevent anything but nvidia's latest and greatest products from playing it properly. It should still run on a laptop, but there may be random bugs (not by chance either)

 

Speaking of which I just got Arkham Asylum. Finally a good super hero game

Mini Review:

Razor sharp graphics, blistering performance, and the ultimate fan service for Batman lovers. I myself have been a comic reader and watched the Batman Animated Series all through my childhood. Having the original voice-actors from the cartoon adds a true layer of authenticity

Also the graphics will make your eyes bleed... in a good way of course The port to PC is relatively bug-free and it plays and works like it was made for PC. It gets the entire high-res treatment and it looks just glorious in 1920 x 1200. The texturing and lighting are awesome. The game is totally creepy and some parts really mess with you even though you know it's a hallucination or something. Plus being on Unreal Engine 3 means it performs well. Even on my 8800GTS 512MB it plays brilliantly maxed at 1680 x 1050 with 4xAA. Locked at 62FPS most of the time and maybe 40FPS at the lowest during intense action. Not entirely sure if Crossfire is working with my main rig though because one card locks it at UE3's maximum 62FPS easily.

Man am I glad I bought that corded 360 controller. With companies finally releasing quality console ports(Red Faction, Lost Planet, RE5, Batman, Assassins Creed, Deadspace) my 360 controller has been getting a workout. That and the fact they always automap the buttons right for the controller doesn't hurt.

Anyway Arkham Asylum is a great game and playing as the Caped Crusader makes you feel like a badass. All of the movement and fighting mechanics are solid and the martial arts are brutal fun. There's lots of stealth and silent takedowns and never a dull moment where you feel like you're wandering. Oh did I mention they made Harley Quinn a drop-dead bombshell? Yeah, she's hot


Graphics: 9.5/10

Unreal Engine 3 just gets better and better as it matures. The entire game is dripping with awesomeness and the Asylum really looks run down and dirty. Some of the sharpest graphics I have yet seen in a game. Not quite the eye candy or sheer fidelity of FEAR, L4D or the like but a damn fine looking game with impressive art direction. Of course every game has a different graphical style so you can't make a fair comparison but Unreal Engine succeeds with flying colors here. My only complaint is that most of the lip-syncing is pretty poor.

Performance: 10/10

Maxed at 1680 x 1050 with AA on a previous generation card(8800GTS) at 62FPS? Ha. Nuff said. Anyone with a relatively decent computer can play this game no problem. Runs smooth as butter and plays like a dream.

Stability: 10/10

This is an excellent quality port and the translation to PC was effectively lossless. Plays great, never slowed down or crashed after about 4 hours, and has great AA and AF support.

Gameplay: 8/10

Intuitive movement and combat controls that never get over-complex or confusing. Good level design and great stealth elements. Only docked a few points because the boss battles are kind of a try-n-die affair, but passable nonetheless.

Sound: 9/10

Great surround and awesome effects. The sound really adds a lot to the ambiance and mood of the game. Very creepy at times and deeply atmospheric. Nothing truly spectacular but quality sound design all around. Also the original voice-overs are a nice touch and give it authenticity.

Overall: 9.5/10

This is a game with few complaints from me and a lot to love. If you are a Batman fan, or even just an action fan, this game is worth getting. Strong gameplay with some creative elements and stunning graphics make this one of the must-own games of the year.

Man we're getting a glut of good games recently. And there's so many more before Christmas hits. It is a great time to be a PC gamer

 

That does look pretty cool Jeff! I havent played a batman game since SNES back in the late 90'S! That game totally looks worth while

 

Read my edit if you haven't I wrote a review!

 

It does sound impressive. Your high marks makes me even more curious. I think I just may pick that badboy up!

Do you really think an Xbox controller is worth it? I mean, 50$ for an Xbox controller, or the 20$ Logitech that suits my needs...Perhaps if I could find a good deal eh

 

Arkham Asylum is definitely worth a try. The most fun I've had with a console port this year

And yes the 360 controller is entirely worth your money. Most PC controllers, especially Logitech, are sorely lacking in quality or responsiveness. The 360 controller is the single best PC gamepad I've ever used. Not to mention nearly every single console port in the past few years and in the future automap their controls for it to match the console version. Don't compromise your game experience to save a few bucks. You'll end up buying a new controller anyway. Just spend the $45 odd bucks the first time.

 

I think I will. They do look like a good style. Almost reminds me of a cross between a playstation, and a Nintendo 64 controller. I liked the 64 controller quite a bit. Rather fragile though LOL!

 

Well it can effectively translate to either controllers so choose your poison, lol. Seriously, buy it, it's worth it.

 

$50? Holy crap, they're half that much over here!

 

Yeah, I got an "as new" one off eBay for £16, but they're not exactly that much more expensive in the shops.

 

Hehe yeah our console and peripheral prices are jacked way up here. Not to mention $60 a pop for console games...

 

Ok I should have probably mentioned that the game already works flawless on my laptop, but the message saying my drivers arent updated prompted me to ask...well are they?

 

Yes you have the newest *laptop* drivers. But there are newer drivers for desktop computers which you can't have.