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- Quad Pixel Pipeline: TNT2 has dual pixel pipeline = more pixels through the hardware per cycle.
- 256-bit architecture: TNT2 is 128-bit = faster I/O to & from the graphics processing unit.
- Hardware T & L: CPU does the transform & lighting calculations with TNT2 = Offloading calculations from the CPU onto the GPU, freeing up CPU horsepower for other game elements.
- Cube Environment Mapping for photorealistic reflections & lighting: similar effects are too expensive for current hardware = more realistic environments & better lighting effects.
- Vertex Blending: creates smooth transitions for more realistic character joint anatomy = fewer robots.
- Particle Systems: used for special effects, spells, weapon explosions, in use today but custom and expensive = more elegant spells, more realistic explosions.
- S3's Savage 2000 also boasts Quad pixel pipeline and hardware T & L. 700 megatexels/second, here for Christmas.
- Bitboys Oy has the Glaze3D Quad-pixel pipeline, 600 million dual-textured pixels/second for the 1200 model and 1200 million dual-textured pixels/second for the Glaze3D 2400 model, depth-of-field effects, accumulation buffer, downsampling and proprietary hardware algorithm to do full scene anti-aliasing with shipping scheduled for Q1 of 2000. Although, the BIG question is can they actually deliver the hardware this time around?
- 3dfx is talking T-Buffer powered full scene anti-aliasing, depth of field and motion blur for Christmas.
- Matrox has something up their sleeve but if we told you, we'd have to shoot you.
In general, faster and prettier with the potential for better AI, physics, lighting and character movements.
OpenGL games (Quake III: Arena and most Quake 2 & 3 engine games) have potential for support of hardware T & L and Cube Environment Mapping.
DirectX7 games (high end games shipping for or just after Christmas) have potential for hardware T & L, Cube Environment Mapping, Vertex Blending.
Current TNT2 Ultra owners will most likely be panting for a GeForce 256, which is due to be released shortly. Inevitablely
it will harbor a high price (at least for 64MB+ specs), which we'd estimate at over $300, NVIDIA and its OEM customers will no doubt release
many different configurations. But the GeForce will be considered 'high-end' with TNT2 Ultra's sliding into the 'mid-range' sector of NVIDIA's roadmap.
Any of you using a Pentium II 300MHz? Don't despair! The GeForce 256 could prolong the useful life of your by now 'old' CPU. With the GPU doing more of the work in the 3D pipelin, your CPU won't be as 'stressed out'.
In addition, the benefits over an existing TNT2 Ultra and high-end CPU (e.g 600+MHz) configuration might not be huge in terms of the frames per second leap AT FIRST (wait until DX7 and game developers begin utilizing the new 3D features that the GeForce 256 is capable of).
Although, when slotting in a GeForce 256 you will most likely instantly notice that exitisting games can be played at higher resolutions than before together with the
image improvements over the existing TNT2 Ultras.
Buzz words and new features are all well and good, so long as we see software that supports them. As S3 found out, S3TC looked like a great concept on paper but some 18months on,
they're still rallying for support. NVIDIA does have a great track record for evanelising their technology within the game developement community so the signs thus far for T&L, Cube Bump Mapping etc.. are good.
T&L patches might be the order of the day until games are developed from the 'get go' via DX7 with hardware T&L support and begin sufacing early next year.
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