I felt this was a big enough thought that it warranted its own thread, so here it goes.
Cryptic developed the game using Nvidia video cards and code. We all know this, especially since they have an Nvidia stamp at the bottom of the website. What I'm wondering is if the game automatically enables Nvidia-specific code and/or settings if it detects the presence of Nvidia drivers.
Allow me to elaborate: I have an ATI Radeon HD 5870 video card for all my graphics rendering. I ALSO have an Nvidia GeForce 9600 GSO (384MB version) with a modified driver that allows me to have hardware PhysX processing at the same time. In most games, these two cards get along just fine, because most games only read the primary video card.
I'm wondering if it's possible that the presence of my Nvidia card is the reason the ATI dynamic lighting issue occurs. We know there are people who use ATI cards that do not experience this crash. There has to be a reason for that.
If you have an Nvidia video card or Nvidia chipset motherboard in your computer, or residual Nvidia drivers on your system somewhere, and you experience the ATI dynamic lighting crash, please post here. Maybe this will help the developers identify the issue.
I had the crashing problem until I turned it off. I have an AMD mobo so no go on the nVidia chipset. Use a radeon hd 4890, and since I put the system together that way from the start...no nVidia driver is or ever has been present on this system.
I had the crashing problem until I turned it off. I have an AMD mobo so no go on the nVidia chipset. Use a radeon hd 4890, and since I put the system together that way from the start...no nVidia driver is or ever has been present on this system.
This is a most frustrating problem since it seems the developers cannot lock it down for easy reproduction but we can. Since I do hardware and software review I have access to the following video and platforms.
Platforms: AMD 890FX using Phenom II X6, X4 and Athlon II X4 and X3 processors. I also have 1366 and 1156 Platforms using i7 chips as well as an i5.
For video I have tested with the 5770, 5870, 6850, 6870, 6970, GTS 450, GTX 460, GTX 570, GTX 550
Using any of the platforms mentioned with an AMD based video card I have been able to get the error by just leaving Dynamic Lighting at default and running Starbase 24. The error hits early in the ground mission. The same settings with the nVidia based cards have never crashed.
When I test software I run a pristine system, ie just Windows 7 with needed, updated drivers and in this case STO. No AV software, not comms software, nothing in the background.
With this variety I would presume that the Devs and people at ATI would be able to see this error easily enough since I can reprodcue it at will. Yet for some reaon they are not able to find the error as easily.
BTW all I have to do is turn of dynamic lighting and the issues stop. With this kind of info it would seem to me that this should be simply enough to find. I mean a single component switch in game effects the error totally.
However according to the Devs, they and ATI are not yet abkle to accurately redproduce the error.
I had the crashing problem until I turned it off. I have an AMD mobo so no go on the nVidia chipset. Use a radeon hd 4890, and since I put the system together that way from the start...no nVidia driver is or ever has been present on this system.
I thought the same myself, but noticed the PhysX drivers had snuck on board. I'm not about to wipe them just in case it breaks another game install.
Nevertheless, I wonder about the 'RTEX_NVIDIA_NULL' error that pops up occasionally, even though I don't run an Nvidia card.
Comments
Well, there goes that idea. It was worth a try.
Platforms: AMD 890FX using Phenom II X6, X4 and Athlon II X4 and X3 processors. I also have 1366 and 1156 Platforms using i7 chips as well as an i5.
For video I have tested with the 5770, 5870, 6850, 6870, 6970, GTS 450, GTX 460, GTX 570, GTX 550
Using any of the platforms mentioned with an AMD based video card I have been able to get the error by just leaving Dynamic Lighting at default and running Starbase 24. The error hits early in the ground mission. The same settings with the nVidia based cards have never crashed.
When I test software I run a pristine system, ie just Windows 7 with needed, updated drivers and in this case STO. No AV software, not comms software, nothing in the background.
With this variety I would presume that the Devs and people at ATI would be able to see this error easily enough since I can reprodcue it at will. Yet for some reaon they are not able to find the error as easily.
BTW all I have to do is turn of dynamic lighting and the issues stop. With this kind of info it would seem to me that this should be simply enough to find. I mean a single component switch in game effects the error totally.
However according to the Devs, they and ATI are not yet abkle to accurately redproduce the error.
I thought the same myself, but noticed the PhysX drivers had snuck on board. I'm not about to wipe them just in case it breaks another game install.
Nevertheless, I wonder about the 'RTEX_NVIDIA_NULL' error that pops up occasionally, even though I don't run an Nvidia card.
Intel I7 860
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