NVIDIA Releases Battlefield 3 Graphics Guide

[Rob Williams]

It's all too rare when a game comes along for the PC that almost demands an upgrade, but Battlefield 3 is one such example. Let's face it - Crysis in its own right was a game that demanded a super-fast PC, but the hype level leading up to its launch doesn't hold a candle to Battlefield 3. In reading comment threads across the Web, you'd almost believe half of the world's PC gamers are planning to upgrade their rigs this month.

Read the rest of our post and then discuss it here!

 

[marfig]

I haven't read the Nvidia guide yet (but will asap). But if what it takes for us gamers to get a comprehensive guide to in-game options is consumer hype the likes we've witnessed for Battlefield 3, we are in deep trouble.

 

[Kayden]

I hate the fact ppl need guides now. It's called testing ppl! Seriously ppl you need to spend the dough on a super high end machine so you can run all these games at super max settings, because all this whining about your 460gtx not being able to run ultra, is getting out of hand and really it's not meant to! Just like your Prius isn't meant to run in Nascar! Take responsibility for what you own, not what you want.

< /soapbox >

 

[marfig]

I hate the fact ppl need guides now.

Hmm... I think you are right. Why should I be gaming when I can be testing? Speaking of which, no more game manuals either. Just do It (tm). Or watch others do it.

Seriously though. I don't think that logic applies to everyone... or everything. But essentially a in-game options guide, should in fact be called a Game Manual and should have been written by the folks who did the game. Not some third party video card manufacturer interested in exploring the idea that you should upgrade your machine or the world is going to end in 5 hours.

There was a time when these things (Game Manuals) just made sense. Between then and there I think we became too good for our shirts... I mean, manuals.

 

[Kayden]

Seriously though. I don't think that logic applies to everyone... or everything.

This may shock you but I agree. The problem is that not every one will read that and stay within reason, they have too much faith their machine can do everything. Faith and Reason are like the shoes on your feet, you can travel further with both then you can with just one. The problem is seeing that those results are your computers limitations.

I agree it's needed, but I want people to read it and think of it reasonably, not with a blind faith it will all work out. Those who do put faith first are the ones who complain and the ones I am ranting about. I still have that Tech support mindset, even if you point to this people still wont believe it, because of faith.

 

[marfig]

So I read the guide.

Nicely done in showing us the snapshots at different settings and showing a graphic with tested GPUs. But was a little put off about a few things:

1. No mention of CPU performance. Which is more or less understandable because this is Nvidia doing it. But does remove some of the value in those numbers if the reader doesn't happen to share the same CPU as the tested system (i7 2600k). This should have been made very, very, clear on the guide because BF3 makes heavy use of the CPU and those FPS will not match on a weaker CPU.

2. Based on the Beta. Which is understandable because there's nothing else to hold on to. But does remove some of the value in those numbers because... well, it's a beta. We don't go along saying "It's a beta it is expected to have issues", to then just ignore all that and say something like "It's a beta. You should expect a similar performance". Both sayings just don't work together. Pick one. This should have been also made clear on the guide, least a reader forgets all about it and blames Nvidia "crappy guide because it's got nothing to do with the game on my machine!"

3. No comprehensive explanation of game settings. Which is not understandable, because if all I cared was about changing the game to Low, Medium, High or Ultra, I didn't need to have all those other options to further tweak the game experience. How about playing the game in Low with 4x MSAA? How does it perform? Or, what is mesh quality? Does this have anything to do with tessellation? These type of questions make sense to a gamer who may not have such a geneorus machine. Reducing all about BF performance to a single setting and it's 4 options, is just a disservice. The game can do wonders with the right combination of settings on an older GPU. I'm sure of it.

...

Some good news:
I'm pretty sure I can run it on Ultra. Thanks to my reduced resolution (1440x900). Not exactly a good thing. But not a showstopper either. 1440x900 is a perfectly acceptable resolution.

A curious note:
Just wow on the GTX 590 spike on the graphic. What an impressive card. Sure a GTX 580 SLI can beat that and still be cheaper. But boy, does the GTX 590 make a statement or what? I'm king of the hill baby!

 

[TheCrimsonStar]

What gets me is, they're using beta software. ULTRA IS DISABLED FOR THE BETA. DICE themselves announced this. So is this guide BSing us on their Ultra talk?

My favorite part:

GeForce GTX 580 SLI / GTX 590

With two Fermi GPUs, the game plays at maximum quality but at the expanded resolution of 2560 x 1600. Needless to say, the game is startlingly beautiful. Do not show this to your console friends. They will hate you.

 

[Doomsday]

Nvidia being at the forefront of PC gaming graphics is making me regret my current gpu purchase!!
A friend of mine was constantly bombarding me to buy Nvidia!

Edit: In the end it is mentioned how we will look back at BF3 and how it will be remembered as the game that defined the look for a whole generation.

This mantle should have been Crysis 2's! But they frakked up real bad when they suffered consolitis!!

Hats off to DICE!

 

[marfig]

Nvidia being at the forefront of PC gaming graphics is making me regret my current gpu purchase!!
A friend of mine was constantly bombarding me to buy Nvidia!

Hmm... don't be so sure. You'll hear me complaining about AMD lack of proper marketing strategy all the time. Just did recently on these forums in fact when we discussed a couple of months ago how the Steam Survey pounds on AMD market share. And this BF 3 take over by Nvidia is just another example of how AMD isn't doing things properly.

But technically? I think they are spotless. They share with Nvidia the same passion for high tech and, generally speaking, good quality products. Technically they stand behind no one. Them and Nvidia are the top dogs, constantly battling each other for some market segment primacy.

You are safe behind your AMD, make no mistake. This is just Nvidia doing things right, while AMD still probably doesn't get it. Without real investment on hype and blurb, and brand promotion through low cost alt. services (like a game guides), AMD will remain a fan-based product whereas Nvidia will ride the mass market wave.

Edit: In the end it is mentioned how we will look back at BF3 and how it will be remembered as the game that defined the look for a whole generation.

Ugh. Please. No hyperbole. It's not that mother of a graphics engine. And a whole generation? Heck, the CryEngine pretty much took everyone by surprise like Frostbite 2 didn't, and yet not 2 years later it was completely outdated.

Besides while the engine is pleasantly tweaked for the action of a close combat game, have you took a good look at your team mates models? Make no mistake, Frostbite 2 is making tradeoffs like every other engine out there.

 

[THUMPer]

What gets me is, they're using beta software. ULTRA IS DISABLED FOR THE BETA. DICE themselves announced this. So is this guide BSing us on their Ultra talk?

My favorite part:

WOH WOH. NV BSing? say it aint so. Ya Ultra does NOT work on the beta.

 

[killem2]

This will make amd and nvidia happy lol. Now if we can just get a racing game that cripples systems I'll be a happy man. lol

 

[Tharic-Nar]

Want an engine that defined a generation? Unreal - it's easier to list games that didn't use it... and as a result, we've had 6 years of PC games looking like consoles. Woot! Not that i'm bashing anyone, but 'define a generation' is more than just top-dog graphics.

But yes, this is NVIDIA doing what they do best; giving people a reason to buy their cards .

 

[marfig]

ULTRA IS DISABLED FOR THE BETA. DICE themselves announced this.

I don't mean to say this isn't true. But every single time I hear this being said, a credible source is never cited. Every time. I'm still struggling to find the actual official words on this. All I can read on Google instead is someone repeating what they read somewhere else. Ad nausea.

Isn't it logic that such an important claim should be cited?

Now, I can just fire up the beta, tweak settings and do some snapshots. But when I look at this Nvidia guide, for instance, I can clearly see a difference between the High and Ultra settings on anti-aliasing handling for instance (last image on page 3) . It's also stated why; because you move from a post-processing normal AA algorithm for the game into a multi-sampling algorithm.

So, unless that image has been doctored, I'd like to understand where this "ultra settings is not enabled on BF3 Beta" comes from. If DICE has said it, where is it?

 

[TheCrimsonStar]

How we tested: We tested on the Metro level using an internal version of the beta that supports timedemos, allowing us to perform repeatable benchmarks.

Since they are using a different version of the beta, maybe the test version they're using allows Ultra? I myself can't tell a difference between High and Ultra ingame.

*EDIT*

Okay, I've come to the conclusion that SOME of the Ultra features aren't active in the beta even when you turn them on. They just revert back to high. I read this on an enterbf3 forum post:

And i noticed Particle shadows are not in this beta, though they can be seen on the official videos.
(you know, smoke making shadows, even bullet hits make shadows)

This rings true, I have noticed it as well. So it seems that SOME Ultra settings are disabled for the beta, but not all, such as the 4x MSAA.

 

[marfig]

This rings true, I have noticed it as well. So it seems that SOME Ultra settings are disabled for the beta, but not all, such as the 4x MSAA.

This makes more sense to me, no doubt. And it's a world away from "Ultra is disabled" you hear everywhere. Thanks for going deeper into it, Crimson. You rock.

 

[TheCrimsonStar]

No problem, I was confused as to why my framerate takes a hit when I put Ultra on. I'm guessing that was because of the MSAA.