N4: System requirements?

My system specs: Pentium II 450, 128MB ram, 12MB Voodoo II card. I am happy with the performance of GPL (original tracks) and Nascar 3 on my system, and was wondering whether my system would be adequate for Nascar 4. Is the only true way to find out to install the demo? Are there any known issues with the demo? Looks like I will have to buy the game from the U.S. as it's highly improbable that it will be sold in NZ. Thanks for any advice. -- Rob.

You would likely be very unhappy with the performance of N4 on your system as it is currently. You should look at the recommended specs (not minimum) as a base starting point for a system. Papyrus/Sierra really understated the minimum specs for running the sim reliably with any kind of FPS performance. I used a PIII 700 with 256 MB RAM and a GeForce 256 32MB Video card and with most all graphics "in the middle" and barely sqweeked out 25-30 FPS in any kind of traffic. I have upgraded to a 1.2Ghz AMD and 512MB RAM and added a Geforce2 64MB video card and have turned the graphics up enough to see everything a little clearer and now routinely see 60-75 FPS and the sim is alot more drivable now. Unless you absoulutely must have it, don't use FSAA with your video card if you upgrade. The performance hit is not worth the results IMHO. I would suggest at least an 850Mhz-1Ghz-+ for a CPU and at least 256 MB RAM with at least a 32 MB video card to achieve any kind of acceptable performance for N4. Hope that helps ya, Sim Rob <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:9gnqqf$dvc$[email hidden]... > My system specs: Pentium II 450, 128MB ram, 12MB Voodoo II card. > I am happy with the performance of GPL (original tracks) and Nascar 3 on > my system, and was wondering whether my system would be adequate forNascar > 4. > Is the only true way to find out to install the demo? Are there anyknown

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> issues with the demo? > Looks like I will have to buy the game from the U.S. as it's highly > improbable that it will be sold in NZ. Thanks for any advice. > > -- > > Rob. > >

You will need a GeForce 2MX card for a minimum. The PII450 overclocks quite nicely to 464 on BX motherboards. I would try the O/C of your chip and the video card. Try the Demo before you do anything with your hardware. The memory in your current card will be a big limitation. 32Mb video cards would be the starting point right now. "Rob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:9gnqqf$dvc$[email hidden]... > My system specs: Pentium II 450, 128MB ram, 12MB Voodoo II card. > I am happy with the performance of GPL (original tracks) and Nascar 3 on > my system, and was wondering whether my system would be adequate forNascar > 4. > Is the only true way to find out to install the demo? Are there anyknown

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> issues with the demo? > Looks like I will have to buy the game from the U.S. as it's highly > improbable that it will be sold in NZ. Thanks for any advice. > > -- > > Rob. > >

With your first system, you should have been cranking out 30-60fps @ 1024x768. I used my PIII650 with a GeForce256 card @ 1024x768 with 35 cars ahead, 3 behind. I got a minimum of 32fps with an average of 56 and a peak of 84fps. "SimRacer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:BNKX6.954$[email hidden]... > You would likely be very unhappy with the performance of N4 on your system > as it is currently. > > You should look at the recommended specs (not minimum) as a base starting > point for a system. Papyrus/Sierra really understated the minimum specsfor > running the sim reliably with any kind of FPS performance. > > I used a PIII 700 with 256 MB RAM and a GeForce 256 32MB Video card andwith > most all graphics "in the middle" and barely sqweeked out 25-30 FPS in any > kind of traffic. I have upgraded to a 1.2Ghz AMD and 512MB RAM and added a > Geforce2 64MB video card and have turned the graphics up enough to see > everything a little clearer and now routinely see 60-75 FPS and the sim is > alot more drivable now. Unless you absoulutely must have it, don't useFSAA > with your video card if you upgrade. The performance hit is not worth the > results IMHO. > > I would suggest at least an 850Mhz-1Ghz-+ for a CPU and at least 256 MBRAM

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> with at least a 32 MB video card to achieve any kind of acceptable > performance for N4. > > Hope that helps ya, > > Sim > > Rob <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:9gnqqf$dvc$[email hidden]... > > My system specs: Pentium II 450, 128MB ram, 12MB Voodoo II card. > > I am happy with the performance of GPL (original tracks) and Nascar 3

on

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> > my system, and was wondering whether my system would be adequate for > Nascar > > 4. > > Is the only true way to find out to install the demo? Are there any > known > > issues with the demo? > > Looks like I will have to buy the game from the U.S. as it's highly > > improbable that it will be sold in NZ. Thanks for any advice. > > > > -- > > > > Rob. > > > > > >

I got close to those numbers, but I run 1154 X 856 (whatever the stepup is from 1024 X 768) because my machine didn't like running the game at a different res than my desktop (in D3D or OGL). I also was conservative, it varies from track to track. With the old system there where tracks where I got 40+ in traffic, I just like to tell folks the general performance rather than saying things about specific tracks. These same tracks now I see 100+ FPS on, but I wont tell folks I get 100 FPS just because I do at a few places. My general range would be in the 70's now, unless I come up on a big wreck. For anyone out there thinking of OCing an Intel chip, just be careful, I've cooked a few in my day. Thats why I now am an AMD man. They appear much more stable when OCing. I haven't come across anything that requires me to OC anything on current system, CPU or video. I probably won't either, its OK if you're into it but it seems to shorten the life of the products that you do it to anymore. AMD chips already tend toward the warm side anyway... SimRacer Lannie Schafroth <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:9gnull$dpl$[email hidden]... > With your first system, you should have been cranking out 30-60fps @ > 1024x768. > I used my PIII650 with a GeForce256 card @ 1024x768 with 35 cars ahead, 3 > behind. I got a minimum of 32fps with an average of 56 and a peak of84fps. > > "SimRacer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:BNKX6.954$[email hidden]... > > You would likely be very unhappy with the performance of N4 on yoursystem > > as it is currently. > > > > You should look at the recommended specs (not minimum) as a basestarting

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> > point for a system. Papyrus/Sierra really understated the minimum specs > for > > running the sim reliably with any kind of FPS performance. > > > > I used a PIII 700 with 256 MB RAM and a GeForce 256 32MB Video card and > with > > most all graphics "in the middle" and barely sqweeked out 25-30 FPS in

any > > kind of traffic. I have upgraded to a 1.2Ghz AMD and 512MB RAM and addeda > > Geforce2 64MB video card and have turned the graphics up enough to see > > everything a little clearer and now routinely see 60-75 FPS and the simis > > alot more drivable now. Unless you absoulutely must have it, don't use > FSAA > > with your video card if you upgrade. The performance hit is not worththe

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> > results IMHO. > > > > I would suggest at least an 850Mhz-1Ghz-+ for a CPU and at least 256 MB > RAM > > with at least a 32 MB video card to achieve any kind of acceptable > > performance for N4. > > > > Hope that helps ya, > > > > Sim > > > > Rob <[email hidden]> wrote in message > > news:9gnqqf$dvc$[email hidden]... > > > My system specs: Pentium II 450, 128MB ram, 12MB Voodoo II card. > > > I am happy with the performance of GPL (original tracks) and Nascar

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> on > > > my system, and was wondering whether my system would be adequate for > > Nascar > > > 4. > > > Is the only true way to find out to install the demo? Are there any > > known > > > issues with the demo? > > > Looks like I will have to buy the game from the U.S. as it's highly > > > improbable that it will be sold in NZ. Thanks for any advice. > > > > > > -- > > > > > > Rob. > > > > > > > > > > > >

I have ran N4 on exactly the same specs as you describe and it ran very much ok at 640x480x16 with each and every detail you could imagine totally to the minimum. In that setting, I got 25fps at the back of the grid (but with all details to the minimum, a full grid shows only four cars, even though there are 43) and about 30-35 average during races. However, for me it was just TOO ugly. You should try the demo and turn all detail down (ALL!). If you think you can and want to drive with that, then you'll be settled. The first thing to upgrade would be your video card. If you pop in a 32mb Geforce2 GTS you'll be much, much happier. A friend of mine, with the exact same specs as well, did this, and it's a HUGE improvement. --- Joeri J. Cox European Racing League GM - http://www.europeanracingleague.com 502 Racing co-founder - http://www.502racing.com "Rob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:9gnqqf$dvc$[email hidden]... > My system specs: Pentium II 450, 128MB ram, 12MB Voodoo II card. > I am happy with the performance of GPL (original tracks) and Nascar 3 on > my system, and was wondering whether my system would be adequate forNascar > 4. > Is the only true way to find out to install the demo? Are there anyknown

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> issues with the demo? > Looks like I will have to buy the game from the U.S. as it's highly > improbable that it will be sold in NZ. Thanks for any advice. > > -- > > Rob. > >