The Official DOOM 3 [H]ardware Guide thread.

Chris_B said:
Showed this screen to a freind of mine whos taking a college art course

http://www2.hardocp.com/1090787143TO62AMOEWX_4_19_l.jpg

What he had to say

the perception is off ... it looks like they just copied the outline of the creature and offset it to a wall they didn't bend the shadow around corners and such.


Anyone else think hes right on this :confused: :(
Click to expand...

Everything looks okay to me? And isnt this way off topic, make another thread.
 
Fantastic guide Kyle and Brent. Absolfrikkinglutely fantastic.
And it must have been one of the longest (not wordiest though) articles posted at [H] :p

The question though, did you guys get a T-shirt?
"I played Doom3 to destruction, I'm tired of it even BEFORE the official launch"
 
My Specs With a Ti4600 128MB:
2.8GHZ CPU
768MB RAM

Minimum Specs With Ti4600 128MB: *(800x600, medium quality(MQ) according to guide)
1.5GHZ CPU
384MB RAM

From the above, would it be safe to assume that i could increase my res to 1024x768, MQ, and achieve the same(relatively speaking) type of performance as the Minimum specs running a Ti4600 128MB card at 800x600, MQ, since i have almost double the cpu+ram requirements? Or, is the additional cpu+ram not going to matter due to the limitation of my video card?
 
Man, my question got left in the dust ! Kyle help me out here please if you can. I do not use a monitor for my setup as I have my pc connected to a HDTV. Do you or anyone else know if this game will support custom resoltions or will I have to get my monitor back out and sit at a desk :( Thanks for all the hard work you guys out into the guide as I now know where I stand.
 
I give a [H] must read on this article one of the best you guys have done.

The best part of this article is the fact you guys have shown without a doubt is that most peoples current systems will still give you a proper ass puckering experience playing this game.

The game does look great at low end, and fantastic at the high end, my target goal of 1280 looks spot on for my hardware now can we warp forward to aug 3?

At least then the fanboys will be too busy playing the game to spout off about how they get 3 fps more at blah blah resolution.


One question...Level Load times? are they lengthy?
 
Man, my question got left in the dust ! Kyle help me out here please if you can. I do not use a monitor for my setup as I have my pc connected to a HDTV. Do you or anyone else know if this game will support custom resoltions or will I have to get my monitor back out and sit at a desk Thanks for all the hard work you guys out into the guide as I now know where I stand.
Click to expand...

I bet its the same console commands as q3.
r_customaspect "1"
r_customheight "1024"
r_customwidth "1600"

The last two also appear in the leak.

Edit: To setup a custom resolution set r_customheight and r_customwidth to the resolution desired and set r_mode to -1 (negative one) and then type in vid_restart to restart the video in the new mode.
 
Great guide guys! Awesome info! I do have a question though.

I know 5.1 sound is the best way to go, but i currently have a Klipsch 4.1 surround system. I was just wondering, did you guys try out a 4.1 system? Or do you know how much of a difference a 4.1 vs a 5.1 system will have in terms of sound quality? Just curious.

Also, in reply to paraiso36: I certainly don't want to say anything offensive, but i have to comment. I am not sure what research you have done, but i wouldn't say that a 3.0 Ghz P4 is clearly superior to a Athlon XP 3200+. There are definately applications where a XP 3200+ is faster than a 3.0 P4. Apparently Doom 3 runs really well on AMD's architecture. I am sure it will run great on Intel systems as well, but this guide seems to show that AMD's CPU's do a bit better of a job over-all. I wouldn't be upset if i were you, and my upgrade would be to a newer video card first. Your system at 3.2 Ghz is plenty fast, and a 6800 or X800 video card would make a much bigger difference. Plus, i assume you bought the P4 system because it runs certain applications better for you, so keep your CPU and motherboard and save for a new video card.

Anyway, thanks again guys for the article. Looking forward to Doom 3 with an itchy clicking finger. :)
 
How customizable are the video settings?
Can we disable things like 8x anistropic or set them down to 4x or something?
Either through the menus or via the console?
 
N3m35i5 said:
My Specs With a Ti4600 128MB:
2.8GHZ CPU
768MB RAM

Minimum Specs With Ti4600 128MB: *(800x600, medium quality(MQ) according to guide)
1.5GHZ CPU
384MB RAM

From the above, would it be safe to assume that i could increase my res to 1024x768, MQ, and achieve the same(relatively speaking) type of performance as the Minimum specs running a Ti4600 128MB card at 800x600, MQ, since i have almost double the cpu+ram requirements? Or, is the additional cpu+ram not going to matter due to the limitation of my video card?
Click to expand...

Actually it was a Athlon 2500 XP which is like a 2.5 GHZ CPU. You could probably play it on 1024x768 at medium quality still.
 
shing said:
How customizable are the video settings?
Can we disable things like 8x anistropic or set them down to 4x or something?
Either through the menus or via the console?
Click to expand...

Of course. The console will allow you to change any menu command.
 
In the official Doom3 benchmarks John Carmack said that overclocked hardware could have troubles running Doom3 correctly. I recently purchased a BGF 6800GT OC , should I expect problems? When you benchmark this card did you clock them back to recommended specs?
-----------------------------
My system
AMD 64 3200
K8 pro
BFG 6800GT OC
1 Gig ram
 
enochian said:
In the official Doom3 benchmarks John Carmack said that overclocked hardware could have troubles running Doom3 correctly. I recently purchased a BGF 6800GT OC , should I expect problems? When you benchmark this card did you clock them back to recommended specs?
-----------------------------
My system
AMD 64 3200
K8 pro
BFG 6800GT OC
1 Gig ram
Click to expand...

they clocked theirs around 800 mem..most people are running 1100ish now, they may be backtracking as D3 starts kicking in the thermal throttling.
 
mastercheeze said:
re: the debate on this image - http://www2.hardocp.com/1090787143TO62AMOEWX_4_19_l.jpg

I would think it would be pretty hard to make an accurate guess about this shot given the visual info - flashlight is the only light source, is the guy looking up at the creature? is he looking down? where does that wall go? is there even a corner there?

the dust in the air is an excellent touch... :cool:
Click to expand...

It has to be looking up, or the shadow would be more behind the creature.
 
Hello everybody this is my first time
posting in your forum!
I was wondering after reading the
Doom 3 article if that game would
be able to run on my PC.
Here are my specs:

GF2 Pro core 200 / mem 400
Athlon XP 2500+ @ 3200+
Mushkin 512 Mb Ram DDR 400 2.5 4 4
ASrock K7S41GX
Onboard CMI9738 5.1 sound
WD 20 Gb 7200 RPM 2 mb buffer

Thanks!
 
How costly is the 8xAF and can it (alone) be disabled in HighQ?

My point: with my current rig, I'd sacrifice AF to run at 16x12, the native res of my 2001fp (assuming 10x7 8xAF=16x12 noAF, both HQ, no AA)
 
Dosomo said:
Great guide guys! Awesome info! I do have a question though.

I know 5.1 sound is the best way to go, but i currently have a Klipsch 4.1 surround system. I was just wondering, did you guys try out a 4.1 system? Or do you know how much of a difference a 4.1 vs a 5.1 system will have in terms of sound quality? Just curious.

Also, in reply to paraiso36: I certainly don't want to say anything offensive, but i have to comment. I am not sure what research you have done, but i wouldn't say that a 3.0 Ghz P4 is clearly superior to a Athlon XP 3200+. There are definately applications where a XP 3200+ is faster than a 3.0 P4. Apparently Doom 3 runs really well on AMD's architecture. I am sure it will run great on Intel systems as well, but this guide seems to show that AMD's CPU's do a bit better of a job over-all. I wouldn't be upset if i were you, and my upgrade would be to a newer video card first. Your system at 3.2 Ghz is plenty fast, and a 6800 or X800 video card would make a much bigger difference. Plus, i assume you bought the P4 system because it runs certain applications better for you, so keep your CPU and motherboard and save for a new video card.

Anyway, thanks again guys for the article. Looking forward to Doom 3 with an itchy clicking finger. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for your comments ( no offense taken )..Maybe I overreacted..An Intel P4 3.0 it isnt " far better " than the XP 3200+ but searching in goolge all sites that compares both systems, my conclusion is that in overall P4 3.0 is better than XP 3200...As I know this changes with AMD 64 in which performance in games is superior than P4..Anyway if P4 isnt better than Xp 3200, at least they are equal in performance and my doubt if there is a difference that deserves a Medium Quality in one system versus a High Quality in the other considering that AMD has 512 Mb and P4 1 GB of Ram..Thanks again
 
Chris_B said:
Showed this screen to a freind of mine whos taking a college art course

http://www2.hardocp.com/1090787143TO62AMOEWX_4_19_l.jpg

What he had to say

the perception is off ... it looks like they just copied the outline of the creature and offset it to a wall they didn't bend the shadow around corners and such.


Anyone else think hes right on this :confused: :(
Click to expand...
I went to one too but it's too dark for me to really tell whats going inorder to make any sort of conclusion IMO.
 
adamx_prv said:
Hello everybody this is my first time
posting in your forum!
I was wondering after reading the
Doom 3 article if that game would
be able to run on my PC.
Here are my specs:

GF2 Pro core 200 / mem 400
Athlon XP 2500+ @ 3200+
Mushkin 512 Mb Ram DDR 400 2.5 4 4
ASrock K7S41GX
Onboard CMI9738 5.1 sound
WD 20 Gb 7200 RPM 2 mb buffer

Thanks!
Click to expand...

1. You don't have to hit enter while making posts here, it'll auto-wrap the text as needed :)
2. You need a LOT more GPU power to pull this off. That GF2 Pro is a long way behind the GF4MX, and that's the minimum power. The rest is fine, but you'll also want a bigger hd very soon.
 
Calavaro said:
Fantastic guide Kyle and Brent. Absolfrikkinglutely fantastic.
And it must have been one of the longest (not wordiest though) articles posted at [H] :p

The question though, did you guys get a T-shirt?
"I played Doom3 to destruction, I'm tired of it even BEFORE the official launch"
Click to expand...

Ya know I actually came away MISSING it after we left id.

All that time sitting there playing through it, and I never once got tired of it, I wanted MORE!
 
theelviscerator said:
What were the load times like for levels?

How how much did ram affect this......and or raid..
Click to expand...

Raid's probably like most games and raid: totally useless. Anand has a comparo up, and RAID 0 even increased load times on some games.
 
Thanks for replying back. I was also wondering what happens if i overclock the graphics card a bit. I am on a tight budget right now ;) . By the way this board as it is with the latest WHQL drivers and no optimizations gives me 5400 points in 3d Mark 2001 SE .
Thanks :)
 
adamx_prv said:
Thanks for replying back. I was also wondering what happens if i overclock the graphics card a bit. I am on a tight budget right now ;) . By the way this board as it is with the latest WHQL drivers and no optimizations gives me 5400 points in 3d Mark 2001 SE .
Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Overclocked, we can ~assume~ that you'll reach GF2 Ultra speeds. Now, lets compare those to the GF4 MX.

http://www.pureoc.com/LeadtekGF4MX460_6.asp

http://www.hexus.net/content/reviews/review.php?dXJsX3Jldmlld19JRD0zMTc=

Looks like you'll be ok. I was off in my original assumptions, my apologies. You'll be able to run at low 640x480, but you'll have some texture issues if you don't have 64mb of RAM on that (I don't remember if the GF2 Pro had 32 or 64).

You could get a 9600 Pro for pretty cheap and it would be a major upgrade, if you have to.

EDIT: Looks like 64. You should be ok.
 
oh wow, newegg making bundles for this now. that makes me a VERY happy panda. cha ching for id and newegg. that was a good idea man.
 
Thanks again! The board that i am using now has 64 mb ram. I am looking forward to get paid to grab a graphics card in the $100 price range. What would you suggest?
I like strategy and racing and fps games!
Thanks :)
 
Brent_Justice said:
Ya know I actually came away MISSING it after we left id.

All that time sitting there playing through it, and I never once got tired of it, I wanted MORE!
Click to expand...

Oh shit.........

I'm now having flashbacks to getting an atari 2600 and playing it for 26 hour stretches :D

This is only about the 3rd time I personally have so highly anticipated a game release.

1. Pitfall Harry (atari 2600 :D )
2. Mechwarrior 4
3. Doom 3

I think I just dated myself lol.
 
lopoetve said:
Raid's probably like most games and raid: totally useless. Anand has a comparo up, and RAID 0 even increased load times on some games.
Click to expand...

Well in the original article the system had raid zero..

So what about the load times?
 
N3m35i5 said:
Just a polite correction but it was a Athlon 1500+ with 384MB according to the guide.

http://www2.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NjQ0LDU=
Click to expand...

Yes, but you said it was with a GeForce4 Ti4600. I was refering to the system with a 4600 in it. The link you gave is with a GeForce4 MX 440. Major difference in terms of performance. A MX will limit you to the lowest settings, but a 4600 TI will let you crank it up to Medium and hopefully 1024x768 (800x600 is for sure).
 
theelviscerator said:
Well in the original article the system had raid zero..

So what about the load times?
Click to expand...

For a development box, I'd have Raid0 too. Good for massive disk io like compiling/archiving would do.
 
Unbelievable article. This is a perfect example of why you guys are, IMHO, the authoritative source of info on PC performance.

It's also rather nice to know that my machine will hold over just fine for all this PCI-e/DDR2 madness to sort itself out... Tuesday cannot come soon enough.

--
P4 2.4C @ 3.0
1GB Corsair TWINX PC3700 @ DDR500
Abit IC-7
BFG 5900U 256Mb
 
adamx_prv said:
Thanks again! The board that i am using now has 64 mb ram. I am looking forward to get paid to grab a graphics card in the $100 price range. What would you suggest?
I like strategy and racing and fps games!
Thanks :)
Click to expand...

$140: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-326&depa=0

$100: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-295&depa=0

The XT is significantly faster, and will oc a long ways. The base ($100) is passive cooling, dont' expect a big OC there. That will let you do 1024x768 medium quality :) (the XT).

Base, I'd say 800x600 medium quality.
 
Wow, reading through this whole thread growing so quickly! Well, I can't say more than everyone else has in high praise for this great article, the first article I've ever printed off the internet, so congrats you're making firsts of all flavors.

Excellent info and we're so hungry for DOOM...can you feel it?? I know you can! You guys are so lucky to have played it, first on the planet almost....what a historic time. And HardOCP played such a big part in DOOM3 release, it's really great!

Much Respect!
 
jon_k said:
Yes, but you said it was with a GeForce4 Ti4600. I was refering to the system with a 4600 in it. The link you gave is with a GeForce4 MX 440. Major difference in terms of performance. A MX will limit you to the lowest settings, but a 4600 TI will let you crank it up to Medium and hopefully 1024x768 (800x600 is for sure).
Click to expand...

I stand corrected. I hope you're right. :)
 
Anyone else notice that the newegg.com bundles don't even come close to the high-end system recommendation? Further, an FX-53 with a Gig of memory on a tiny generic 350Watt PS? Come on people.... :rolleyes:
 
Got a reply from jc

All of the shadows are pixel accurate projections from the light source to all the geometry in the world. However, the shadows do not bend around bump maps on a single surface, which is what this case shows -- a flat surface with a fairly "deep" bump map on it.

John Carmack
 
AACI_CIO said:
Anyone else notice that the newegg.com bundles don't even come close to the high-end system recommendation? Further, an FX-53 with a Gig of memory on a tiny generic 350Watt PS? Come on people.... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...


newegg is quite slow right now..where exactly are the bundles...I did a doom3 bundle search and nada..
 
AACI_CIO said:
Anyone else notice that the newegg.com bundles don't even come close to the high-end system recommendation? Further, an FX-53 with a Gig of memory on a tiny generic 350Watt PS? Come on people.... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

That's because people's heads would explode when they saw the price. haha.
 
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