If I run a program that needs DX pixel shader 1.1 on the graphics card, and the card doesn’t have it, is it normal that the program simply cannot run. It quits with a message on start. I got the impression from some posts that you could run at least some things this way, and they would just look much worse. Is there a known way to fake the shader ( so the program thinks it’s there).
Also, what are the other advantages to a better graphics card besides shaders and such. Would they run blender’s 3d view better for example? What vcard Ram is good enough for that, 128, 256, etc?
Yup. The latest Splinter Cell won’t run properly on even a Radeom x850XT because it doesn’t support DX shader model 3. The x850 is a pretty powerful card and a lot of people are annoyed and returning the game.
Some games like Half-Life 2 can be forced into an older DirectX mode but if the support for the older shader models isn’t there then I don’t think so. If it was possible, more people would be playing Splinter Cell. I think that if your card doesn’t support DX shader model 1.1 then you really need to get a new card.
They would be able to run Blender’s view better in that they can support more vertices without slowdown. Plus you can turn on textures and lighting and it won’t slow down much. A 128MB card is enough for most people but the more you have the better. If budget is a concern, you can go for a 128 Geforce 6600GT. That’s quite a popular card for good performance at a reasonable price.
Thanks both of you, 3danalyze did allow me to play it. Choppy though.