OpenGL/D3D question

[chadley]

Right now i know some games run in OpenGL (Quake series, Doom3) and some in D3D (FarCry) and untill recently i didnt care what it run in aslong as it played well

BUT! i've just read that OpenGL renders alot faster than D3D and i remembered that in the options of Counter-Strike it lets u choose to run the game in either.
Now i've Always had it set to D3D so set it to OpenGL and went for a few timerefresh tests.

I get at LEAST 90fps MORE with OpenGL everytime. No matter what the map (aztec, dust, inferno etc).
Also the colours seem richer

So is this a one off? Half-Life is the only game i have (i think) that gives u a choice so i can't try it out on another game.

OR! is it my video card? As i've also heard that nVidia's are the better OpenGL performer wheres ATi are king of D3D?

Cheers!

P.S Back in the early days i remember when OpenGL was the new cool kid on the block and made D3D gaming look naff!
As Anyone who fired up GL Quake for the first time will testfy!!

 

[Nubius]

out of that entire post of yours....my only question is.....what the hell is naff?

made D3D gaming look naff!

And I believe regarding your actual question. It depends on the games themselves. I think you were only able to change it back in the day because it was relatively new. Now I'm not sure if you can get that choice. I know I can't change it in Soldier of fortune 2, it's OpenGL and I can't change it, but yeah come to think of it. I remember playing Team Fortress Classic via the old HL and I remember having those options. Had no idea what it was at the time.

 

[Blind_Arrow]

OPenGL is Silicon Graphic's API, and D3D is microsoft's as after acquiring D3D in 96, MS, started including this API in its DirectX. this is far most difficult to say weather nVidia or ATi are good in either of the technologies. though DirectX is capable of vertex blending which ATi cards are good in defiing vertex shaders, z buffer access is not included in DIrectX until version 8.0 (i'm not sure about 9.0 as I'm not interested anymore ), D3D only for MS Platoforms, where you'll find OpenGL working on MAC's UNix, WIndows equally.

far most, as OpenGL was originally developed for Unix, so it is faster, but it does lacks many features that DirectX has, and that it has got must now be supported by DirectX 9 as well.

 

[chadley]

Hehe sorry sometimes i forget that this is an international board!
Naff means rubbish, dreadful, poor etc etc.

Thanks for the replies.

I think quake3 arena gives u the option aswell, just gotta find it now