What are the top spec and cards for M2TW DLV dev kit...?

[Tokus*Maximus]

I've posted in the tech forum too but wanted to ask the DLV gang for their experiences in gaming kit; the optimun PC set up for getting the best gameplay and FPS.

My XPS M1710 Dell has a fair amount of grunt in it for those FPS but my modding addiction is getting serious. Went and purchased a fresh set of original M2TW / Kingdoms discs today at my local game shop in Glasgow and asked the nice tech master from the back room there to make me a custom monster PC with one aim only - terrifying power as a piece of M2TW DLV / DAC dev kit.

I've read through your excellent thread and the leads to all the motherboards and cards - good info there! I wonder at this time (Spet '09) what are the undisputed killer cards that are known to really kick out the FPS at break neck speed? Is there a level where it's a waste of time spending more (seeing it's an older game now). Please advise. I'd like to give the lad some good pointers. remember - this killer kit will only need to play M2TW and not require anything but XP. It is dedicated kit. Please advise.

For comparision my current kit is the Dell XPS laptop M1710 with Intel Core2 CPU T7600 @ 2.33GHz, 2.0GB Ram, Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX

Thank you for your time and consideration.

-- Tokus*Maximus

[Jaketh]

Here is my Rig

Intel Core 2 Quad q6600 Overclocked to 3.0Ghz
EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked
4gb Corsair Dominator RAM DDR2
EVGA 730i Motherboard

Runs the game great, 100 FPS at the Campaign Map, 30-40 at the battle, only lags when thier is 4,000 men trying to squeeze through a gate, but you cant really help that. This played on 1440x900 Resolution

Here is a list from newegg
Better version of mine- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115041 -200 bucks
EVGA 260 core 216- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130433 -200 Bucks, its the best card for the price, rapes every game out thier including Crysis at maximum settings

cheap stuff for great power

[Harry Lime]

I have..

Intel Duo E6600 @2.4Ghz
2 GB DDR? Ram (I can never remember the name of it )
GeForce 9800 GTX+
XP SP3 Operating System

The biggest difference I noted was the new graphics card, it seems Medieval loads a lot of stuff through the card as DLV really flies along, it was always fairly quick for me but now it's super fast.

[Taiji]

I have a...

E4500 @3.2Ghz
2 gigs o' ram
8800gt

I don't use all the top graphics options and I get slowdowns in battle. I could reduce my graphics setting further but on a game like this I can cope with 20+ fps where on a first person shooter I can't stand less than 50. Like I use 1600x1200, AA2 and AF8 when I really don't need to. I never use bloom (can't stand it) and shadows are never above 'medium', so some settings are up and some are down.

If I was going to upgrade my system the graphics card would be my target, Jaketh's suggestion looks like a good one to me. Although I'd consider the ATI 4890 which is around the same price and might be better.

[Tokus*Maximus]

Thank you friends for kit recommendations - with a support group like you who could fail to find an killer card so big it's fan will rip the wall away beside my computer! I've got some good leads to show the PC mechanic now.. All thanks to Team D.L.V!

-- Tokus

[Jaketh]

Thank you friends for kit recommendations - with a support group like you who could fail to find an killer card so big it's fan will rip the wall away beside my computer! I've got some good leads to show the PC mechanic now.. All thanks to Team D.L.V!

-- Tokus

just so you know, Medieval 2 is all CPU, as long as you have a card like a 8800 or better your good, but you need a really good dual core or a average quad core to make a difference

[Tokus*Maximus]

just so you know, Medieval 2 is all CPU, as long as you have a card like a 8800 or better your good, but you need a really good dual core or a average quad core to make a difference

Splendid advice - thank you Jaketh!

[Taiji]

M2tw runs on a single core. You just want a CPU that your graphics card likes, something that won't bottleneck(slow it down) it too much. Multiple cores are not important, since they won't be used.

[Harry Lime]

Yeah, as I mentioned it was the upgrading of the graphics card that made the most noticeable difference to me.

[Xtiaan72]

I upgraded from a NV6600 to a NV8500...( Dual Core 2.80 ghz) That was a big difference. Good for the price but now I wish I had waited six months and got the same price for an 8800. The difference between an 8500 and an 8800 is a world of difference.

I have no interest in Empire anymore so I figure I'll upgrade to a high 9000 series when the price comes down and add two gigs of ram and that should kill for DLV.

[Jaketh]

M2tw runs on a single core. You just want a CPU that your graphics card likes, something that won't bottleneck(slow it down) it too much. Multiple cores are not important, since they won't be used.

actually quad cores perform better then dual cores because they have larger cache and other newer technology, even though it only runs on one core doesn't mean a quad core wont have more benefits then a dual core, as long as your running at 3.0Ghz or better you should be good

[Tokus*Maximus]

Thank you - more sauce for the goose! Can't wait to make this custom killer-card monster from the devil's own satanic herd!

I have been hunting for a new set of M2TW + kingdoms gold discs for ages. Very good feeling to have them put aside. Most other games are shite (aye - come on now, they are). So get your fresh originals too guys before they BAN this video game (with XP along with it...!) One day M2TW & TATW will exist in deep-cyberspace as a piece of old style PC code. We'll all still be playing it in 2023 in Virtual Reality.