I just picked up an NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 kit recently. It's AMAZING. So much better than I thought. So much better, and different, than so much of the false information and, sorry to put it bluntly but, absolute CRAP that I have read all over the web about it. I was very skeptical about it. Is it gimmicky? What about problems? The movie 3D sucks, why would this be any better? What about my PC's power, I don't want to have to upgrade or add another GPU just for 3D. Etc etc. Turns out there is almost absolutely nothing to worry about. It's amazing.
I feel I need to clarify some points that are largely misunderstood. Even the well known PC Review sites don't even seem to understand half of what they write about in their articles/reviews/benchmarks when they discuss/review NVIDIA's 3D Vision. Those sites, and the forums of many of those hardcore PC gaming sites are EXTREMELY MISLEADING when it comes to NVIDIA's 3D vision, performance, etc. So much misinformation and misguidance out there it's not even funny. Let's start.....
- 1. I see no loss in FPS. If a game previously ran at 120 fps it now displays 60 but looks as fluid as the previous 120 (must be because its 60 fps left eye + 60 fps right eye, which still equals the game pumping out/rendering 120 fps). Once I multiply the reported fps by 2 I am getting no less frame rates than before. The 3D hardly uses any overhead. I can't believe all the bad rep it get's from people about lowering frames, it seems 99% of people out there just have no clue that 60 fps in 3d mode IS equivalent to their previous 120 fps in 2d. Even actual PC review sites don't seem to understand this, it truly blows my mind. NVidia is doing a terrible job of educating the public, including most hardcore gamers, on this aspect of 3D. If you could previously run a game at 120 fps then you can run it perfectly in 3d, you don't need to buy a more powerful GPU or add more for SLI due to 3D needing all this extra power, that's total crap and totally false information spread around the entire industry. As long as your previous 2D setup could run pretty high framerates then you can run 3D.
- 2. Also, VSync is NOT forced (apparently this was changed as of the GTX 600 series cards, THANK GOD). My frames are fluctuating exactly like before so don't worry about VSync induced input lag, it's perfect as you can play with VSync 100% disabled. At 60 FPS (remember that's per eye, which means the game is still technically rendering/pumping out 120 fps) the input lag doesn't feel any less at all than 120 fps 2D mode, not even when I enabled the on-screen steering wheel in my racing sims. I was flailing my real-life wheel left and right in RFactor 2 (I always use RFactor 2 for these tests as it consistently seems to have the most instant response times/least input lag, at least to my eyes) very, very fast as my monitors were wiggling around from the force, and the on-screen steering wheel still visually stayed EXACTLY with my wheel. Same with regards to just overall driving sensations from real quick snap-slide recovery tests.
- 3. What about when frames get under or over the magic 60 fps (remember that's per eye, which is equivalent to 120 fps in 2D). NOTHING. It IS EXACTLY the same as what would happen in 2D mode, you just might get some stutters or whatever from the frame fluctuations, nothing else. It is EXACTLY the same as when it happens in 2D. The 3D doesn't get all screwed up, you don't go blind lol, nothing, you don't see flickering or any other crap, it looks great still. Just the normal 2D symptoms that everyone gets.
- 4. What about tearing if you don't use VSync. AGAIN, IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME AS IN 2D MODE. Whenever you get some tearing the 3D image doesn't screw up, your glasses don't explode, the image and 3D stays PERFECT. The only thing with the tearing is that in 3D mode whenever you do happen to get some it just stands out a bit more than in 2D mode, but that's it, just regular 2D type of tearing that stands out a bit more when it happens in 3D. Also, you don't get anymore tearing, it happens at exactly the same times and severity as in 2D mode, it's just a little more obvious to see when in 3D, that's all.
- 5. "I HATE 3D in the movie theatres. Everything looks blurry, when things fly across the screen it's just a blurry and juddery mess, and just in general things seem to not look as sharp either, in motion or at standstill". Hey! Me too! I can't stand 3D movies in the theatres, everything looks absolutely terrible, especially in motion, but don't worry, gaming in 3D, or at least with NVidia 3D Vision 2, IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, NOT EVEN CLOSE, TO WHAT THE TERRIBLE MOVIE THEATRE 3D IS LIKE. Get that out of your head, it's not just a little bit better than the movies, it is on a completely higher and different type of level. Also, even in non-motion, the 3D gaming (at least with my NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 setup) is perfectly sharp, there is no lack of sharpness in standstill or in motion, it honestly looks as great as 2D, but in 3D.
- 6. "What about the dimming of the screen and the colors loosing their vividness?". The best 3D monitors are ones with lightboost technology, these monitors have wayyyyy overly bright monitors so that in 2D mode you probably won't need more than 40 or 50% brightness. I do all my web surfing, online videos, reading, work, everything at 0% brightness, at 0% it is not even dim, it just looks like a normal monitor lol. Then on gaming I pump it up to 30% that's it, so bright. So with only 30% needed the monitor therefore has sooooo much more brightness left in it, what happens is when you enter in 3D mode the monitor automatically adjusts to a higher brightness level and everything looks bright, deep, vivid, IT IS NOT THAT DIM CRAP YOU GET IN MOVIE THEATRES, NOT EVEN CLOSE, IT'S NOT EVEN DIM AT ALL. Looks just like a normal nice bright monitor.
- 7. Is it comfortable? Some people said they get headaches, some said it took them a month to get used to it, I can't speak for others but for me. After 30 mins I already had the 3D Depth (configurable in the NVidia control panel or the wheel on the back of the 3D emitter) set to 40%. I didn't feel sick, get a headache, feel weird once I took the glasses off and was back in 2D land, NOTHING.
- 8. "I wear glasses". Me too! The glasses in the NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 kit (not the original, but the "2" version) are larger and fit perfectly over glasses. I thought it was going to be a 50/50 compromise because of my glasses, but nope, it's completely fine in terms of comfort AND functionality.
- 9. Is it gimmicky? NO! It definitely adds to the experience in BOTH IMMERSION AND PERFORMANCE. The depth perception for the hardcore racing sims I play (RFactor 2, Game Stock Car 2013, RFactor 1, Assetto Corsa, GT Legends, Richard Burns Rally, IRacing and more) honestly does improve your driving. You will lap AT LEAST just as fast as before, however you will be more consistent and you will be better at learning tracks, at judging your speed into corners, at judging your closing speed on other cars, etc. The depth makes your eyes and brain process things so much more naturally and realistically, it's different trust me. You are looking far off into the distance, you are looking into and "around" corners, etc. There is depthness to the world, not just a flat plane of pixels layed out on a monitor in front of you, no way.
- So.... To quickly summarize. 60 fps per eye feels/looks like 2D 120 fps (probably because it's 60 per eye so your brain puts them together when it combines the view of both eyes)!! Framerates under 60 (per eye) don't ruin the 3D or experience. Tearing is not any different than 2D (just slightly more noticeable). Colours and brightness are great. Sharpness and overall image quality is perfect (even in motion). Lag doesn't seem to have changed according to visual wheel tests and overall feel of snap slide corrections. VSync isn't forced to be on. There is hardly, if any at all, 3D induced frame-per-second performance loss, (just your game/monitor reporting half because it's PER EYE, totaling the same amount as before). Every area I was concerned about is amazing. Not just most areas, but every area.
I cannot find any cons, honestly. It has exceeded my expectations ten-fold in all areas, performance, functionality, immersiveness, image quality, etc. etc. I see so much false information about NVIDIA 3D Vision, it's messed up. Due to having triple screens I can afford to play at a much more realisitic FOV that makes my onscreen images much closer to a 1:1 representative of real life. I use a vertical FOV of 25 degrees (about 17.5 for my setup would be a perfect true-to-life 1:1 representative but i'm at 25 for now) for my racing sims, and in Battlefield Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 3 I use either 50 or 55 (a perfect true to life 17.5 degree V. FOV would be suicide in those games due to not having enough vertical peripheral view) and when you combine the much, MUCH more realistic low vertical FOVs with NVIDIA 3D Vision 2, it's INSANELY natural and realistic. Even gaming on a single monitor with higher FOVs is amazing, don't you worry.
If you are or were ever even remotely considering buying an NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 kit, trust me, trust me, trust me. GET IT! Don't believe all the false information out there.
I feel I need to clarify some points that are largely misunderstood. Even the well known PC Review sites don't even seem to understand half of what they write about in their articles/reviews/benchmarks when they discuss/review NVIDIA's 3D Vision. Those sites, and the forums of many of those hardcore PC gaming sites are EXTREMELY MISLEADING when it comes to NVIDIA's 3D vision, performance, etc. So much misinformation and misguidance out there it's not even funny. Let's start.....
- 1. I see no loss in FPS. If a game previously ran at 120 fps it now displays 60 but looks as fluid as the previous 120 (must be because its 60 fps left eye + 60 fps right eye, which still equals the game pumping out/rendering 120 fps). Once I multiply the reported fps by 2 I am getting no less frame rates than before. The 3D hardly uses any overhead. I can't believe all the bad rep it get's from people about lowering frames, it seems 99% of people out there just have no clue that 60 fps in 3d mode IS equivalent to their previous 120 fps in 2d. Even actual PC review sites don't seem to understand this, it truly blows my mind. NVidia is doing a terrible job of educating the public, including most hardcore gamers, on this aspect of 3D. If you could previously run a game at 120 fps then you can run it perfectly in 3d, you don't need to buy a more powerful GPU or add more for SLI due to 3D needing all this extra power, that's total crap and totally false information spread around the entire industry. As long as your previous 2D setup could run pretty high framerates then you can run 3D.
- 2. Also, VSync is NOT forced (apparently this was changed as of the GTX 600 series cards, THANK GOD). My frames are fluctuating exactly like before so don't worry about VSync induced input lag, it's perfect as you can play with VSync 100% disabled. At 60 FPS (remember that's per eye, which means the game is still technically rendering/pumping out 120 fps) the input lag doesn't feel any less at all than 120 fps 2D mode, not even when I enabled the on-screen steering wheel in my racing sims. I was flailing my real-life wheel left and right in RFactor 2 (I always use RFactor 2 for these tests as it consistently seems to have the most instant response times/least input lag, at least to my eyes) very, very fast as my monitors were wiggling around from the force, and the on-screen steering wheel still visually stayed EXACTLY with my wheel. Same with regards to just overall driving sensations from real quick snap-slide recovery tests.
- 3. What about when frames get under or over the magic 60 fps (remember that's per eye, which is equivalent to 120 fps in 2D). NOTHING. It IS EXACTLY the same as what would happen in 2D mode, you just might get some stutters or whatever from the frame fluctuations, nothing else. It is EXACTLY the same as when it happens in 2D. The 3D doesn't get all screwed up, you don't go blind lol, nothing, you don't see flickering or any other crap, it looks great still. Just the normal 2D symptoms that everyone gets.
- 4. What about tearing if you don't use VSync. AGAIN, IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME AS IN 2D MODE. Whenever you get some tearing the 3D image doesn't screw up, your glasses don't explode, the image and 3D stays PERFECT. The only thing with the tearing is that in 3D mode whenever you do happen to get some it just stands out a bit more than in 2D mode, but that's it, just regular 2D type of tearing that stands out a bit more when it happens in 3D. Also, you don't get anymore tearing, it happens at exactly the same times and severity as in 2D mode, it's just a little more obvious to see when in 3D, that's all.
- 5. "I HATE 3D in the movie theatres. Everything looks blurry, when things fly across the screen it's just a blurry and juddery mess, and just in general things seem to not look as sharp either, in motion or at standstill". Hey! Me too! I can't stand 3D movies in the theatres, everything looks absolutely terrible, especially in motion, but don't worry, gaming in 3D, or at least with NVidia 3D Vision 2, IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, NOT EVEN CLOSE, TO WHAT THE TERRIBLE MOVIE THEATRE 3D IS LIKE. Get that out of your head, it's not just a little bit better than the movies, it is on a completely higher and different type of level. Also, even in non-motion, the 3D gaming (at least with my NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 setup) is perfectly sharp, there is no lack of sharpness in standstill or in motion, it honestly looks as great as 2D, but in 3D.
- 6. "What about the dimming of the screen and the colors loosing their vividness?". The best 3D monitors are ones with lightboost technology, these monitors have wayyyyy overly bright monitors so that in 2D mode you probably won't need more than 40 or 50% brightness. I do all my web surfing, online videos, reading, work, everything at 0% brightness, at 0% it is not even dim, it just looks like a normal monitor lol. Then on gaming I pump it up to 30% that's it, so bright. So with only 30% needed the monitor therefore has sooooo much more brightness left in it, what happens is when you enter in 3D mode the monitor automatically adjusts to a higher brightness level and everything looks bright, deep, vivid, IT IS NOT THAT DIM CRAP YOU GET IN MOVIE THEATRES, NOT EVEN CLOSE, IT'S NOT EVEN DIM AT ALL. Looks just like a normal nice bright monitor.
- 7. Is it comfortable? Some people said they get headaches, some said it took them a month to get used to it, I can't speak for others but for me. After 30 mins I already had the 3D Depth (configurable in the NVidia control panel or the wheel on the back of the 3D emitter) set to 40%. I didn't feel sick, get a headache, feel weird once I took the glasses off and was back in 2D land, NOTHING.
- 8. "I wear glasses". Me too! The glasses in the NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 kit (not the original, but the "2" version) are larger and fit perfectly over glasses. I thought it was going to be a 50/50 compromise because of my glasses, but nope, it's completely fine in terms of comfort AND functionality.
- 9. Is it gimmicky? NO! It definitely adds to the experience in BOTH IMMERSION AND PERFORMANCE. The depth perception for the hardcore racing sims I play (RFactor 2, Game Stock Car 2013, RFactor 1, Assetto Corsa, GT Legends, Richard Burns Rally, IRacing and more) honestly does improve your driving. You will lap AT LEAST just as fast as before, however you will be more consistent and you will be better at learning tracks, at judging your speed into corners, at judging your closing speed on other cars, etc. The depth makes your eyes and brain process things so much more naturally and realistically, it's different trust me. You are looking far off into the distance, you are looking into and "around" corners, etc. There is depthness to the world, not just a flat plane of pixels layed out on a monitor in front of you, no way.
- So.... To quickly summarize. 60 fps per eye feels/looks like 2D 120 fps (probably because it's 60 per eye so your brain puts them together when it combines the view of both eyes)!! Framerates under 60 (per eye) don't ruin the 3D or experience. Tearing is not any different than 2D (just slightly more noticeable). Colours and brightness are great. Sharpness and overall image quality is perfect (even in motion). Lag doesn't seem to have changed according to visual wheel tests and overall feel of snap slide corrections. VSync isn't forced to be on. There is hardly, if any at all, 3D induced frame-per-second performance loss, (just your game/monitor reporting half because it's PER EYE, totaling the same amount as before). Every area I was concerned about is amazing. Not just most areas, but every area.
I cannot find any cons, honestly. It has exceeded my expectations ten-fold in all areas, performance, functionality, immersiveness, image quality, etc. etc. I see so much false information about NVIDIA 3D Vision, it's messed up. Due to having triple screens I can afford to play at a much more realisitic FOV that makes my onscreen images much closer to a 1:1 representative of real life. I use a vertical FOV of 25 degrees (about 17.5 for my setup would be a perfect true-to-life 1:1 representative but i'm at 25 for now) for my racing sims, and in Battlefield Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 3 I use either 50 or 55 (a perfect true to life 17.5 degree V. FOV would be suicide in those games due to not having enough vertical peripheral view) and when you combine the much, MUCH more realistic low vertical FOVs with NVIDIA 3D Vision 2, it's INSANELY natural and realistic. Even gaming on a single monitor with higher FOVs is amazing, don't you worry.
If you are or were ever even remotely considering buying an NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 kit, trust me, trust me, trust me. GET IT! Don't believe all the false information out there.
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