Here at Techgage, our virtual toolbox is chalk-full of various applications and utilities that we can’t do without. We pick and choose from our collection depending on what we need done, whether it be to stress-test a CPU, kit of RAM or a graphics card, or to compare performance from one component to another. But there’s one tool in particular that we simply couldn’t go without, and over the years, it hasn’t been replaced or ignored, as it’s far too valuable.
That tool is FRAPS, by Beepa. FRAPS is best known as being the small tool that allows gamers to capture their gameplay as raw video, but what we use it for mostly is for its benchmarking feature. With it, we’re able to start an FPS recording as we begin a benchmarking run, and stop it a minute or two later, at which point we’re supplied with a file that gives us the minimum, average and maximum FPS information. This information works its way into our reviews, wherever game benchmarking is involved.
The reason I bring all this up is because the company has just released a new major version, 3.0, and it includes a few new features worth talking about. The first and most notable is that it supports DirectX 11. That counts for both benchmarking, taking screenshots, and also recording video. The previous version just won’t work. And with DirectX 11 support must mean Windows 7 support, and no surprise, it’s indeed found here also.
Interestingly enough, there’s even support for NVIDIA’s GeForce 3D Vision. FRAPS will essentially record a “stereo AVI” that can be watched back with the glasses. So what you see during your real gameplay can be experienced a second time. I haven’t test this out, but I’m assuming this would result in file sizes twice as large as a normal recording. Other features include the ability to record video to lossless RGB, and also the ability to mix both game sound and an external audio input, like a microphone.
Unlike most companies who charge an upgrade fee for a new version, there’s no such thing here. If you own a previous version of FRAPS, you can simply log into the site and grab the latest version. If you don’t own a copy, or haven’t use the application before, you don’t know what you’re missing!
New features and a new look! Fraps is now compatible with Windows 7 and the latest DirectX 11 games. Ventrilo & TeamSpeak users have long wanted a way to record their microphone and speakers at the same time. For Windows 7 and Vista we’ve added realtime sound mixing to our video recording so you can now capture both sides of the conversation! NVIDIA have recently included stereoscopic 3D support directly into their drivers. If you play your DirectX9 (D3D9) game with 3D Vision enabled you can use Fraps to record the game in full 3D too!