Video card question

[Aces]

Hi,

I think that I know why this is happening but ever since I upgraded my video card to an Nvidia GTX550TI from and NVIDIA GTX260 I get the warning in-game that I only have 128MB video memory. I assume that it is because the game isn't detecting my video card as it is a later model. The game plays fine but can anyone confirm that this is the case please.

Another quick question regarding frame-rate. I've never enjoyed particularly high frame rates in SF42. At th moment I'm getting about 15/16 FPS slowing down to 4-5 FPS during very heavy action and absolute (and rare) maximum of about 24 FPS. I have 4GB RAM, Intel Core 2 Quad 2.5MHZ CPU and my video card as stated. It doesn't matter what res I run the game the FPS are as above. Should I be expecting more from your experience or do they sound about right?. I do have quite a few mods but, from memory, even without these mods I've never seen better framerates that these. I also noticed using on-screen monitoring software that both my old and new video cards switch  their core, shader and memory frequencies periodically between 2D and 3D settings during gameplay. I have disabled any powersaving in the Nvidia drivers but it doesn't have any effect on this issue. BTW. Not sure if this has any bearing on the issue but I can never get GPU-Z to recognise a video card in my rig irrespective of what driver versions I'm using it is always blank but CPU-Z does detect it and so does the monitoring software bundled with the card.

Any tips much appreciated

Thanks and regards

Aces

PS. I should add that even on my previous rig with a single core CPU and lower spec video card I've never and running at a lower screen res I have never noticed much of a framerate difference which inclines my to think that there must be something that's limiting things in-game.

Just found this very interesting video on disabling Nvidia power saving using Rivatuner, might be good to try:

[Rends]

Whow, i would expect higher framerates with your videocard.

Well first thing you need to know that SF42 doesn´t support multicore. It only use one core while the other one stays idle.
Next SF speed depends on CPU power . One more problem is that lots if not most usermade vehicles doesn´t come with more than one LOD (one 3D model for all distances). So this kill fps too.

I have a 2.26GHz, 2GB DDR3 Ram Mac Mini with a 256MB nvidia geforce 9400 . I run the game at 1200x800 res and get around 15-25 fps.

With your GPU i would expect 10+ fps more. What resolution do you run the game?

[Donken]

I think SF is using cpu power more then graphical power. That can explain why i got more fps then you but i have an older and worser graphics card. But my cpu is a little better. Graphic for me is GTX460, stock speed and cpu is C2D E6850 OC to 3.4ghz. And i have around 30 to 40fps at my settings (1920x1080, everything else is max), but i have changed a few settings in nvidia inspector to get AA and stuff like that.

And also this about single core and dual core etc, This is a pretty old game so its probably only using one core anyway, i havent looked into it but maybe it supports dual core?. So a 2.5ghz quad core is probably worser then a 3ghz single or dual core. Simple math. Quad core have x4 2.5 ghz and game can only use one of those cores = 2.5ghz cpu for this game. and if comparing to a dual core if the game can handle it, x2 2.5ghz gives 5k ghz vs a dual core at 3ghz gives 6k ghz so you are still 1000mhz away

EDIT: Rends where a little faster but i think you get the idea

[Aces]

Thanks guys,

Thant's very useful information. I've tried all sorts of resolutions, with my old rig I used to run as low as 1024x768 with very muuch the same framerates and it was, from memory, a single core P4 with a lower spec video card. After I bought a widescreen 23inch monitor a while back I've been using widescreen resolutions and at the moment I'm running 1920x1080 @60hz but dropping to lower eg. 1600x900 doesn't change the framerates one bit. I'll still give the Rivatuner option a try though, not sure why the GPU clock frequencies keep changing in-game though it doesn't seem to happen in other games using on-screen monitoring sofware so taht make SF42 un-usual.  The point about the game being CPU speed dependant is very interesting I wonder if once could try forcing it to use 2 cores if not all four by changing processor affinity, it's maybe worth a try first as it is quick and easy.

Hope you are having some joy with your BSOD issues Rends.

Cheers chaps.

Aces

[Donken]

Hopefully you can solve it somehow. But one thing i got from experience with one threaded games that cant be forced to use two cores is if you move steelfury to another core instead. So it uses one core alone (instead of using core0 with all other 40 running services/programs you have). That way you can hopefully get a few fps.

[Aces]

Great idea thanks mate, I'll stick it on core 03 and see what that dividends that might bring. I will also see if Rivatuner can force the Nvidia to stay on 3D as that's an interesting issue. I do a lot of video capture/movie-making for my own amusement and with FRAPS it pull the FPS down even further and I'd like to end up with at least 12FPS stable and then I can double back up to 24FPS in the video editing.

Cheers

Aces

[frinik]

OK Aces may be I can help you.I have a Qosmio laptop  equipped with an Nvidia GTX560m ,1.5 gb ddr5 mem( same processor as yours; an intel i5 2.4ghtz and 6 gbs of RAM) which is roughly the equivalent of your Nvidia GT550TI and I get on average 25 to 45 fps up to 60 even with the stock missions and even with very intense missions  involving lots of tanks, artillery and infantry I rarely go below 21!.I tinkered with it until I got the results I wanted.Here's what you do:

1) Open you Nvidia control pannel.Go to Manage 3d Settings.Then set the following values to your Global Settings:

- Ambient occlusion set to performance
- Anisotropic filtering = Off
- Antialiasing - Gamma Corrections = Off
- Antialiasing mode = Application controlled
- Antialiasing settings = Application controlled
- Antialiasing Transparency = Multisample
- CUDAS- GPUS = All
- Maximum pre rendred frames = 2
- Multi display/Mixed GPU Acceleration = single display /performance mode
- Power management mode = adaptive
- Texture filtering -Anisotropic sample optimisation = on
- Texture filtering - Negative LOD bias = Allow
- Texture filtering - Quality = Performance
- Texture filtering - Trilinear optimisation = On
- Threaded optimisation = Off
- Triple Buffering = Off
- Verticla Sync = Application controlled

Use these settings also for your program settings for SF.

In the Adjust Image Settings with Preview in the Control pannel I chose the Use Advance Settings with a preview Option and set the slider beneath to Balanced.

Next in your game Menu go to Main Settings and uncheck the Use Desktop Resolution box.To compensate for the slight loss in quality of the image then in your Game Video settings menu I set the Gamma slider to 101, the Contrast one to 92 and left the brightness at 50.Play with them until you find the formula you like best.

Just for yoeru info I have a corei5 2.4 ghtz processor and 6 gbs of RAM.I also have a desktop with an ATI HD5670 1gb ddr5(8gbs RAM and an Intel i7 7680) so much less powerful than my GTX560M or your GT550TI and I get the same fps using similar settings in the ATI Catalyst Suite pannel and usign the same in game main Settings and Video Settings.

In fact even with my other laptop with an Athlon processor and an ATI  HD3650 512 mbs dd3 I get better framerates than you!

TRy my formula and let me know if it works  for you!

Don't forget to set your default to use Nvidia Graphic processor so your game does not use the crappy intel integrated graphic unit instead in case you have Optimus.

Cheers!

[Aces]

Hi frinik,

Thank you very much for taking the time to post your settings. I changed my default Nvidia settings to yours and also created a new profile with Nvidia Inspector with your settings using shell.exe.
Wow!, my frame rate has now increase about 50% to 25 FPs in a very intensive mission  which is abhout a 50% imnprovement!. I am extremely satisfied with these settings. I also downloaded a system tray program, that I once had that allows the infinity to be set for each program permanently called CoreAffinity http://www.softpedia.com/dyn-postdownload.php?p=144105&t=4&i=1 I set it to use core 03 and this also gained me a few FPS.

It is very refreshing to visit this forum where you guys are extremely friendly and helpful after SimHQ's CLOD forujm where regular bouts of inter-nicine warfare break out.

Many thanks to all for their help, very much appreciated.

Cheers

Aces

[frinik]

You are welcome Aces and thanks for your great contribution with the German uniforms!This forum is a haven of peace compared to many others and here the motto is share and exchange.We have a very dedicated membership and while there are sometimes differences in points of view there's never any acrimony nor hassling and rancour. of all the fora I am a member of - including the one you mentioned in your post - this is possibily the most dynamic and positive!

Welcome aboard Mate and I am happy the nvidia tweaks worked out for you!

PS:You may want to try tweaking some of the values I gave you as you may obtain better results fior your card with different settings .

Cheers!

Frinik