Skuzzy: ATI Vert Sync Blue Screen

[bustr]

Scuzzy,

Don't know if anyone has posted about this one yet.

Intel 850E chip set.
3.06 Ghz Northwood
1G Rambus
ATI 9700 Pro 128
Radeon Omega 2.6.25a (Catalyst 5.4)
Intel chipset drivers 11/02.

This weekend I had to perform a vinella reinstall of XP and hotfix it up to sp2. I waited untill after sp2 to install the Omega drivers. I let XP run the card in VGA untill then. In AH2 in the video and system memory counter, the game now thinks my card has 256M of memory rather than 128. The default install of the Omega drivers disabled Vertical Sync.

My desktop is at 1024x768 @ 120Hz. The game gives me a max FPS of 150 and min of 55.

I asked Nomde if I needed VSync on in the game. He said yes, so I set it and started the game. XP blue screened "I think" STOP: 0xC. I rebooted and disabled VSync and AH2 is now happy.

Do I need VSync for the game?

[Elyeh]

I have VSYNC always off and have no problems

[Skuzzy]

On is preferred.

[bustr]

Skuzzy,

Could this be a problem with the version of the Omega\Catalyst drivers I'm using? The game is showing 256M RAM on my 9700 Pro 128 card.

[Elyeh]

What exactly does the VSYNC do?

[StarOfAfrica2]

Vsync synchronizes your frame rates to your monitor's refresh rate.  If your monitor refresh is set to 60, your fps will be capped at 60.  Btw, 60 is default normally.  Most modern monitors can do 85hz at popular resolutions (i.e. 1024x768).  There are many now that can do better.  

You mostly want it off if you are benchmarking or testing to see how well the card itself responds to changes.  When you see benchmark tests on Tom's Hardware, or Anandtech, or whatever, they have Vsync off when they are showing you those 100-200 fps marks.

So if it gets better frame rates with vsync off, why turn it on?  For a few reasons.

1)  You cant see those frame rates anyway.  Whatever your monitor's refresh rate is, thats all the monitor is going to show.  Period.  Even if your video card is pumping out a mighty 500 frames per second, if your monitor's refresh is set at 60hz, you will never physically see more than 60 frames per second.  Fps is always going to be hardware limited by your refresh rate on your monitor, no matter how good your video card is.  

So ok, I cant see the frame rates my uber card is putting out, so why cant I just leave vsync off and make myself feel good with those big fps numbers?

2)  When Vsync keeps the card's fps in line with the refresh rate, it's also making sure that the output of the card matches what the CPU can accomplish.  While your card is pumping out those mighty 500 fps, the CPU is lagging behind.  It's trying to take care of the textures and swapping info between system RAM and video RAM, reading info off the HD, managing all the devices on the system bus, AND trying to communicate with the AH server to update your FE.  The result?  While your video card has displayed 500 frames, your CPU only processed 250.  What happens is, your video card stops showing frames until the CPU catches up.  Or you get "tearing" in the video.  People are going to argue that modern computers and CPUs are capable of keeping up, so tearing and freezes are an issue of the past.  I disagree.  Especially with a game that hits the CPU as hard as Aces High.  

You do what you like.  I'd rather have smooth 35-80 fps than risk a big screen freeze at a really critical moment.  Had it happen.  Sucked.

[bustr]

Skuzzy,

I'll try the latest ATI Catalyst drivers first ver. 5.5. If that does not cause the game to see only 128M on my 9700 and allow vsync "on" in the game, then I'll try an older ver. of the Omega drivers. I get slightly better FPS in the game using the Omega.

Since this PC has been running nearly 24x7 for 2 years, I'm wondering if this may be a warning sign that the video card didn't like the weekend of reboots and is biteing the dust on me.

Well if I can't resolve the VSYNC blue screen with VSYNC always on when the game starts, and this vid card had no problems before I had to rebuild last weekend, I'll start looking at getting a new card. ATI 9800 Pro 128. No point in anything newer with an AGP 4 slot.

[StarOfAfrica2]

Bustr, when you uninstall the old drivers, make sure you restart in between, and I would go so far as to do a registry clean while the video drivers are uninstalled.  It sounds to me like you have a corrupted file somewhere.  Also, try reinstalling Direct X after you get your video drivers installed.  I have DX installations go wonky on me alot.

[Elyeh]

Thanks SOA2
Great write up:aok

[bustr]

Success, it worked. Uninstalled the Omega drivers and installed the Catalyst 5.5 drivers. Was able to turn VSync "on" and entering the game did not Blue Screen....................... ...

Thanks everyone..............