Framerate probs

[-ammo-]

Well I changed to 1024 X 768 and installed the Hi Res patch—wow! I love the detail that came with it!  However I don’t like the ding I took in my framerate. I wen’t from 60+ out the front of my cockpit to 28. And when Im in the thick of it  really suffers.  Where I notice it (what bothers me) is the “jerkyness” when I try to track the con.

But to the meat of the post—I want to know ways of improving my framerate and overall video performance. Maybe with adjustments to the refresh rate of my moniter to actually buying a new card.

What is the difference between a 3d accelerator card and a game card—video card? Which are the best and which are the best buys for the money? I know absolutely nothing about this; all I want is bett4er performance.

My system specs—

Micron Pentium III 500 mgz
56K modem
17” trinitron monitor
Diamond Viper 550 vid card
Creative labs soundblaster “LIVE”
128 MGB of RAM
promise ultra SCSI  ide hard drive controller

Think that’s all that’s relavent

THX in advance for help.


 

[AKSeaWulfe]

When the "jerkyness" occurs are you zoomed in or are you looking up into the sky? Sometimes that is caused my your framerate being too HIGH rather than low. Your monitor can't keep up with the video card, so it starts to stutter.

A 3D accelerator is what makes Aces High so pretty. It gives certain effects that are done in the 3D accelerator's CPU that a 2D card can't do. (or an S3 ViRGE can't do LOL)
A game card isn't a video card at all, it's a peripheral device that takes the burden off your sound card and CPU for figuring out the stick movements. If you have USB stick, you don't need a game card. If you have a gameport stick, then a game card is a better bet than using the sound card's gameport. That V550 uses the S3 Savage4 chipset if I'm not mistaken. It's fairly decent, but if you are going to upgrade, get a V5 5500 or the GeForce 2 GTS. They are both a lot of $$$, but worth it.

HOpe this helps.
-SW
ps: I'm runinng 1024x768 and using the high res patch, but my fps went up from not using the high res patch. I have a C466 326MB RAM and a V3 2000 PCI. Are you sure you didn't enable 32bit colors?

[Skuzzy]

Don't know what model of monitor the Trinitron is, but the default scan rate at 1024x768 is 75Hz for most 17" Sony's.  You can manully set them to 85hz, which is the secondary rate and they work just fine.

I really suspect you have hit the limit of your video card.  You did not say how much memory your video card has.

As far as the difference between a "game" and "3d accelerator" card goes....  Some of the video companies have cards they call "game cards".  These cards are usually stripped down to what the gamer needs (i.e. no analog connections for a video tape deck, no MPEG compression on board for DVD playback and so on).
They are all "3d accelerators".  I don't know of any company still selling non-3d accelerated cards anymore.  You would have to go back a couple of years to find non-3d graphics boards.

Now, as far as "bang for the buck" goes, the ATI Rage MAXX is about the best deal you can get, right now.  At $105.00 U.S. it gives me a framerate from 45 to 80 at 1280x1024x32 bit.  Now, my monitor does support 100Hz scan rates in this mode (19" NEC FP-950).  Generally, the Sony 17" monitors will only run at 60Hz in this mode.

Also note, the MAXX (AGP bus required) requires 2 interrupts, which cannot be shared.  Looking at your system configuration, you probably cannot use the MAXX, as you do not have enough free interrupts to use the drivers (it likes 10 & 11 for the interrupts).

There are other cards, which will give equal to better performance, but I think they are running about $240.00 U.S. right now, although I have heard rumblings of the prices of these cards are dropping.
I am sure others will drop in thier suggestions for these cards, as I have no real experience with them I cannot make any sure recommendations.

Hope this helps.


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Roy "Skuzzy" Neese
President, AppLink Corp.
http://www.applink.net
skuzzy@applink.net

[-ammo-]

hi fellas, thx for the quick responses. rreguarding the DV 550, I believe it is a 16 Meg card, but can't remeber and could very well be wrong. as far as the refresh rate, I tried to set it at 85 htz adn I lost the screen for 4 minutes and then manually rebooted the computer. At 1024x768, I guess that is too much for my monitor and dont want to push it either., i sewt it at 75 HTZ and AH runs great but i still get the jerkiness when i cycle views and/or mix it up. In the A6M I was training with in the TA today-- at best i get 20 FPS ( ouch) Now if I look up or out the side , anywhere away from  the guages, I get better FPS. Gonna start looking for another card. Now, are you sure this will help me?

edited for this-- what is the difference between AGP and PCI cards? And will my PC be able to use either?

[This message has been edited by -ammo- (edited 08-19-2000).]

[AKSeaWulfe]

PCI runs at 66hz and does not have a connection to system memory for easy access. AGP runs at BUS speed and allows textures to be stored in system memory and brought over to video card memory without accessing the hard drive. Basically AGP is the better way to go-- more speed. TO know if your system supports AGP, you need to remove the case of your computer. PCI is a small white card slot and ISA is the long black one. The AGP would be brown(?), it's slightly further back than the PCI slots and is located directly above them.
-SW

[-ammo-]

OK, what do you guys think of the vision Tek GeForce MX 32 bit? or maybe the Voodoo3 3500?

[Toad]

Ammo,

All the "hardware sites" like Tom's and Sharky say that the MX card acts about like a GeForce 1 card with DDR RAM at the lower resolutions. At 1024 and up it slows down to a GeForce 1 with SDR RAM.

Neither of which is bad, of course, but if you love the hi-res, the GeForce2 non-MX is probably the answer. $$$$$$$

 

[maddog]

Running P3 650 with Gforce (terminator, I think) getting 50-80 fps... graphics look great.. I think I have seen them for like $150 or so lately.... with geforce2 and geforceUltra coming out prices are dropping fast...
doc

[miko2d]

 A GeForce2 MX is a great value for the money  - about $100. It's limitation is the memory bandwidth. If you are willing to forgo the 32 bit and make do with 16, you should get very good framerates - better then GeForce SDR in most cases. Of course 32 bits is nicer in AH when it comes to sunsets...
 I would not waste $250 on the full-blown GeForce2 if I were you - it would not hurt, but with 17" you will be limited to 1024 anyway.
 Better save the money for the future CPU/card/monitor upgrade.
 miko--

[Pyro]

It sounds like before you were able to run at 60fps plus, but now you've taken a hit that drops you to under 60, so vsync has to take it down to about 30.  If your a videophile and can appreciate the difference, you could try turning vsync off although that may cause some other anomolies.



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Doug "Pyro" Balmos
HiTech Creations