I don't understand...??

[AKSeaWulfe]

Here's the deal, I have a fairly powerful computer. Nothing running in the background except sometimes RW(off or on there is no difference in FPS, same with WinAmp). At about 12,000ft in the Macchi C205(it's bad in about just about any plane but using the C205 as a standard) with far horizon and hi-res textures(no difference in speed between low and hi res on my machine..... wierd?) and Wabbit's sounds(AH sounds awful without them AND there is no difference in FPS with or w/o them) I can manage a MAXIMUM of 19FPS in forward view. I have a Celeron 466(not overclocked), V3 2000 PCI overclocked to 165Mhz, 192MB PC100 RAM(since celeries run over a 66Mhz FSB would PC100 RAM reduce performance??), Internal ZooM ISA 56K(non-winmodem), Saitek X36F/X36T(USB.. would that impact performance. Does USB use the CPU to process the deflection you are giving to your stick/throttle?), SoundBlaster Live! and I think that's all that's relative to impacting FPS. I run in 1024x768, 800x600 offers no better performance and looks just as ugly. Could it be my vsync being on and my monitor doesn't support those high speeds? Except around airfields my fps is complete crap when they come into view. I'm thinking it might be that damned 3Dfx card with it's crappy D3D drivers. GLIDE games(UnReal or UT) are extremely fast at 1024x768 and given the complexity of the graphics I figure AH would be a little better than it is. I know it's FM and DM are complex(DM doesn't even get calculated until bullets start flying, so that wouldn't affect performance until it needs to be calculated), but would they really bog down my computer that much?
Any help would be appreciated. Other than buying a new video card(have no AGP slot, need a new mobo), do you guys have any suggestions?
Thanks in advance!
-SW
AKSeaWulfe+

[Sharky]

SeaWulf,

What is the refresh rate of your monitor set at?  With vsync on, refresh rate is going to have a big impact on FR.

Also drivers for your video card can have a big impact and the newest ones are not always the best.  I just have a plain ole Viper 550 in my 'puter and I get about 35-40 FPS in most cases.  However that is with the orginal drivers from Diamond, the newest nvidia drivers cause a real frame rate hit.

Sharky


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Playboy Leader
307th FS/31st FG
You can run but ya just die tired

[LuckyDay]

I've got a similar system, 160MB PC100 RAM, Celeron 400, Voodoo3 2000 PCI, and I consistently get better than 40FPS so I don't think it is the card, or at least only the card.  Especially if it is working in the other games.

[bloom25]

I'm using a cel 466 with 96mb ram (pc66) and a V770 Ultra using Diamond 4.02 drivers. (DX 7a as well.) My current resolution is 1024 x 768 32 bit.  In the c205 (internal view) at 15000 ft (offline) I had a frame rate of 57 fps looking forward.

I ALWAYS have vsync on.  Besides for benchmarking, turning vsync off will actually cause you problems in AH.  (Gunnery, bombing, etc.)



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bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS

[Pyro]

HT and I both use PII 333s with Voodoo IIs in 1024 and get better than that.  What version of DX are you running and have you done a virus sweep recently?



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Doug "Pyro" Balmos
HiTech Creations

Most plans are just inaccurate predictions.

[MarkVZ]

I'm only getting a max of about 30 fps out of  my PIII 500, 128MB PC100 RAM, 32MB TNT2 Card in 800*600 resoultion.  I have tried cranking up the resolution but the frame rate only gets worse.  30 is definately playable for me, but I'm just wondering why my system is doing worse than "slower" ones.

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Mark VanZwoll
33rd Strike Group

[bloom25]

I thought it worth mentioning that your framerate will be a factor of your monitor refresh rate.  (I.e. 1/3, 1/2, 1 to 1 relationship.)

MarkVZ, any chance your monitor is refreshing at 60Hz?  

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bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS

[bloom25]

Notice above I said my frame rate in the 205 was 57 fps.  Now try this.  My monitor refreshes at 85 Hz at 1024 x 768 32 bit.  Now take 85 and multiply by 2/3, you get (surprise) 56.666666.  

You might check and see if you are able to turn up your monitors refresh rate.  (Right click desktop, properties, settings tab, advanced button, adapter tab.  Now look down where it says refresh rate.  Try switching this around and seeing if your refresh rate goes up.  (Optimal generally is the best setting.)

Oh yeah, get Dx 7a too.  



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bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS

[MarkVZ]

Bloom25, thanks for the advice...

My refresh rate was set at optimal, so I switched it to 85 and got the same results.

I have DX7 installed. (not sure if it's 7.0 or 7a or whatever)

I also have Nvidia's latest detonator drivers.

I think I may re-format this beast in a week or two.  Wanna leave it up 'cause I'm going to be building a PIII 667EB (drool)   for my sister to take to college, and want to keep this machine up incase I need to coply Win98 files or anything.  Maybe all I need is a good re-format?

I built this machine myself, and maybe there's a setting I overlooked that is restricting it's capabilities.  Anyone have any more suggestions?  


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Mark VanZwoll
33rd Strike Group

[MarkVZ]

Nevermind bloom...

Read another thread, looks like I'm the latest victim of the TNT2 Model 64  

Wish I woulda known this before I bought this POS card  

Thanks for the help  




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Mark VanZwoll
33rd Strike Group

[AKSeaWulfe]

 

Originally posted by Pyro:
HT and I both use PII 333s with Voodoo IIs in 1024 and get better than that.  What version of DX are you running and have you done a virus sweep recently?

I have a 15" monitor setup as "unknown" because there are apparently no known drivers for this monitor.... not sure if that would have an impact? I have DX7.0a and it's not a virus. I did a reformat and clean install just before installing AH a while back. Performance didn't get any worse since then, so I'm positive it's not a virus. Could a POS motherboard be the problem? It's kind of discouraging since all computers I've bought or built still somehow manage to be the bottom rung of the industry. Like I'm cursed to fight in a low FPS environment. :-(
Oh well, thanks anyway Pyro and rest.
-SW

[AKMyst]

.

[Pyro]

I didn't see you mention this the first time, but have you tried updating your video drivers?



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Doug "Pyro" Balmos
HiTech Creations

"I say old boy, why don't you shut up and die like a man?"

[NUTTZ]

Not sure if i can help here,but a few things i can address may help. You said you have a v3 2000 pci, ,, question,, your momboard doesn't have an AGP slot?  it must be dated. Voodoo's hate video shadowing.I don't "think" your USB has much to do with performance but one thing i was told, the USB will slow to whatever the slowest thing connected,,,, I was told to remove my USB mouse because i have USB DSL modem. you have a USB mouse connected also?  Celerons just don't have the caching, you can overclock the crap out of them but for pure performance i stick to the 512 caching chips.

Last  is " latest drivers" I have an old banshee that gives better frame rates than a voodoo 3 2000, althou it does smell like grilled cheese after a few hours.

NUTTZ

[bloom25]

Unknown monitor =  

Try changing it to SOMETHING else.  Even Plug and Play is better than that.  Find out what kind of monitor you have and then try to find drivers for it.  Having an unknown monitor will absolutely kill you with vsync on.

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bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS