Author Topic: One problem solved, another pops up.... (Read 1445 times)

-CodyC · « **on:** June 03, 2007, 07:46:55 PM »

So i originally had a problem with my computer constantly restarting while playing the game for no apparent reason. Some times it would just blue screen, other times white screen. Well i eventually got a BSOD which told me there was a file causing it. So i searched it, wound up running driver verifier to fix it. To make a long story short i had to uninstall Norton in the end. The problem then magically went away.

However i have run into a new problem. I think i have all the drivers up to date and i reinstalled AH. For some reason my FPS went from an average of 55 even in the biggest of furballs to a mindnumbing 15 when in a furball. If im high up and there is no one around i can get 64 like i used to, but if i am in a turn fight with one plane it usually drops into the 40s and if near a base when ack is firing, it is in the 20s. I have disabled all the effects and turned everything down as far as i can to try and fix it but no joy. Im attaching my dxdiag for anyone who can help with this new problem.

------------------
Time of this report: 6/3/2007, 19:41:46
Machine name: ADRIENNE
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
System Model: A7N8X2.0
BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) , MMX, 3DNow, ~1.1GHz
Memory: 1024MB RAM
Page File: 160MB used, 2305MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: /PackageInstall
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
Display Tab 1: The file ati2dvag.dll is not digitally signed, which means that it has not been tested by Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL). You may be able to get a WHQL logo'd driver from the hardware manufacturer.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 2: No problems found.
Music Tab: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.
Network Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D: 0/4 (n/a)
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: RADEON 9600 Series (Omega 2.5.97a)
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc. (Omega 2.5.97a)
Chip type: RADEON 9600 Series AGP (0x4150)
DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4150&SUBSYS_00021002&REV_00
Display Memory: 128.0 MB
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: Default Monitor
Monitor Max Res:
Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6497 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 11/30/2004 22:12:50, 221184 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: No
WHQL Date Stamp: None
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: ati2mtag.sys
Mini VDD Date: 12/14/2004 17:51:50, 873984 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B71EE2-0210-11CF-D36A-0820A1C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x1002
Device ID: 0x4150
SubSys ID: 0x00021002
Revision ID: 0x0000
Revision ID: 0x0000
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D
Deinterlace Caps: {6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalSt retch
{552C0DAD-CCBC-420B-83C8-74943CF9F1A6}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalSt retch
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled
DDraw Test Result: Not run
D3D7 Test Result: Not run
D3D8 Test Result: Not run
D3D9 Test Result: Not run

-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
Description: NVIDIA(R) nForce(TM) Audio
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: NFORCE_VAD
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: nvapu.sys
Driver Version: 6.14.0462.0000 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
Date and Size: 4/13/2005 12:34:02, 414464 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: NVIDIA Corporation
HW Accel Level: Full
Cap Flags: 0xF5F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 200, 100000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 256, 253
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 64, 64
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: Yes, Yes
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: Yes, Yes
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No
Registry: OK
Sound Test Result: Not run

Description: Modem #0 Line Playback (emulated)
Default Sound Playback: No
Default Voice Playback: No
Hardware ID:
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 81
Type: Emulated
Driver Name:
Driver Version:
Driver Attributes:
WHQL Logo'd:
Date and Size:
Other Files:
Driver Provider:
HW Accel Level: Full
Cap Flags: 0x0
Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No
Registry: OK
Sound Test Result: Not run

The Fugitive · « **Reply #1 on:** June 03, 2007, 09:40:11 PM »

What textures are you running in AH2? Pre-loading with only a gig of ram is touch and go, and if your pushing the textures at 512 you might be over doing it. I'd try cutting back.

-CodyC · « **Reply #2 on:** June 03, 2007, 10:15:28 PM »

I do preload and i have been running 256 textures.

fuzeman · « **Reply #3 on:** June 04, 2007, 12:08:21 PM »

Minor stuff-
1) Display Devices: Monitor: Default Monitor
Try to get your specific monitor drivers loaded for this.
2) Sound Devices: HW Accel Level: Full
Lower that to standard acceleration or 3/4.

Maybe stuff-
1) Why is your modem also listed under 'Sound Devices'?
From what I recall 2 sound devices is not a good thing.

Krusty · « **Reply #4 on:** June 04, 2007, 12:41:13 PM »

Before you got all the BSODs and whatnot, were you able to run AH? What average FPS did you get then?

Roscoroo · « **Reply #5 on:** June 04, 2007, 01:06:04 PM »

dont preload anything ...

next question what type of monitor crt or lcd ???

you should be able to run at 512 with the performance slider turned down a touch ... (You can tune the game with this because of your cpu bottle neck)

I do recommend you try to find a 2400+ 2500+ or even a 3200+ barton
(do not get a sempron) cpu.

that is unless you already have one and your timing in the bios is at default and thats why its showing this " Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) , MMX, 3DNow, ~1.1GHz" (this isnt a common cpu speed for athlons thats why im questioning this)

another trick to do is to turn your sound excelleration down a notch .

-CodyC · « **Reply #6 on:** June 04, 2007, 02:47:28 PM »

BSODs started as soon as i started playing AH again. Was on a different system and a different decade the last time i played AH(beta '99 i think, mebbe 98)

Rosco now that you point that out it used to be set to ~2.4 GHZ before. I went into BIOS when i was trying to fix all this and set everything back to factory default.....did i screw up?

Krusty · « **Reply #7 on:** June 04, 2007, 02:52:27 PM »

Okay, you never had a "baseline" to measure by. The 9600 is an older card. While some still get some mileage from it, it's not a top-end piece of machinery. You're only going to get a small performance boost over what you've just recently started to see.

Set the detail sliders to default. Disable weapons effects and smoke effects in graphics settings. You can disable skins if you like, but I can't live without those, and you probably have enough RAM to run them.

512 max, suggest 256 texture size just for performance.

Now here's the biggy.

Go into your new driver settings. Make sure that you don't have any anti-aliasing or 16x aniso or whatever. You never know what defaults it might have set with the new drivers.

Oh, and getting your CPU back to full speed will help a great deal. AH is a CPU intensive game. I was bottlenecked by my CPU a while back and got a better one and left everything else the same, and it ran better. Get that CPU back to normal and you might see your FPS go to an acceptable level.

-CodyC · « **Reply #8 on:** June 04, 2007, 03:17:45 PM »

Ok so here's the thing, i reset the BIOS back to default and we see the 1.1GHZ. I adjust it so it is now a 1.5GHZ CPU. Now since i didn't set this computer up could it be possible that the CPU being set to 2.4GHZ might have been causing the computer to restart all those times? Simply because it was just overclocked too much? That being said, how can i find out exactly what my CPU is capable of, by this i mean how do i find out what the factory speed setting is for it? Is it the default?

Also by changing it to 1.5GHZ i saw an increase in FPS. So thanks Rosco for helping me(hopefully) narrow down this problem.

One last question, if this is a low end CPU, what should i look for on the motherboard to find out what type of CPU i can put in it?

Roscoroo · « **Reply #9 on:** June 04, 2007, 03:44:28 PM »

well the only way to truly see what amd cpu you have is to look at the numbers on it Visually . these amd cpu's reflect the model in windows to what its clocked to so you cant get the correct model of it unless you take the heatsink off and look ... or if theres a sticker on your case that says what it is .

now 2.4 ghz is a tough clocking to achieve out of these cpu's . its very picky and will overheat ... I dont normally recommend this speed . (I run it ,, but im on water cooling and know what im doing and how to monitor it )

you may be thinking its a 2400+ and if thats the case that cpu lovs the 12.0 x 166 clocking which = 2.0 ghz (10 x 200 ive found to be unstable on most of them)

If you could tell me exactly what model cpu you have I can suggest the best clocking for it ... Ive built over 20 asus a8n7x series machines and have used a very wide range of cpu's on them (ive got a list of what timings work with which cpu the best ... as for some timings will crash the os and Bsod for no real reason at the same ghz result)

You need to get your cpu set back to its stock setting , then go from there .

then you need to write this setting down as for these asus boards after a hard crash will set the bios settings to default ...you have to open the bios and reset it ... this even happens to mine about once a month .