Author Topic: question for the computer techs out there  (Read 1237 times)

Offline dkff49

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question for the computer techs out there
« on: April 03, 2008, 03:50:31 PM »
I still have some problem with playing on my laptop. After doing a lot more testing I found the framerates increasing more than they should. I have alreaddy been through Skuzzy about this. We have tried the vert sync and I have checked the box in game that tells it to play at 60 fps. I have come to realize that things are probably as good as it gets. But I have one question I tested the game with the task manager up and also the resource monitor. What I found is that with the game running my memory usage never goes over 50%, my CPU usage rarely goes over 50%, however network goes to and remains close to 100% (I realize this could be my problem but also could be from using a wireless network connection which is what I use on my desktop when  I play at home).

And now for the my main question here

When I looked at disk usage it rarely went below 100% while running game. Is this referring to the harddrive? I am not sure what this is referring to. I am no computer guru. The last time I had anything to do with the inner workings of a computer was in 1991 and that was in high school when you had to run dos before running any programs (kind of scary how far these things have come isn't it). I thought I was on top of the world then, when I did a little programming in turbo paxil. Gone are the days.

computer has
dual T83 2.4 ghz processor
4 Gigs RAM
256 nvidea video card geforce Go 8600
160G 5400 rpm harddrive

just wondering because I really thought this would work better than it does and kind of wondered why. Skuzzy had told me earlier that mostly it is because of runnging the vista on laptop. So again probably not alot I can do other than maybe at some point take Vista off and run XP. But that won't be for some time.

thanks for any time given here.
Haxxor has returned!!!!
Dave
        

Offline Dragon

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Re: question for the computer techs out there
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2008, 04:00:44 PM »
playing on my laptop

That is the problem.
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Offline dkff49

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Re: question for the computer techs out there
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2008, 04:09:28 PM »
thanks for your incite there dragon. I realize that a laptop won't play as well as a desktop and I spend most of my time playing on my desktop however when I am at work I have alot of time downtime at work and laptop is only way for me to play at work. What I want to know is what part of my laptop is causing the problem but thanks anyway.

Haxxor has returned!!!!
Dave
        

Offline NOT

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Re: question for the computer techs out there
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2008, 04:09:57 PM »
google "fsautostart". cpu usage should be near 100% with game running. vsynch is controled in the Nvidia control panel, not the game, it should be set to "force on".






NOT



AKNOT

Offline humble

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Re: question for the computer techs out there
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2008, 04:10:55 PM »
Your only using 1 processor on a 2 processor CPU. If you go to task manager you should see an option or it should default to show you graphics for both CPU's...if it doesn't then your only using 1. If it does and only 1 is maxing out then AH isnt using the other.

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Offline dkff49

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Re: question for the computer techs out there
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2008, 04:18:49 PM »
google "fsautostart". cpu usage should be near 100% with game running. vsynch is controled in the Nvidia control panel, not the game, it should be set to "force on".






NOT

yes the v-sync is already set to force on for aces high and I did change that in the nvidea control panel. thanks for the fsautostart I will try that.

there is an option in the video settings in game that says "max frame rate" that is what I have checked to amx at 60 (thought maybe that would help)

my CPU usage almost never goes over 50% though except when I first start game. I took and opened game and went on line to DA and every 10-20 seconds went back to resource monitor and checked usage and the only things that maxed out were "disk" and "network"
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Offline dkff49

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Re: question for the computer techs out there
« Reply #6 on: April 03, 2008, 05:04:43 PM »
don't know if this helps or not but I have pics of what the resource monitor looke like at specific times

this is what it looks like when I first enter the DA

[urlhttp://files.filefront.com/resource+viewjpg/;9944517;/fileinfo.html][/url]


this is when I take off and head into the furball area and first see the problem

http://files.filefront.com/after+noticingjpg/;9944513;/fileinfo.html

couldn't get image to post sorry but here is the link

edit because not getting pics to post

« Last Edit: April 03, 2008, 05:07:59 PM by dkff49 »
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Offline humble

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Re: question for the computer techs out there
« Reply #7 on: April 03, 2008, 05:18:33 PM »
instead of using your resource monitor use con/alt/delete to start the task manager. Check to see if your laptop is showing both processors or not.

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Offline dkff49

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Re: question for the computer techs out there
« Reply #8 on: April 03, 2008, 09:14:01 PM »
I do check that from time to time and it is always the same (since I don't change anything I guess it would be)

The CPU display shows 2 windows (I assume that means it is showing both processors). one of them is always flatline though and the other goes up to 75% at the highest time.using the same process that I did with the resource monitor. I just figured the resource monitor was the same thing only more detailed (I could be wrong and probably am though). The CPU percentage idles between 0 and 1% and more on the 0%.

The memory usage is usually idling around 25% and at peak times around 50% again using the same process as I did with the resource monitor.

This is why I was wondering what it is a laptop (more specifically mine since everything that is in this laptop is more than the recommended on the home page for Vista). Not that I think I can change it or make it better but thought there has to be something that makes laptops bad for gunning games.What is the main difference between my laptop and a desktop with same values for components. I work at several different ambulance stations and at one of them I installed AH on their desktop which has half the RAM, has a smaller CPU and a 128 video card(compared to my 256), and is also running Vista but plays game much better than my laptop. This confuses  me as to exactly what is different between these 2 systems (specifically not just the old one is a laptop and one is a desk top). There has to be something specific (right??).

Just trying to clear up my confusion

Any help is appreciated
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Dave
        

Offline The Fugitive

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Re: question for the computer techs out there
« Reply #9 on: April 03, 2008, 09:57:55 PM »
If you are running the game in win98 mode your only going to see one cpu running, because thats what it does, it turns off one cpu.

I don't understand what your problem is.... your frame rate is to low? ....frame rate moves around?

by hitting cntrl, alt, delete, check to see how many processes you have running (lower left hand corner of the window). Laptops are NOT gaming machine and so they are NOT really strong enough to run a game like a flight sim. Add to that vista being a power hog and you can run into trouble quick. You want to get your processes down to under 30

Offline dkff49

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Re: question for the computer techs out there
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2008, 05:07:31 AM »
If you are running the game in win98 mode your only going to see one cpu running, because thats what it does, it turns off one cpu.

I don't understand what your problem is.... your frame rate is to low? ....frame rate moves around?

by hitting cntrl, alt, delete, check to see how many processes you have running (lower left hand corner of the window). Laptops are NOT gaming machine and so they are NOT really strong enough to run a game like a flight sim. Add to that vista being a power hog and you can run into trouble quick. You want to get your processes down to under 30

My frame rates do both they drop low for awhile and then they jump up and sometimes they go as high as 90-100 which was happens most and that is when the most warping occurs. I have checked the processes and I know it is high around 60 (this changes alot too but mostly stays there). I went through the list of services that Skuzzy said could be disabled and set to manual and made the changes and still have a hard time getting it down below 30. I have looked through the processes and to tell the truth I am leary of changing the because I do not know which ones can be stopped and which ones should not. But if you are willing to help I will PM you the list and get your opinion.

Also I have heard this before about laptops not being strong enough to run AH but this is still kind of a vague answer. I though that the main things to look for was a big processor, lots of RAM and a big video card. Once you have those three things there wouldn't be much else to hold up you from running any software. I was kind of wondering which part of having a laptop is the downfall (if there is a specific part or parts that are different from desktops).

I know I am a pain and it is hard to answer a question for somebody that knows very little about this, but I do appreciate all those that are trying to help.

<S>
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Offline OOZ662

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Re: question for the computer techs out there
« Reply #11 on: April 04, 2008, 05:16:46 AM »
Just as a reference, I'm betting "disk usage" refers to the page file, aka "backup RAM" on the hard drive. With 4GB of memory, that shouldn't be maxing out unless you don't have enough space specified for it to run Windows (Windows usues the page file instead of RAM for some internal things). Right click on My Computer, select Properties, Advanced tab, the button under Performance, then another Advanced tab. It should have the page file listed at the bottom.
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Offline dkff49

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Re: question for the computer techs out there
« Reply #12 on: April 04, 2008, 05:26:59 AM »
Just as a reference, I'm betting "disk usage" refers to the page file, aka "backup RAM" on the hard drive. With 4GB of memory, that shouldn't be maxing out unless you don't have enough space specified for it to run Windows (Windows usues the page file instead of RAM for some internal things). Right click on My Computer, select Properties, Advanced tab, the button under Performance, then another Advanced tab. It should have the page file listed at the bottom.

just checked it says that file size

minimum 16mb
maximum 5371
corrently allocated 3881

should this be changed or would it not even help
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Offline OOZ662

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Re: question for the computer techs out there
« Reply #13 on: April 04, 2008, 06:21:19 AM »
Seems fine. More is better (to the point of being ridiculously huge, of course). I have mine at 2GB (2048).
A Rook who first flew 09/26/03 at the age of 13, has been a GL in 10+ Scenarios, and was two-time Points and First Annual 68KO Cup winner of the AH Extreme Air Racing League.

Offline Dragon

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Re: question for the computer techs out there
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2008, 08:18:57 AM »
I found the framerates increasing more than they should. - The framerate going above 60 is a bad thing?  If you can get a higher framerate running on 50% of one processor and 50% of the memory, you've got a great laptop.  The 100% usage of the network is normal as it is sending and receiving to and from the servers at HTC as fast as it can.  The 100% usage in the disk usage is the hard drive, and that is also normal, for the same reason as the network being maxed.

Usually, warping is caused by the network, not the hardware.
When you notice the warping, are you on your home network, or someone elses?

This is fine:
minimum 16mb
maximum 5371
currently allocated 3881

As to why laptops are not as good, it's a voltage and heat issue.


Sorry about that first post, was having a bad day.

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