Author Topic: CPU bottleneck? (Read 883 times)

popeye · « **on:** January 10, 2000, 12:15:00 PM »

Looking for a few more FPS, I just replaced my STB Velocity 4400 TNT with a Diamond Viper V770 Ultra TNT2, expecting to get some improvement. However, I got zero improvement...nada...none. Does this seem at all reasonable?

I guess it could be that the CPU is slowing things down. It is a Celeron 266 o/c to 400, on an Abit BX6 with 128 M of PC100 RAM.

Time for a new CPU, or am I missing something?

popeye

popeye · « **Reply #1 on:** January 10, 2000, 05:07:00 PM »

Now I'm really confused. Just went to Tom's hardware site, and found a 3dfx "shogo" test, that showed a Celeron 400 and TNT getting 33 fps, while the Celeron 400 and TNT2 got 55 fps. But I see no improvement.

Any ideas?

popeye

Westy · « **Reply #2 on:** January 11, 2000, 08:15:00 AM »

What were you getting prior for frame rates??

-Westy

popeye · « **Reply #3 on:** January 11, 2000, 09:29:00 AM »

I get 21 sitting on the runway in a P-51 offline. I get 30-40 flying around the arena online. Haven't checked in furballs.

popeye

Vermillion · « **Reply #4 on:** January 11, 2000, 10:10:00 AM »

Strange Pops

I have a 450 machine with an original TNT card (getting about the same fps you describe), and have seen many benchmarks of other 450 machines with TNT2 cards getting much better results.

I assume you tried the obvious things like most recent drivers, reference drivers, and turning v synch off ??

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Vermillion
WB's: (verm--), **MOL**, Men of Leisure,
"Real men fly Radials, Nancy Boys fly Spitfires

"

popeye · « **Reply #5 on:** January 11, 2000, 11:07:00 AM »

I have the most recent Diamond drivers, and vsync makes no difference. In fact, none of the 3dfx tweaks make any difference.

My next step is to re-install Win98, just to make sure there are no old driver gremlins hanging around.

popeye

Westy · « **Reply #6 on:** January 11, 2000, 01:13:00 PM »

Popeye that is what I get with a PII 333, 192mb sdram and using an Viper V770 Ultra but with Win95 OSR2. Also, in 1024 res w/16 bit selected.
My initial frame rate on the runway is in the mid to low 20's. then I shut off the ground clutter and it climbs to the hi 20's. Oddly as soon as I start engine, and get airborne it gets MUCH better. In flight I get in the mid 30's to low 40's.
I use the NON hi res terrain textures and no ground clutter. Not sure what else I could adjust to get better frame rates either. I do not like selecting the trimmed down field of views that shut off distant mountians and the horizon, as that really ruins the immersion.
One thing to try is latest sound card drivers as sound can suck up some fps too.
Then I guess I would do as your planning.
I though maybe there might be an easy fix here for you but guess not

BTW. One trick is to run in 1024 and not 800X600 resolution.

-Westy

hitech · « **Reply #7 on:** January 11, 2000, 03:02:00 PM »

Westy you could be getting the same frame rate with a better look, with your card going to 1280x1024x32 and hi res textures will not impact your fps at all, Btw you have the same system i develop on.

HiTech

Westy · « **Reply #8 on:** January 11, 2000, 03:12:00 PM »

I know what I'll be trying out as soon as I get in the door tonight! I guess I'm of the conservative nature and I really need to experiment more. Thanks HiTech!!

-Westy

popeye · « **Reply #9 on:** January 11, 2000, 03:18:00 PM »

Thanks Westy, I have almost exactly the same frame rates that you do. What bothers me is that I see no difference between the TNT (16M) and the TNT2 Ultra (32M). Other 3dfx benchmarks show a significant difference.

popeye

Westy · « **Reply #10 on:** January 11, 2000, 06:01:00 PM »

Popeye i think it's the CPU

Folks I know with high end PII and PIII's with this card get MUCH higher frames. I plan on upgrading sometime this year and one reason I'd bought the V770 Ultra card was I feel it will bridge what I have now with a P-III with twice or three times the speed of my 333.

I can say I noticed a remarkable difference between my 8mb FireGl1000 or my FireGL1000 in conjuntion with a 12mb Voodoo II in comparison to this V770 Ultra.
The only program I have that did not have a substantial increase in frames was AW3. Warbirds and Dawn of Aces was MUCH better. Rogue Spear and Panzer Elite? MUCH much better also.

-Westy

PS!!! I just came back to add this PS because I tried what HiTech said and damn he's ever
so right

In 1024X768 I get 21 frames just sitting on the runway. In 1280x1024 32bit I get the SAME and when I shut off ground clutter it jumps to 32 frames. Cod I love this sim.

[This message has been edited by Westy (edited 01-11-2000).]

weazel · « **Reply #11 on:** January 12, 2000, 04:12:00 PM »

The CPU is the problem Popeye, Celeron 266 don`t have the on die 128k cache do they? Go here and get the Celeron 366-guaranteed to clock 550 mhz and has the full warranty to boot! http://www.step-thermodynamics.com/

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JG2 "Richthofen"

popeye · « **Reply #12 on:** January 20, 2000, 09:28:00 AM »

Yep. It was the old Celeron. Popped in a 366/550 and got a 60% increase in frame rate. Thanks to weazel and everyone who offered advice.

popeye