Aces High Bulletin Board
Help and Support Forums => Technical Support => Topic started by: skernsk on June 27, 2003, 11:03:41 PM
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I tried Aces High for the first time tonight since I formatted the HD last week.
My frame rates are about 10 FPS less than before the reformat and I am getting a terrible stutter or pause about every half second that runs constantly.
I am using the same vid card and driver as before the install.
Any ideas?
Athlon T-Bird 1 gig
512 MB RAM
Win 98se
ATI 8500 Vid Card
Onboard Sound (ASUS)
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I just installed the Catalyst 3.5 driver and the problem has not changed.........
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crank down sound acceleration (hardware) a notch?
run dxdiag.exe under sound, look for a slider for hardware accleration and reduce it a notch.
other than that... perhaps reinstall dx maybe. but try the first suggestion first.
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Check to see if the video card is sharing an IRQ with something else. That is usually the culprit.
As you did a fresh reinstall, is it safe to assume you installed the INF files for the motherboard?
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Re IRQ sharing i currently have an add on Belkin USB 2.0 card sharing with my video card, damn thing cant get control of it at all.
Unfortunately i have to keep it as MB does not support enough usb ports for me.
Whats really annoying is i have open IRQ's waiting to be used but cannot prise that usb away from the video card.
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I had a similar problem with an MSI motherboard when PCAlert was running. You might check to see if your motherboard monitoring software, if you have any, is the culprit.
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Originally posted by Skuzzy
Check to see if the video card is sharing an IRQ with something else. That is usually the culprit.
As you did a fresh reinstall, is it safe to assume you installed the INF files for the motherboard?
Tried the direct X thing and no change.
No IRQ conflicts
Skuzzy what is an INF file and where would I get it? I have no software for the MB.
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I downloaded the latest drivers for my MB. Still no change in AH
I got an error when disabling mip mapping. It would not remain "unchecked" after I hit okay (Video Options).
After trying twice I got a message saying:
Initialization failed with 0
Unknown - 1
Would this be the problem?
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Skernsk, did you happen to copy your configuration files, for AH, from a CD? Check to see if they are marked read-only. It sounds as if they are.
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I did save the settings file and when I installed AH after reformatting I overwrote the settings file with the saved one.
However I've since uninstalled AH and reinstalled using no old saved files or folders. I still have stuttering.
I did manage to uncheck mipmapping successfully with no error message but I still have the stuttering.
Still tweaking.....
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I too had the stutter with PCAlert running in the background and with a MSI board. Try shutting down anything running in the background.
I know absolutely nothing about what makes these things tick but that is what I did to correct mine.
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I have found that tweaking with the refresh rate of the monitor will improve performance dramatically.
in XP...
In display properties, Click Advanced, then Adapter and press the button "List all modes". Find your resolution and Try one setting higher on hertz than the previous. If it the display loses synch wait a few seconds and XP will switch it back. Sometimes when you get a corrupted display you must go back down to 60 to correct it, then try again.
Some ppl will tell you that this might damage your monitor, but I have been playing with Refresh Rates in Linux 4 8 yrs and have never had a problem. But just the same -- You break it, it's your fault. *Grin*
I currently have my screen tweaked like this at home and have no problems.
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I downloaded an older driver for my vid card but the problem is still there. I'm not sure what to do next.
How do i go throgh the IRQ's?
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May or may not help, but i recently changed to a Radeon 9700 pro, major stuttering the only thing that stops it is COMPLETELY uninstalling Zone alarm.
I had no issues with this on 3 successive Nvidia cards, put the Radeon in and it starts straight away.
The bad news for you is several people that i have seen have posted similar problems, unfortunately its usually a different piece of software that seems to conflict.
Nvidia cards may be slower but at least they were plug in and go play.
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I have tried using older video drivers for NVidia cards and have found that the latest *IS* Always the greatest as far as NVidia is concerned. This myth about older video drivers being more efficient or better cannot have been derived from a properly configured machine.
I have personally tested this myself.
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Depends on how up to date your hardware and op system is.
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Originally posted by 214thCavalier
Depends on how up to date your hardware and op system is.
Originally posted by 2Hawks
This myth about older video drivers being more efficient or better cannot have been derived from a properly configured machine.
I rest my case.
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The later Detonator drivers are optimized for newer cards. Older GF2/GF3 cards benefit from the older drivers. The 30.82 drivers seem to be the best overall drivers, and possibly the 42.01, for cards earlier than the GF4.
Overall stability and issuus with games (there does not seem to be a comprehensive list) are also alleviated with the earlier drivers.
The current (44.xx and 45.xx) Detonator drivers do have some problems (screen artifacts, excessive tearing,...) and many are reporting the problems. Does not occur in all games, but they are there.
MX cards suffer the most from the newer drivers.
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not sure if its allowed here, but try http://www.rage3d.com forums
the word stuttering + ATI is well known :(
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No idea what else to do besides reformat agian:eek:
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have you tryied WinXP yet? ;)
have you got Dx9 installed? Since the Latest ATI's are for Dx9 only i guess so...
Try finding CAT 3.1 they seem better (for me) than any other CAT release.
good luck :)
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I had the same problem same system. If you have ground clutter on turn it off. Turn the sound acceleration down like shane said. Dump the catalist driver get the most up to date factory driver. Since you have installed the catalist already you may find that you cant alt tab to desk top and go back into game now with out the screen going into a white flashing screen that will only go away with a relog.
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Would be to replace anything ATI with a legitimate Video card made with an NVidia Chip.
Something Geforce3 or better. -=- NO MX Series -=- I ran a Geforce 2 Ti for a bit and had a wonderful gaming experience @ 1080x1024 with 2x AA. Very Solid. In all my experience ATI has been nothing but garbage.
Sell the card on EBAY and get a real video card. End of problem.
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ATI is the best hardware out there right now, Nvidia just get good "scores" because they cheat on benchmarks etc.
Theres no way i would recommend anyone to get a Nvidia based gfx card right now.
I also have no problems with Alt tabbing.... :)
ATI9700pro here, and the best thing i ever brought :D
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Originally posted by Overlag
Nvidia just get good "scores" because they cheat on benchmarks etc.
LOL, I hear ppl screaming about cheating in the MA all the time for the same reason too. :)
I rest my Case.
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Originally posted by 2Hawks
LOL, I hear ppl screaming about cheating in the MA all the time for the same reason too. :)
I rest my Case.
have you been living under a rock lately? :p
but then, your talking about Geforce 4's so maybe you have......;)
I rest my Case :o
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There's so much case resting going on this place resembles a day care during naptime.
To be honest my Experience Ends @ GeForce 3 due to budget constraints personaly. But I have freinds w/ TRUE GeForce 4's and they love em.
Your experiences and/or knowledge MAY be coming from the MX Series GF4's which is nothing more than a sped/Beefed up GF2, Which I will say, works about as well as a dead whale noodle.
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i upgrade gfx once about every 2 new product cycles. thats about 1.5-2 years
My last card was a Geforce 3 (orignal model non TI) and was VERY good compaired to the latest ATI at the time. Its still great today in my dads pc.
Then i got my ATI9700pro about 7months ago, and am VERY pleased with the jump in speed, image quality, and support.
your basing your facts on drivers/hardware from the Geforce 3/ATI7500 area, when yes, ATI sucked badly back then.
But Nvidia lately have had to turn to "cheating" to make there top of the range card just perform level with a 9800pro, which is 6months old... Nvidias drivers have taken a dive in stability too lately.
Driver wise, ATI do have problems, but So do Nvidia. Some people are dam right unlucky when they get hardware. Thats the problem with PC's, everyone is different. Some work well, some dont. And while the past 3 releases of ati drivers (3.2,3.4 and 3.5) have done nothing good for me, i still cant recomend a Nvidia card to someone just because of that.
For me, it seems that ATI's 3.1 CAT's are the best all round driver. And the same goes for Nvidia drivers, you need to find what works best for you, my dads pc is still stuck on 28.** det's because all the latest cause wierd issues with his old games. For the person with the problems, try 3.1. Dont sell your card like these people said......;)
It wasnt a dig at you for having Geforce 3 gfx at all, wasnt ment that way in the slightest. They are still great cards and run all games at high enough fps (untill maybe Doom3? but im not a Doom3 fan....)
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Quite a respectable response, and no dig was interpreted in your previous post.
Your very right about different hardware working for different people and hardware combinations. Some stuff just works better than others. I tend to lean towards the AMD / MSI direction myself, and find I have good luck with that hardware after tweaking in the BIOS a bit.
Alls good and to each his own, but if your having back luck with one particular vendor then perhaps is IS time to change something? If anything to see if your going to have any better luck. Another thing to consider is damage from ESD or perhaps just a defective card?
Check the Bios Settings lately?
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My major problem with AH after fitting a Radeon 9700 pro was stuttering making the game unplayable, BUT only with zone alarm pro installed.
Previuosly all was fine with several GF cards fitted.
In a hunt for faster fps i downloaded and flashed another bios onto my Radeon vid card.
Instant gain of 250 3Dmark 03 points, however more important for me the stuttering has gone !
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9700 here and alls well with zonep on, cept the lag, so obiously i keep the zonep off (untill someone gets on my 6 :)). Then its stick flippin and on comes the zonep and kazaa!
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Find the Direct3d properties for your ATI card under the advanced section, and make sure that "wait for vert sync " is off if you have that.