Bizzare UT'99 probs...

[ZiT|v3n]

Hi! Long time reader, first time whiner!

Okay, we all know ut99 is a great game - the only game i play in fact, but recently it seems to have died on me.

Briefly here's my system specs:

Processor: Intel Pentium 4 Celeron D 2806MHz
Display Card: NVIDIA GeForce 6200
Memory: 512MB
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP
Free Disk Space 30.96GB
Display Card Memory: 512MB
Display Driver Version: 7.8.0.1
DirectX Version: 9.0c
Optical Drive: CD/DVD
Sound Card Realtek: AC97 Audio

My problem is that the game is immensly jerky, in both d3d and opengl (whether i use the new drivers or not). Also sometimes the sound is distorted, although i'm not sure what this wud indicate. I've tried tweaking the ini's to no avail. I run the game in 1024 res, but with most of the settings turned down, specifically reduced gore, medium texture detail, low skin detail.

Stuff I've tried:

1. Latest drivers from nvidia (no result)
2. Checking bios (recognises agp - everything seems okay)
3. Installing latest chip set drivers (No difference)
4. Using old opengl driver (even worse - no surprises there)
5. Changing refresh rate (no difference so i keep it on 85 hz)
6. Changing back to geforce2 mx440 card (exactly same problem)
7. Reformat / Reinstall ut (Neither makes a difference)
8. Running on win98 instead of xp (same problem)
9. Tweaking ini (Highdetail actors, Highdetail textures, cachesize, etc - I've tried just about everything and nothing works!)
10. Mouse drivers (Updated, reinstalled, uninstalled - you name it no difference)
11. Monitor drivers (Updated - You guessed it nothing!)

Maybe i'm missing something fairly obvious, but it's killing me. I don't hav the slow down/ speed up problems some ppl seem to have. Mine is specifically just a slow down problem. UT just chuggs along. My fps is locked to my refresh rate, which isnt normally a problem. Uhm i can't think of much else.. Ne imput u guys can giv me wud b much appreciated. If I've forgotten something or u cud use sum more info just let me know...

Thanks

*Edit* Man just reading my post is depressing...

 

[Crowze]

Am I right in assuming (since it is reporting 512MB video memory) that the card is a TurboCache? If so, it's sharing the system memory which isn't a huge amount to start with, so you should either get more RAM or a non-TC video card.

 

[ZiT|v3n]

Hmm, i dont think it has turbo cache... Tbh i dont know much about pc's, just compiling this message has been more than a little tricky for me. However, i would hav thought that if that was the case then changing back to my geforce mx400 would hav solved the problem. Unfortunately the problem started with the older card, which is y i initially forked out for the 6200... eeek idd

Thanks for replyng tho & keep em coming - dont b shy!

Potential Solutions thus far:

1. Get more RAM
2. (Ur ideas here...)

 

[ZiT|v3n]

Okay, just a thought: sometimes when i load ut i get distorted sounds. I'm using a cheap & nasty Realtek AC`97 onboard soundcard on my SiS mothermoard - could this in some way be draining my cpu do you think...?

 

[Crowze]

Yes for sure, but I don't think it'll have that much of an impact on a 2.8GHz P4 (even a Celery).

Going back to the MX400 won't help, since it's not exactly a fast card anyway . Do you have the same problem with any other games?

 

[ZiT|v3n]

Hehe i dont own ne other games m8 Kinda a 1 game guy...

Neway i'm thinking of forking out for a new processor - looking at a Pentium 4 3.0GHz 478P 800MHz 0.09u 1Mb Cache...

But b4 i do i wanna make sure that its gonna giv me the permormance boost i need. When i open windows task manager with ut running cpu usage is always at 100% so i'm thinking maybe i just need more oomph. Ne ideas?

Although i havent ruled out getting more RAM, but i just wanna b sure that wud sort the problem really...

 

[Dark Pulse]

Moving this to the UT forum; you might get some better responses.

Though to be honest, I think it's the videocard - TurboCache cards really suck ass; they're fine for general use, but using them for any sort of game is just laughable.

Maybe try disabling VSync - if your card is hitting the framerate limit, it goes up a bit and then is forced lower, which coul maqke the game a bit jerky.

 

[K]

When i open windows task manager with ut running cpu usage is always at 100% so i'm thinking maybe i just need more oomph. Ne ideas?

NO. Dont shell out more money.
You dont need a new processor. You can run UT on a P2 just fine with a realy crappy video card.

 

[ZiT|v3n]

Belive or not, there are some silly idiot mf morons making 6200 non TC with 512MB non shared, on top of that fugly thing, 64bits BUS.

Guys, do you know that problem with UT running extremely blazing lightspeed on some Athlon 64 systems? Might be the same problem with his celeron D CPU.

http://forums.beyondunreal.com/showthread.php?t=167045

Nude monster can u just ellaborate a bit, not sure wot ur getting at. For clarification my card is not Turbo Cached. Thx btw to whoeva suggested not going for a new processor - I've given up that idea. And yea it looks like i'm gonna get some more ram (probably 512 dual channel pc3200 to replace my pc2100 and pc2700 - btw this really means nothnig to me but shud b an improvement i guess). O yeah and i'm gonna get a new mobo coz i been after 1 for ages...

 

[K]

The ram will help but probly not fix the problem. If your CPU usage is at 100% the problem is most likely something to do with your video rendering settings or the driver your useing.

Have you tried the enhanced openGL dll? Not the newest one but there is a special "Enhanced" render. It worked wonders on my install. runs realy good.
I think this is the one i use.
http://cwdohnal.home.mindspring.com/utglr/

 

[ZiT|v3n]

The ram will help but probly not fix the problem. If your CPU usage is at 100% the problem is most likely something to do with your video rendering settings or the driver your useing.

Have you tried the enhanced openGL dll? Not the newest one but there is a special "Enhanced" render. It worked wonders on my install. runs realy good.
I think this is the one i use.
http://cwdohnal.home.mindspring.com/utglr/

Yup that's the opengl driver i use. I've also tried epic's official updated driver from unrealtournament.com with no luck. I've had this same sort of problem b4, and then it was related to my nvidia video drivers and/or settings but i'm fairly sure this time its non-related. As for ut not being able to detect my cpu properly, how would i b able to check if that was the case?

 

[Glider of chaos]

ok, here I go with some idea (I'm not sure it will be usefull though %) )
1st. This computer is more than enough 2 run UT
2nd. 100% CPU usage while running UT ? That's really weird... As far as I get it it really shouldn't be this way. Cpu usage varies greatly on my amd 3000 while I'm playing UT. On the other hand when I quit UT it's always 100% for about 30 sekonds (looks like closing UT is really a complicated task 4 my poor PC %) )
3rd. Did U try Dark Pulse's suggestion? I'm talking about toying with vsync (console - preferences - *choose rendering* - vsync). Sometimes this is the case. Usually that's when "stat fps" tells U that FPS are high but it still feels jerky.
4th. What antiviral software do U use? It's not Dr.Web by any chance? I'm not sure (I've just come up with this idea) but try running UT with anti-viral software disabled...

 

[Glider of chaos]

-about CPU usage... I think it's kinda strange coz games usually try 2 grab as much CPU as they can struggling 4 higher fps. But UT doesn't seem 2 be that way... Main factor seems 2 be map poly count...

Oh, & may be U're right...I've remembered that I have auto demo recording enable =) May be it works as FPS limiter...

 

[ZiT|v3n]

Well guys it's been a while, and after much pissing about I've bought and installed some new ram (2x256 pc3200 in case ur wondering), which has given me a huge performance boost, particularly wen things get a bit hectic. On top of that I've got a brand new Asus motherboard which I'll whack in over the weekend. It's the ram tho that's really done the job I think, but my current motherboard doesnt take advantage of dual channel so i'll make one last post once i install my new motherboard, just to let you know how the finished article performs. Thanks to every1 who's posted over the last few weeks.

v3n

 

[Lynxx]

When i open windows task manager with ut running cpu usage is always at 100% .

This is normal. You want to check something out, open task manager, tab to performance and drag the corner of the window back and forth up and down etc. Resizing takes "a lot" of processing power, eh? So should be no surprise to everyone. Every computer *I* have owned (5) has the cpu 100% dedicated to running the game, so it would seem if montiors are correct. Right now I have a AMD 4000+ -- still same thing happening while running the game.

 

[Lynxx]

I'm 99% sure that his problem is related to UT99 not being able to properly detect this CPU.

Open (edit)UNREALTOURNAMENT.log to see the starting sequence. CPU will be identified there.

 

[Lynxx]

-
-UT should run just fine with 128MB of RAM.

If you have W95 then ya, the OS takes almost no resources to run, leaving plenty for the game to use. You can control alt delete background programs and recover 99% system resources. W98 best I could do was 97%. W2000 and later, waaay too many background programs for 128MB memory to handle alone, creating a nightmare whn trying to game.

 

[K]

The only time my server cpu usage goes to 100% is the instant a map changes and a new one is loaded. Otherwise it is running the game with about 3-10% usage.

 

[Lynxx]

Mm.. doubt it, but it's your call.

/oops oops I overlooked "server". Also, my daughters comp with 3200+ and ATI 200 Express runs UT np at all, 10x7. CPU uber alles.

Above, I meant UNREALTOURNAMENT.log (sorry).

 

[Blueyes]

Heuh, silly question but dude have you tried reinstalling the game?
you never know!!! and forget about open GL, in the early game this one was still beta i think..d3d always run better for me. Maybe there is a conflict with your sound card instead?...hummm...good luck anyway.