question on graphics card

[Rabid Wolf]

I'll be able to get myself a new computer soon, though it'll be a rather "cheap" one.
I heard that a graphics card works best if its "power" is on the same level as the "power" of your actual computer.
I won a 3d Prophet 4000 XT (Kyro1/32MB) in a store that was celebrating its 5th anniversary and gave away goodies the other day.
This is roughly what I intend to get:
~1.2 GHz processor
256 MB 133mhz SDRAM (at least for the time being)

does that fit with the prophet? Is it too much for the prophet?

 

[Rukee]

Sounds good!!

 

[Rabid Wolf]

hmmm...
guess that card isn't really that 1337 after all...

 

[lucifix]

but it sure as hell will stomp the **** out of your old one........

 

[Djazaus]

Can one of you guys explain how I 'only' get about 68fps whatever resolution I'm in, be it 800*600 or 1600*1200?

I know I'm missing something

 

[oosyxxx]

Change the refresh rate of your monitor and also change the refresh rate of UT. If you have a max refresh rate in UT of, say, 70 fps, then you won't get more than 70 fps. How are you running UT (Glide, Open Gl, etc.)?
Edit: I can walk you through both of these. Holler if you need my help.

 

[Djazaus]

HOLLER!

I'm running in openGL, monitor's @85hz, dunno bout ut's refresh rate tho.. Help me out bro.

EDIT: I just looked in my UT ini, I'll post back with any results.

 

[oosyxxx]

1) Set your monitor's refresh rate as high as possible.
2) Smoke bowl of kind; get high as possible.
3) Go here: C:\UnrealTournament\System
4) Double-click UnrealTournament.ini. If you have trouble finding this, right click and Arrange by Name. It's a notepad-looking icon with a yellow thing-a-ma-boobie on it. Size=15.7 kbs.
5) Make sure your desktop is set at 1024/768
6) Click in the first line of UnrealTournament.ini
7) Hit the Page Down key six times.
8) You should come to a group of code starting with [OpenGLDrv.OpenGLRenderDevice]
9) Replace the entire Open Gl grouping with the following:

[OpenGLDrv.OpenGLRenderDevice]
RefreshRate=120
DetailTextures=1
UseTrilinear=1
UseS3TC=1
UseTNT=0
LODBias=0
UseMultiTexture=1
UsePalette=1
UseAlphaPalette=0
Translucency=1
VolumetricLighting=1
ShinySurfaces=1
Coronas=1
HighDetailActors=1
MaxAnisotropy=0
AlwaysMipmap=0
UsePrecache=0
SupportsLazyTextures=0

10) Save the changes made to UnrealTournament.ini.
11) Drop the attached OpenGLDRV.dll file into your System folder.
12) See what happens.
13) Report back here with findings.

 

[Djazaus]

Awight screw it.. Increasing it makes it arse.. Decreasing it is also arse.. What to do, what to do?

EDIT: Gimme a minute

 

[oosyxxx]

*Forgot .zip of .dll file. Here ye be.

 

[Djazaus]

Well... My framerate went down to about 54ish, the opengl part of my ini is now missing tho the game still works.. I already had those drivers installed (thx anywayz)... Erm.. Shit..

On the plus side, I'm gonna go get some weed in a minute. (nice bit o' skunk)

 

[oosyxxx]

Open GL part missing? You replace your entire Open GL section with this ...
[OpenGLDrv.OpenGLRenderDevice]
RefreshRate=120
DetailTextures=1
UseTrilinear=1
UseS3TC=1
UseTNT=0
LODBias=0
UseMultiTexture=1
UsePalette=1
UseAlphaPalette=0
Translucency=1
VolumetricLighting=1
ShinySurfaces=1
Coronas=1
HighDetailActors=1
MaxAnisotropy=0
AlwaysMipmap=0
UsePrecache=0
SupportsLazyTextures=0

See halfway down the first screen in UT.ini? The one that starts with [Engine.Engine]? Here is what mine looks like.

[Engine.Engine]
GameRenderDevice=D3DDrv.D3DRenderDevice
AudioDevice=Galaxy.GalaxyAudioSubsystem
NetworkDevice=IpDrv.TcpNetDriver
DemoRecordingDevice=Engine.DemoRecDriver
Console=UTMenu.UTConsole
Language=int
GameEngine=Engine.GameEngine
EditorEngine=Editor.EditorEngine
WindowedRenderDevice=D3DDrv.D3DRenderDevice
RenderDevice=D3DDrv.D3DRenderDevice
DefaultGame=Botpack.DeathMatchPlus
DefaultServerGame=Botpack.DeathMatchPlus
ViewportManager=WinDrv.WindowsClient
Render=Render.Render
Input=Engine.Input
Canvas=Engine.Canvas
CdPath=D:
RunCount=23

I run regular UT with D3D. Have you tried this? Regardless, look at my example, but replace the D3DDrv.D3DRenderDevice sections with OpenGLDrv.OpenGLRenderDevice. (no period at the end) I had to edit my .ini to get my game working. Finally, I'm done and needn't mess with 436 extraction anymore. Time to report to OS forum ...

 

[Djazaus]

Ok, I'm getting good performance, but in terms of numbers I should be getting more out of my system. I've seen peeps with lower end systems clocking much higher numbers than this.

What's the dilly yo?

 

[oosyxxx]

Let's hear your settings. More than likely, it's a driver issue. I run UT in D3D, 800/600, 32-bit color, High texture detail on (but Detail textures off) fractal animations off (this is a biggy ... go into Deck 16 and look at the slime, if your fps go way down, you need to set this to false), and low actor detail and dynamic lighting off. I have a 900 mhz Athlon T-Bird, GeForce 2 GTS, 384 megs of Crucial PC 133 Cas 2 RAM (I believe), some 5hit sound card and a 19 inch KDS Avitron monitor. Back to you, I'm betting you need updated drivers, particularly for your card and motherboard. Let us also hear your system specs. I need to go do schoolwork but will be back tonight to help you (if I can) Good luck.

 

[oosyxxx]

Hiding your weapon can be a big FPS boost.

 

[Djazaus]

'Ere goes: Athlon 1800 / 512mb pc2100 DDR RAM / Asus A7V266 Mobo / Geforce 3 / Sb live 5.1 / 19" mitsubishi FD trinitron blah blah.. All getting high on the technicolour glory of win XP.

I gotz the latest detonator drivers. I picked up that OGL driver last week and it converted me to ogl over d3d which took some doing as ogl previously looked and ran like shite.

I run ut @32-bit 1600*1200 Or 1280*1024 depending on how doped my eyes are, Detail/Skins etc set to max.
The thing is, I can change the detail and rez settings all day, but the fps will go no higher than around 68-70 whether I'm playing low rez/low tex or high rez/high tex and all the shizzle inbetween.

Like I said, It's not that I'm getting poor performance, it's just I reckon there's something not quite right here..

I think you may be right about mobo drivers tho..


P.S Sorry bout the thread hijack RW

 

[oosyxxx]

It has to be refresh rate. How high does your monitor go at 1024/768? Try setting it to 120@1024/768. Send me your UT.ini file. oosyxxx@yahoo.com

 

[Djazaus]

Monitor goes up to 120hz@1024*768.

Sent the UT ini..

 

[Djazaus]

Now:

 

[Djazaus]

No difference despite being twice the rez..