Performance in RTCW (and maybe other games Im not sure)

[q_bot_w11]

Im running an XP 1600 with 128mb DDR.

I used to have a GeForce2 MX 400 32mb, and bought a Voodoo 3 3500TV for another system but it wouldn't work in there so now I have the Voodoo 3 in this computer and the GeForce 2 in the other.

When the voodoo 3 was put in everything seemed ok, but after a while the game started to slow down regularly. My FPS would be about 90 but every 1 or 2 seconds go down to 15 or 20! I reformatted which sorted this (I thought it might be best as the Geforce drivers were still lurking around). Anyway since then things have been ok but today it went back to like it was before.

Any ideas? Also I have recently put a second video card in for multi monitor but it has performed normally since then so I don't think it could be that.

Thanks.

[Coldfirex]

Are you running XP or ME?

[q_bot_w11]

No, Windows 98 (First edition).

[q_bot_w11]

Temperature couldn't do this sort of thing could it? I started the computer up and went straight into the game (so the CPU temperature was about 30 degrees) and it was better.

[0oALio0]

Usually if its a temperature problem it just freezes. Stops. It doesn't go again til after your reboot. At least in my experience its been that way.

[Coldfirex]

Mobo, soundcard?
Might be the 3dfx drivers, not entirely sure. Have you tried taking the 2nd vid card out and completely unistalling the drivers and seeing if it still happens?

[q_bot_w11]

I've tried getting rid of the 2d video card.

It seems that it's normal in the morning and then bad in the evening. Very strange.

I'll try downloading some different voodoo drivers. I am using what was the latest ones 3dfx made.

Sound card is soundblaster 128 PCI.
Mobo Gigabyte GA-7VTXE. The only difference between morning and evening seems to be temperature and the little clock in the corner but somehow it seems to make a difference.

[Dissonance]

This is just a guess, but since the performance is variable, and choppy, it might be your net connection if you experience this only playing online.

Unless you have processes running only during certain times of the day, your net connection's variability is really the only thing I can see being the culprit here. Games can appear choppy if your network connection is 'busy.'

Then again, if you're just playing single player stuff, I'll shut up

[NeXus 6]

You might consider adding another 128 MB of RAM as RTCW tends to use the swap file heavily with less than 256 MB. I ran it under Windows XP with 256 MB and it would use the swap file, causing slowdowns, but another 256MB got rid of the file swapping.

[Vrock]

Swapfile? What's a swapfile?

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

[q_bot_w11]

I do experiance the problem online and it is made to feel even worse due to my 56k connection. However I also experiance the problem offline in single player and over a LAN. If I can afford it I'll try to get some more RAM which I need really anyway I suppose. Thanks for the help. The RAM wouldn't explain it being OK in the morning though would it? Is there such a virus that makes your computer slow at night?

[Toyotamr2_86NA]

I think I have to agree with NeXus 6. I run RTCW with 256MB Pc3000 under XP and it tends to ;swap; quite often, and when I shut it down it takes about 15-20 seconds! while its crunching away on the swap file. Which is a very long time considering all my other games like Motocross Madness 2 AND Quake III Arena shut down in the blink of an eye.

If I run it with 512MB it runs smooth with no swapping, and shuts down as fast as my other games.....

Recommendation: Pay close attention to hard drive activity when the game slows......

No, RAM wouldnt explain it being worse in the morning.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Toyotamr2_86NA on 2002-03-30 18:01 ]</font>

[q_bot_w11]

My hard drive is slow too and I've ordered a new one so might that help? The video card is only 16 mb aswell

[dolemitecomputers]

I agree with Toyota. RTCW does do some serious swap file crunching. When I close the game it takes about 5 or 6 seconds for it clear out what it was using and for everything to be back to normal. When does it run slow? For example if you are in a room by yourself with few on screen objects is it slow or only when you have a lot of explosions or objects on screen?

[murray]

Do you run any backround applications in the evening that you don't in the morning? Like Morpheus, eDonkey, &c. Things that might be using up enough ram to cause swapping that wouldn't otherwise occur.

[q_bot_w11]

Do you run any backround applications in the evening that you don't in the morning? Like Morpheus, eDonkey, &c. Things that might be using up enough ram to cause swapping that wouldn't otherwise occur.

Nope I run Kazaa but it's on all day and I have also tried without it.

[0oALio0]

Haev you tried the x3dfx drivers? They're supposed to be the best for the voodoo3. http://www.x3dfx.com