bad frames why?

[odannyboy000]

ok this is kind of a noob question, but no matter what settings i have whether it be maxed out or minimum, i get the same frames, about 15 fps. the game recommended having a 2.9GHz processor and mine is 2.6. so is my processor the reason there is lag? i was getting 1 frame a second on 3dmark05 for the processor test, and much higher for video card, like 40fps.

[odannyboy000]

could it be my motherboard?

[saphalline]

Need more info: hardware, drivers, DX version, and game in question.

[odannyboy000]

hardware: pentium 4 2.6 HT tech. 1.5 gigs ram. radeon 9800 pro 256MB. dx9. latest drivers. half-life 2:loast coast. it isnt the hdr because i can render that fine on day of defeat. also i can max reg half-life 2 and it is perfect.

[odannyboy000]

im guessing processor

[saphalline]

Mobo chipset and model number. Type of RAM and current configuration.

[odannyboy000]

damn saph, u need it all huh, lol. well my mobo is 975p. model number? its a dell mobo for a 8300 dimension. also i have corsair value select at 2.5-3-3-7. i have a 800MHz fsb, but sadly my ram is running only at 166MHz instead of 200. it was my fault i didnt check the timings when i bought it. i also have 2X256 factory....i can't remember the brand (it is a major brand though i do remember that) and its timings were 3-3-3-8 but after i installed the corair it is now at 2.5-3-3-7

[saphalline]

Yes, I need all the info. For instance, the fact that this is a Dell system rather than a home-built makes a huge difference! And the i975P chipset gives me a good indication of what your system is capable of. It tells me Socket 478, AGP 8x/4x, 2 native SATA ports emulated as IDE in the BIOS, 2 ATA/100 IDE channels, 800/533/400MHz FSB support (except for the Willamette core revision), dual-channel RAM support (DDR400 on down), etc. I know my chipsets, and I have the capabilities of the major ones memorized. So yes, I need all the info.

If you have 3 sticks of RAM instead of an even number, then you've killed dual-channel. That wouldn't necessarily explain your problem, but it could be a contributing factor. That and the fact that all your RAM is now slowed to DDR333 speed. As for the software end of things, you'll need the latest driver from NVidia for that vid card, and then surf on over to Dell's website to see if they have specific chipset & audio & LAN drivers for your model. Then make sure your DirectX version is the latest one (9.0c).

And if you're playing that game at a super-high resolution, then turn that down. If you are CPU-limited for HL2 then the problem is alleviated by going to a lower res. With your hardware, I wouldn't recommend any res above 800 x 600. HL2 plays well with older hardware, but higher resolutions are still the domain of mega-gaming hardware.

[odannyboy000]

well....i can play hl2 maxed on 1280x1024, and still get 100+ frames. i have 4 sticks or ram, and i am impressed that you have a lot of chipsets memorized. so what do you think it is now? its not the ram, the video card, or the hardware/software updates. i still think it is the processor. what do you think?

[hockey man]

I know my chipsets, and I have the capabilities of the major ones memorized.

That is why your the hardware gury!

[saphalline]

Oh, really? You have 4 sticks of RAM? You didn't make that clear earlier.

In any case, I found your problem. The minimum requirements for Lost Coast are 2.2GHz CPU, 1GB RAM, DX9c compliant vid card. Valve has been recommending 2.9GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, and a 6800 GT or X800 for optimum performance. The "Best Quality" setting for LC means FP16 color and SM 3.0 models, while the "Lower Quality" means fixed-point 16-bit color and SM 2.0 models. The big deal behind Valve's implementation of HDR is the fact that they added support for SM 2.0. Cool stuff.

But unfortunately, your 9800 doesn't meet the requirements. You have plenty of RAM and CPU power, but the Radeon 9800 is a DX9 VPU, not a DX9c VPU. If you have LC jacked-up to "Best Quality", that poor 9800 isn't handling it well. It can't do SM 3.0 (so it's emulating it) and it can barely handle any FP color.

Verdict: UPGRADE!! :D

[odannyboy000]

well, actually they recommend a 2.9Ghz, 1 GB ram, and 9.0c graphics card. when u go to start the level lost coast, it will inform you if u dont meet the requirements. what popped up for me was that my processor didn't meet, as it was 3 mhz too slow. also like i said before, it didnt matter if i had the settings on max or min, it would still be lousy frames.

[saphalline]

also like i said before, it didnt matter if i had the settings on max or min, it would still be lousy frames.Well yeah. Either way, your vid card is using SM 2.0. The Radeon 9700/9800 isn't capable of handling that game. I don't know why LC isn't telling you that, but it just doesn't have enough raw power. Valve themselves say a 6800 GT or X800 - a 9800 is far from these mighty vid cards.

[odannyboy000]

hmmm...well i guess ill just have to have a noob computer until i can afford a better one.