Really bad performance

[103er-Fan]

I just fired up Action Half-Life and I was shocked! The first time I haven't enabled the framecounter, but the game was basicly unplayable, especially when some slightly higher action was going on. I enabled the framecounter to see that the game dropped under 13fps
My old Athlon 1000 and V5 5500 played the game much better (never dropped under 28fps) than my new Athlon XP 2000+ and the Parhelia.

I am running the game with 1024x768x32, 16xFAA and Aniso enabled. The thing I am a bit worried is that the installation is an old installation from my V5 5500 times, I had it on my second HD because I don't want to do a clean install (have to download the latest patches, all the new weapon models....) of Half-Life and AHL.

What can cause this problems? Might this be only the old installation, or is it a problem with my driver settings? I will try it soon without Aniso, but I doubt that it will run that faster

[103er-Fan]

I just tested it without FAA, the game runs great then! But I am still highly disappointed because of the bad FAA performance, not even 40fps average on such a system is poor IMHO. I hope that this is just a drivers bug

[Rags]

disable aniso, turn FAA back on.

Rags

[103er-Fan]

I did that, not really playable in 1024x768 (only 16xFAA forced, Aniso is off). I dropped down to 800x600, but it doesn't look very good, the performance is better though, almost playable.

The fps (800x600x32, 16xFAA, no AF) are looking like this:
- 60fps in low-complex areas (like a tunnel)
- 40fps in more complex areas (like a garden)
- 30-40fps in more-complex areas with a bit action (2-4 visible players)
- 20-35fps in more-complex areas with heavy action (more than 4 visible players)

The performance is about the same level as it was on my V5 5500 and Athlon 1000Mhz (1024x768x16, 2xFSAA, no AF). It is playable in 800x600, but it doesn't look good, also in heavy action there are still times where it is almost unplayable. AHL is my favourite game of all times, when I bought the P. I expected that I can run it at 1024x768x32, 16xFAA, AF on... but that appeared to be just wishful thinking, I hope there is a solution to get better performance


Edit: Oh, another thing I forgot to mention: As soon as the game starts, the refrsh rate is down at 60hz (in all resolutions), anybody know why this happens?

[103er-Fan]

Ok, I reinstalled Half-Life, then updated it to the latest version and installed AHL. The fps actually went up, but with 1024x768x32, 16xFAA still not very playable, especially in games with more than 8 players (and I am usually in games with at least 10 players), I just tested a 16 player game versus bots and my average fps has been around 27 I think.
I don't know what else to do, my gaming partner just got his new rig together (Athlon XP 1700+, GF4 Ti4200, 256mb PC-133 SDRAM) and he plays it in 1024x768x32, 4xFSAA, 8xAF without any slowdowns or low fps, he said there are only very rarely cases where he drops below 40fps, usually he stays over 60, even in 12+ player games.

I am just disappointed that a 170€ card on a slower CPU beats a 540€ card easily, even with higher settings (AF enabled)!
Also his graphics quality appears to be better, only my 16xFAA is supperior to his 4xFSAA, but Aniso improves the HL quality so much, and we Parhelia users are limited to 2xAF
Matrox, please get your drivers solved!

[Kruzin]

Are you using any custom scripts or configs?
What are all your GL_ type settings?
Post your entire autoexec.cfg and whatever other scripts you are using.

I don't play that mod, but I do play TFC, and I get better frame rates than that on my puny rig at 1024x768x32x16XFAA.

[103er-Fan]

No custom scripts are being used. The only thing I changed has been custom taunts like when you click "c" it says "Enemy spotted". But I doubt that this hits the performance.

Here is my autoexec.cfg:

unbindall
bind "TAB" "+showscores"
bind "ESCAPE" "cancelselect"
bind "SPACE" "+jump"
bind "0" "slot10"
bind "1" "slot1"
bind "2" "slot2"
bind "3" "slot3"
bind "4" "slot4"
bind "5" "slot5"
bind "6" "slot6"
bind "7" "slot7"
bind "8" "slot8"
bind "9" "slot9"
bind "`" "toggleconsole"
bind "a" "+moveleft"
bind "b" "say_team Taking fire at %l. Assistance is needed ASAP! ; radio taking_f ; radio backup"
bind "c" "say_team I've spottet  %V at %l ; radio enemys"
bind "d" "+moveright"
bind "e" "+use"
bind "f" "tkok"
bind "g" "say %v: Go ahead, make my day! ; radio day"
bind "h" "radio reportin; gesture salute; say_team Reporting in! I'm at %l with %h, a %w and %i"
bind "m" "say_team Team mate down... (%l) ; radio teamdown ; gesture salute"
bind "n" "say_team There are some suckas at (%l)! ; radio enemys"
bind "p" "snapshot"
bind "q" "useitem"
bind "r" "+reload"
bind "s" "+back"
bind "t" "messagemode"
bind "v" "say_team Enemy down (%v at %l) ; radio enemyd ; gesture flipoff"
bind "w" "+forward"
bind "x" "dropitem"
bind "y" "messagemode2"
bind "z" "dropweapon"
bind "BACKSPACE" "+commandmenu"
bind "CTRL" "+duck"
bind "SHIFT" "+stunt"
bind "INS" "netu"
bind "DEL" "netd"
bind "PGUP" "+fr"
bind "HOME" "graph"
bind "END" "netset"
bind "MWHEELDOWN" "invnext"
bind "MWHEELUP" "invprev"
bind "MOUSE1" "+attack"
bind "MOUSE2" "+attack2"
bind "MOUSE3" "+stunt"
bind "MOUSE4" "+reload"
bind "MOUSE5" "heal"
bind "PAUSE" "pause"
voice_scale "0.750000"
voice_enable "1"
voice_forcemicrecord "1.000000"
console "1"
fps_max "99.0"
fps_modem "99.0"
crosshair "1.000000"
gamma "20.000000"
brightness "1.000000"
con_color "255 255 255"
net_graph "0"
net_scale "5"
net_graphpos "1"
sv_voiceenable "1"
sv_aim "0.000000"
hpk_maxsize "0"
viewsize "120.000000"
ati_subdiv "0.0"
ati_npatch "0.0"
r_bmodelhighfrac "5.0"
mp_decals "300"
gl_dither "1"
gl_polyoffset "4"
gl_overbright "1"
gl_flipmatrix "0"
gl_monolights "0"
s_rolloff "1.0"
s_doppler "0.0"
s_distance "60"
s_automin_distance "2.0"
s_automax_distance "30.0"
s_min_distance "8.0"
s_max_distance "1000.0"
s_leafnum "0"
s_refgain "0.4"
s_refdelay "4"
s_polykeep "1000000000"
s_polysize "10000000"
s_numpolys "200"
s_bloat "2.0"
s_verbwet "0.25"
s_a3d "0.000000"
s_eax "0.000000"
volume "0.800000"
suitvolume "0.250000"
hisound "1.000000"
bgmvolume "1.000000"
MP3Volume "0.800000"
_snd_mixahead "0.1"
name "103erhinterherfahrer---OLD!"
team ""
model ""
skin ""
topcolor "0"
bottomcolor "0"
rate "7500.000000"
cl_updaterate "20"
cl_lw "1"
cl_lc "1"
cl_dlmax "128"
cl_himodels "1.000000"
cl_idealpitchscale "0.8"
cl_timeout "35"
cl_cmdbackup "2"
cl_download_ingame "1"
cl_allowdownload "1"
cl_allowupload "1"
cl_cmdrate "30"
lookstrafe "0.000000"
lookspring "0.000000"
cl_forwardspeed "400"
cl_backspeed "400"
cl_vsmoothing "0.05"
m_pitch "-0.022000"
m_yaw "0.022"
m_forward "1"
m_side "0.8"
m_filter "1.000000"
sensitivity "5.800000"
joystick "0.000000"
dodging "0"
deathcam "0"
ignore "0"
grim_alt "0"
eyecandy "1"
gore_level "3"
cl_screentilt "1"
cl_bodystay "15"
cl_menubars "1"
zoom_sensitivity_ratio "1.2"
hud_capturemouse "1"
cl_forcefps "0"
cl_autotime "1"
cl_slowsound "1"
cl_norushmode "0"
cl_bloodfx "1"
cl_muzzlefx "1"
cl_externalmuzzlefx "1"
cl_smokefx "1"
cl_externalsmokefx "1"
cl_wallfx "1"
cl_wallfxscale "0"
cl_fog "0"
hud_fastswitch "0"
pickup_sounds "1"
hud_centerid "0"
voice_modenable "1.000000"
cl_drawnames "1"
hud_classautokill "1"
hud_takesshots "0"
+mlook
+jlook

I have TFC also installed, I think I will run it for a short test.
Ok, I just tested TFC: The fps are better than in AHL, but there are still scenes where it drops below 28fps, I would say that the average fps would be around 38 in a 28player game.

[Gohan]

Läuft den alles andere Rund auf deinem Rechner? ( In order to you are german, i will write in our mothertounge )

Welches Betriebssystem hast du?

[az]

Please don't post in german, so that the non-german speaking people here (I've heard there are one or two ) can understand you.

Even if english is not your mother tongue - "Übung macht den Meister"

AZ

[Gohan]

Ok, if there only one or two germans, i will write in english

I asked him, if other aplications runing stable and if he has allready installed via4in1 ( For our english friends )

[Novdid]

ACHTUNG!!!

Not only english, bitte.

[103er-Fan]

I don't really know if the rest of my system is running ok, since I don't play that many games, all the other ones are running fine, I haven't had any fps counters enabled there though.
I just got Jedi Knight 2, I haven't played much, but it seems like it runs well in 1024x768x32, 16xFAA, AF on and max. details.
I can run 3dMark 2001, Quake3 and some other benches this weekend, so a comparision to other systems would be easier.
I wanted to test JK2, but when I type "timedemo 1" it gives me some cheat message there and the maps are loading very slow, but AFAIK this problem is known and there will be a fix in the future

The only really problem I have is the 60hz bug in openGL games (don't know how to get them working with my 85hz ). Also it takes around 8 to 10 seconds to load the Matrox Tools after I clicked on the tray icon.



Btw, using Win XP.

[Jupp]

Tach 103,

regarding your refresh rate problem, try this:

1. Change your desktop res to the desired game resolution.
2. Adjust the refresh rate, change it to let's say 70Hz, save it and then change it back to 85Hz (or whatever you want to play at) and save it again.
3. Switch back to your common desktop resolution.
4. Launch the game.

That did it for me.


R.

[103er-Fan]

Thanks Jupp, I will try that later, the only game suffers from this problem is any Half-Life based game.

Ok, I did some benchmarking:
Serious Sam SE:
31,4fps (Valley of the Jaguar) Settings used and comparision
50,3 (Little Trouble) Settings used and comparision

Jedi Knight 2:
34,3fps (Warring Factions map; 16players) Maximum details

3dMark 2001 SE:
7245 3dMarks Comparision Link


First Serious Sam, the performance there is slower than in the comparision benchmarks, 3dcenter gets 39fps in the first one with a slower CPU and Anand gets 67,4fps in the second one. Strange thing is that when I disable compressed textures I get almost the same score

Next we have Jedi Knight 2, since I have it already patched to the latest version, I can't run the JK2FFA demo, so I started a LAN server and played against 16 bots on the Warring Factions map (a CTF map, you can fall down easily there), it was barely playable, and that without FAA or AF!
All the other JK2 details have been maxed out.
Oh, another interesting part is that I got a maximum of 42fps with FAA and AF enabled, even when I looked directly into the sky only with a small part of a wall on the screen the fps counter didn't went above 42fps. Unfortunatly the rest of the performance have been bad around the mid twenties to low thirties.


3dMark 2001 SE is the only benchmark from these three which seemed to run correct, the scores are about the same as in comparable benchmarks (I looked for benchmarks with a CPU difference of +/- 100 MHz).
All the tests have been run without FAA and AF.


Tomorrow I will test Commanche 4 demo, Quake III, maybe Max Payne too. For me it looks like there are some OpenGL issues on my system:
JK2 almost unplayable at heavyaction, AHL/HL based games only barely playable on heavy load, the same with Trains&Trucks Tycoon.

[KeiFront]

103er-Fan Have you only tried the latest driver. Or do you experience bad performance with all driver versions?

I was just reading a review at digit-life (Radeon 9700 ) and I noticed some really slow framerates for the Parhelia in some games compared to the other cards tested.

In the Radeon 9700 review they used the latest drivers (2.31) for the Parhelia.

When I compared the Parhelia framerates to the framrates off the orginal Parhelia review (older drivers (2.26)) I noticed a big difference in framerate between the two driver revisions used.

Serious Sam SE

1600x1200 39,7 => 30
1280x1024 45.9 => 37.1

RTCW

1600x1200 36.2 => 19.7
1280x1024 47.2 => 22.1
1024x768 51.1 => 24.9

1024x768 FAA 46.9 => 22.7

It could also be that there is a rtcw bug in the latest driver .