Help with performance?

xPreatorianxxPreatorianx Join Date: 2010-11-20 Member: 75095Members
in NS2 General Discussion
Hello there, I'm having extreme performance issues and I don't think I should. I'm not on an extremely high end system but this system should be able to handle this game. At least I would think. But i get 20 - 25 FPS max @ 1920X1080 with only 2-4 people in a server. I can get 35-50 @1280X1024 with 2-4 people on a server but it still dips dramatically when there's a confrontation.

Visual settings are on high when I tested both resolutions. I would rather keep it at 1920X1080 as it's my monitors native res and mine too :P.

System Specs :

Here are my specs :
AMD Phenom II x2 555 Callisto @3.2GHZ (unlocked to triple core, no OC)
Motherboard : ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO
Ram : G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB DDR3 1600MHZ (factory OC 9-9-9-24 IIRC) with 1.5V
Heatsink : Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
GFX Card : BFG Nvidia Geforce GTX 260 Max core(No OC)
power supply : BFG Limited Edition 800W(BFGR800WPSULE)

I have not tried overclocking my CPU yet as I'm trying to break in the new heatsink. But I have OC'd the GFX card and it helps a bit. But not anything to write home about. Is it just the fact that the game is in beta? Or is my system not capable?

Any and all help much appreciated!
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Comments

  • AsranielAsraniel Join Date: 2002-06-03 Member: 724Members, Playtest Lead, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Retired Community Developer
    the game is in beta and absolutely not optimized yet. it will be optimized when the game is feature complete (and actually before also).

    So don't worry, if your particular hardware combination has problems currently, they will be resolved later. What you can play now is a beta test, it is here to find bugs, but also to give something to those that preordered so that the waiting is a little shorter. If you think testing unoptimized builds is not for you and you preferer a fast and stable game, just wait for the final version, after all, you paid for it! just ignore the beta builds up to then :)
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  • doesephdoeseph Join Date: 2009-11-22 Member: 69467Members, NS2 Playtester, Subnautica Playtester
    As Asraniel pointed out, the game is still in the process of being optimized. Your hardware is not the problem and should be plenty enough to run the game at high settings once everything is said and done. Each update brings with it a performance boost, so either wait for the game to be more optimized or simply ride out the current performance issues and help test the game.
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  • xPreatorianxxPreatorianx Join Date: 2010-11-20 Member: 75095Members
    edited January 2011
    <!--quoteo(post=1821322:date=Jan 3 2011, 08:03 PM:name=doeseph)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (doeseph @ Jan 3 2011, 08:03 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1821322"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->As Asraniel pointed out, the game is still in the process of being optimized. Your hardware is not the problem and should be plenty enough to run the game at high settings once everything is said and done. Each update brings with it a performance boost, so either wait for the game to be more optimized or simply ride out the current performance issues and help test the game.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    Thanks. I understand this is a beta and just wanted to make sure that I wasn't gonna get some reply saying "No your computer sucks invest more into it!" I'm all fine and dandy with playing a beta. I just wanted to make sure it was the fact that it was a beta and not my machine as I'm still trying to discover where my hardware fits into playable, highly playable, hardly playable, and just piss poor lol. As this machine isn't that old. I've only had it running for a good 3-4 months.

    I have never played NS1 so this game is pretty daunting when it comes to trying to figure out what to do. but I love the challenge. But do you guys have any tips on how to get it playable in the short term? Without waiting for a more improved version X months from now? As I would love to get into this game and start really giving to the community as well as the experience as this game seems pretty sweet!

    EDIT: Also thanks to Asraniel as well :).
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  • NurEinMenschNurEinMensch Join Date: 2003-02-26 Member: 14056Members, Constellation
    What did it for me:

    1) Lower the resolution
    2) Window mode (for some reason it seems to run better that way for me)
    3) Try different servers. You'll notice huge differences here.

    Of course even with that the game can be somewhat laggy and choppy at times. As others have said this will be fixed eventually.
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  • FuzionMonkeyFuzionMonkey Join Date: 2005-05-04 Member: 50889Members
    NS2 in its current form is not optimized, and unlike most games, currently tends to have a CPU bottleneck. This is why when you lower your graphics settings your performance may not increase all that much.

    You can expect better performance to come in the future, as NS2 is gradually optimized.
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  • xPreatorianxxPreatorianx Join Date: 2010-11-20 Member: 75095Members
    Ok thanks for the replies everyone. I'll try editing some settings and trying various servers. :)
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  • weezlweezl Join Date: 2008-07-04 Member: 64557Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    you won't get far at all today with a gtx260
    i would get a gtx- 460/470/560/570 and dedicate the 260 to physx (for those games that have <i>hardware</i> physx)
    or OC the cpu for realz (20-40%) and get gtx- 480/580
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  • AsranielAsraniel Join Date: 2002-06-03 Member: 724Members, Playtest Lead, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Retired Community Developer
    and you asked about how to learn the game, i would suggest watching a few NS2HD videos. Because the game is constantly evolving, there are no real tutorials yet.

    <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/NaturalSelection2HD" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/user/NaturalSelection2HD</a>
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  • xPreatorianxxPreatorianx Join Date: 2010-11-20 Member: 75095Members
    edited January 2011
    <!--quoteo(post=1821572:date=Jan 4 2011, 07:40 PM:name=weezl)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (weezl @ Jan 4 2011, 07:40 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1821572"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->you won't get far at all today with a gtx260
    i would get a gtx- 460/470/560/570 and dedicate the 260 to physx (for those games that have <i>hardware</i> physx)
    or OC the cpu for realz (20-40%) and get gtx- 480/580<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I just bought this GTX 260. I don't have money to buy cards every few months. When this card doesn't run games then I'll upgrade. Till then it's fine. I've been able to run most games pretty good. I don't use AA+AF so I can usually run them maxed out. Only game that really gives me problems is Just Cause 2. But unless it's in a jungle area It runs beautifully as well. So a GTX260 is fine until I have money to upgrade 'yet' again :S.

    I plan to OC this processor as well. It's already unlocked to a triple core. But thanks for the input. :)


    Asraniel I have NS2HD subbed on youtube. I plan on watching all of his video's. But thanks for the heads up :).
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  • MOOtantMOOtant Join Date: 2010-06-25 Member: 72158Members
    Ignore the troll (that says GTX260 is not enough) and wait for CPU optimizations. If anything runs slowly while playing NS2 there's 99.9% chances it's NS2's fault and 0.1% it's hardware/system. 460 is pretty much 260 with bumped number.
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  • lunsluns Join Date: 2010-12-05 Member: 75502Members
    we all having this problem, its the problem with the engine not our computers. we have to wait till its fixed.
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  • weezlweezl Join Date: 2008-07-04 Member: 64557Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1821807:date=Jan 5 2011, 11:51 PM:name=MOOtant)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MOOtant @ Jan 5 2011, 11:51 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1821807"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Ignore the troll (that says GTX260 is not enough) and wait for CPU optimizations. If anything runs slowly while playing NS2 there's 99.9% chances it's NS2's fault and 0.1% it's hardware/system. 460 is pretty much 260 with bumped number.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    you're calling me a troll and discrediting me in computer hardware?
    i'd like to see you back those claims up with something first...
    nV has done alot of ugly rebranding, but 260 vs 460 is a huge differense. get your facts straight.


    and OP, you bought you gtx260 RECENTLY? for how much?
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  • MOOtantMOOtant Join Date: 2010-06-25 Member: 72158Members
    edited January 2011
    I don't call myself GPU expert but 25-30% improvement in GPU power won't make NS2 playable. tomshardware gpu charts 2010 - 3dmark06 460 - 21k, 260 17k. I can look at it more but meh. My render thread (I have around 1 year old 260) gets 60 FPS 95% of the time but physics slows it down to that 15-30.

    I'm calling you a troll with respect to NS2 performance. :>

    BTW it's weird if he bought 260 recently, every store I checked has 460 instead of it since months.
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  • ZekZek Join Date: 2002-11-10 Member: 7962Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    A GTX260 is more than good enough for this game, I don't know why there's always somebody in these threads trying to discredit hardware that's only a couple years old. PC gaming does not cost a fortune anymore, especially not now with the main benchmark for graphics being console hardware from 5~ years ago.
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  • HughHugh Cameraman San Francisco, CA Join Date: 2010-04-18 Member: 71444NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Onos, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts
    GTX 260 is more than sufficient. All NS2HD dual perspective games feature on GTX 260 perspective. The only solution is to wait for improvements. I read a great thread earlier that showed that the CPU render thread was taking twice as long as the GPU render thread... There is potential for massive frame rate improvements in Spark :)
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  • weezlweezl Join Date: 2008-07-04 Member: 64557Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    ok, wtf have i been reading? thought there was much more difference between 260/460, than 20-30%. sorry bout that!

    so cross 460/560 from the list and my recommendations are still valid.
    i was never talking about ns2.

    i was also talking from own experience, have a gtx480 that isn't enough for me.
    i cannot play all games in full-hd, max settings, 60fps.
    now go one generation back, and from top segment to midrange, and you'll see why i gave the 260 so little credit.

    my plan is to get a stronger cpu and a second 480, decided to wait for bulldozer for now.
    so i'm fully serious, no trolling.
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  • xPreatorianxxPreatorianx Join Date: 2010-11-20 Member: 75095Members
    edited January 2011
    Right here are my updated system specs. I tested out my heatsink that I dropped in from the first post, and then I decided to OC my CPU and GPU. I know OCing is not a solution for any game, but I planned on doing it anyways. After this OC NS2 runs at about 50-60 FPS at 1280X1024. Crap res but it works. It dips down into the 30s and occasionally 20s when in heavy combat with a lot of structures nearby. But again that will improve.

    Overall I'm happy. All I had to do was sacrifice resolution for the time being to get it playable!

    Here are my specs :
    AMD Phenom II x2 555 Callisto @3.2GHZ (unlocked to triple core, 3.8GHZ up from 3.2GHZ per core)
    Motherboard : ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO
    Ram : G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB DDR3 1600MHZ (factory OC 9-9-9-24 IIRC) with 1.5V
    Heatsink : Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
    GFX Card : BFG Nvidia Geforce GTX 260 Max core(1200MHZ memory /1500 Shader/700 Core)
    power supply : BFG Limited Edition 800W(BFGR800WPSULE)

    EDIT: I do agree with people in the thread that say NS2 is highly dependent on CPU atm. As OCing defiantly showed an improvement. But it's a beta and I'm highly satisfied considering I was gonna OC in the first place.

    Also to the person who said my card is crap. I'm sorry but I can't afford to drop $300-$600 on a video card right now. I got this GTX 260 for a steal at $120. So I went for it. If I had a lot of money I would have definitely went for the latest and greatest.
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  • weezlweezl Join Date: 2008-07-04 Member: 64557Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    ehm, OC'ing is a very valid solution for, i would say, any game. infact, it's pretty stupid to NOT OC since you'd missing untapped potential.
    and atleast you got value for the money with that 260...
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