Quick Performance Tip

NegaBenji · May 2003

<div class="IPBDescription">FPS++</div> Install DirectX 9 if you haven't already. I was holding back due to hearing people complain about it, but I installed it the other day with a game and now my NS runs much smoother. I don't think I've ever seen the fade run animation before

Disclaimer: If you're performance degrades don't blame me <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'>

alyandon · May 2003

HL tends to run best under OpenGL modes (at least with nVidia hardware).

NegaBenji · May 2003

DirectX is more than just Direct3D. I run Half-Life in OpenGL but I'm getting improved framerates and just a general increase in smoothness

MadFunk · May 2003

Oh, I'll blame you alright.

<span style='color:gray'><span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>I use DirectX9, anyway. =P</span></span>

XCan · May 2003

Direct3D and OpenGL is in theory about equally fast, however it seems that HL's more optimised for OpenGL for some reason... What card do you use #1?

Spetz · May 2003

Try r_mmx "1" in your config. If you have a relativly new processor it should support mmx and so switching it on has been known to give people a huge performance boost.

Shockeh · May 2003

Relatively new?

1999 was quite a while ago....

Maus · May 2003

Hell, I think even my old K6-2 350 had MMX.

BeRzErKeR · May 2003

And r_mmx does... what?

Turkey2 · May 2003

lol I woulda never thought of that being built in I may try that.

Dunkin_Dynamite · May 2003

MMX became prevalent the year change of 1996-97, that time. I am talking about Northern Hemisphere fall and winter time. Remember that in computer industry things change quickly, and in the past extremely fast, so I am not saying, "oh, in Jan 96 or what not it came out, and by Jan 97 people got used to it" I mean fall winter. I am compelled to say this because I have just been reminiscing <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'> and the CounterStrike generation's time sense is skewed, according to me <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wow.gif'> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'>

Spetz · May 2003

Yes well put it in your config and it will improve your performance. I don't know exactly how it works, but it does increase fps. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

BOZO · May 2003

I'll give it a try even though I get pretty good FPS now, but I could always use more.

Asraniel · May 2003

Wellm because all are so happy in this thread..

i have a 2400+ with a G3 Ti 500
but only 60 FPS...<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'>

i set fps_max "200" but it changes nothing... help?

Brave_Ulysses · May 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Asraniel @ May 22 2003, 11:08 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Wellm because all are so happy in this thread..

i have a 2400+ with a G3 Ti 500
but only 60 FPS...<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'>

i set fps_max "200" but it changes nothing... help?  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
You can always laugh at me - it might make you feel better. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'> 20 fps on a good day. Though I hit 40 in ready rooms.

krapht · May 2003

Get a better monitor. I suppose you're using WinXP? It auto - limits game fps to monitor refresh. Either change your refresh rate or or get a better monitor. You should be able to afford it if you got such a nice proc and graphics card.

Asraniel · May 2003

i would never laught at someone with a less fast(? omg my english) computer, for a long time in my LAN community i had the badest computer... i know how it is to play Q1 with.. lets say.. 15 frames

Roobubba · May 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Asraniel @ May 22 2003, 11:08 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Wellm because all are so happy in this thread..

i have a 2400+ with a G3 Ti 500
but only 60 FPS...<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'>

i set fps_max "200" but it changes nothing... help?  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
You see, not everyone has <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=28768&st=0' target='_blank'>READ MY GUIDE ON FPS/VSYNC</a> - you need to it tells you all about a) why you have 60fps, b) how you can get 100fps (HL has a max of 100 built in) and c) how you can fix your monitor from only running at 60Hz in game (because that's what it's doing, WHATEVER you have set it to in windoze).

Oh, and d) lots of other goodies

<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

krapht · May 2003

Roob: c - WRONG! COMPLETELY WRONG! I'M SORRY, YOU'RE WRONG

k ;p

what you have it set in windows desktop does make a difference.

KEm1KaL1 · May 2003

A note on forced refresh rates, KEEP THE PROGRAM AT YOUR DISPOSAL!!!

Sometimes they can cause newer games to !@#$ up and that will **** you off. A new monitor would probably be going too far since there is only so much refresh rates can do.

davidsansome · May 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (krapht @ May 22 2003, 04:21 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Roob: c - WRONG! COMPLETELY WRONG! I'M SORRY, YOU'RE WRONG

k ;p

what you have it set in windows desktop does make a difference.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
Nope - Roob is right <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'>

There's a bug in Windows XP and 2000 that limits it to 60Hz. To quote from the guide:

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>WindowsXP and Windows2000
There is a known problem in these operating systems, where the monitor refresh rate will be defaulted to 60Hz in non-desktop resolutions, WHATEVER REFRESH RATE you have on the desktop setting.

EVEN IF YOU HAVE VSYNC DISABLED your monitor refresh rate will be 60Hz, which as we know is bad for your eyes mmmkay...

A fix I have found to work with both Nvidia and ATI cards under winXP *AND OPENGL* (not confirmed win2k yet) is called Refresh Lock. The website for this program is: <a href='http://www.pagehosting.co.uk/rl/' target='_blank'>http://www.pagehosting.co.uk/rl/</a> ***EDIT I recommend this for ATI card users, there are more suitable programs for NVidia graphics card users (such as <a href='http://www.nvrt.org/' target='_blank'>http://www.nvrt.org/</a> (thanks EB)!! /EDIT***

This program runs in the background and will force windows to use the maximum refresh rate reported by your monitor or monitor drivers for a particular resolution.
</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

Sinter · May 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>A note on forced refresh rates, KEEP THE PROGRAM AT YOUR DISPOSAL!!!

Sometimes they can cause newer games to !@#$ up and that will **** you off. A new monitor would probably be going too far since there is only so much refresh rates can do.</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I noticed this as an issue in Enter The Matrix. I was eventually forced to reinstall my video drivers just to make it run.

-[CosaNostra]Sinter

NegaBenji · May 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (XCan @ May 22 2003, 03:14 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Direct3D and OpenGL is in theory about equally fast, however it seems that HL's more optimised for OpenGL for some reason... What card do you use #1?  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
GeForce4MX, but I used to have a GeForce256 so I've always stuck with OpenGL. Plus you can have nice fog, mmm.

I remember enabling the mmx switch a while back (in fact it was on the Iwojima map in Firearms 2.5, and i was on the red team heading down the left-hand tunnel to the blue base at the time... it's strange how you can remember some completely pointless things with such clarity <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'>) but I didn't notice any performance increase. Then again, HL 1.1.0.9 had just come out and everyone's computer was spontaneously combusting

LagDemon · May 2003

Roob, about the refresh lock bit, I am running WINXP, and when i turned off VSYNC in my graphics card menu in Display Options, my HL started running 100 fps, without any external programs...

So I KNOW you were wrong about that, at least in some small way <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'>

Wheeee · May 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (LagDemon @ May 22 2003, 02:20 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Roob, about the refresh lock bit, I am running WINXP, and when i turned off VSYNC in my graphics card menu in Display Options, my HL started running 100 fps, without any external programs...

So I KNOW you were wrong about that, at least in some small way <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'>  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
actually he was right.

Daxx · May 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (LagDemon @ May 22 2003, 02:20 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Roob, about the refresh lock bit, I am running WINXP, and when i turned off VSYNC in my graphics card menu in Display Options, my HL started running 100 fps, without any external programs...

So I KNOW you were wrong about that, at least in some small way <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'>  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
He's quite right, it's mostly for older systems that don't have the latests and greatest hardware. WinXP will limit it to 60 FPS unless the monitor is set to more. And disabling V-SYNC will give a dramatic performance boost.

Quick Performance Tip

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