Little help with UT and G400

[Boul]

I know that UT is reputed to be slow compared to Q3, but I'm getting 22 fps at 800*600 on a 366@550 with 128 mb of ram (g400 dualhead). What Could I do to bring my MINIMUM fps no lower trhan 28, even in the dense firefights? I would like to keep playing at 800*600.

[Thundrchez]

Some tips to get higher fps:
run in 16 bit color instead of 32
don't run in high world detail
don't run in high skin detail
turn off 3d sound
turn off the hud
overclock your g400 (but add extra cooling)
upgrade your computer

Make the compromises that you want to to get increased fps. Regardless, when the action gets really dense, it will slow down.

As for me, I want to see it all. I just live with the slow downs in the really dense fighting, but it looks spectacular.

[Kruzin]

You did not mention what API you are using.
If you are using OpenGL, switch to D3D.

[bigluker]

If you're using OpenGL with UT, you deserve a swift kick in the ass. The game doesnt even have a proper GL renderer.

In D3D, i found lowering skin detail helped a lot, especially when there is a lot of bastards on the screen. 16-bit helps quite a bit, too. But for the real thing, switch to the 5.5 beta drivers. They run both Q3 and UT wonderfully.

Another tip, resolution doesnt hurt UT at all, I found i got the exact same framerates from 300x200 up to 1280x1024; considering my monitor can barely do 1024x768 without bigtime image degration, i dont use 1280x1024.

[paulcs]

Bigluker, you're getting the same framerates from resolution to resolution? It sounds like you're hitting a wall, and the cause is some external factor. Maybe Vsync is enabled.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[gobrob]

You should be getting much higher framerates,I have a lowly c300@450,128 megs,16mb sh G400, and run 1024x768 32 bit color with detail levels at MEDIUM. That made all the diff for me,I get about 35fps,I find no diff for 800x600 as well.
gobrob

[exodus]

On my Celeron 550 & G400 Max@170/227, I average about 45-50 fps in 1024x768x32 everything set to high except,(and this is very important in my experience), high detailed textures is set to "no" in the advanced options under D3D rendering. If I set this to "yes", my framerate drops by over half! UT runs soo much better @ that res. than Q3. Although there are instances @1024x768 where UT becomes fill-rate limited, UT is mostly CPU limited.

[exrar]

The way I see it, If I pay $200 for a damn video card I should be able to crank to the absolute max for every game out today, I've got a g400 max on a celery 300A oc'd to 464 with 5 fans in my case, 2 on my processor alone, so it stays at a decent 26 degrees celsuis, if my friend can run it on his 16 meg voodoo 3 3000 at 1600x1200 with everything on highsmoothly, why in the hell ain't I able to play it at 1280x1024 with everything on high in 32 bit color????!
$200 could've went to a lot of practicle things, like my parents tried to tell me, but if I decide to spend it on a little ity bity card, it oughta make any game out ( right now, i realize technology goes pretty quick ) cry on it's knees like a lil pigy

[John Rambo]

exrar: I agree with you, I play UT rather on Voodoo2 SLi than on my G400. Playing UT with V2SLI(glide) compared to G400(D3D) it`s a big difference. Voodoos are smooth always at 1024x768x16bit with detail textures(G400 huge fps drop) and all skin,world,HUD detail at max. I think problem is in D3D implementation for UT engine, EPIC sucks on D3D and OpenGL.

Many UT maps are corrup on G400 16bit, why? e.g. Domination-tombofsesmar(sky and deck)

sorry my english stuff
rambo

P2 450Mhz,AbitBH6,128MB SDRAM,my four fan(power supply fans) cooling system, G400DH 32MB PD5.5beta+DX7, Voodoo2SLI,SBlive value,....

[Boul]

EXODUS, how do I access the D3D advanced options? I'm kinda new at win98...

[Kruzin]

exrar- let me explain a few thing to you, as to why UT is faster on a voodoo card.

1- Voodoo can't do 32bit. If you want a fair compairison, run your G400 at 16bit, like the voodoo.

2- Voodoo can't do large textures or AGP transfers. Turn you texture details DOWN to match what the voodoo can do. Max detail on a voodoo IS NOT the same as max detail on the G400.

3- The Unreal game engine was coded for GLIDE. D3D is patched into the engine. This particular game will always run better in Glide than D3D.

Compare a true D3D game (with similar detail levels and color depths) if you want to compare a G400 to a voodoo. You are not comparing them on an even field by (a)using UT for your comparison (b)running the G400 in 32bit and (c)using texture levels on the G400 that the voodoo is not capable of.

[Beezer]

Boul: The advanced D3D options that Exodus referred to are in the UT game itself. Go into the console (~ key) and type PREFERENCES followed by a return. You should see the "Advanced Options" menu. I believe you can find the D3D options under the "Render" tab, but just explore all the tabs -- you might find something you like.

[exrar]

I understand that the voodoo cant' do many of the color depths and resolutions the matrox can but it seems with double the memory and compatability with agp 4x would make all that difference and make it smooth with the voodoo, which brings me to me next question, would the matrox be better with a 4x capable rig with a pentium III 600 than a agp 2x athlon 650 and perhaps another matrox card come within 6 or so months to replace this that would have all the nifty features that make the g400 appealing, and with T&L and enough power to be up with the current technology standards at the time that could then be put on a agp 4x capable athlon?

[Ozymandis]

You know what Kruzin? With the settings that a Voodoo3 owner would use I average about 70fps in 800x600 on my g400max. Not too shabby?

[Dyre]

exrar: 4x agp has been shown to do nothing. No games use it. MAybe 1 to 3 fps faster.

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