Problems with NFS5(demo) and NFS4, G400

[MikkoJ]

Hi.

Config: Cel300A@464, 128MB, AbitBH6rev1.0, G40032MBDH@150/200, SBlive!, DVRaptor, RR-G, 56K, 7.6GB, 14.4GB, HP8210i. Latest drivers, other games work fine.

Last summer I was happily playing NFS4, with a G200 in the above rig. Good framerates, even on split screen.
Then I got my G400 and NFS4 framerates dropped way down; the split screen mode became unplayable, like 10fps. I thought this was because the game didn't recognize the G400 properly.

I thought things would get better with NFS5. I downloaded the demo, and it's totally unplayable. Even on 640*480*16 with all settings at low, it's barely 15-20fps. 1024*768 looks like 4fps.
What is wrong? Cel464+G400 should do better, shouldn't it

Anybody being able to run NFS4/5 with good framerates, and what are your relevant G400 settings, please?!

Mikko

[Surfwienix]

have you run the 3D-SETUP of NFS ?
the g400 will not be detected automaticaly, chose primary display in 3D-SETUP.
i had this problem with NFS3/4, too.
the slow fps are because of the automaticaly chosen software-renderer.
hope this helps.

[MikkoJ]

No, I'm not using the software renderer, which btw would give me faster (but uglier) graphics that I am experiencing.
On NFS4 3Dsetup I select "Primary 3D Device", NFS5 gives me "G400".
But for some reason the 3D rendering is very slow.
Other Direct3D games play fine and smooth.

mikko

[Strafe]

Hmmm, NFS5 is running well on my P3-500 + G400MAX at 1024x768x32. It does bog down when there are a lot of cars on the screen 'tho. Is there a setting to check framerates?

[impact]

Don't think so, but you can set car detail to medium and car shading to low and suddenly it will be smooth even with lots of cars on screen at once.

As for the NFS 4 video detection, all I did was hax0ring my registry with the help of some post here, overwriting the g200 entry with g400 and from then on, no problems with any EA game.

[Nuno]

NFS5 is slow as hell with my K7 600/G400 as well. Both in win98 and win2k.
BTW, where do I disable fog?

[Surfwienix]

try disable fog, this option slows down the fps dramaticaly for g400-cards. don't know why.

[MikkoJ]

impact, could you find a reference to those registry hacks you mentioned?

I'm wondering if these problems could be tracked down to some incompatible MGATweak setting or something like that?

still puzzled,
mikko

[seven]

well i dont know what u guys r doing but the new demo runs fine here smooth at 1024 x 768 x 32
also high stakes is the same and i have fog on?????????
but i,m gunna try it off and see what happens
cya seven

------------------
hell yeah i love this g 400 max

[Jorden]

Problems with NFSHS has all the information and a link to the registry hacks (plus some more additions that I found).

Cheers

Jorden.

[MikkoJ]

Problem at least partially solved.

Yesterday I uninstalled both NFS:HS and NFS:PUL and went through the registry and removed all even remote references to Electonic Arts. I found video card listings in multiple places. After this I reinstalled the NFS:PUL demo and now it runs acceptably, 1024*768*32 is okay, many cars on screen at the same time slows things down but that's probably my Cel464 being too slow (?).

As I said earlier, this Windows install has seen me play NFS:HS first with G200 and then with G400. Even though I uninstalled and reinstalled the game many times after I upgraded to G400, I think there was something left behind in the registry that slowed it down, and now slowed even the NFS:PUL down;} 1024*768*32 was really 4fps, as I complained earlier.

I'll have to install NFS:HS again and see if the problem comes back, and if it can be avoided with the reg hacks posted above.

but thanks everyone,

mikko

[This message has been edited by MikkoJ (edited 06 April 2000).]

[MikkoJ]

One more worry: it seems that using FF (MS Sidewinder FF Wheel) makes the framerate take about 25% dive. Is this "normal"?

mikko

[Jorden]

That could be due to the Force Feedback implementations, Mikko. I don't know how well they run on a Celeron, but isn't FF in general very CPU intensive?

Jord.

[Jorden]

FAQ Forum - NFS 4 reg hacks

Jord.

[Zypher]

This thread intrigues me.

I'll give NFSV Fairlight Edition a try on my system tommorow morn and see how it fares.

Damn, forum having trouble perhaps? Well if this shows 6 times or so I'll come and delete them tommorow too