Why had I never tried this before?

[Olham 164]

Yes, one shouldn't go too far.

groumf, I think you're not on our OFF Forum Pilots maps - would you

post me your town and country - I'll add you then.

[Von Paulus 8]

groumf you've a good CPU. You can overclock it, as long as you have a good CPU cooler and a good air flow in the case.

You can consider two things if you don't want to mess with BIOS.

First do you know if you've Intel Turbo Boost enabled? Is it working?

To test if it's enabled, you can use this Intel tool.

With Intel Turbo Boost enabled, and because OFF is a single thread application, you can go up until 3.46Ghz, depending on the number of the cores (taken by the game and system) you're using at that moment you're playing.

http://www.intel.com...b/cs-029908.htm

http://www.tomshardw...-i5,2410-4.html

The other thing you can do is to download an overclocker tool from the maker's site of your motherboard. Asus, Gigabyte, MSI and Evga all have it.

That tool will do every thing for you. Don't expect an extreme overclock. Only by messing with BIOS you'll be able to do it.

But the Intel turbo is a good thing for OFF.

 

themightysrc, you've a miserable graphic card, mate. If you can change it. It won't be hard to find a better one.

Edited June 9, 2010 by Von Paulus

[+Polovski 460]

Rich see the FAQ it explains exactly how to configure the sliders using the graphics config near the top section.

 

http://www.overflandersfields.com/FAQ.htm

[BirdDogICT 3]

BirdDog, I can't see an exe.file - how does that D3D thing get installed?

 

Olham,

 

Unpack the D3DOverrider.rar file to a folder of your choice, and you will see the program files and file folders. D3DOverrider.exe should show in your file list as "D3DOverrider", with "Application" as it's file type (it's the only application file, although there are several application extensions).

 

You don't have to install the program, as it doesn't require any registry entries. I simply created a desktop link to D3DOverrider.exe and activate it when I need to use the program.

 

The D3DOverrider icon (green X) should show in your taskbar when it's been activated. You can right click the icon and chose "show" to get to the program's simple, intuitive interface. You can set general properties and application profile properties, if you like.

 

Once you've activated D3DOverrider, it waits in the background until a DirectX program like BHaH starts, and you'll hear a Windows system sound (default sound is "Exclamation") to let you know it's working. In the case of BHaH, you'll hear the Exclamation sound when a mission is loading, shortly after "Contact, Clear"

 

Hope this helps.

[BirdDogICT 3]

BirdDogICT,

I have ATI HD 5770 GPU, too, (with Intel core I7, 4Go RAM). The settings you suggest (sliders and catalyst center) seems too high for my system, in spite of D3D overrider. Graphics look pretty good but the game is too slow and jerky. It appears that when I set antianisotropic filter on « managed by application », instead of 8X, 4X and even 2X, the game run fluider, but graphics are not as good. I cant' install ATI Tray tools (Windows 7 message :

 

"cannot connect to low level driver.Please reinstall Ati tray tools under local system administrator account or try to start drive manually using low level driver installation shortcut" ). I'll seek later how to disregard this message.

Does ATI tray tools provide signifiant changes and prevents the game from these annoying stutters and jerks ? I did not expect that I would have to overclock my GPU... What about other settings in graphics config > custom settings > "window" ?

 

 

Groumf,

 

Can't help you with ATI Tray Tools...haven't used that program for quite a while. But I can comment on the 5770. As Olham pointed out, it's not a terribly fast card, actualy a little slower than Olham's 4870. But I get 45-60 FPS with 54455 sliders, and the overrides suggested in the FAQ. Catalyst 10.5 settings are as follows: 4XAA (Edge detect, 12 samples), 8XAF, Catalyst AI Disabled, Mipmap Detail Level at Performance, Multi-Sample AA (this one is critical...SuperSample AA brings my FPS to <10, especially in clouds), Vertical Refresh Always On, and OpenGL Triple Buffering On (you have to have a third party program to get the last two to actually work, thanks to ATI driver glitch). I also have AA turned OFF in the game, and set regional air activity and ground density to medium. Having a 3.6MHz processor and fast memory helps, and regularly defragging your hard drive is a must. Also run at the highest resolution you can. I'm at 1920X1080@60Hz.

 

Try the above setings, but with terrain and scenery set to 3. You can also gain FPS by turning shadows and dual pass render off in the overrides. Your mileage will vary, but this works for me.

[themightysrc 5]

Hi Olham,

 

That's what I suspected.

 

Ho hum. Well, I suppose I better start saving up the pennies and see if I can't get a good rig built for about £500. Any suggestions on how I can come in under that limit and still end up with a good system would be very gratefully accepted.

 

Cheers,

Si

[Morris 2]

themightyscr,

 

go to the following link and read what Creaghorn did and all the relevent information for his new PC. It even talks abouth the prize of the final PC build.

http://combatace.com...-please-advice/

 

Hope it helps

 

morris

 

Edited June 9, 2010 by Morris

[Bigfish3 0]

Olham, if your CPU is overclockable I'd recommend having a go. A few months ago I was contemplating upgrading (Ie chucking away and starting again) my whole rig (based on an E6750 processor running at stock speed, I think 2.6 Ghz) but a chum on the BoB2 forum suggested just changing the CPU to an E8400 and overclocking it. I had always thought overclocking was too scary, but I gave it a go and the E8400 is now running at 3.9 GHz and it makes the most amazing difference, high settings in OFF and Bob2 and no stability or any other issues. I don't know what the difference is with your E8300 but I'd think it worth a go. I see Lou is running an E8400 also. For a cheap upgrade the benefits have been outstanding. Never had any "tearing/white triangles". I was fortunate to have someone to hold my hand (by email) while I did the overclocking but I'm sure there are many expert and helpful guys on the OFF forum who could help. The main thing for me, having changed the CPU, was having someone to encourage me it was going to be OK and the entire thing wouldn't go up in smoke. The actual overclocking stuff is basically just changing some settings in the BIOS, incrementally and cautiously, and knowing which to change in what order. My GPU is getting a bit long in the tooth though ...

[Von Paulus 8]

Bigfish3, to run an E8400@3.9Ghz, I bet you don't have the cooler that came with the processor.

I'm no expert at overclocking, I'm a noob as most people here, but 3.9Ghz it's almost an extreme overclocking. It's the wall for E8400.

[Olham 164]

Thank you, BirdDog, will give it a go!

 

Bigfish, my CPU is definitely overclockable, but I forgot what mobo I have.

Can I get the info from my system, without opening the rig and check?

 

I'd be very grateful, if someone could guide me how to overclock my E8300.

[themightysrc 5]

"themightyscr,

 

go to the following link and read what Creaghorn did and all the relevent information for his new PC. It even talks abouth the prize of the final PC build.

 

http://combatace.com...-please-advice/

 

Hope it helps

 

morris"

 

Hi Morris,

 

Thanks for that! I'll give that a good delve.

 

Cheers,

Si

 

ON EDIT - Bah! Link's knackered - can you repost it please? Ta!

Edited June 9, 2010 by themightysrc

[Von Paulus 8]

I'd be very grateful, if someone could guide me how to overclock my E8300.

Oh boy, everyone seems to want to do a overclock nowadays.

Olham there's no definitive guide to overclock a processor. It's a question of trying and testing.

It's not only a question of processor but also of BIOS options. Motherboards have different BIOS and different settings.

Besides, things like, coolers, air flow, ambient temperatures, CPU voltages, will differ from case to case.

Overclocking will always stress your machines. 20% is a value that is acceptable and it won't have so much impact, but if your machine is on the edge ,even 20% can be too much.

To do a overclock you must be confident and know about your machine capabilities.

If it's a last generation of AMD or Intel CPU's and motherboards everything is more easy; mainly because there are "natural" overclocking technologies associated with this new processors. Adding to this the motherboard makers evolved their overclocking tools for their new products, and now everything is more easy if you want to do low/moderate overclocking.

Olham you've a generation before this. So the things are different. You'll have to do it probably in the hard way. You'll have to mess with BIOS.

 

Here is something that all people who want to do overclock should read:

http://www.overclock.../overclock_faq/

 

Here you find link to overclock tools:

http://forums.tweakt...ty-tools-30530/

 

Olham, you've a self assembled PC, or is a HP, Dell or any other brand?

 

 

EDIT: Here is the link themightysrc.

Edited June 9, 2010 by Von Paulus

[Olham 164]

Von Paulus, my system is a self assembled one (assembled by a friend, but I can't ask him - he is against overclocking).

Is there a way to check the system, what motherboard I run? Without opening the rig and read what's printed on the board?

 

PS: My CPU is an Intel E8300.

Edited June 9, 2010 by Olham

[Von Paulus 8]

Try this:

http://www.hwinfo.com/

[Von Paulus 8]

I mostly agree with uncleal. Only you don't need water cooling, unless if you go for extreme overclocking. But yes in most of the cases you'll need a better CPU cooler and in some a better case. For PSU's we can't only concern with W, but also of being able, under stress, feed the rig with the right W.

This doesn't mean that most people can't do a lower or even a moderate to their systems. The main point is, you got to know with what you're messing with.

And by the way uncleal, a couple of years ago, your processor Q6600, was the dream of every overclocker. It's a highly overclocking CPU.

[Von Paulus 8]

Anyway, I doubt you could overclock a Dell.

[groumf 0]

Thanks to Olham, Von Paulus and BirdDog for their replies.

Turbo boost and the suggested settings seem to have increased performances in game. However, when I disable Write-Only Vertex Buffers, Write-Only Index Buffers,Terrain Texture Ring Blend ,Vertex Buffers, Index Buffers, as suggested for ATI in OFF website, terrain looks like a kind of grey and shapeless area. So, I don't tick these boxes and terrain texture is OK.

[Bigfish3 0]

Von Paulus - I chucked the stock Intel cooler away (well actually I put it in a pile marked "e-bay") when I built the rig, and replaced it with the biggest Zalman cooler, which wasn't expensive. The case already had multiple fans. I fly with 5.1 headphones so I don't care how much noise it makes! It runs really cool. I bought the E8400 on advice because it is so overclockable; I had to buy new memory as the stuff I had originally installed with the (not very overclockable) E6750 just wouldn't go fast enough to support the overclock. So the upgrade cost around £150 altogether. Set against a complete rebuild this made a lot of sense to me. I was also fortunate that the mobo I had was able to support the new CPU, although I had to reflash the BIOS to upgrade the firmware to get it to do that. Once again, I wouldn't/couldn't have attempted this without an internet chum who knew how to do this and patiently helped.

 

Olham, glad Von Paulus answered your "what mobo have I got" question as he's obviously very much more expert than I am! Good luck with your project!

[Olham 164]

I may do an overclocking with help soon, thank you guys.

groumf, there are many different setups possible for the graphics. Since I have an ATI card too

(HD 4870) I show you my settings here - feel free to use them.

My terrain looks fine, as you may check in "Screenshots" and "Reports from the Front" stickies.

 

 

[BirdDogICT 3]

I may do an overclocking with help soon, thank you guys.

 

Olham,

 

Von Paulus' is providing you excellent advice. I've overclocked for years and it can be worth the effort as long as you have good cooling, including CPU, GPU, memory, and motherboard (especially the north bridge). You will learn a lot in the process, especially when solving unintended problems that crop up (too many to go into here).

 

Keep us posted.

[groumf 0]

Uncleal,

My video card is an ATI Radeon 5770 vaporX.

 

Olham, Thanks for your screenshot.,it will be very useful for me. I'll try too run OFF with these setting as soon as possible.

 

 

 

 

[groumf 0]

The settings suggested here for my system provided some improvements, but the game didn't run fluid enough, in my opinion... After trial and error (and much discouragement !), I think I've found quite good settings : in workshops, I choose "medium" for aircrafts details, then, I use catalyst control center settings suggested by BirdDogICT, except x8 and x16 for AA and AF instead of 4 and 8. I also use Olham's CFS3 config settings, except "triangle streaps", "white out" (what is the point of these too things ?) and props discs all turned of in "disable section". I run D3DOverrider too.

Generally, whatever are the settings I verify (with my own system) that performances in game and FPS depend on the planeI fly : FPS in cockpit is the best with se5a WV, Sopwiths, Fokker DR.I, Spad 7-13 and it's the worst with Fokker Eindecker, Nieuport 28, Fokker Razor, Pfalz and, most of all, Albatros. Besides, when I fly Nieuport 17 or Nieuport 17 Lewis a part of upper wing in missing in "Iron sight" or "aldis sight"...

Well, in short, I enjoy OFF with my system (without overcklocking), but when see Hellshade's amazings videos on Youtube (even with Albatros !), I'm on the verge on tears ! There's no secret : I guess this pilot has an excellent hardware to run OFF so fine with fraps + TrackIR...

[Olham 164]

groumf, with your graphic card, which is faster than mine, you should be able to play the sim

without such problems, like me: no stutters, good FPS, fine resolution

 

I have set sliders like this:

 

- aircraft: 5

- terrain: 3

- scenery: 2

- effects: 5

- clouds: 5

 

And it works wonderfully. But OFF also needs a fast CPU. What processor do you use?

[groumf 0]

Olham,

My CPU is an Intel Core I7 (3,6 GHz with turbo boost).

So, I've set sliders as you suggested... and it works wonderfully for me too ! :good:I would have never guessed that scenery slider on 2 instead of 4 as I set it before could provide such an improvement. I can set AAA on 8 and AAF on 16 : the game is running very fine ! Thank you !

[+Polovski 460]

Rich please see the FAQ, it explains exactly how to set up the sliders.

 

Click Installation and Graphics button and look at 1.1b)

 

http://overflandersfields.com/FAQ