Performance Question

[CoopF4 0]

Okay I bought my current computer (a Dell Studio laptop) about three months ago and I downloaded FE2 on it pretty much from Day 1 thinking that I would have no trouble running the sim with some great graphics settings. I've found that it really slows down unless I have the level of detail down to around medium and even then will sometimes slow when a lot of things are happening on screen at once.

 

My computer specs are as follows:

 

CPU - Intel Core i5 CPU 2.27 GHz

RAM - 4.00 GB

Video Card - ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 (1 GB)

 

 

Now obviously at this point it's too late for me to really do anything, but I'm just asking for my own personal knowledge. Did I screw up and get a computer that was too slow? I did the research and felt I was getting a pretty decent set of specifications when I ordered this one (custom I might add).

 

Thanks for any info you can provide.

[Heck 496]

Okay I bought my current computer (a Dell Studio laptop) about three months ago and I downloaded FE2 on it pretty much from Day 1 thinking that I would have no trouble running the sim with some great graphics settings. I've found that it really slows down unless I have the level of detail down to around medium and even then will sometimes slow when a lot of things are happening on screen at once.

 

My computer specs are as follows:

 

CPU - Intel Core i5 CPU 2.27 GHz

RAM - 4.00 GB

Video Card - ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 (1 GB)

 

 

Now obviously at this point it's too late for me to really do anything, but I'm just asking for my own personal knowledge. Did I screw up and get a computer that was too slow? I did the research and felt I was getting a pretty decent set of specifications when I ordered this one (custom I might add).

 

Thanks for any info you can provide.

 

I can honestly say that the system you chose makes any system I've ever run FE2 on look retarded (computer challenged?), including the old desktop I'm running it on now, so don't beat yourself up over that. Just from basic specs, it looks like a great system. I'm assuming this is Windows 7. Can you ascertain what unnecessary programs or aps might be running in the background and shut them down? That might help, it helps me, but be careful, so you don't shut down anything that your system needs to run. You might also check the Strike Fighters 2 knowledge base for any tips on tweaking graphics settings, those tips will work for FE2 as well. I wish I could help more, but I have an old XP desktop, so I can't give you any worthwhile tips. I would also check to make certain your system came with the latest version of DirectX, sometimes they don't ship with it. I know that no system I've ever purchased shipped with the latest version of that. Hopefully some of the old hands here who have the same operating system can help you, because your basic system stats seem to indicate that you should be able to run the sim quite well.

[MigBuster 2,884]

A few things you could try:

 

Disable the Aero interface first if you have Win 7 - switch to a basic theme

 

In the ATi control Centre set AA and AF to use the application settings if not already.

 

In the games options set shadows low but try and raise the other settings apart from terrain distance.

 

in the mod folder in saved games open up options.ini in notepad and change this:

 

[GraphicsOptions]

UseAdvancedShaders=1 <<<-------set to 1

 

this should force the game to use DX10 so should be faster if it wasn't using it already.

 

If you are using any add ons like a new terrain that will slow you down so you will need to set your balance.

That mobile graphics card is listed as a mid low level entry card - and the graphics card really does make a massive difference - with a high level card you might be able to max things out.

 

As an example I use a PC (i7, 6GB RAM, ATi 5770) so a more powerful system and superior card - and I haven't been able to set everything full with mods in place.

 

If the series gets more tuned for multicore system in the future performance may actually improve - never know.

[Guest Tazkiller]

Thanks for the imput!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CoopF4 0]

I'll try tinkering with the graphics card settings, but I must say I seem to get better framerates when I force the game to run on DX9 and turn the shading value to zero. Maybe I'm just imagining things. I don't have any mods currently installed so nothing of that sort should be slowing things down.

 

Perhaps it's just the game engine and not anything wrong with my particular computer?

 

I wonder what I could turn off using the task manager? Surely my computer is running things I don't really need?

[CoopF4 0]

Oh, and I looked for the ATi control panel and I can't find it. Any thoughts?