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x850xt 256mb not enough @1280x768?
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(29 posts, started )
x850xt 256mb not enough @1280x768?
I use a x850xt combined with a x2 4800 and 2gigs ddr400 on a 17" 1280x768 lcd.
After a clean LFS install to the new version, I decided to up the 3d settings of my catalyst drivers. My Catalyst driver are about 4months old, so i think theres a new version out.

In catalyst, I set my:
-aa and af to max (8 and 16 i believe). No temporal i believe.
-i dont think adaptive aa either
-catalyst ai set to max quality
-mipmap detail level max quality

I set all in game graphics to max. HVS enabled.

Single car on Blackwood, Coming out of the first chicane my framerate dips to mid 20s. Down the backstraight, right as the road crests, again 20's. Finally down the short chute to the right hander under the bridge, 20's.

I'm not sure whats the problem here, as at this low resolution, the x850xt should be more than enough for all the eye candy.

I turned the aa and af down to 4 and 8 respectivly, and turned some other options down (i didn't write anything down ), but left in game settings to max.
Full field of ai and i never get anything below high 40's, at WORST. And thats only when the ai starts getting really busy. 70s and up all else.

Weird. Any ideas?

game/catalyst bug?
download newest Catalyst version??
is the x850xt not good enough for max lfs???

Helps appreciated.
Stu
#2 - Jakg
no, it isn't good enough for "max LFS" - i haven't tested the PC in my sig yet, but when it had an AMD 4000 in it, at 4xAA, 16xAF, everything set to "HQ" in the drivers, lots of HQ textures - full grid still brings it down to 40 fps.

What CPU do you have?

EDIT - 4800? explains it. Your expecting too much, tbh
#3 - dadge
Quote from srdsprinter :combined with a x2 4800

i think it's a duel core 4800 AMD
i have a single core 3800+ and my frame never drop below 80 (nv6600gt AGP)

damn, you fixed it lol
#4 - Bean0
I play at 1600x1200 using an X800 Bravo and A64 3500, AA and AF as high as they go (16 & 8 iirc) and rarely get lower than 40fps even with high res textures and a full grid. Normal racing I get about 60-70 and if it's just me I see up to 100, possibly more.

Try getting the newest Omega Drivers, they are what I use.
Quote from srdsprinter :
game/catalyst bug?
download newest Catalyst version??
is the x850xt not good enough for max lfs???

The X850XT is certainly good enough to run those settings with good framerates. I had exactly the same issues when I first installed LFS. Turns out the newish driver version I was using had a bug or some sort of issue with LFS which caused large frame rate drops. I rolled back to a slightly older version which was recommended to me (Catalyst 5.11) and now it runs great.

So basically, newer isn't always better when it comes to graphics drivers. Find the one that runs best for the games you play.
ive got exactly the same graphic card, but not that problem
Thanks for all the ideas people, i might try some different drivers, but keep the ideas coming.


Quote from Jakg :no, it isn't good enough for "max LFS" - i haven't tested the PC in my sig yet, but when it had an AMD 4000 in it, at 4xAA, 16xAF, everything set to "HQ" in the drivers, lots of HQ textures - full grid still brings it down to 40 fps.

What CPU do you have?

EDIT - 4800? explains it. Your expecting too much, tbh

I can't agree Jakg. I never get that low fps. As you said, (single core 4000=x2 4800 in lfs) full grid = mid 40s sometimes, but just hot lapping = 80 to 100+ fps easy.

I was by myself geting mid 20s!

Theres no way this is just a hardware (esp cpu) issue.
#8 - Jakg
didn't look up the raw power of a 4800, but in LFS the second core can't be utilized, so it will be all of your system stuff on one core, and one core for LFS, giving you a little boost, but not much over my 4000.

If your FPS is that low something is dodgy

You could check your temps, try using driver cleaner and completely ditching the ati (and nvidia just in case they still lurk on your system) the ati drivers and re-install them.

You could check the temps of your CPU and GFX card, and you could also do a 3d benchmark (ie 3DMark06) and see if that gave you a low score
silly question. just make sure that you dont have your frame rate limited to 20 - 30 in game.....
Quote from Lateralus :The X850XT is certainly good enough to run those settings with good framerates. I had exactly the same issues when I first installed LFS. Turns out the newish driver version I was using had a bug or some sort of issue with LFS which caused large frame rate drops. I rolled back to a slightly older version which was recommended to me (Catalyst 5.11) and now it runs great.

So basically, newer isn't always better when it comes to graphics drivers. Find the one that runs best for the games you play.

Hmm, thanks for the idea. I think I'm using the same drivers that you have now though, 5.11 I believe.

I will check, but there was some issue with my catalyst settings that upset LFS tremendously.

I just wonder if any knows of any combinations of the aa/af/ai/mipmap that go bogus in LFS.

And no, LFS was running fine 60-100fps untill those 3 spots on Blackwood. Something where catalyst goes crazy and bogs down...
Quote from Jakg :didn't look up the raw power of a 4800, but in LFS the second core can't be utilized, so it will be all of your system stuff on one core, and one core for LFS, giving you a little boost, but not much over my 4000.

If your FPS is that low something is dodgy

You could check your temps, try using driver cleaner and completely ditching the ati (and nvidia just in case they still lurk on your system) the ati drivers and re-install them.

You could check the temps of your CPU and GFX card, and you could also do a 3d benchmark (ie 3DMark06) and see if that gave you a low score

right, 4000should be ~ = my 4800 in lfs. and it was definatly something gpu wrong, because when i trimmed the quality back, the speed jumped back up. My computer's only had 1 version of ati drivers on it ever, so maybe it just doesnt get along with lfs.

temps were fine, the x850xt runs hot, but doesnt even kick the fan up till an outrageous 90C... the cpu stays 30s-low 40s, stock clocked and large zalman cooler on.

i might try some new drivers, as i'd like to get that max image quality, but the slowdown was just nuts.

and 3d 06 runs like crap on x850xt as theres not shader model 3 on it.
#12 - Jakg
then try 05 and check your scores - whats the top temp that card reaches? How much memory does the card have?
Its a 256meg pci-e 16 card, pretty good spec to.

When i ran the lfs benchmark on max quality, with aa,af,etc off, i averaged 83 fps, low of like 55, high 114 iirc. This is comparable to other pc's of similar spec. i.e. sparkydave with a 4400x2 and x850pe avg 81 fps.

its just when i crank my catalyst settings up the lfs gets upset.

superpi 1m is like 36, so thats alright to.
#14 - Jakg
36, a bit on the slow side (this CPU @ stock (2.2 GHz) runs 38's, with overclocking runs 28's) but should be Ok, seems to be your drivers, try nuking them with driver cleaner though
Quote from Jakg :36, a bit on the slow side (this CPU @ stock (2.2 GHz) runs 38's, with overclocking runs 28's) but should be Ok, seems to be your drivers, try nuking them with driver cleaner though

any recomendations on what to install after driver cleaner does its thing? new cats or omega? ive never tried omegas but heard good things about em...
Quote from srdsprinter :any recomendations on what to install after driver cleaner does its thing? new cats or omega? ive never tried omegas but heard good things about em...

They are modded cats, with performance in mind.
You don't get the bloaty new control panel either \o/

I have been using them for years, never had any problems.

If you have an All-In-Wonder card or another that requires the WDM driver, it comes seperately from the Omega site.
Quote from Bean0 :They are modded cats, with performance in mind.
You don't get the bloaty new control panel either \o/

I have been using them for years, never had any problems.

If you have an All-In-Wonder card or another that requires the WDM driver, it comes seperately from the Omega site.

I don't have AIW, but I think I'll give em a try

If anyone is bored, I'd love to hear a full explanation of the catalyst mipmap or its ai booster.

Some linkies would be nice for "driver blaster" and the omega site would be nice too, but thats me just being a little lazy.
http://www.omegadrivers.net/

And from the FAQ

Can I install the Omega Drivers over the official drivers?
Yes, just make sure you remove the ATI Control Panel or CCC from the Windows Control Panel, Add/Remove programs before installing.
Quote from Bean0 :http://www.omegadrivers.net/

And from the FAQ

Can I install the Omega Drivers over the official drivers?
Yes, just make sure you remove the ATI Control Panel or CCC from the Windows Control Panel, Add/Remove programs before installing.

Thanks, I'll give this a try. Hopefully it works as im upgrading to 1680x1050 22" next week, and id like to hold off on 8800gts or so till a price drop!
I dont see the logic...

my 4000+, 1GB DDR400, 6800GS ran full everything at 1600x1200 with 98 average frame rates... hell, my 3000+, 512MB DDR400,6200 I'm stuck with right now does 40FPS and its on 1280x1024...
Quote from Ku-sama :I dont see the logic...

my 4000+, 1GB DDR400, 6800GS ran full everything at 1600x1200 with 98 average frame rates... hell, my 3000+, 512MB DDR400,6200 I'm stuck with right now does 40FPS and its on 1280x1024...

try and keep up. we're trying to figure out what the software glitch thats holding lfs back is.

ps - maybe if you buy lfs, youll race cars that are fast enough to tax the system...
#22 - Tick
I run a X850XT AGP and I dont have those issues.


BTW Hey Stu..
i have a 4000+ with an agp x850xt pe (HIS excalibur)

I don't see low framerates anywhere near as much as your getting.

Using atm: 6.12 (8.32) beta-2k-xp-32-64 (without catalyst control centre)

with ati tray tools v1.2.5.955

Works fine for every game, unless there sm 3.0

make sure you're not using adaptive antialiasing settings - they cripple my card...
Quote from Lateralus :The X850XT is certainly good enough to run those settings with good framerates. I had exactly the same issues when I first installed LFS. Turns out the newish driver version I was using had a bug or some sort of issue with LFS which caused large frame rate drops. I rolled back to a slightly older version which was recommended to me (Catalyst 5.11) and now it runs great.

So basically, newer isn't always better when it comes to graphics drivers. Find the one that runs best for the games you play.

We're supposed to roll back to 5.11? Oh shnap. That explains why I get like 40 FPS on everything high. Also explains why Counter-Strike Source runs only at 40 FPS on everything low and 800x600 too...

Then again, 40 FPS is very playable and it doesn't really irk me. I think I might wait for the newer drivers to come by.

EDIT: So.. is it something to do with the ATi control panel that is causing the slowdowns?
Quote from Tick :I run a X850XT AGP and I dont have those issues.


BTW Hey Stu..

Hey man, hows it going. Once i get some issues resolved I hope to join you guys in some events this spring!

I've gotten rid of my ati everything and downloaded the newest Omega drivers. Initial impressions, I must say I'm very pleased. Straight forward and not bloated at all.

The LFS fps issues are gone!

I blaze with 90-130ish fps with full aa af... but I'm having some issues with image quality. The tress appear very blocky from a distance. I'm not sure why, I'll play around with the settings a little bit, and let you know how everything turns out.

Thanks to everyone for all the help!!!!

Look forward to seeing you all online! lol.

Thanks,

Stu
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