Frame Rates

[TX-BlackKnight]

A nifty little program that runs along side of your games to show you your Frame Rates can be had by all at :  www.fraps.com


~S~
TX-Skydiver
Black 2

[TX-BlackKnight]

Also, to get the most out of your PC : IN YOUR BIOS1. Make sure that if you use an AGP Video Card your init display first is selected as AGP ...NOT PCI !2. If your card is 4X make sure it is selected. Driving control set to :AUTO.Fast Read/Writes ( or master read/writes ):ON3. Video Bios shadowed: OFF( was used for DOS ), System Bios cacheable: OFF, Video Ram Cacheable : OFF,Spread spectrum ( modulated) if your card supports this : ON4. AGP APERTURE SIZE..the single most important setting...set to 1/2 of system memory..example..you have 512MB of memory, set it to 256 ( or the next highest setting it allows below that. Some P.O.S. machines ( Dell...etc.. )only go up to 128. If that is the highest you can go, select that.Also, make sure if you use VIA drivers you get the latest updates. And check to see if your Motherboard BIOS has a newer version out. Flashing and updating the BIOS is pretty simple and most sites will have a read me file to explain the steps needed to do this. And FINALLY make sure you have the latest Video Card drivers available for your card.Another bit of info : MOST video cards do NOT like to have a card in the slot next to them. (AGP ). Most MB share IRQ's with the AGP and the first slot. Also, if you have a Sound Blaster/ Creative sound card, it DOES NOT LIKE TO SHARE IRQ's also. It LOVES to be in the LAST available PCI slot.If you have IRQ conflicts..the BEST way to resolve these issues is to :Power off and unplug and,1. Remove all BUT the Video card 2. Power back up, when up, shut down and power unplugged again.3. Install Sound Blaster card in LAST PCI slot ( the farthest away from Video Card )...power up, shut down, unplug.4. Install your next PCI card in the 2nd PCI slot ( remember to skip the one next to the Video Card. IF you MUST use that slot put something in there that you use the LEAST !..ie..modem,firewire...etc.. )Continue process until all cards are installed and you should be off and running...or if you have a car, driving....Hope this helps !~S~TX-SkydiverBlack 2

[TX-Zen]

What about 2x/4x as standard?TX-Zen"Black 6"TX Squadron CO

[TX-BlackKnight]

You lost me on this one....? If your Video Card has 4X capabilities the bios should be set for 4x. If the bios only lets you select 2X/4x as one setting then select that. If it lets you select 4X by itself, select just 4X. If it does not let you select ONLY 4X, I would look for an update for the Bios. I have never seen that before 2X/4X. That is a huge speed difference between 2x and 4x.Here's some more info ( that I won't have to type...lol )http://www.pcmech.com/show/video/9/~S~TX-SkydiverBlack 2

[Seeker]

Great info Skydiver! I, for one, sincerely appreciate any tips or expertise you can offer. I love to tinker.Unfortunately, the BIOS for my Compaq is somewhat lacking in the information department. None of those options are available other than the IRQ settings.Also, I did some quick research and can confirm that most BIOS are configured to accept a soundcard on IRQ 5. This is their preferred/optimized location and is indeed available only in the last PCI slot. This is exactly what happened when I moved my card from the first to last slot. It switched from IRQ 3 (shared w/AGP) to IRQ 5, and performance is noticably enhanced. Excellent heads up on that one! (Why Compaq preinstalled a modem in the last slot instead of leaving it empty is another story.)One of these days I'll build my own system, so I'm certainly interested in your knowledge. Thanks!TX-Dreggs

[TX-Zen]

Although I recall seeing a bios setting for 2x/4x when I first set up the system, try as I could last night, it was no where to be seen. I guess that makes my previous comment moot. Still glad to have a technical guy on the level that you are, and it makes it even better that you are a damn fine pilot at that. TX-Zen"Black 6"TX Squadron CO

[TX-BlackKnight]

Just glad to help out any time that I can. I know all the problems that I first encountered when I was building my first system and all the hassles I went thru trying to find the answers to my questions. I made up my mind that once I find out a fix to a perticular problem I try to get that info out to as many people as I can. I just can't see others having to go thru the same heartaches. The part that bothers me most is the ways that I have discovered to fix a lot of hiccups I have shared with Creative and Microsoft and Gateway and even Compaq..they say how much they appreciated the fixes and it will help their techs a lot..then they don't share the info with their customers. I just can not understand that... So now I useually scan thier newsgroups every night for an hour or so and help out who I can..then I tell them that I gave the same fixes to their computer companies over a year ago and let them contact them and find out why they couldn't help them. One of the fixes are posted on a microsoft help article site and I was given credit for it..but they don't give that info out over the phone when someone calls in with the same problem.  ( The Game Voice Fix )...That is just flat out stupid.Anyway, if I can help I am more than glad to. ~S~TX-SkydiverBlack 2