6800GT can't handle HL2 or more RAM needed?

[orange12]

I have a Dell 2005fpw and I bought the 6800GT to drive it. For the most part, the 6800GT runs like a charm. Except I'm still having trouble playing HL2 without choppiness at everything set to high and at 1680x1050. Here's my basic setup:

Athlon 64 +3200
512MB of RAM
6800GT

HL2 suggests that I set model and texture detail at medium with AAx4/AFx8 and at those settings, the game runs without a hitch. But when I set model and texture quality to high, water reflections to All, and turned off AA while setting AFx2, the game has moments where it stalls momentarily (usu. during fire fights or when you emerge onto a street with alot of shooting) and the load times are kind of long. The fps stays mostly around 70-100 but during those crucial moments in a fire fight, it can drop to 20-30 and that's when the game stalls a bit. My question is, how do I correct this if I can at all? Is more RAM going to help? How do other people who have 6800GT w/ 2000fpw run HL2? Thanks alot for the help.

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: orange12
I have a Dell 2005fpw and I bought the 6800GT to drive it. For the most part, the 6800GT runs like a charm. Except I'm still having trouble playing HL2 without choppiness at everything set to high and at 1680x1050. Here's my basic setup:

Athlon 64 +3200
512MB of RAM
6800GT

HL2 suggests that I set model and texture detail at medium with AAx4/AFx8 and at those settings, the game runs without a hitch. But when I set model and texture quality to high, water reflections to All, and turned off AA while setting AFx2, the game has moments where it stalls momentarily (usu. during fire fights or when you emerge onto a street with alot of shooting) and the load times are kind of long. The fps stays mostly around 70-100 but during those crucial moments in a fire fight, it can drop to 20-30 and that's when the game stalls a bit. My question is, how do I correct this if I can at all? Is more RAM going to help? How do other people who have 6800GT w/ 2000fpw run HL2? Thanks alot for the help.

1GB RAM needed.

 

[ronnn]

I found 1.5 gig an improvement over 1 gig. Hl2 likes lots of ram.

 

[fstime]

1680x1050 4aa/8af is pushing it.

Set everything to high and set your aa and af to 2aa/8af. If its still choppy set it to 0.

Get a gb of ram as well..

 

[Appledrop]

512 = choppy. Get another.

 

[BillyBobJoel71]

i had 512, then i got anothe stick of 512 and i noticed a big performance dif. programs lodade faster, and games ran a bit smoother. also, more ram can be used to store mor textures, maps, etc. i now have a gig and when i play halo it uses about 550 ram. nice.

 

[fliguy84]

agreed. more ram could increase your performance, especially running in dual channel

 

[Insomniak]

RAM. There really isn't a game out there right now that a properly backed 6800GT can't take balls to the wall.

 

[AristoV300]

For now days game you want at least 1 Gb of RAM.

 

[lavaheadache]

Originally posted by: Insomniak
RAM. There really isn't a game out there right now that a properly backed 6800GT can't take balls to the wall.

true, for the most part

 

[orange12]

Thanks for the info everyone. Time to go fine me some ram.

 

[oupei]

just fyi since you've already been advised to death, when i played hl2 with high textures, task manager showed it using about 700MB itself.

 

[orange12]

I was playing around with the BIOS to see what kind of timing and latency my RAM had and found something called Graphic Aperture Size. Would increasing this help at all? What should it be at?

 

[McWit828]

Before getting new ram for you computer, you will have to make sure that you get ram that is supported by the dell system. I have heard of the dell systems not being able to recognise new ram at times. So, be carefull of what you choose. Try to match everything, new with the old. The ram should do the trick though...also, try to download nvtweak for your vid card...that may help a little, doubt you will need it though with a 6800gt...i have a 6600gt...awsome cards, nvidia rocks...Good Luck.

 

[keeleysam]

Originally posted by: orange12
I was playing around with the BIOS to see what kind of timing and latency my RAM had and found something called Graphic Aperture Size. Would increasing this help at all? What should it be at?

The lowest setting possbile because it bascally turns your RAM into shared vvideo ram.

 

[DavidoFoo]

Originally posted by: McWit828
Before getting new ram for you computer, you will have to make sure that you get ram that is supported by the dell system. I have heard of the dell systems not being able to recognise new ram at times. So, be carefull of what you choose. Try to match everything, new with the old. The ram should do the trick though...also, try to download nvtweak for your vid card...that may help a little, doubt you will need it though with a 6800gt...i have a 6600gt...awsome cards, nvidia rocks...Good Luck.

He only has a dell monitor

 

[Insomniak]

Originally posted by: keeleysam

Originally posted by: orange12
I was playing around with the BIOS to see what kind of timing and latency my RAM had and found something called Graphic Aperture Size. Would increasing this help at all? What should it be at?

The lowest setting possbile because it bascally turns your RAM into shared vvideo ram.

No no no, if you go too low it will HAMPER performance.

Set this to about half of your video cards onboard RAM - i.e. if you have a 256MB card, set your aperture to 128.

 

[Pete]

Graphics Aperture size won't make a difference with a 256MB video card. I'd just leave it at whatever it's set to now, but generally 64-128MB is OK. It sets the *max* (not constant, so don't worry about it permanently stealing some from the rest of your system) amount of system RAM the video card can use for storage.

Anyway, RAM is cheap. I just saw that Outpost has a 512MB stick of Kingston PC2700 for just $25AR or PC3200 for $28AR (plus shipping). Do check that your Dell uses regular DDR RAM first, though, and not something crazy like RDRAM. Kingston.com may have a configurator for your Dell machine, too, or you can use Crucial's. Obviously the best source would be Dell.com or your system manual.