GAWD! ... I think it's broken!

zeke47o

Junior Member
May 12, 2005
4
0
0
While in-game my fps graph resembles a roller coaster! With Fixed Function or my graphics in there glory, I still get the same fps, an the same roller coaster ride. Someone PLEASE help.

Game: Halo: Combat Evolved for PC ( Specs are in signature. )
 

jkoon

Member
Apr 12, 2005
158
0
0
Perhaps spyware stealing cpu power? (this is a complete and total guess cause the list of things that could be causing this is rather long)
 

BlueWeasel

Lifer
Jun 2, 2000
15,944
475
126
How do other games perform?

The PC port of Halo performs poorly even on higher end systems, IMHO. Have you tried lowering the video resolution and eye candy to see if that helps?
 

Malak

Lifer
Dec 4, 2004
14,696
2
0
Your video card is the worst new gen video card on the market, and as someone already pointed out Halo is a demanding game. I would guess that your FPS is hopping because it's greatly exaggerated by how low the FPS is. On a scale a jump from 5-20 fps could look bigger than say 80-100, which is entirely normal in an FPS. I have seen FPS hop from 40-100, the environment and what your video card is pushing changes constantly in an FPS.
 

zeke47o

Junior Member
May 12, 2005
4
0
0
I've already ran Ad-Aware SE, Spybot S&D, Norton, an Mc-A-Fee.

What I don't get is why I get the same fps with -useff ( Fixed Fuction ) an -use20 ( Pixel Shader 2 )?!

- zeke47o =)

PS. Thanks so far for your help. =)
 

Spikesoldier

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 2001
6,766
0
0
buy a real video card, and your FPS problem will go away.

i would say that your main bottleneck is your video card. its like the autobahn merging into a side alley.

if you want to game, an easy upgrade would be another stick of ram, and a 6600GT.

depending on if you have PCI-e or AGP, you can maybe get this upgrade (512MB ram + 6600GT) for maybe 200 if you shop around.

good luck
 

Malak

Lifer
Dec 4, 2004
14,696
2
0
Originally posted by: zeke47o
I've already ran Ad-Aware SE, Spybot S&D, Norton, an Mc-A-Fee.

What I don't get is why I get the same fps with -useff ( Fixed Fuction ) an -use20 ( Pixel Shader 2 )?!

- zeke47o =)

PS. Thanks so far for your help. =)

None of that matters, none of it. FPS fluxuates in all games on all systems. Your graph is probably crazy because of the low numbers. Please check my post again. A jump from say 10fps to 20fps is a 100% gain, on the graph it's a leap. But on a real system with a video card built for gaming, we play with higher numbers. We may jump from 60fps to 80fps, that is only a 33% gain. Our graph is smoother than yours, and it gets only better the better card you get. The reason your graph stinks is because your video card stinks. It wasn't designed for gaming in mind. Your video card gets 20fps at a low resolution while mine will get nearly 80 at a high resolution, that's how different our cards are.
 

microAmp

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2000
5,988
110
106
Just to add to KruptosAngelos about the performance of your video card, take a look at the benchmark of your video card.. Now this is an average frame rate done at 1024x768 resoultion at pure speed (Top graph). As you can see it runs an average of 20.4 frames per second, so during combat, explosions, water, etc. the frames will drop below 20.4 and looking at a wall will shoot the frames well above 20.4.
 

Malak

Lifer
Dec 4, 2004
14,696
2
0
Originally posted by: microAmp
Just to add to KruptosAngelos about the performance of your video card, take a look at the benchmark of your video card.. Now this is an average frame rate done at 1024x768 resoultion at pure speed (Top graph). As you can see it runs an average of 20.4 frames per second, so during combat, explosions, water, etc. the frames will drop below 20.4 and looking at a wall will shoot the frames well above 20.4.

That's the same tests I used for comparisons too.
 

zeke47o

Junior Member
May 12, 2005
4
0
0
Thanks!

So wait, lets say I get an x850 XT PE, will I be able to get a STEADY frame-rate.

- zeke47o =)
 

microAmp

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2000
5,988
110
106
Originally posted by: zeke47o
Thanks!

So wait, lets say I get an x850 XT PE, will I be able to get a STEADY frame-rate.

- zeke47o =)


You'll never get a "steady" frame rate while playing games like Halo. But what the x850 XT PE will do, is not let is drop to unplayable frame rates. So taking my example again from above, during combat, it might drop to only 50 frames per second, but looking around and doing nothing will have that well above 100 frames.

So, no matter what current video card from any company, you'll never get a linear frame rate in current games, it's always going to move around.
 

Malak

Lifer
Dec 4, 2004
14,696
2
0
Having the x850XT PE myself, I can tell you this. Unless it drops below 40fps, you aren't going to notice it so much. A drop from 100fps to 60fps looks big on a graph, but in the game it's hardly noticeable. Now, a drop from 50fps to 20fps is far more noticeable. That's in an FPS anyway, I've played RPG's fine at 20fps.
 

stnicralisk

Golden Member
Jan 18, 2004
1,705
1
0
I want to express my opinion about a few things

1) You should not be playing Halo: Combat Evolved. The game is dated to say the least, the graphics are subpar, the game play isnt all that special.

2) Should you get an x850pte, you really should check out HL2, Farcry, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Vampire: Bloodlines, etc. All of which have better graphics and gameplay than Halo: Combat Suck.

3) I am sorry that you bought an x300.