Help - my FPS is being artificially CAPPED!

[noryb]

Ooooookay... my system:

Duron 800@924
Asus A7V133 mainboard
132 MHz FSB
256 MB PC133 RAM 2-2-2

I have 2 3d cards for this machine currently, and I have two HDs, one with Win2kPro SP2, the other with Win98SE.

Card 1 is a GeForce 256 SDR, running 12.41 Det3 driver.

Card 2 is a Kyro 2 (which thus far is a POS) running the 7.111a current driver.

Now then - even with a mere 924 MHz CPU, I SHOULD be able to get over 100 FPS in Q3A, at least in 640 x 480. But this does not happen. The fps counter indicates that the framerate is CAPPED at 90 fps, for both cards. No matter how much I dumb down the graphics, 90 is where the counter sits. (Of course, it drops from there when there is action taking place.)

In Counter Strike, the Kyro would sit at 71 fps, and the GeForce sits at 60 fps. (Maximums)

I have the latest (4.32) 4in1 drivers installed, installed in "turbo" mode, whatever the HELL that means exactly (god I wish companies in English or German-speaking nations could produce mainboards...).

What is causing this artificial CAPPING of framerate?

Should I change the AGP aperture size in the BIOS? This phenomenon seems to be independent of Operating System and 3d hardware...

One thing I do notice - when I run the task manager in the background in Win2k, immediately after quitting either game I can see that my CPU was being MAXED OUT the entire time. Is this uhm, a little odd? Q3A gobbles all 924 million cpu cycles per second that my Duron can churn out? No, I don't have SETI at home, and I shut down my dnetc client before all of my tests

For the Kyro 2 I might understand - it leaves T&L up to the CPU - but Q3A doesn't use T&L anyway, right? And even if it did, that wouldn't explain why the GeForce 256 SDR doesn't take the load off the CPU...

What's going on here?:disgust::|

 

[thecollectivewi]

You have to disable the v-sync in your display propertys. That will free up
the fps rates.

 

[noryb]

I have vert sync always off in both drivers, and I checked to make sure it wasn't on in Q3A.

Since the CPU is totally maxed, is it at all reasonable to think that my system can't render more than 90 fps in Q3A, even at 640 x 480 16-bit low details? (924 MHz Duron...)

 

[GrauWolf]

I find that most odd, personaly. I read your post and decided to see what my new GeForce2 MX400 128-bit 64MB SDR could do, in Q3 at 640x480x16 compared to your results. My systemis as follows.

K6-2 500 (I know, I'm behind hte times, please don't tar and feather me.)
192Meg PC100/133
30Gig 7200RPM UATA100 Maxtor
GeForce2 MX400 128-bit 64meg SDR Single. (brand new, got it yesterday)
W2k Pro
ALi-5 mobo (old and a piece of scheisse)

I popped my texture detail and colour depth down to 16-bit, went back to fullscreen (normaly run at 800 window with no problems. Eyecandy maxed.) though I left the rest of hte eyecandy alone for the time being. I played the demo that came with the latest point release and the results were impressive I must say.

640x480x16 - 80-100+ fps
640x480x32 - 40-60+ fps

I'm running a 256meg AGP apperature, though I think I'm going to tweak it and see what happens. 128meg left me pretty much dead in the water for some reason. I know this wasn't much help. However it does show that there is some issue with something in your system. Are you sure you don't have Q3 itself capped? I think there is a command for that as well.

Good luck.
GW

My Rig

 

[Compellor]

You may need to edit the "q3config" file in your baseq3 file. The string you are looking for is: seta r_swapInterval "0"

 

[NicColt]

there's an INI setting that caps CS at 72 by default you should check it.

also the HL engine is capped at 100fps anyway.

and if you want to see any of this you better have a good monitor that support 100Mhz refresh rate or over.

Like I always said why youd you bother with 700fps when your monitor's max refresh is 60Mhz. There comes a time when 72FPS is enough, why waste video power when you won't even see the difference. It's more important to limit and get quality 72FPS and give more video juice to quality.

 

[Compellor]

<< and if you want to see any of this you better have a good monitor that support 100Mhz refresh rate or over. >>



It shouldn't matter how crappy the monitor is if vertical sync is turned off. At 640 x 480, he should be getting over 100 fps unless the seta r_swapInterval setting is set at &quot;1&quot; and/or vsync is turned on.