Best time compression that wont fry your system

[commandosolo2009]

Hello skippers,

It came to my attention to start this thread since my old laptop got fried in the head and went dead on me. I was playing SH5 on it, and I used to clock tc to 2048 and sometimes 3072, but that caused me to lose ships, end up in unexpected confrontations with DD, and caused the lap to overheat. One more confession to make. I didnt use a laptop stand (which does a great job in venting the heat).


I'm currently serving a painful 128x since its a flotilla requirement (Enigma flotilla) though LzZ (part of Devils of the Deep) who is in charge of training, accepted me into the flotilla as a Fleet Boat. From my calculations, a long run from Perth (Australia) to Singapore which is about >4000 Km, should take 95 minutes in real life time, running at 128x at 11kts constant speed. I expect more time since its Sept 1942 and Japanese air cover would constantly and on more than one occasion, cause me to dive and surface after a while. (Speaking of which, how long should I stay underwater in broad daylight after a radio contact is reported, and what is the typical safe depth in shallow and deep waters to stay out of sight of Air cover?)


So, I think a wait time is a good thing if you want to preserve your piece, but is it ok on a laptop?

this is my model and its specs. Been around since last Oktober.

Sony Vaio VPCEA16FA

Intel Core i5-520M 2.40 ~2.93 Ghz (with turbo boost)
Win 7 64 bit Home Premium
Memory 4Gb expandable to 8 Gb
GPU ATi HD5650 1Gb memory.

I'm running it 50 fps on map screen at map zoom 0-660Km tc 1x

I'm worried since I got it, overheating (well at least with certain games and lots of work) has been on my priorities.

I'll clean it up and report back for results.

Might also download the service manual and open up the shafts and blow air thru them.

Please post workarounds or ideas, and your experiences as well if you take the sim on a laptop.


Cheers!

[Armistead]

The only real answer is the one you find works the best. For the most part you have to have an uber rig to use high TC. For me, around 3500 TC range works as fast as bumping it to the 8000 range.

The main thing is knowing when to use it. For stock it's more difficult, because ships and planes often appear where they shoudn't, most supermods solve this.

I play on a DT using a AMD3800, 2gigs of ram and a 9600gt. All video settings maxed. I seldom get slowdown unless running into a group of over 30 ships.

When I get into enemy range, I'll run in the 2000's. If close to enemy straits near japan, I'll slow to around 1500. If I'm in contact, I'll obviously bring it to 1 and plot, then I'll crank it up as needed to do end arounds, usually no more than 500.

Each system is different. When things start lagging out too much, slow it down some, you'll work out a balance.

[commandosolo2009]

Thanks dude. I'll stick to 128x since I noted that heat is less produced as processor is not working too much. Appreciate the input :salute:

[Sailor Steve]

Sometimes if I run higher than 2048 it will start to lag, and running at a slower TC is actually faster. I usually stick to 1024, just because I like the feel of time passing.

[commandosolo2009]

anything from 128 - 1024 x is CPU friendly on all computers, even old 2004 machines. Thanks for the input Steve!

[Takao]

If your worried about heat, there are several programs out that monitor fan speed and temps, some free, others not. I use SpeedFan to monitor temps on my system. But since I have a desktop, heat is not a problem except with newer games like Civ V, mostly its to monitor fan speeds, since a bum fan has sunk my system twice, luckily before any damage occurred.

In SH4, I run around 2048-2500? when enemy contact is unlikely, and around 1024 during the day, when in enemy territory, and 512 at night in enemy territory. To many bad memories from SH3, running in high TC, at night, in a storm(not knowing it), and then plowing smack into a British destroyer or convoy.

IIRC, it had something to do with the checks made for your sensors, the higher the TC, the less sensor checks were performed, the less chance you had of being notified that a ship was spotted and automatically dropping out of TC. I actually rammed a British destroyer, at night in high TC, because it wasn't "spotted" until after we collided.

Although, since I have a better system now, I could probably run, and occasionally do, at higher TC, it is just that old habits, one's that don't get you killed, die hard.

[commandosolo2009]

To many bad memories from SH3, running in high TC, at night, in a storm(not knowing it), and then plowing smack into a British destroyer or convoy.




aint that a bitch!! :har: same here, TC is FUBAR :rock:

[Hylander_1314]

For those long open expanses of water 1024 to 2048. Once I'm in enemy waters, I slow it down to to 256. Doesn't always happen, but I do get the occassional single tanker or a fast moving TF I can shoot at to break up the monotony.

[commandosolo2009]

For those long open expanses of water 1024 to 2048. Once I'm in enemy waters, I slow it down to to 256. Doesn't always happen, but I do get the occassional single tanker or a fast moving TF I can shoot at to break up the monotony.


Well, maybe I'm wrong, but occasionally, 1024 and 2048 is the bump into a HK6 or a Zero, which is NOT COOL.. specially when you're in territorial waters..

[Hylander_1314]

Once I get into Imperial waters, I knock it down to 256. The airsearch radar pics up planes at a far enough distance, and we crash dive, and before levelling off at 150 ft. Once the reaches 100 ft, I change the depth setting to around 300 ft if the sub will go that far.

If I'm at Pearl, I set a course that will take take north of the recon plane range. I think it's like a 600 mile radius for the recon planes, and head to the patrol area around Japan. Same thing if I head south. Just stay out of range of the recon planes. You may have to do a few trial runs to see how far you should avoid the areas where the Japs have recon bases.

[Elektroniikka-Asentaja]

I'm perhaps too arcade player for this game so I really hate the waiting when you e.g. travel from Pearl to bring agent to Japan or those patrol sea area missions.. My laptop is really bad for playing anything and SHIV time compression pretty nicely kills it.. If I rip it up to 8000 I'll have 1 - 3 FPS so it's just as useful to use ~2000 when FPS is several times better and you may move faster.. When I play based in Pearl I mostly run with time compression maxed, even if it sometimes causes planes to successfully dive bomb me to bottom of the ocean before AMD wakes up and let's the game slow time down..

Sooo.. Can't blame the game, gotta buy better comp someday :damn:

[commandosolo2009]

thats becuz your'e "ARCADE". I take things on more "Hardcore" level. See, the way I see this game, a sim it is , gets the treatment :D. And I cant keep paying dough for a new laptop every year. One has more important things in life, besides taking out Yamato BS for like the 100th time :haha:

[Nicolas]

But most modern games and some apps can fry your system if you have overheating problems. One reason can be the dust in the fans can create lot of heat. I clean them from time to time when i see the temperature is not normal.

[Soundman]

I always keep the FPS (Frames Per Second) Counter up when running the game, and when using time compression, always keep a close eye on the counter. If my rate suddenly drops below 30 FPS, I'll back off a bit to sustain the rate. You will always see a change in high traffic areas or near ports. Of course, various rigs will handle data a little different, but the main point is, if you see the FPS rate dropping, there is obviously a strain on the system and an improved liklihood errors may occur. Just food for thought! :DL

BTW.. (and someone please correct me if I'm having a brain fart) ctrl+F8 should bring up the counter.

[Takao]

I don't know the key combo for FPS, but usually you don't need it. The effect of even a small convoy, close by, is fairly noticeable and a large convoy more so. Closing on any large port staggers even a high-end PC(the big reason I rarely start a mission in port, but at sea).

However, it is not the convoys or ports that are the problem, but the one/two plane patrols or random armed ship that don't cause a system 'hiccup' and are not spotted that will kill you 8 times out of 10.


@Nicolas

If you clean your system out every two or three weeks, dust isn't a problem, and it is a lot easier than cleaning out months of dust build up.

Speaking of which, it's about that time to crack the case and give my system a good cleaning.

[commandosolo2009]

I always keep the FPS (Frames Per Second) Counter up when running the game, and when using time compression, always keep a close eye on the counter. If my rate suddenly drops below 30 FPS, I'll back off a bit to sustain the rate. You will always see a change in high traffic areas or near ports. Of course, various rigs will handle data a little different, but the main point is, if you see the FPS rate dropping, there is obviously a strain on the system and an improved liklihood errors may occur. Just food for thought! :DL

BTW.. (and someone please correct me if I'm having a brain fart) ctrl+F8 should bring up the counter.
perfectly correct. Ctrl + F8

But most modern games and some apps can fry your system if you have overheating problems. One reason can be the dust in the fans can create lot of heat. I clean them from time to time when i see the temperature is not normal.

true, which is why I'm looking for the service manual to open it up and clean it good.

I don't know the key combo for FPS, but usually you don't need it. The effect of even a small convoy, close by, is fairly noticeable and a large convoy more so. Closing on any large port staggers even a high-end PC(the big reason I rarely start a mission in port, but at sea).

However, it is not the convoys or ports that are the problem, but the one/two plane patrols or random armed ship that don't cause a system 'hiccup' and are not spotted that will kill you 8 times out of 10.


@Nicolas

If you clean your system out every two or three weeks, dust isn't a problem, and it is a lot easier than cleaning out months of dust build up.

Speaking of which, it's about that time to crack the case and give my system a good cleaning.

well, I think my laptop could handle but I wont use it for that purpose, 1024 x it is for me. And get cleaning your case ASAP :know:

[WernherVonTrapp]

When traveling long distances in friendly, open, waters you should be able to handle TC at 4096, as long as you're not near land or any ports. I travel at that TC all the time with nary a problem, and that's on an old GT9600. I experience no lag at all, unless of course, I'm near a port or a friendly TF comes into my sphere of influence. Once in enemy waters, the fastest I'll go is 512 or 1024. Lots of enemy air patrols means I down it to 128.;)

[commandosolo2009]

Well, its a question of preference more to performance but I think slow and low is the best tactic. I also think evading radar contacts is a great way to have more element of surprise, instead of shooting Bettys down, and they report your location to other nearby flyboys. Just my notion, with all do respect. :salute: