Finished with SH4 (Just kidding!)

[Dmsdmullins]

After nearly a year of patching, reinstalling, searching forums, and tweaking settings on two different computers, with no sucsess, I am finished with SH4. In my opinion, this is the worst written, most unstable game Ive ever bought. Ive contacted Ubi for a refund but based on there past track record concerning SH4 and other game support, not only with me but with literally hundreds and hundreds of other people using their products, I have serious doubts that my request will even be acknowledged much less granted. I have no doubt some people have little or no trouble with the game but based on the days and days of researching forums here, at ubi techsupport, and countless others, Ive concluded that the game is a completely defective product. I know some people would argue my points some to no end and I respectfully consider their oppinions of value but this Im afraid has worn my patience to the end. Just my two cents...

[kylesplanet]

After nearly a year of patching, reinstalling, searching forums, and tweaking settings on two different computers, with no sucsess, I am finished with SH4. In my opinion, this is the worst written, most unstable game Ive ever bought. Ive contacted Ubi for a refund but based on there past track record concerning SH4 and other game support, not only with me but with literally hundreds and hundreds of other people using their products, I have serious doubts that my request will even be acknowledged much less granted. I have no doubt some people have little or no trouble with the game but based on the days and days of researching forums here, at ubi techsupport, and countless others, Ive concluded that the game is a completely defective product. I know some people would argue my points some to no end and I respectfully consider their oppinions of value but this Im afraid has worn my patience to the end. Just my two cents...

If you would tell us the problem we might be able to help. There are lots of good people here.

[Quillan]

Well, I understand your frustration, though I disagree with your opinion. I've personally seen far worse in the way of unfinished or buggy games, and have few problems with this one. I don't understand why you feel the need to make your single post here stating that you're giving up on the game, but good luck to you with other games in the future.

http://www.maritimematters.com/images/britour-9.jpg

[howler93]

I would be one of those that would be inclined to argue, but instead, I'll just say that I'm sorry SH4 was unable to deliver for you :cry: Allow me to suggest the Opposing Fronts expansion for Company of Heroes (If you're looking for another game). Very stable, no mods or tweaks needed... If you ever decide to give SH4 another go, we'll be here to help however we can :up:

Cheers,
Howler :arrgh!:

[rik007]

People in this forum are very willing but if your first and only post is that you had it with SH4 that is obviously impossible. Good luck!

[Dmsdmullins]

My troubles are relentless crashing in the game... Ive researched threads of people with the same or simillar troubles on this site and probably all the others, made the updates, edits, and tweaks as advised and suggjested. The crashes are relentless, often after a crash the game will continue to crash when trying to go back to a save point requiring me to either start a mission from scratch or reinstall the game and all the updates. I realize this being my first post that it may appear I have given up with little effort, but im passive by nature and I assure you Im fairly literate with the nature of software and computers and have spent due time researching, updating, tweaking, editing, and reinstalling to fix the issues. I really love the game, or the short amounts of time that I get to play it, but time is money and Ive spent an incredibly rediculous amount of time trying to fix, in my opinion, defective software. Dont mean to rant, just want to share my expierence for others who are having simillar problems with no resolve.

[Dmsdmullins]

btw, can anyone recomend another subsim game?

[miner1436]

Can you post your system specs?

[rrmelend]

Not really sure what the purpose of this post is? If you want help you need to ask for it first. I've discovered the answer to a few of the problems I've had by posting questions and then following the advice I've been given. As kylesplanet and miner1436 have said, if you post your specific problems (when exactly does it crash, what were you doing, what mods do you have running, have you patched the game) and your specs people might be able to help.

[AVGWarhawk]

Let us know your system. Searching the forums is usually your first best way to go but you will not always find the answer to your problem. Sometimes the problem can be specific to your system. Let us know what you have running the game and what is happening when the CTD happens. No one likes to lose a crewman:up:

[Takeda Shingen]

After nearly a year of patching, reinstalling, searching forums, and tweaking settings on two different computers, with no sucsess, I am finished with SH4. In my opinion, this is the worst written, most unstable game Ive ever bought. Ive contacted Ubi for a refund but based on there past track record concerning SH4 and other game support, not only with me but with literally hundreds and hundreds of other people using their products, I have serious doubts that my request will even be acknowledged much less granted. I have no doubt some people have little or no trouble with the game but based on the days and days of researching forums here, at ubi techsupport, and countless others, Ive concluded that the game is a completely defective product. I know some people would argue my points some to no end and I respectfully consider their oppinions of value but this Im afraid has worn my patience to the end. Just my two cents...

Okay.

[Dmsdmullins]

Lets see here...

1st comp
Asus a8n-sli mobo
amd 2800 fx x2 64bit cpu
2gig kingston ram 3-3-3-8 timing (stock)
x2 Nvida 7600 gt vid cards w/4 displays (locks on one display or any combination there after, sli on or off)
800w power supply (cant remember manufacturer) but more power than required
on board realtec ac97 sound & emulated altec lansing. Tried both
380g sata hd (game is on two different partitions using two different operating sys's.)
running 64bit xp pro on one partition and 32bit xp standard on another

All drivers updated... Crashes with all voltages, clock freqs, etc stock/or oc'd.
I rarely have trouble with any other software and can run most at max settings... SH4 will soft/hard lock at minimums. My system setup is extreamly stable with settings resonably set. all temps run low, case and hardware is well ventillated.

2nd is a toshiba satellite laptop, 1.7 pentium, 1 gig ram, 80gig ide drive, xp standard, all stock no mods. Drivers are all current but this is the only game I have on it. I use it for school and rarely anything else.

I can give more specifics if needed on drivers bios etc...

[Rockin Robbins]

Your computer is not.

Silent Hunter 4 is and has been the most solid, forgiving, and works better with Windows conventions than any game I've encountered, including, but not limited to Renegade, the whole Command and Conquer series, Pacific Storm, Unreal Tournament III, Halo, Battlefield 2, the Roller Coaster Tycoon series or Silent Hunter III. I know there are others I can't think of right now.

The one thing Subsim has conspicuously NOT been plagued with is any rash of complaints about CTDs.

Therefore come down off your high horse, you could fall and hurt yourself. If you just want to blame something and abrogate any responsibility for fixing your problem, you have a right to do that. Have a nice life and don't let the door hit you on the way out. We won't be wasting our time mourning your loss.

But if you want help, quit yer crocodile tears and false bravado and ask for help. Nobody who has done that here has not learned what the problem really is and had the opportunity to fix it.

If you just want to raise hell, there are other forums that will tolerate that. We don't. Where's that middle finger smiley?:rotfl:

[jdkbph]

btw, can anyone recomend another subsim game?
Well, you see, there's the rub... and why we swallow... errrr... put up with so much "nonsense" from companies like UBI. The sub sim cupboard is unfortunately quite bare.

There's SH3... but that's another UBI product. After that you're left with a half baked WWI sim (Shells of Fury) and a few decent modern era sims - Dangerous Waters and Sub Command - neither of which can match the visual splendor of SH4, but both good in their own right.

As to your SH4 woes...

With all due respect to your computer skills and experience, one of the things that struck me about this game is that it is surprisingly processor (both CPU and GPU) intensive... far more so than the quality or visual impact of the graphics might suggest. This leads to some rather uncommon issues, such as heat problems and power problems, that while not a problem in many other (seemingly more taxing games), will manifest as graphics artifacts, GPFs, and even hard lock ups in this game.

Now you haven't given us anything to work with... so I'll assume you're running a fairly typical configuration (ie, not running WINE or Windows emulation on a Mac :)), and that you've gone through your event logs, done driver and DX updates, tried disabling AV temporarily, verified adequate drive space for your page file, checked your memory timings, and all the standard troubleshooting stuff... so this is just a shot in the dark. But if you havent already you may want to try to troubleshoot specifically for these two potential issues and see if you can't isolate the cause of your problem.

Good luck.

JD

[tedhealy]

I thought this was an April Fool post:rotfl:

Then I see you are serious. All I can say is in the course of over a year with the game and the various patches, I have had maybe 10 total CTDs or lock ups. I'd say half of those were directly due to mods. The other half I'm unsure what caused them. If there's one thing I can't complain about with this game, it's stability. With SH3 I remember saving every few days just in case something happened, in SH4 the thought never even crosses my mind to save just in case I get a CTD and lose progress.

As they say, I think the problem is on your end.

[Dmsdmullins]

Your computer is not.

Silent Hunter 4 is and has been the most solid, forgiving, and works better with Windows conventions than any game I've encountered, including, but not limited to Renegade, the whole Command and Conquer series, Pacific Storm, Unreal Tournament III, Halo, Battlefield 2, the Roller Coaster Tycoon series or Silent Hunter III. I know there are others I can't think of right now.

The one thing Subsim has conspicuously NOT been plagued with is any rash of complaints about CTDs.

Therefore come down off your high horse, you could fall and hurt yourself. If you just want to blame something and abrogate any responsibility for fixing your problem, you have a right to do that. Have a nice life and don't let the door hit you on the way out. We won't be wasting our time mourning your loss.

But if you want help, quit yer crocodile tears and false bravado and ask for help. Nobody who has done that here has not learned what the problem really is and had the opportunity to fix it.

If you just want to raise hell, there are other forums that will tolerate that. We don't. Where's that middle finger smiley?:rotfl:

First, let me apologize. I have aparently struck a nerve with you and for that im sorry. Second, as I indicated previously, these are my opinions and I realize that others dont have the same issues as me.

[gAiNiAc]

Hmmm...In my experience 800 watts is marginal for dual SLI. I run dual with a quad core, 6x10K RPM drives.........4 Gig and am running 1000 watts. Is your power supply SLI certified? Each 12V supply for your GPU's should be supplying 15 amps....

[jdkbph]

Hmmm...In my experience 800 watts is marginal for dual SLI. I run dual with a quad core, 6x10K RPM drives.........4 Gig and am running 1000 watts. Is your power supply SLI certified? Each 12V supply for your GPU's should be supplying 15 amps....
Really depends on the power supply. The key, as you mention, is the 12 volt rails... how many and how stable (relative to nominal). I'm running a pair of 8800GTS cards, 3 HDs, 2 DVD burners, half a doxen USB devices, and a partridge in a... err... and an e6600 oc'ed to 3.2 Ghz.... all quite stable with a 650 watt Seasonic S12 powering the lot. I wouldn't think of trying that with a run of the mill Antec or Thermaltake... never mind the bargain brands.

JD

[stabiz]

Your computer is not.

Silent Hunter 4 is and has been the most solid, forgiving, and works better with Windows conventions than any game I've encountered, including, but not limited to Renegade, the whole Command and Conquer series, Pacific Storm, Unreal Tournament III, Halo, Battlefield 2, the Roller Coaster Tycoon series or Silent Hunter III. I know there are others I can't think of right now.

The one thing Subsim has conspicuously NOT been plagued with is any rash of complaints about CTDs.

Therefore come down off your high horse, you could fall and hurt yourself. If you just want to blame something and abrogate any responsibility for fixing your problem, you have a right to do that. Have a nice life and don't let the door hit you on the way out. We won't be wasting our time mourning your loss.

But if you want help, quit yer crocodile tears and false bravado and ask for help. Nobody who has done that here has not learned what the problem really is and had the opportunity to fix it.

If you just want to raise hell, there are other forums that will tolerate that. We don't. Where's that middle finger smiley?:rotfl:
First, let me apologize. I have aparently struck a nerve with you and for that im sorry. Second, as I indicated previously, these are my opinions and I realize that others dont have the same issues as me.

Dont worry, some of the die-hards consider the game a close relative.:rotfl:

Hope you get your problems fixed, its a great game.

[gAiNiAc]

Hmmm...In my experience 800 watts is marginal for dual SLI. I run dual with a quad core, 6x10K RPM drives.........4 Gig and am running 1000 watts. Is your power supply SLI certified? Each 12V supply for your GPU's should be supplying 15 amps....
Really depends on the power supply. The key, as you mention, is the 12 volt rails... how many and how stable (relative to nominal). I'm running a pair of 8800GTS cards, 3 HDs, 2 DVD burners, half a doxen USB devices, and a partridge in a... err... and an e6600 oc'ed to 3.2 Ghz.... all quite stable with a 650 watt Seasonic S12 powering the lot. I wouldn't think of trying that with a run of the mill Antec or Thermaltake... never mind the bargain brands.

JD

Hmmm....Seasonic? I need to check them out, it would be nice to adapt a more efficient power supply. Any other recommendations?

[MONOLITH]

I've never had SH4 crash on me ever.

Join date April 1st. First post.

April Fools anyone?

[kiwi_2005]

Try this program 'GameXP' for your gaming its free.

http://www.theorica.net/


Game XP optimizes the performance of your computer, corrects problems and helps you to set up your system to match your gaming needs. Game XP extends your operating system's capabilities and makes Windows faster and comfortable for maximum gaming experience.

Also if you dont use gamexp then make sure no program is running in the background scanning - even if you disable your antivirus/spyware make sure the scan files when they load or simular is also turned off. Otherwise lock ups are garanteed.

Load up gamexp set it to how you want in the options it also comes with a backup button so if PC turns blue in the face you can revert back, haven't had that happen but its there anyways. Restart PC load SH4 and hopefully your lockups will cease.

Also is SH4 install on the 32bit OS, not 64.

Edit: Oh just read your card specs 7600.... Try a 7800GTX great card no need to go higher for SH4. Iv read of alot of issues with the 7600 cards.

[skwasjer]

In unmodded SH4, I only remember CTD-ing in patch 1.2 (I think, or 1.1) when pressing A (Maintain current depth). Other than that, the game is rock solid, and won't crash unless I screw up a file myself real badly (even corrupt files it accepts in alot of cases).

What can be a big reason of CTD's however, is mixing mods that are incompatible with eachother.

I have had experiences with games in general crashing when I had a drive some time ago that was about to die (permanently). It wasn't very apparent which is why it took me a few weeks to realise it.

Good luck finding the problem, but I really suspect the problem is not related to the game... ;)

[Ducimus]

I've never had SH4 crash on me ever.

Join date April 1st. First post.

April Fools anyone?

Proof of that is here:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/member.php?u=239536


You are all being trolled.

[kiwi_2005]

:damn::damn:

:rotfl:

[Sailor Steve]

I don't get it.

[Rockin Robbins]

Lets see here...

1st comp
Asus a8n-sli mobo
amd 2800 fx x2 64bit cpu
2gig kingston ram 3-3-3-8 timing (stock)
x2 Nvida 7600 gt vid cards w/4 displays (locks on one display or any combination there after, sli on or off)
800w power supply (cant remember manufacturer) but more power than required
on board realtec ac97 sound & emulated altec lansing. Tried both
380g sata hd (game is on two different partitions using two different operating sys's.)
running 64bit xp pro on one partition and 32bit xp standard on another

All drivers updated... Crashes with all voltages, clock freqs, etc stock/or oc'd.
I rarely have trouble with any other software and can run most at max settings... SH4 will soft/hard lock at minimums. My system setup is extreamly stable with settings resonably set. all temps run low, case and hardware is well ventillated.

2nd is a toshiba satellite laptop, 1.7 pentium, 1 gig ram, 80gig ide drive, xp standard, all stock no mods. Drivers are all current but this is the only game I have on it. I use it for school and rarely anything else.

I can give more specifics if needed on drivers bios etc...
Let's see, A8N32-SLI Deluxe is what I have (identical or nearly so), 2 gig go-fast memory, check!, two 7600GT in SLI is what I had (don't ask!), yada, yada.....hold it!

If you check out the Newegg comments for the A8N32-SLI you'll find that many have had problems related to their on-board sound. Plugging in a sound card fixes that. I'm running a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz card, but anything will work. That would also unload your microprocessor a bit. It will definitely eliminate game stutters in lotsa games.:up:

I disagree that your 800 watt ps is too small. Well, it could be, but my 650 watt SLI certified Rosewell ps was wonderful with two of your cards. The important thing is the wattage on your two +12v rails. EVGA website say!-->Minimum 400 Watt for SLI mode system. (Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 24 Amp Amps.) So do you have 24 amps on those puppies? Then you're OK.

Your 7600GT cards are fine. I liked my SLI setup just as much as I like my single 7900GS that I'm running now. Frame rates were only a little less and I liked the rendering maybe a bit better. The 7600GTs have been very popular with SH4 and I'm not aware of any issues but the detonations I had.:eek: We'll talk about that after you get fixed.

There is also a hard to find gotcha on the motherboard! And failure to do this will make your system unstable when SH4 wails on those two graphics cards you have. SH4 is not impressed by them and will work them to within an inch of their lives. Look on page 2-32 of your motherboard manual and you will see an innocuously labeled EZ_PLUG. This takes a standard 4 pin molex connector. Very cutely and not highlighted, in the middle of this irrelevent page you'll get a nice harmless bullet:

* When using two graphics cards without auxiliary power plugs (sound the alarm!!! 7600 GT!!!!), do not forget to connect a 4-pin ATX power plug to the EZ Plug (TM). Otherwise the system will be unstable.

Uh, they aren't kidding!!!! But my experience was that only SH4 was loading my graphics cards down enough to cause a problem without the plug. The instruction lives far away from any other graphics related issues, so a search won't find it. Only a fortunate accident led to my discovery.

If this ends up solving your problem you owe SUBSIM a donation.:arrgh!: Unless Ducimus is right in which case you owe two donations.

[jdkbph]

Hmmm....Seasonic? I need to check them out, it would be nice to adapt a more efficient power supply. Any other recommendations?
Well, based on my last research (before I bought this one about a year ago)...

There are less expensive power supplies than Seasonic, but none of them are as good in the 2 critical areas - voltage stability (particularly on the 12 volt rails - the S12 650 has 4 x 12v rails @ 18 amps each) and efficiency (which translates to less heat generated for a given power output).

And there are more expensive power supplies than Seasonic, but none of them that I found were any better in these areas.

JD

[XLjedi]

btw, can anyone recomend another subsim game?

Well... Silent Hunter 3

Actually, it's much less the headache I think. Seems to be pretty stable under it's last patch and the GWX modders have made it something extra-special.

On SH4; can't say that I can blame ya. We buy games for recreation and fun, not as an alternative to an online degree in system configuration and trouble shooting.

I do have a hard time defending something that has (for me) delivered a good deal of frustration, disappointment and misery. In the end, eventually, painfully... it does work and can even be fun to play. I just shouldn't have to work so hard at it. :nope:

I guess we're all just content to sigh and concede that it's the price we have to pay to play sub/naval sims.

[clayton]

I've never had SH4 crash on me ever.

Join date April 1st. First post.

April Fools anyone?

Proof of that is here:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/member.php?u=239536


You are all being trolled.

I thought we were getting away from that sh$t!

[maerean_m]

In short, you need a proper sound card.

[Wilcke]

I could be wrong but another bad day fishing....if you troll slower the lead line will go deeper. :nope:

[Rockin Robbins]

Sonar has lost contact on bearing 013, sir!

[walrusbomb]

quick, somebody rickroll me... I can take it!

[Dmsdmullins]

I got the ez plug plugged in... As far as sound, I ran through that pain many months ago. AC97 was worst sound set ever devised even with the rare driver updates.. This took me along time to work out. I emulate through a usb for games that dont like the onboard, cost me some frames but ill trade them for stablility any day of the week. Also have updated the bios couple times because the stock flash was know for horrible data corruption across the bus. My sh4 is unmoded but patched to 1.4, i begin to wonder if my troubles are because I purchased a download game? Any thoughts on this? As far as 64 bit is concerned it emulates 32 bit so the game doesnt know the difference, but this did cause some trouble before microhell released an update. Very perplexing... One thing i can share is if anyone is familiar with FSX is that it is quite a system tax. I can run at almost max settings even without sli and have no probs.. also run Call of Duty with no troubles what so ever. Has anyone heard of SH4 leaking mem? Ive had some games with this symptom before havent checked into it becuase ive not run across anyone with that issue.. Concerning the power supply.. If its not in sli I shouldnt be having any issues with power but it ctd's either way. Are their any performance mods for SH4? Maybe some smaller texture files or somthing of that nature??? I appreciate all the replies and im running the suggestions as quick as I can. Best yet is about 45 min uninterupted im afriad. Whats with the fishing?? not following that conversation at all. Thanks again guys

[Rockin Robbins]

my situation with inadequate power to the graphics cards. The power supply could be degraded and not putting out its rated power or not be adequate to begin with. I still think adding a sound card is a good idea.

For all practical purposes, I'm running your rig and it's been rock steady since I disovered the EZ-plug. And exploded two graphics cards......:oops: Had a little problem with defective electrolytic capacitors there... Good thing I had EVGA graphics cards.

You know, motherboards also had that problem. Have you visually checked all your electrolytic capacitors to see that none have blown or vented? You have something tricky going on here and it isn't the game.

Just in case I'm wrong, check out the unfortunately named SH4 won't load/install correctly!!! (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=133290) thread and do it all. That will eliminate all possible game problems.

[Dmsdmullins]

my situation with inadequate power to the graphics cards. The power supply could be degraded and not putting out its rated power or not be adequate to begin with. I still think adding a sound card is a good idea.

For all practical purposes, I'm running your rig and it's been rock steady since I disovered the EZ-plug. And exploded two graphics cards......:oops: Had a little problem with defective electrolytic capacitors there... Good thing I had EVGA graphics cards.

You know, motherboards also had that problem. Have you visually checked all your electrolytic capacitors to see that none have blown or vented? You have something tricky going on here and it isn't the game.

Just in case I'm wrong, check out the unfortunately named SH4 won't load/install correctly!!! (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=133290) thread and do it all. That will eliminate all possible game problems.
__________________

Ok will give this a try... Im also going to download a new setup file, might as well. Will let you know how it turns out.

[Capn_Sinky]

Would those 7600s happen to be manufactured by PNY? I purchased a 7600 really sweet deal from the guys in the blue shirts a while back. Ran all my windows stuff fine even FS2004 with the sliders up 3/4 of the way. But, when I went to run Battle Field 2 maxed out or even thought of running FSX it would CTD. Checked a few forums and found that under a heay graphic load (SHIV returning to saved game in an area with lots of action and targets) would CTD. Wound up taking it back to the guys in the blue shirts (despite the paperwork saying I should contact PNY and not return to store) Got an ATI 1600 pro instead. Was pretty happy with it until recently upgrading to a BFG 8500GT (Works muchs better with my 22" wide screen HD monitor:arrgh!: )

[Dmsdmullins]

No they are bfg's http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143049

gonna try to run 1.0 to see how stable it is

Still downloading setup file.... will keep you posted

[Capn_Sinky]

Hmmmm. Have you tried turning the graphics way way way down and running bare min and returning from save. Difference in graphics, might make a diff. Never know. Do you have Flight Sim X or Battlefield 2. If it will run those and not SHIV then you would know its not a graphics processing problem.

FSX turned up all the way with maxed out traffic will stop an Alienware rig in it tracks:huh:

[Dmsdmullins]

Hmmmm. Have you tried turning the graphics way way way down and running bare min and returning from save. Difference in graphics, might make a diff. Never know. Do you have Flight Sim X or Battlefield 2. If it will run those and not SHIV then you would know its not a graphics processing problem.

FSX turned up all the way with maxed out traffic will stop an Alienware rig in it tracks:huh:

Ive tried running underclocked and stock freqs with all options set to app control (SH4 on minimum)... FSX will run decent nearly maxed (18-25fps locked at 25) although as you said the traffic will crush it or anything else for that matter. I use FSX for a quick benchmark because it will easily bring anything, and I mean anything, to its knees with the quickness. If anyone can correct me please do but FSX should rule out cpu, memory, and vid card. Although the ac97 ob sound is a major issue, so i have to emulate through usb cause im too lazy to throw a card in, even with the useless current driver. I have the ac97 problem on about half my games..

Also, has anyone found a solution for the (Faulting application sh4.exe, version 1.4.0.0, faulting module messagenet.dll, version 0.0.0.0, fault address 0x00003a49.) error? Ive read quite a few threads on this but no solution yet... here's a reference thread in case no ones familiar with it. http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6921019045/m/9811089445

I get this on any version but isnt always the cause for a ctd.

[walrusbomb]

i apologize if this is legitimate. i bought into the "april fools" theory instantly.

i see some good advice and some bad advice in this thread... first the bad.

1. Just because ________ game worked fine doesn't mean it's not a hardware problem.

2. Just because your temperature readings and case ventilation appear fine doesn't mean it's not a heat-related problem.

3. Just because you think your OS is finely tuned doesn't mean it is (by hardcore gaming standards).

the good...

i don't think it's your hardware. Not even your Onboard soundchip. i think it's your dualboot config.

i ran a dualboot system when XP64 first hit the scene and had trouble with Sims, and only Sims. Falcon 4.0+MODS, for example. i wiped and went single OS and every problem running Sims went away.

Now i'm not telling you to wipe...

but i must ask the obvious questions: Why do you need two versions of XP? What purpose does it serve? How dedicated are you to running a hardcore gaming machine?

[pythos]

My experience with flight simulator (all it's incarnations) has been if it starts having issues, something is wrong with my system.

I too use it as a bench mark. It has always been the most stable program on my comp since my Tandy 1000. What is nice about flight sim is it very good at telling you what is wrong, it does not CTD, just run slower and slower, or the graphics go to hell.

Silent Hunter IV? VERY graphics intensive. Just look at the water. Every one of those ripples is using some part of memory, then there is the crew, the location of all the ships in the game, the clouds, the sub, even the idividual shells in a large surface battle. All of those and more are being kept track of by the computer. Flight sim is a chump compared to the graphics of SH IV. Even maxed out, flight sim cannot hold a candle to how much graphics are in both SH3 and SH4.

You want something to cook an old card? SHIV maxed out is it.

To conclude. Don't pay attention to the "required" system specs. Go for the fastest, highest memory "gamer" comp you can find and or afford. On such a machine SH IV is increadible, especially with one of the super mods applied.

[capthelm]

onboard sound cards dont cut the mustard parade for intense gaming..

people here trying to run big visual and audio 3d games on 486 machines and crap ass laptops is a no go amfraid. hence your lockups and stutters.


maybe driver issues as well.. even on my top range system i had issues with drivers..

but i corrected this problem , and now sh4 runs like a hot knife through butter.

[flag4]

After nearly a year of patching, reinstalling, searching forums, and tweaking settings on two different computers, with no sucsess, I am finished with SH4. In my opinion, this is the worst written, most unstable game Ive ever bought. Ive contacted Ubi for a refund but based on there past track record concerning SH4 and other game support, not only with me but with literally hundreds and hundreds of other people using their products, I have serious doubts that my request will even be acknowledged much less granted. I have no doubt some people have little or no trouble with the game but based on the days and days of researching forums here, at ubi techsupport, and countless others, Ive concluded that the game is a completely defective product. I know some people would argue my points some to no end and I respectfully consider their oppinions of value but this Im afraid has worn my patience to the end. Just my two cents...

im no wizz, but i would say, put sh4 away, remove all elements of it from your system: clean uninstall.

play something else for a while and come back to it - forget about it even, for months and months

read this book:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silent-Victory-Submarine-Against-Bluejacket/dp/155750217X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207240188&sr=1-3

to keep you going with the interest you obviously have, dont throw it away or put a hammer through it !!

.........and return when the heat's gone off.

i struggled with sh3 when i started - turned out it was a graphics card issue + not enough memory. but i would'nt have known that back then coz i aint no wizz - took me ages to get it right, but i didnt give up.....

i completely understand the maddening rage it can cause when it f*&^%$ -up.
dont give up if you love it. :yep: :up:

[walrusbomb]

Flight sim is a chump compared to the graphics of SH IV. Even maxed out, flight sim cannot hold a candle to how much graphics are in both SH3 and SH4.
this made me chuckle. you have it reversed... It is SHIV that cannot compete with Flight Sim X (DX10)'s system requirements on MAX settings.

MAXED OUT:
SHIV gets my GPU up to around 56c (25FPS)
FSX gets my GPU up to 65c (19FPS)

[Dmsdmullins]

I run the dual boot for a veriety of reasons but the most important to begin with is the fact the x64 drivers came out very slowly (and are still) but there is a noticable difference in performance between 32 and 64 based code for the obvious reason that twice as much info is being sent down the bus. Granted when emmulating from 64 to 32 this requires more cpu time but in my opinion the advantage in speed is still appearant. Also Im happy to report that so far with a clean install to 1.4 ive been able to play over an hour with no ctd but not going to hold my breath just yet. Im begining to think that my d3d copy was corrupted but really have no evidence yet to support this just coincidence at this point. The only thing ive noticed so far thats in contrast with the last install is that the file sizes for the setup file where a few hundred megs different but since i deleted the old on I dont have an exact figure on that. Im taking a shot in the dark here but i think they updated the d3d files. Thanks for the help and advice everyone and ill continue to keep you posted!

[walrusbomb]

i hear you. i was playing UT2004 in 64-bit mode and there was no loadtimes! none.

but then my beloved Falcon 4.0 would CTD so a wipe was needed.

if any of us, subsim gearheads, were to inherit your rig the first thing most of us would do is a full wipe and single kernel OS install. probably the reliable 32-bit. get that ship running as tight as possible:

Prime95 + Speedfan_log for 72 hours
ATITool (works for nvidia too) 3D-test for 72 hours
Install SHIV clean
Test @ MAX for hours, regardless of framerate

I'd bet good money this would expose the problem.

[pythos]

Walrusbomb, you do know FSX is probably the worst version of flightsim to come out in a while. I have heard it is really inefficient with rescorces, and memory. It also required a patch just to run when it first came out (very much like SH4).

The flight sim I have is FS9. Very stable, never crashes. Frame rates regularly 20 or so. With all sliders full over. SH4, best I can get is 15 or so with all features on.

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

I agree the game is a buggy and unfinished and may I say rushed out game. The gaming business is more concerned about profits than quailtity games produced as is expected. You're not alone in the frustration business. I bought Biohazard last year and was peeved to find out I needed an internet connection to patch the game or else it wouldn't run.

[Capn_Sinky]

I'm sorry, but I just gotta say it. Give me 30 lashes with a wet noodle if you want but.... Flight Sim X kicks FS 2004s but-tocks. Even in DX9. Have you seen the F18A in the Acceleration pack. IT ROCKS!!!! Take off out NAS Atlanta full throttle w afterburner and within a few seconds you can see the curvature of the earth and by the time you reach max altitude dude you are starting to see the blue sky fading to black and stars comming out, all the while down on the earth below cars are wizzing up and down the highways, hawks are circling, freighters and tankers are traveling to ports all over the world and GA and commerical aircraft are headed to airports all over the world. You can go to freaking Africa and buzz walking elephants and Girraffs in an ultralight. If you are in a 172 off the coast of California depending on the season you can watch killer wales. dolphins or humpbacks swimming in the ocean (again based on the correct season of the year).

After a few hours in a dank dark tube, nothing is better than to take a sailplane up (with a towplane and towrope clearly visable in front of you) and then release said cable to circle in a thermal over a ridge with nothing but the sound of the wind (and that annoying accelerometer beeping in my ear) dude, FS2004 is a dark cave compared to FSX.

Oh yes, there have been a whole total of what 1 updates to FSX, and lets see we are on what number 5 for SHIV not to mention several zillion mods if you want things to work so so. If SHIV had the same following and commerical support that FSX had you would have already have a Cold War era add-onl, a WWI add-on, a civil war addon, and probably every submarine every created from the Turttle to the Virgina Class subs to download for free. You would even be able to add custom Conn art if you wanted too. Sooo before you go.....wait, take a deep breath....serinity now, serinity now.... Ok, I'm better now.

Sorry about the rant, but a nerve was stepped upon. My appoligies if I have in turn stepped upon anyone elses. As I have said before, My AMD 4200 FX2 with a 8500GT card and 3 gigs of ram will handle all of what the stock SHIV as to offer and some, but FSX will kill it if I run it over 3/4 max. When Aces released FSX they said there wouldn't be a computer avail to run it completely maxed out for probably two years. I think there about right since it was released in late 2006. Said my peace, probably peed in someones oatmeal this Am as well. If so I'm sorry, but don't blast something unless you have experienced it. NOTE: I have not compared anything to SHIV with any of the mods, because I have not installed any mods, so I have no experience with the mods, hince no ref to mods only to stock version. I practice what I preach. I will get off my soap box now.

[Rockin Robbins]

Annie! This oatmeal tastes funny to me this morning. Can you check it out and see if it tastes strange to you too?:88)

[walrusbomb]

Walrusbomb, you do know FSX is probably the worst version of flightsim to come out in a while. I have heard it is really inefficient with rescorces, and memory. It also required a patch just to run when it first came out (very much like SH4).

The flight sim I have is FS9. Very stable, never crashes. Frame rates regularly 20 or so. With all sliders full over. SH4, best I can get is 15 or so with all features on.

FS9 + MODS is a dream. I get 50-90 FPS. I would never compare FS9 to SHIV.

SHIV is closer to FSX in graphical quality.

FSX is a beast. I still hold that the graphics are superior to SHIV, and I've played a lot of SHIV + ROW.

[Capn_Sinky]

Arrrg, yes she is a beast, but she is a grand and wonderful beast. Treat her with respect and ye will be rewarded. Disrespect her, and ye will be treated with a slide show!(about 1 frame per min:)

I agree FSX is graphically closer to SHIV.

They are actually more alike than different. Now what would be really cool, would be to connect the two. Think of the multiplayer fun to be had with that.

Prop jockys VS the Bubble heads!

[SteamWake]

Can I have your stuff?

(Sorry couldent resist)

[longhaul444]

As a newbie to the sub world and this forum, please pardon my newbie mistakes (if I make any). I have been reading with some amusement on this subject. Now I have had several crashes with SHIV, but that had to do with the mods that I've come to find out were incomp. with each other in my quest for the ultimate jap killing machine. Now I don't have the biggest, baddest machine on the planet. I bought an emachines Model W3644. I upgraded the memory and cpu right off the bat. My specs are listed as follows:

AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5200+ 3.0 ghz
4 GB memory (generic)
GeForce 6100 nForce 405 (integrated on-board video)
Integrated audio on board.
160 GB Western Digital HD
14 usb (permanent: 4 on board 2 in front; 2 add on cards with 4 ports each)
Also completely wireless
Standard Dell 17" Flat Panel Monitor

Now with this configuration, and having a spouse that can't remember to log off on her side of the comp. It has crashed 2 times on this machine, due to mod conflicts. Also this is not oc'd.

Now the other machine I have is an Inspiron 1501 Dell Laptop. Memory upgraded to 4GB (generic), and the cpu is an AMD Turion 2.0 ghz. And I have had 4 crashes on this machine, but this was due to driver updates from microsoft (which I have stopped doing from them! GOD I hate Microsoft!) not being installed properly. But I have since fixed those problems. And have 10 mods installed on this machine and have had no crashes or slow downs. Although I believe SHIV rocks, and its a great improvement over SHIII, there is still room for improvement from Ubisoft. So I would probably try testing your copy of SHIV on a buddies machine, if it still crashes then send Ubisoft an email telling them this. It may be your copy of SHIV has a corrupt file on it. It does happen to commercially sold products, rarely, but does happen. If it works on his machine then maybe you should take a hard look at what going on inside your case. Might be microsoft during an auto update screwed something up. Just my 2 cents.:rock:

[Torps]

I definately think you have plenty of power. Prior to my HD failure I was running a e6700, 4 sticks of memory(2.1v each), a 8800GTS, 4 HARD drives, 6 fans,1 optical drive a hdtv tuner card and a creative x-fi fatal1ty pro sound card in a SLI capable 550 watt power supply. The sucker was running over a year until I upgraded to 880 watts a few days ago.

[McBeck]

Whats the update on the new download+install..... :hmm:

[walrusbomb]

slightly off-topic:

people, it's 2008! please update your videocard before buying more RAM... that is all.

[Dmsdmullins]

I agree with FSX, although i think the minimum sys reqirements were a little low when it released causing all the hub-bub about performance (the game was designed for dx10 and we all know that you have to drop a kidney to get a nice dx10 card). In my case it was smooth flying after the dual core patch was released. Mine has been extreamly stable after getting some hardware tunned in and the graphics slaughter fs9.

On another note. After a full download and reinstallation of SH4 updated to 1.4 and after about 10 or 12 hours (with max settings) I have had not a single ctd. I think that my setup download was corupted but dont have any real evidence to that effect. I will now retract my first post and have humbly removed my foot from my mouth! Also, to everyone who kept me going and offering great advice I sincerely thank you all. This is an awsome community and most everyone here is very very friendly and helpfull...

Thanks again!

[McBeck]

Were always ready to talk somebody down from the ledge ;)

[Rockin Robbins]

Were always ready to talk somebody down from the ledge ;) :up::up::up::up::up::up::up::up::up::up::up:

[walrusbomb]

the "Can I have his stuff" post was teh epic.

NERF MAGES!

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

Someone's on a ledge? JUMP! JUMP! JUMP!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

[Dmsdmullins]

Well just had my first ctd since installing. 4th patrol so I can definely live with that. Not sure what happened I insterted an agent over somwhere in north Japan then got orders to go about 500 miles south and engage merchants. On my approach I got spotted ahead of a convoy and went deep to avoid getting carpet bombed. I set up so the convoy was walking straight to me then when they were about 3000yds off while watching with the obs scope the message to launch the spy came up then ctd... I was getting spoiled and hadnt saved in awhile but np a little time compress and ill be back in action.