Water and performance

[zixo]

Hi there I have installed both SH3 and SH4 my specs :

P 4 1,7 ghz
2 Gig Ram
128 Ati radeon (integrated, shared up to 256)
10,2 legacy latest drivers, all updated (running many other games), AA and all stuff is off..

In Sh4 I get max 15 fps on lowers details what isnt bad since this isnt a fast action game and I can play well the SH3 run smooth the only problem is the water surface... When I swich to freecamera and I go under water its smooth same when I look at the sky, but when the water surface is in the view I got rapidly low fps, with binocularrs, periscope is all good... Any suggestion or mod to lower that effect ? I got dark blue water on SH4 on lowers setting and I realy not mind it much..

Thanks for all reply, sorry for bad english.

[Jimbuna]

Check your particles density (in game settings) is set to low.

You will take a small fps hit because your graphics card is a little on the low side regarding specs.

Welcome to SubSim http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/welcome.gif

[krashkart]

I'm in the same boat as far as having an integrated graphics chipset, and I know your pain. I tend to keep my periscopes and deck gun sights at maximum zoom when I use them. That and limiting my use of Free Cam or Bridge View are really the only solutions I've found to the problem.

A real solution would be if the chipsets had been designed in the first place to handle the load that we are trying to put on them.

If I'm not mistaken the water is a mesh also, isn't it? :06:

Anyway, try jimbuna's advice and also keeping your zoom levels at maximum on any zoomable optics - including AA guns. It'll help some but you'll probably still have lag whenever your view comes close to including the horizon.

Welcome to Subsim, mate. Hope you have a great time here. :salute:

*krash*

[Jankowski]

use gwx if you get lag when looking at your crew. when u look at them fr a few seconds, it will lag and then you will be able to see them without a humongous lag.

[pickinthebanjo]

I use an old laptop with basicly the same specs, in video options turn off enhancment options, if you can afford it buy some ram as this will greatly boost system performance. Also make sure you have no other background programs running, as that will drain system performance as well.

If your having performance problems with a stock install, supermods and enviornment mods would probably worsen that problem and would be best avoided as they add so much to the game that they tend to drain performance even further.

[irish1958]

I use an old laptop with basicly the same specs, in video options turn off enhancment options, if you can afford it buy some ram as this will greatly boost system performance. Also make sure you have no other background programs running, as that will drain system performance as well.

If your having performance problems with a stock install, supermods and enviornment mods would probably worsen that problem and would be best avoided as they add so much to the game that they tend to drain performance even further.

GWX shouldn't lower your fps; the real frame rate killers are harbor traffic mods, sea floor mods, water mods, 16 or 20 Km atmosphere mods, encountering convoys and most GUI mods.
You must lower competing processes stealing your RAM. See: http://alacritypc.en.softonic.com/compare/tuneup-utilities,game-booster,ashampoo-winoptimizer.
Adding some RAM would be ultra-useful.
Finally, when on the surface, if you scan 360 degrees, your frame rate will pick up a bit.

[pickinthebanjo]

the real frame rate killers are harbor traffic mods, sea floor mods, water mods, 16 or 20 Km atmosphere mods, encountering convoys and most GUI mods.
You must lower competing processes stealing your RAM. See: http://alacritypc.en.softonic.com/compare/tuneup-utilities,game-booster,ashampoo-winoptimizer.
Adding some RAM would be ultra-useful. .

I'm with Irish on the ram, and it's a cheap upgrade (it cost me less than 100$ for an extra 2 gigs. Also explosions can drop fps

[melnibonian]

I agree. If you add a bit more RAM you should see a massive improvement on your game. Long time ago I was playing with 512MB and as soon as I upgraded the laptop to 2GB I was playing a different game.

[irish1958]

You already have two Gb RAM, which is enough for XP. If you have vista or 7, 4 GB of RAM is very nice, but you need to use the 4GB Patch.
Getting a better video card would be helpful also if you can.

[pickinthebanjo]

You already have two Gb RAM, which is enough for XP. If you have vista or 7, 4 GB of RAM is very nice, but you need to use the 4GB Patch.
Getting a better video card would be helpful also if you can.

what's the 4gb patch? I use a laptop with vista 32 and 4gb ram without a patch and it seems to do, but if this patch corrects something i'm unaware of it could help to know.

[irish1958]

what's the 4gb patch? I use a laptop with vista 32 and 4gb ram without a patch and it seems to do, but if this patch corrects something i'm unaware of it could help to know.

The 4Gb patch allows the game (all the SilentHunters) to use all of the RAM. Without it, it only uses 2Gb. And, apparently, XP can only use 2Gb no matter how much you install.
I don' have a current link

[pickinthebanjo]

The 4Gb patch allows the game (all the SilentHunters) to use all of the RAM. Without it, it only uses 2Gb. And, apparently, XP can only use 2Gb no matter how much you install.
I don' have a current link

Damn, thats good to know. I guess I will have to see to this problem and search out the patch. thanks

[comet61]

XP can only use 2Gb no matter how much you install.Not true. Basically the limit is 3.2GB for XP 32 bit. I gave 3GB and I have many programs set up to use more than 2GB. I use XP Game launcher to unload unnecessary background programs and services and free up RAM prior to playing certain games. If you want to utilize more than 3GB on XP, you need the 64bit version.

XP with services will use up almost 1/3 of the ram if you have 3GB.

[irish1958]

Not true. Basically the limit is 3.2GB for XP 32 bit. I gave 3GB and I have many programs set up to use more than 2GB. I use XP Game launcher to unload unnecessary background programs and services and free up RAM prior to playing certain games. If you want to utilize more than 3GB on XP, you need the 64bit version.

XP with services will use up almost 1/3 of the ram if you have 3GB.

I stand corrected. I can't find the thread where the 4 Gb patch is discussed, but my statement was my recollection of the problems. I do have the 4Gb patch for the EXE files of the Silent Hunters (and all other games) to use with Vista and Windows7. It was my understanding that it was not useful for XP.
There is no readme with the zip file, so I can't find the author to ask permission to upload it, or to clarify my misunderstandings of the problems.