Nvidia tweaks to SH3/SH4

[DeepIron]

Originally Posted by brommer66

Hi DeepIron.

I am experimenting a bit with the Rivatuner you mentioned. I have no experience with overclocking though. I have a NVidea 7100 GS card with a standard core clock of 350 MHz/max 525 MHz, and memory clock of 500 MHz/max 750 MHz.

2 questions:
- How far can I increase the clock speeds 'safely' before they become critical?
- Which of the two has most (positive) impact on the FPS rate; or do I have to overclock both?

Thanks

Hi Brommer66...
The "recommended" way of overclocking is to increase the core by say 5 points, then test. If things are ok, no instabilities, increase the memory clock by 5 points and test. Repeat this process, 5 points on one, test, 5 points on the other, test, until you start to have "issues" or instabilities. It's a long process but the 'safest' and most recommended. Once you get to the 'maximum' safe settings, back them off by say 5 points each for a safety margin.

Both settings will affect your frame rates so it's a good idea to increment them as outlined above.

The 'safety' aspect varies from machine to machine and has a lot to do with cooling and voltage levels. Incrementing the clocks as I've described above "should" give you suffiecient warning if you push the card too far...

My 7600GS card clocks normally at 400/350. I'm currently running SH4 at 500/450 and it gets a "little warm". I ONLY overclock while I play SH4. The rest of the time, I return the card to 400/350.

Don't forget to tweak your settings in the game itself. I seldom have everything running at maximum levels because even with overclocking, the card can handle only so much processing.

Hope this was helpful.

[brommer66]

Hi DeepIron

Thanks for the tips. I overclocked the core from 350 to 361 for a start, that is before i read your response, and all went well with just a bit of improvement already. I found that the framerates are different depending on the location you are at, with the maps having the highest and all outside views having the lowest fps rates and cause most of the trouble. Anyway let's see what happens when I slowly increase the clocks. Hope I do not burn up my graphics card!

[DeepIron]

Originally Posted by brommer66

Hi DeepIron

Thanks for the tips. I overclocked the core from 350 to 361 for a start, that is before i read your response, and all went well with just a bit of improvement already. I found that the framerates are different depending on the location you are at, with the maps having the highest and all outside views having the lowest fps rates and cause most of the trouble. Anyway let's see what happens when I slowly increase the clocks. Hope I do not burn up my graphics card!

You bet! You're right about location, the map screen has less "dynamics" to process so you'll see better frame rates there.
I think you'll also find that before you max-out your overclock settings, that the framerates will reach a point and simply not increase any further. This is due in part to the shading code and the fact that the video card has only so many pipelines and processes it can handle anyway...

Good luck!

[Jsbl]

Originally Posted by Jsbl

Yes, I read it and I have been thinking whether I download that driver yet or not. I'm a little suspicious to BETA releases and I usually wait for the release version. But maybe I could give it a try, thanks for your help.

Now I tried it. It didn't fix the problem, though. On explosion I'm getting a black screen which results in a complete system freeze where the reset button is the only soluton.

[Doolittle81]

Originally Posted by Jsbl

Now I tried it. It didn't fix the problem, though. On explosion I'm getting a black screen which results in a complete system freeze where the reset button is the only solution.

From my own experience....try disabling Pacific Environment 2 (or the just today released PE3) and using instead the W_Clear's Environment 4.3.

See my post here in the Pacific Environment thread:

It is with HUGE regret that I must now report that I also have the Crash to Black Screen of Death at the first explosion, even just the first minor shell hit on my Sub from a DD...(and even though I am only in periscope view, not external view of an actual explosion...which somehow leads me to think it is NOT a graphics issue at all). I had this prob some time ago shortly after installing SH4 1.5 and thought after much experimentation that I'd cured it by installing the Nvidia 174.93 drivers. However, I realize now that I was not observant or scientifically precise in my research methodology. I had also been playing around trying out W_Clear's Environment MOD at the same time.

I now conclude that I cannot run PE3 (nor the earlier PE 2) with SH4 1.5. I tried PE3 with all in-game graphics Options ON, and also with Each and all of PP and Envronment FX and Volumetric Fog turned OFF, singly and/or enmasse. Always the Crash to BSOD. BUT, when I re-enable Environ4.3 instead of PE3, everything runs just fine with all Graphics Options ON.

As I said, I very much regret not being able to use PE3 with SH4 1.5. Not a MODder myself, but isn't there some way to discover what files differ between the W_Clear Environment MOD and PE3...to help determine what might be causing the supposed extra strain on 8800GTX 768MB cards (seemingly the only card effected) or any other cause of the BSOD only with PE3 plus SH4 1.5, not with Environ 4.3??....and again it is only with PE plus 1.5 as there is absolutely no problem with PE2 or PE3 enabled with SH4 1.4.

PE3 and all its options and with all in-game graphic options maxed out, works just lovely with SH4 1.4.

Go figure. It's way over my head to decipher.

[Laffertytig]

i have nhancer installed so does this mean that it runs alongside the default nvidia driver? the reason i ask is cos ive been told that to optimize my core duo processor i should select "threaded optimization" on the nvidia control panel. i dont see such an option on the nhancer control panel.

it is better to use either the nvidia contol panel or the nhancer one?

[Defiance]

Hiya's,

Hmm not exactly a SH tweak as such

But if you're running vista ........With Duo/Tri/Quad

Get into msconfig (start/type in msconfig or use run if you enabled it)

Goto Boot tab/Click Advanced/Check number of processors, and add your number of cores

Get's vista to boot faster, So in a way it does tweak SH as you get to play it that bit sooner

Ciao

Def

[Laffertytig]

does the above post work for xp as well, and does it only improve load times?

and how do programs like nhancer work? if i start nhancer and change settings, does this override nvidia control panel?

[Defiance]

Hiya,

As far as i know the different boot/core allocation is vista/windows 8 onwards so not an option in XP

(not sure about xp64 though ? )

Yeah it speeds up vista boot time (also when vista is 1st installed it takes a week or so and speeds itself up as it learns, handy l'il HAL ehh lol)

As for Nhancer, You best ask here solely about it, Or someone more use to it may answer

Yeah it allows options that maybe hidden etc in standard nvidia control panel

Have Fun

Ciao

Def

ps: Did you get the vista 177.26 drivers sorted ok ??

[Arclight]

Originally Posted by Laffertytig

does the above post work for xp as well, and does it only improve load times?

and how do programs like nhancer work? if i start nhancer and change settings, does this override nvidia control panel?

Nope, no such thing in XP, even doubt it's in XP64, since it's still just XP.

Nhancer does the same as Nvidia control panel, you're changing the same entries. If you change something in Nhancer, you'll see those changes reflected in the Nvidia control panel next time you start it; so yes, Nhancer basically overwrites those settings. Nhancer just offers a lot more options, Nvidia probably left those out to make the default panel more fool-proof. But fools shouldn't be messing with their settings in the first place.

Nhancer has an "CPU Multi Core support" option, under the "compatibility" tab. Setting this to "Multi core" allows games to benefit from multi core CPU's, even if the game originally doesn't have such a feature. Disable only (set to "single core") if you're experiencing trouble caused by multi core CPU in a game. If you're having such trouble, you might also try opening up "Task Manager" (ctrl+alt+del), go to "processes" tab and find the process for the game (while it's running offcourse, in this case SH4.exe), right click on it and select "set affinity...". Now disable all but one core to force the process to use just one core.

A nice tweak is actually to do this for all processes that allow it and set everything to run on one core, and set your game to run on the other(s). That way you can make sure the game has almost exclusive excess to that core.

These settings are not stored, they are reset when a process ends, Rebooting will obviously end all running processes, so I wouldn't get in to it unless you're experiencing regular stutters because some process in the background keeps demanding CPU cycles. A better thing to do in this case would be to disable said process through either "msconfig" or "services.msc".

Hope it helps.

[Laffertytig]

ok great in info but one more non tech savvy question.

does nhancer have to be actively runnin to work or is it ok to run it, make the changes then close it down?

[Arclight]

As far as I know the changes are stored in registry, so you don't have to keep it running. Just tested SH4 with Nhancer closed and still had MSAA.

[Doolittle81]

Originally Posted by Laffertytig

ok great in info but one more non tech savvy question.

does nhancer have to be actively runnin to work or is it ok to run it, make the changes then close it down?

It does not have to be running.

[Schwuppes]

To get rid of texture shimmering one should use 32x S hybrid AA. Like the name sugests its a hybrid between multi sampling and super sampling AA.
Alternatively one could use 4x4 Super sampling. Both modes Look great in SH3.

With SH4 Im not sure but one may have to go down to 8xSQ which is still really nice.

Pure Multisampling is a bit better for softening edges but does not reduce texture shimmering at all.

[Arclight]

I think it's worth mentioning again that anything above 4x MSAA removes the sun halo and possibly thins out smoke in SH4, even 8x or 16x CSAA, which uses a normal 4x MSAA component. Combined modes using even a 2x MSAA component give the same result. Supersampling is fine, but very costly in performance.

Well at least on a 8800GTS 512, using PE3 + NSM.

Schwuppes, I'm guessing you own either a SLI or Crossfire rig? :hmm:
Using max anti-aliasing in SH4 will give any single card a good run for it's money. At least in dense scenes, like Pearl Harbour.

*never mind, just noticed your sig.