kirbyrockz2

Yeah, I've tried that. My crappy CRT monitor's resolution makes everything look extremely blurry. Would that increase performance, though?

I'll try the audio compatability mode. Also, that XP performance guide you posted... you included a link to a BIOS tweaking guide. Is it 100% completely and entirely safe to use the tweaks mentioned there on my motherboard? I'm too scared to try without an okay from someone who knows what that stuff does, lol.

Also, I know you kind of said it before... but you're 100% absolutely sure that the card I have can manage the game with maximum FPS using the settings you posted? If I can get you to say this then maybe I can convince someone in the house to split the cost of a new CPU.

Yeah, I never noticed any tearing. I'll turn them off.

BTW, I checked my BIOS. Hyperthreading is enabled.

EDIT: Just tried CoX again... getting 25-rarely 30 FPS sitting in Atlas. Here's my CoHHelper log, in case it helps.

---System information gathered by CoH Helper version 0.1.1.3---

DxDiag gathered at November 20, 2008 10:55 (-07:00)
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.080814-1236)
System Manufacturer: INTEL_
System Model: DG965SS_
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Central Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory: 2030MB
.Net Memory Report: 1246MB out of 2029MB available
Page File: 3208MB (714MB currently in use)
C Drive: (MAXTOR STM3320620AS) 98835MB out of 305234MB (32%) free
D Drive: (Seagate FreeAgentDesktop USB Device) 427119MB out of 476937MB (89%) free
E Drive: (SONY DVD RW DRU-710A) zero-size drive
Windows directory location: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DirectX Diag version: 5.03.2600.5512 (32-bit version)

Display Notes: No problems found.
Sound Notes: No problems found.
Input Notes: No problems found.

Monitor: Hansol 720A
Monitor's Max Resolution: 1280,1024
Video Device Name: ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series
Manufacturer / Chip: ATI Technologies Inc. / ATI Radeon Graphics Processor (0x9501)
Video Memory: 512.0 MB
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6879
Driver Date: 10/28/2008 7:22:02 PM
Driver Language: English

Sound Device Description: Turtle Beach Catalina (WDM)
Driver File: Envy24HF.sys
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.3615
Driver Date: 2/26/2004 4:40:20 PM



WMI Information
Motherboard Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Motherboard Model: (empty)
Motherboard Product: DG965SS
Motherboard Version: AAD41678-304
BIOS Manufacturer: Intel Corp.
BIOS Name: Default System BIOS
BIOS Version: INTEL - 6d7
BIOS Release: 20080811000000.000000+000

Registry Information for Current User
Resolution: 1024x768
3D Resolution: 1024x768 (Not using renderscale)
Full Screen: Yes
Maximized: No
Screen Position: 0, 0
Refresh Rate: 0Hz
Vertical Sync Enabled: No

Physics Quality: High
Maximum Particles: 25050
Max Particle Fill? 10.000
Physics Card Enabled: No

Anti-aliasing: None
Anisotropic Filtering: None
Texture LOD Bias: Smooth
Water Effects: Low Quality
Bloom: 1.000 (turned off)
Depth of Field Enabled: No
Desaturation Effects (Sepia) Enabled: No
Shader Detail: High

World Texture Level: Very High
Character Texture Level: Very High
World Detail Level (Vis_Scale): 1.000
Entity Detail Level: 2.000
Shadows Enabled: Yes
Gamma Correction: 0.498
Geometry Buffers (VBOs) Enabled: Yes
Suppression of Extra Player FX Enabled: No
Suppression of FX When Camera Close Enabled: No
Close Suppression Range: 3.000
Show Advertisements: No

Audio Mode: Performance
3D Audio: No
FX Sound Volume: 1.000
Music Sound Volume: 0.000

Show Advanced Graphics Options: Yes
Overall Graphics Quality: 1.000
Reverse Mouse Buttons: No
Save Login Username: Yes
Transfer Rate: 414469 bytes/second
Current Game Version: 17.20080821.9T4
Installation Directory: C:\Program Files\City of Heroes

Mod files in the Data directory
. has 1 file
.\sound\ogg has 1 file
.\sound\ogg\Arena has 1 file
.\sound\ogg\Auto has 1 file
.\sound\ogg\Peregrine has 2 files
.\sound\ogg\Powers has 7 files
.\sound\ogg\Tech has 4 files
.\sound\ogg\V_Bank has 3 files
.\sound\ogg\V_MissionMusic has 29 files

Yeah, I had VSync/Trip buffering enabled. Should I switch them off?

Hmm... I'm not sure about the Hyperthreading. I've checked my BIOS more than once, and the settings it gives me are extremely limited. I'll reboot now, though, and check to see if it is that.

I'll check out that guide... thanks!

I figured it would be best to ask this question here.

I recently wanted to get a new video card specifically for the purpose of playing City of Heroes at 40+FPS at the settings specified by Bill in the first post. However, being short on cash, I had to go for a cheaper card. I was told that it could do CoH easily, though, since CoH was an old game... so I went with an ATI Radeon HD3870 PCIe 512mb.

I have a CRT monitor so I only go to 1024x768 at all times in games... so I think that would give me a performance buff, but it doesn't. Even at Recommended, I don't get more than 20-25 FPS in zones and in intense graphical situations it dips below 5fps nearly every single time. Bring an AoE controller immob into the mix, and it runs at about 2fps. Even Counter-Strike: Source, an easy-as-heck game to render, only gets me 20fps on Highest everything, 1024x768, default maps (no massive user-made maps, this is maps like cs_office). There's gotta be something wrong, especially since I'm playing at a low res.

My specs:
Motherboard model: DG965SS (Is there some sort of mobo setting I need to change?)
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 CPU, 3.00GHz @ 2994mhz (I know, not fantastic, but it came out after CoH... this can't be a factor, can it?)
Memory: 2gb DDR2 RAM (dual channel)
OS: Windows XP Professional

What I've tried:
Updated sound card drivers (Turtle Beach Catalina)
Correctly updated video card drivers
Correctly tried Omega Drivers (these actually made things worse O__o, correctly reverted)
Updated Catalyst
Updated BIOS
Closed absolutely everything and ran the games
Created a "Gaming" XP account, then played from there (had to reinstall again >__&gt
Spyware/adware scans
Hard drive defragment
CCleaner
OCing to GPU 836mhz, Mem 940mhz
Am I just expecting too much out of this card? I expected, at least, that a 2007 card could EASILY run a game that came out in 2004. Any help would be amazing. Thanks, guys!