I need help... dont know what to do
By
Bamboo,
Posted on: 2009-06-30 09:47 in ALL ACCESS Gameplay Technical Issues Bugs
You're quite welcome. Oh, looking over your COH settings in your first post there's quite a lot of extra performance you can get over your current setup.
[ QUOTE ]
Anti-aliasing: None
Anisotropic Filtering: 4x
Texture LOD Bias: Smooth
Water Effects: High Quality
Bloom: 1.000 (turned on)
Depth of Field Enabled: Yes
Desaturation Effects (Sepia) Enabled: Yes
Shader Detail: High
World Texture Level: Very High
Character Texture Level: Very High
World Detail Level (Vis_Scale): 1.000
Entity Detail Level: 1.000
Shadows Enabled: Yes
[/ QUOTE ]
For one thing, the water & bloom effects are real performance hogs, I turn them off on my machine and I'm running an 8800GTX. Turning those off is worth almost 20fps increase on my system. Shader detail can also be turned way down... I have a hard time telling the difference in the image quality but it's easy to see in framerates.
Shadows are another large performance hog... they look nice but they do drive down your framerate. Of course all of this is a case of YMMV and how your machine runs. You may not need to downgrade your graphics in order to get good performance, or you may only need to downgrade some of them. Anything much above 30fps is plenty. You can see your current frames per second in the game by typing /showfps 1 in your chat bar. To make it go away type /showfps 0
COH has just been murdered by NCSoft. http://www.change.org/petitions/ncso...city-of-heroes
[ QUOTE ]
Anti-aliasing: None
Anisotropic Filtering: 4x
Texture LOD Bias: Smooth
Water Effects: High Quality
Bloom: 1.000 (turned on)
Depth of Field Enabled: Yes
Desaturation Effects (Sepia) Enabled: Yes
Shader Detail: High
World Texture Level: Very High
Character Texture Level: Very High
World Detail Level (Vis_Scale): 1.000
Entity Detail Level: 1.000
Shadows Enabled: Yes
[/ QUOTE ]
For one thing, the water & bloom effects are real performance hogs, I turn them off on my machine and I'm running an 8800GTX. Turning those off is worth almost 20fps increase on my system. Shader detail can also be turned way down... I have a hard time telling the difference in the image quality but it's easy to see in framerates.
Shadows are another large performance hog...
[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, while I was reading some other threads looking for some help for my problems, I saw some people mention those things, but I couldn't figure how to change alot of those settings. Since that first post i think i may have changed the water bloom, but couldn't tell you for sure because I can't figure out where it is again. If you could help me out with that, it would be great 
Option menu, GFX tab. be sure 'advanced GFX options' is turned ON- you'll get a whole series of new options further down the menu.
Things to remember:
-Common sense ain't;
-Overkill is the only kill;
-If someone asks if you're a god, run away.
[ QUOTE ]
Option menu, GFX tab. be sure 'advanced GFX options' is turned ON- you'll get a whole series of new options further down the menu.
[/ QUOTE ]
Which options menu? usually i just right-click the icon in the system tray.
Go to menu - options - graphics and audio.
A short ways down you'll see something that says advanced graphics options. This opens up a whole bunch of other settings including the water, bloom, shadows and so forth. I'd experiment with those settings while you have your frames per second up (type in chat /showfps 1) in a "busy" area, preferably somewhere that lots of people are congregating.
What you want to shoot for is framerates above 20fps... 30 is better. Anti-ailiasing can be turned down or disabled entirely for a small bonus, world & character detail can be taken down a notch or two for noticeable improvements. You can turn down max particles, this can make a significant difference with lots of powers going off.
I turn water effects off... they do look very nice but they're a huge drain anytime you're close to water. Bloom is maybe the worst offender in draining your framerate... I kill it as well. Depth of field costs some performance and I personally don't like the looks of it anyway so it's an easy decision to kill it. Shadows likewise can be shut off for a significant improvement.
I'd advise experimenting with all of the advanced graphics settings until you find a balance of graphics quality and performance that suits you. Turning everything to minimum will get you the best performance of course, but it makes things look terrible. Likewise everything at max is beautiful but your perfomance goes straight into File 13.
Once you've found your ideal settings then try them on a team while keeping the FPS indicator up... you may want to tweak them a bit more if you're really lagging in heavy combat.
COH has just been murdered by NCSoft. http://www.change.org/petitions/ncso...city-of-heroes
Ahhhh... in-game menu. That makes much more sense. Gonna try it out while i wait for PSU to get here. Thanks again for great information and instruction. Appreciate it.
I've been messing around with all the graphics options, but can't seem to get it higher than 14. It fluctuates between 10-14 for the most part. After I get the new PSU, should it get better? Or will i need to replace the vid card to improve it to where it needs to be?
BTW, ive been testing it while in the Cap AE building which is prolly the most populated place in villains these days.
[ QUOTE ]
I've been messing around with all the graphics options, but can't seem to get it higher than 14. It fluctuates between 10-14 for the most part. After I get the new PSU, should it get better? Or will i need to replace the vid card to improve it to where it needs to be?
BTW, ive been testing it while in the Cap AE building which is prolly the most populated place in villains these days.
[/ QUOTE ]
You may see some improvement once the vid card isn't having power starvation issues but I wouldn't expect a ton of it. One thing you can do is to drop your 3d resolution to 800x600... you can keep the 2d overlay at 1024x768. This is sort of the last resort though as it has a fairly severe impact on the visual quality, particularly on a flat panel monitor. You'd do this by leaving your resolution at 1024x768 and then adjusting your 3D Resolution to 800x600. It will require a restart of the game.
Looking at improving your performance via other methods... from the top you can:
Reduce Physics quality to minimum
Particles to minimum
Particle fill way down
Ansitropic filtering to off
Texture LOD to crisp
Water, Bloom & Depth of field off (this will have a dramatic effect)
Shader Detail to Low (I don't notice a lot of difference between low & high visually, but it will improve your performance)
World & Character texture to low (large impact on visual quality)
Entity detail level to minimum
Shadows off (another biggie)
Suppression of Extra Player FX - ON
Suppression of FX When Camera Close - ON
If all that buys you acceptable performance then don't worry about dropping your 3D resolution... from your original post I'm assuming you have a flat panel monitor? If so changing from the "native" resolution will have a fairly major impact on image quality.
Once you've gotten the performance to a playable level (this is fairly subjective so you'll have to make your own decision) then you can start increasing settings until you find your best balance of performance/quality. One thing I've found is that I really dislike having World Detail below Medium... you won't be able to read billboards and such very well. Particles can reduce significantly without major impact... it decreases the visual impact of powers and effects.
There should be enough horsepower in that 6800 vid card to pull off decent framerates without completely gutting the quality... you will need to tone things down considerably however.
COH has just been murdered by NCSoft. http://www.change.org/petitions/ncso...city-of-heroes
Looking at improving your performance via other methods... from the top you can:
Reduce Physics quality to minimum
Particles to minimum
Particle fill way down
Ansitropic filtering to off
Texture LOD to crisp
Water, Bloom & Depth of field off (this will have a dramatic effect)
Shader Detail to Low (I don't notice a lot of difference between low & high visually, but it will improve your performance)
World & Character texture to low (large impact on visual quality)
Entity detail level to minimum
Shadows off (another biggie)
Suppression of Extra Player FX - ON
Suppression of FX When Camera Close - ON
If all that buys you acceptable performance then don't worry about dropping your 3D resolution... from your original post I'm assuming you have a flat panel monitor? If so changing from the "native" resolution will have a fairly major impact on image quality.
Once you've gotten the performance to a playable level (this is fairly subjective so you'll have to make your own decision) then you can start increasing settings until you find your best balance of performance/quality. One thing I've found is that I really dislike having World Detail below Medium... you won't be able to read billboards and such very well. Particles can reduce significantly without major impact... it decreases the visual impact of powers and effects.
There should be enough horsepower in that 6800 vid card to pull off decent framerates without completely gutting the quality... you will need to tone things down considerably however.
[/ QUOTE ]
I lowered just about everything to the minimum that I could and still be able to stand the quality and the most fps I could get was 17. However, playing at 10-14 for the little while that I could before I was overwhelmed with the flashing green colors, was much better than I've been used to in the last few months so it was pretty enjoyable for that little while.
Yes, I do have a flat panel monitor.
Predictably, the fps dropped during missions with a full team to anywhere between 3-9 depending on the battle and team makeup. (MMs, number of enemies, etc.) However, like i said was much more playable than it had been recentlly.
The PSU can't get here fast enough and once I get my new system built, I can upgrade the vid card too. Being able to move around in game like I used to made the game much more enjoyable again even though I don't have the performance that I'm sure many of the players currently playing have. Can't complain too much though because i know many players may have it worse than I currently do.
Again, Thanks for the help. And I will let you know what happens once I put the new PSU in.
Well, the PSU came today in the mail and.... Houston, we have a problem. When I got it, I promptly began to open up the tower and install it, but then I realized that 2 of the plugs that attach to the motherboard did not fit as they were too big for the slots that were in the motherboard. So I went from being as excited as a little kid on christmas morning with lots of presents to open to as depressed as the kid who realizes he only has coal in his stocking. 
So am I correct in assuming that the PSU is too powerful for my motherboard? And that I should just try to ride it out till I can get my new system up and running in a couple months?
Which two plugs?
If the large plug has 24 pins, and the motherboard only has 20, you're still ok, but I'm concerned about the second plug.
[ QUOTE ]
Which two plugs?
If the large plug has 24 pins, and the motherboard only has 20, you're still ok, but I'm concerned about the second plug.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah the large one has 24 pins but in one of the holes there is a pin missing and its right in the center of the holes. Don't know if thats supposed to be like that. And yes, the motherboard only has 20.
The second plug is also in the motherboard. It is kind of situated in the middle of the motherboard, but it is towards the back of the tower. It only has 4 and the new plug has 6 pins. Its not labeled or anything so all I can do is describe the location to you. The holes are in the shape of a 2X2 square while the new plug is a 2X3 rectangle if that makes sense to you.
What do I do since there are more pins on the new plug than the old plug if its still ok?
Whew, ok, you had me worried for a second.
You're fine.
http://www.corsair.com/faq/default.aspx#Q28
Choose the PSU related FAQ, then scroll down to the last question.
The 6 pin cable you're looking at is for a PCI-E videocard.
As for the 24 pin main ATC cable going into the 20 slot plug, you're fine there too.
Just make sure that the latch key engages.
Ok, Gonna give it a try.
The 2x3 plug with 3 yellow and 3 black is the PCIe power connector. You are looking for the 2x2 plug with 2 yellow and 2 black. It may be part of a 2x4 connector that can break in half.
The 24 pin main power, if it doesn't have a 2x2 section that breaks off of one end, you can plug it in so it is shifted so the end with a red, yellow, orange and black wire isn't connected. Of course that's assuming there is nothing in the way there.
If you did get the Corsair CX400 the 24 pin main power does split into a 20 pin and 4 pin (in your case that 4 pin connector goes nowhere) and there is a 2x4 pin 12 volt connector for the CPU that splits into two 2x2 pin connectors, you will use one of them.
Pictures of the cables (including the divided 4+4 pin CPU 12V cable) from a review on the Corsair CX400 from bit-tech.net.
Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
First, Let me say thank you for all the help guys. It is appreciated.
Ok, I put all of the cables in the spots they are supposed to be plugged in to, but I have many cables that are not being used. Is this normal?
Also, at the end of the plug that connected to the harddrive and vid card, there is a small, skinny plug that I thought was plugged in, but when I went to plug the new one in I found that there was no spot for it. Could it have just been stuck between something that made me think it was plugged in?
Also, is there anywhere that I can check to see the difference in the power supply or is it one of those things that you can't see the difference in numbers somewhere?
Gonna go see if the game works now.
[ QUOTE ]
Ok, I put all of the cables in the spots they are supposed to be plugged in to, but I have many cables that are not being used. Is this normal?
[/ QUOTE ]
That's perfectly normal, you have extra power connections for additional drives and other miscellaneous items. The things you'll need are the 20 pin connection to your motherboard and the 4 pin connection to your motherboard (a square 2x2 connector)
[ QUOTE ]
Also, at the end of the plug that connected to the harddrive and vid card, there is a small, skinny plug that I thought was plugged in, but when I went to plug the new one in I found that there was no spot for it. Could it have just been stuck between something that made me think it was plugged in?
[/ QUOTE ]
That sounds like it may be a SATA connection... new hard drives use a different power connection. Does it have kind of an "L" shaped slot in the end of the cable? If so then it's for new Serial ATA style drives. Anyway, as long as you have power to all your drives, and the two cables plugged into your mobo you're good.
COH has just been murdered by NCSoft. http://www.change.org/petitions/ncso...city-of-heroes
Sound's like a floppy power connector if it's at the end of a cable with 4-pin Molex (IDE hard/optical drive) power connectors.
Here are pictures (once you click on resources) of each type of connector.
Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
[ QUOTE ]
Sound's like a floppy power connector if it's at the end of a cable with 4-pin Molex (IDE hard/optical drive) power connectors.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, based upon the pictures in the link it is a floppy power connector. It seems everything is okay without it plugged in.
I have the two plugs into the motherboard, harddrive, vid card, and cd drive. Think that should be it, right? I plugged plugs into all the spots that had them before.
I played the game for about an hour without any sign of the problems I've been experiencing recently so thats a good sign, right?
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Sound's like a floppy power connector if it's at the end of a cable with 4-pin Molex (IDE hard/optical drive) power connectors.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, based upon the pictures in the link it is a floppy power connector. It seems everything is okay without it plugged in.
I have the two plugs into the motherboard, harddrive, vid card, and cd drive. Think that should be it, right? I plugged plugs into all the spots that had them before.
I played the game for about an hour without any sign of the problems I've been experiencing recently so thats a good sign, right?
[/ QUOTE ]
Sounds like you're probably ok; I'm actually somewhat surprised that the old PSU worked at all for you... you've plenty of power for that machine now. I'm certainly not at all surprised you had power starvation issues with the old unit.
COH has just been murdered by NCSoft. http://www.change.org/petitions/ncso...city-of-heroes
Yeah, I think it's gonna be okay. However, last night I was getting the occasional flashing of lights on the screen, but no where near the intensity that it was before I switched the PSU. I can actually play the game now without getting pissed off in five minutes.
As long as it remains playable until I get my new system, I'm good.
Just want to say thanks to everyone who responded and helped me figure this out. Much appreciated. 
Ok, sorry to bother you all again, but now there is a new problem that has only occurred since I put the new PSU in.
If I leave the computer for any length of time and I am logged into the game, I get a message saying the nv4 display driver has encountered an error..... etc..... and I am forced to restart the comp. This has happened maybe a half dozen times in the last week or so. Does this mean there is a problem with the driver? or something else?
I had the 186.18, but then was advised to go back to the 185.85. Should I go back to the 186 or could it be something else?
Well, I'm no expert on the drivers but it sounds like you may have a slightly corrupted driver. I'd try uninstalling the drivers completely and then reinstalling. That fixed a similar issue I had a while back. Maybe someone else will have some further information... I just turn the screwdriver and install the software; more complex issues I need to look up myself 
COH has just been murdered by NCSoft. http://www.change.org/petitions/ncso...city-of-heroes
Uninstall drivers, Driver Sweeper all the video card ones out, install drivers again. That should fix it.
August 31, 2012. A Day that will Live in Infamy. Or Information. Possibly Influence. Well, Inf, anyway. Thank you, Paragon Studios, for what you did, and the enjoyment and camaraderie you brought.
This is houtex, aka Mike, signing off the forums. G'night all. - 10/26/2012
Well... perhaps I was premature about that whole 'signing off' thing... - 11-9-2012
[ QUOTE ]
If it was me and I was looking at a new machine in a couple of months anyway I'd probably buy a new PSU and see if that solved the problems while saving the money you'd spend on a vid card for your new machine. If you still have problems after replacing the PSU then I'd think about a vid card. I like to give a problem the chance to be a cheap fix before I throw more money at it.
[/ QUOTE ]
My thoughts exactly! For now just gonna get the PSU that Gamma recommended because money is gonna be tight for the summer and like you said its better to see if it can be a cheap fix before throwing more money at it.
I will let you guys know what happens once I put the new PSU in. Thanks again for your time and advice. It is truly appreciated.