DOOM3 Tek Discussion --NO SPOILERS PLEASE--

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 9:13 pm

I read that forcing the Anisotropic Filtering from the ATI Panel is faster than turning it on in the game.

But just like chewbacca, it makes no sense!

Beeeph · Post by **Beeeph** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 9:35 pm

Omega Corner wrote:The Radeon cards do support FastWrites and they will work with it on
(on some machines), but it is not recommended, there is NO SPEED gain
when using FW, and this option will affect your PC's stability a LOT,
most game crashes and problems are because FW is enabled.

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 9:41 pm

My fast writes work fine. He beeeph, did you get DX9.0C?

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 11:13 pm

Whenever I add the lines
set com_allowConsole "1"
set com_videoRam "128"

Put all the tweaks in an autoexec.cfg not doomconfig.cfg

i think 8192 / 256 works better than 40

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:28 am

Forcing the Aniso in the CP is not better at all...

Wouldn't think so...

Post by **enderzero** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:45 am

McNevin wrote: Put all the tweaks in an autoexec.cfg not doomconfig.cfg

i think 8192 / 256 works better than 40

D'oh, didn't realize that. Should I restore my backed up doomconfig.cfg and add the same lines to the autoexec?

I get exacty the same results with 128/8192 as I do with 256/40960.

As for Fast Writes; my 3D mark scores went up considerably when I turned them on. No apparent performance issues either.

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:48 am

Ok, so I was able to get 38.4 (2nd Run) in 1024 [HQ] VSync=ON, TB=ON, Humus = Yes

With this AUTOEXEC.CFG

Code: Select all

set com_allowConsole "1"
set com_videoRam "128"
set r_swapInterval "1"
set r_displayRefresh "60"
set image_anisotropy "1"
set image_useCache "1"
set image_cacheMegs "192"
set image_cacheMinK "8192"
set image_downSizeLimit "512"
set image_downSize "1"
set image_downSizeBumpLimit "512"
Set image_downSizeBump "1"
set image_downSizeSpecularLimit "64"
set image_downSizeSpecular "1"

Get your .2 FPS increase with the hummus shader

http://esprit.campus.luth.se/~humus/tem ... eTweak.rar

Post by **enderzero** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:52 am

Ohhh Sheeit!!

I put that stuff in the autoexec.cfg instead.

heh heh

1024, Medium, Vsync on, Humus = no

2nd Run = 48.0

Sorry guys. Lemme grab the HQ scores...

Post by **enderzero** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:56 am

I am one happy camper.

High Quality score [2nd] = 47.4

McNevin - I know you have your RAM dialed. Have you tried messin around with OCin the video card?

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:34 am

Wow, 10FPS more than McNevin, and you're running single channel memory. Something must be up with McNevin's board.

McNevin, are you absolutely positive it's running in dual channel mode? I think it drops to single channel if you have mis-matched memory, and you'd never be warned. Is there a utility to check that? Have we discussed this before?

I don't remember. Anyway, you may check that.

Nice scores 3nder... You should try turning on g_showplayershadow "1"

I think that's the line, but you may want to check to make sure. It turns on your own shadow. It's so cool when you've got a light or two behind you, and you're firing plasma shots. (Shadows everywhere!)

Wow, so I played last night with headphones in the dark, after a healthy portion of Doom-Aid. WOW!!!!

Beeeph · Post by **Beeeph** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:44 am

I found my problem...

I tried clocking down to stock, as I promised mcnev I would, and found I've been sitting at 2.4 this whole time. I forgot I turned it down at the beginning of the summer when it was getting hot out. Heh...at 3.7Ghz, the results are in:

1280 x 1024 in HQ - First run: 51.6 FPS

McNevster and beeeph spent a solid three hours on the phone last night configuring our machines to squeeze out every last 1/10 of a frame. Sorry Kev, that could've saved some time. But don't be mad, I still had fun.

Well great, I played through the whole game at a blazing 27.6 fps, but my timedemos have never looks better!

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:08 am

That's a big difference, just from CPU/FSB increase. Wow!

Beeeph · Post by **Beeeph** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:24 am

Correction, that's 1024 x 768...not 1280 x 1024. But still running in HQ!Tremendous increase! Now nightmare mode won't be such a nightmare..

So I understand another difference between HQ and medium are sound effects? Does this mean I missed all sorts of cool sounds the first time around playing in MQ?

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:50 am

Not really. They layer and alternate sounds, so instead of several samples playing at once for one sound effect, you get one sample for each sound. It definitely sounds nice on HQ though. I haven't listened on MQ, so I'm not sure how much different it is. I'd definitely recommend adding some Doom-Aid to your next session.

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 12:31 pm

I noticed this in the console commands list:

r_vertexBufferMegs "32"

Seems like this would cache geometry, so perhaps bumping it up to 64MB would make it hitch less when new objects are shown. I imagine that it's more the texture data that causes the hitches, but you never know.

Also, there is an r_frontbuffer "0" command, and I'm wondering what values it supports, and if it has any effect. As far as I know the front buffer is where the image being drawn to the screen is stored. Don't know what this command would do, but I'm thinking of playing with it a bit.

I think I'm done looking for performance increasing tricks, unless someone comes up with something revolutionary. I'm going to get into looking for things that crank up detail levels, and add graphical features that may have been turned off by default.

g_showplayershadow was a good example of this. I hadn't even noticed that there was no player shadow until I found this command in a forum. Now I can't play without it.

I'm a little fuzzy at the moment, does the game display the ejecting brass from the bullet firing weapons? I don't remember seeing it, but I'm usually not paying attention to that sort of thing during play. If it's not displayed by default, g_showbrass "1" will turn it on. I'm going to have to see if that's showing on mine or not. I don't remember seeing brass from the chaingun.

MORE DETAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:27 pm

Brass is on by default, people turn it off for speed increases. Me, i'd take the performance hit, to keep the coolness factor.

So I OC'ed the 9800 @ 418.5 / 337.5, and was able to get 40.0 in HQ {2nd}

I too think I am done tweaking, unless something revolutionary comes forward. I'm behind in the game, next thing you know ryland will be further than me.

Now im going to put my ram in one bank and prove my ram is TEH ROX!

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:56 pm

DOH! Not quite teh rox!

I gave Ryland the wrong stick of ram. Ender I paid $96.96 for that ram just 3 months ago! Even worse, im selling that stick next week!

That's a Crucial 512, PC3200... I was supposed to sell you a micron 512 pc 2700

Anyway there was a 3FPS drop when I switched to single bank.

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:57 pm

Yes, you prove that your RAM is teh rox... Choki's RAM oWnz we all... I want to get two 1GB sticks of Corsair XMS with the LEDs on the top. Of course, I think I'll wait and get DDR2 with my next system.

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 2:34 pm

This is a repost from another forum so I'm not taking credit for finding it but it is cool as shit. This makes the plasma rifle bolts glow. It is already written into the game code, but disabled for some reason.

Open Pak000.pk4

open def directory and make a backup of file weapon_plasmagun.def

Open file and search for these lines in that file:

// "mtr_light_shader" ""
// "light_color" "0 0 0.8"
// "light_radius" "160"
// "light_offset" "-8 0 0"

// "mtr_explode_light_shader" "muzzleflash"
// "explode_light_color" "0 0 1"
// "explode_light_radius" "160"
// "explode_light_fadetime" "0.25"

Now change them to this:

"mtr_light_shader" "textures/particles/plasmalight"
"light_color" "0 0 0.8"
"light_radius" "160"
"light_offset" "-8 0 0"

"mtr_explode_light_shader" "muzzleflash"
"explode_light_color" "0 0 1"
"explode_light_radius" "160"
"explode_light_fadetime" "0.25"

very cool effect. The balls of plasma now light up the walls floors etc as they travel. Looks much better without much of a performance hit.

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 6:58 pm

Well that didn't do anything. I went and bought a Kingston Value Ram, 1GB Dual Channel kit. No framerate increase.

Pretty good deal though. 159.99 - $30 Rebate = 129.99

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 7:21 pm

Well actually the KVR is alot better than it says it is. I was able to set it to 2-2-2-5, and it is stable.

41.6 HQ [2nd]

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 9:36 am

Did you try that plasma gun modification? It's really easy to do, (You modify one line, and uncomment the rest. No performance hit for me, and it looks amazing. Very cool!!! Reminds me of the Q2 Hyperblaster now. (Except blue, and in pog form.) Remember Alf? Well he's back, in pog form.

Hey McNevin: That's almost exactly what Choki paid for his Corsair Value Select. (Before your rebate.)

Now you'll be able to sleep at night, knowing that your RAM is matched completely

Oh, and I edit the Doom CFG file. Screw the Autoexec. I just set my values that I want in the Doom file, and then set it to read only. Then if I change something wacky in the console, it won't keep the changes.

Post by **enderzero** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 10:38 am

how do you get it to keep the new keys? Everytime I added the console and videoram values they disappeared after the game closed.

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 10:45 am

If you are using the Doom CFG file, you set your values from the file itself, not the console, and then you make it read-only. Otherwise you'll want to use the autoexec file.

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 10:50 am

I read that the plasma mod actually makes a big performance hit! Maybe not for you, Mr. BFG. Maybe i'll try it anyway.

like the Corsair XMS memory. But I've had their "Value Select" cause me problems on an NF2 MB.

I kept getting random errors and locks. I tried flashing the BIOS, updating Windows, relaxing timings, upgrading the CPU cooling, changing PS, even underclocking the system. Nothing fixed the random errors and locks except changing the RAM.
After that, everything went smooth.

I was going to get the Corsair Value Select, it was a on a one day sale at new egg. 77 a stick, but then I read that!

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 11:05 am

Choki is having zero problems, and I think we're about to start doing some overclocking. He's not running an NF2 though, though I don't know why anything but bad sticks of RAM would cause that kind of behavior. He probably has a bad DIMM or something, so doing all that stuff was required to make it run at all. Who knows.

The plasma effect is definitely worth a bit of performance, though I really don't think it will hurt it that much. I don't notice ANY performance decrease on mine. Is the plasma gun used at all in the timedemo? I can't remember. If it is, then we could see what kind of hit it causes.

It's an easy mod though, and easy to put back, so I'd do it, just to see.

Post by **enderzero** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 12:46 pm

I don't think Kevin has gotten the Plasma Gun yet. Too much tweaking, not enough playing. Goes for me too.

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 12:54 pm

Silly tweakers... You guys are behindZoRs!!

Maybe, if you drink your milk, eat your Wheaties, and take your Flintstones Vitamins, your framerates will go up?

I'm poised for the finding of a BFG, as I believe that's the only weapong I still don't have.

I wonder if I need to do something similar to that plasma hack for the BFG.

HaX0r you Plazmars!!!!

McNevin · Post by **McNevin** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 1:07 pm

Contrary to popular thought, i do have the plasma gun.

It's my favorite weapon... Now if I could only find that Comm tower.

R3C · Post by **R3C** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 1:11 pm

So no RoXeTz0rZ yet?

teh Forum

teh Forum

DOOM3 Tek Discussion --NO SPOILERS PLEASE--

Here's the plasma mod...