My GUESS would be a background task.
In article <[email hidden]>,
default wrote:
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Before you buy.
Hello,
Been practicing GPL (v1.2) at Monza a lot lately, because of how much
=fun= it is running with all details/cars/graphics, etc., on. I run it
at 800x600 and everything is on except sounds, set at 13 instead of
16. Did I mention how much fun it is?!?!? <g>.
Problem is, I'm getting complete lockups (video) when driving races,
or qualifying. Perhaps solo practice sessions too, I haven't tried
that lately.
After a lockup and re-boot, I see my MB-temp is 27c (80f) so things
are not running hot.
This is my basic setup:
Asus P2Bf MB (1013 bios)
W98SE (desktop at 800x600x16bit, all W98 Performance settings to
"maximum")
Celeron-II 600 running at 900Mhz (runs cool)
192mb pc-100 ram
MX-300 sound (latest Aureal drivers)
2 WD 20.5gb drives
500mb swap file on slave drive.
Simple 2 button CH flightstick joystick (running W98 driver).
Newer (3dfx brand) Voodoo-3/3000 AGP, running (3dfx's) version 1.04
drivers (all video settings are set to default/automatic).
Voodoo-3 has a slot-fan underneath it, and creates a cooling effect
on the V3 card chips.
I 'dabbled' with GPL a lot, but run it much more lately, and am not
sure what is causing the video lockups.
In this particular case, lockups seem to occur right after I pass the
empty pits at monza (before entering the forested area). Engine
sounds, etc., are still working, but with a complete video lockup.
Must re-boot to get out.
I'd think it was a video heat problem. Yet, I also have F12000, and
run this at maximum detail at 800x600 (minus skybox), and have never
seen any lockup in F12000. It's easy to see (in the game) that F1200
takes more power (i.e., and heat) to run than GPL.
With GPL, race starts at Monza (even from last place) are at 31fps,
drop to 24/25 when the flag drops, then quickly up to 36fps, usually
by the time I'm in 4th gear. It doesn't drop below 36fps after that.
Also get the same type video-lockup EAW (European Air War), running
at 800x600, and this is a much "lighter" sim (graphically), compared
to the 2 sims above.
Any ideas? Since GPL and EAW are both Glide games, (F12000 is D3D),
could video lockups be Glide-related, or perhaps an incorrect
Glide-related setting?
(btw I tried 3dfx's 1.05 drivers (nice), but GPL and EAW video
lockups "seem" to happen sooner (compared to version 1.04 drivers).
The Voodoo-3 is quite new, so I'm not aware if there are better
settings, or maybe older/more reliable 3dfx drivers).
This is very confusing, as F1200 really makes the CPU/Voodoo3 work
hard (maybe 50% more?), but never a lockup in that sim.
Also, I've never had any type of "basic" computer lockup (other than
GPL and EAW), since running the Cel-II at 900, for over 1 month.
Matt (I wanna drive my GPL! <g>).
On Mon, 07 Aug 2000 20:58:29 GMT, [email hidden] wrote:
>My GUESS would be a background task.
I have only systray and explorer running.
Thanks anyway, Matt
Matt,
You can run that V3 card with the new D3D patch also if you have
DirectX 7.0 or 7.0a installed. I believe there might be a small
performance tradeoff, but it would be negligable with a stout machine
(as yours appears to be).
Not suggesting it as a solution, but as a good A/B experiment to try
and isolate the culprit. If it were to work fine with the D3D driver,
it would certainly make the Glide stuff rather suspect.
Regards,
Brett C. Cammack
That's Racing! Motorsports
Pompano Beach, FL
On Tue, 08 Aug 2000 12:39:56 GMT, [email hidden] (Brett C.
Cammack) wrote:
I found the D3D beta at Papyrus, read the readme, then stored the
file..<g>.
Another post coming, think I found the problem......
Quoted text (15 lines)
>Matt, > >You can run that V3 card with the new D3D patch also if you have >DirectX 7.0 or 7.0a installed. I believe there might be a small >performance tradeoff, but it would be negligable with a stout machine >(as yours appears to be). > >Not suggesting it as a solution, but as a good A/B experiment to try >and isolate the culprit. If it were to work fine with the D3D driver, >it would certainly make the Glide stuff rather suspect. > >Regards, >Brett C. Cammack >That's Racing! Motorsports >Pompano Beach, FL
Hello again,
Remember me, the guy having lockups with GPL (and EAW)?
Well, uhhh, I think GPL is fixed. Don't think it's Glide-related...
I bought W98SE about 1 month ago, and had to do a complete
re-install. Took a long time, but everything worked great, except for
GPL and EAW.
Heck, even GPL worked great at 640x480. But lockups with any higer
resolution.
Last night, about 11pm, I wanted to test GPL at 1024x768. Result; no
lockups, but my computer re-booted itself while trying to enter Monza.
Tried again, same thing, warm re-boot.
'okay, time to do a fresh, clean install of GPL again. Tons of
add-ons, cars, sounds, tracks, utililties, oh boy'.
So I head to Add/Remove Programs box to un-install GPL, and can't
find it... Look for "Seirra Utilities", can't find it...
Head to the registry, and there's no mention of "Seirra", "Prix", or
even "gpl.exe" (^%#^(*#%).
To cut this short, I just plain forgot to re-install GPL when moving
from W95 to W98.
This completely fooled me. Before the CPU upgrade I had to run GPL at
640x480, and it still ran fine at this res (even yesterday), when not
properly installed.
After a fresh install, re-tool all the GPL settings, I try Monza
again, only at 1024x768. POOF, it loaded. Might as well leave it at
this res, and test.
By midnight, I had the basic program-settings back to normal. Then
time for some race-laps at Monza (had all the lockups here), for about
1 hour. It just kept on running. Driving laps, races starting
dead-last (did race re-starts, lots of 'em), all details on. Just kept
on working.
As a final test, I set for a 1-hour race at Spa (large graphical
vistas), drove a couple laps, entered the pits, then switched to
full-screen (live feed) race-view, and hopped-around to different
drivers to watch some nice-and-thick "in-car" graphics. At 2:30am,
came back to the computer, the race was over, cars gone. Read the GPL
newspaper headlines, and shut-down (it was a good read! :).
Sorry for wasting your guys time on such a silly problem. I just
could not figure out why this thing ran fine at 640x480, but not at
higher resolutions (now I know why).
Funny thing about this sim. About 1 year ago, I thought (finally!)
obtaining 640x480 (at full detail) was just fine. Now, 800x600 seems
to change the whole dang sim again. And 1024x768, all the better! With
a FSAA card it must look incredible.
Geesh, GPL was released almost 3 years ago? Just looked, a stock
full-install needs 166mb worth of disk-space. And it's "drop-dead
gorgeous" compared to any race-sim I've ever seen.
Hell F12000 is new, needs 1/2gb disk-space, needs about 50% more
juice to run at high-detail, and it's "kinda ugly" compared to GPL.
Matt (looking for Meatwater GPL sound-file, and newest Voodoo3
drivers)
p.s. EAW? It's officially installed to W98. Get lockups though. At
this point I don't care. Otoh, I have -so- many radical add-ons, a
fresh install will probably fix that.
