GPL framerate question

Hi, I have a AMD K6 300 MHz, Diamond stealth 3D card and VOODOO 1 system which is able of running GPL reasonably. With all details turned on in 800 X 600, I have about 18 - 20 fps in training (Monza). With mirror details to a minimium (only cars, no textures), 'many' off-track objects and quality enhancement off (dynamic lightning, spectacular highlight. What do these do anayway?) on 640 X 480 I have 36 fps with drops to 23 fps in corners and on the main straight (still Monza). Will these framerates significantly increase if I upgrade to VOODOO 2? I will be happy if I have 25-30 fps in 800 X 600 and with some more mirror detail. Another question: Does the controller data-aquisition setting (the way the wheel is read out, direct input or 'the other one which name I forgot") influence framerates? Thanks in advance, HGRM

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> Hi, > I have a AMD K6 300 MHz, Diamond stealth 3D card and VOODOO 1 system > which is able of running GPL > reasonably. > With all details turned on in 800 X 600, I have about 18 - 20 fps in > training (Monza). > With mirror details to a minimium (only cars, no textures), 'many' > off-track objects and quality enhancement > off (dynamic lightning, spectacular highlight. What do these do > anayway?) on 640 X 480 I have 36 fps with drops to > 23 fps in corners and on the main straight (still Monza). > Will these framerates significantly increase if I upgrade to VOODOO 2? > I will be happy if I have 25-30 fps in 800 X 600 and with some more > mirror detail.

I have a PII-350 w. 128MB Ram and a VooDoo-II 12MB and get app. 30fps (except for the start, then it drops to about 22-24fps) and 34-36 on the more "empty" parts (at the moment I'm only practising on Spa, which is hard enough, don't know for Monza yet) at 800x600. I have every detail turned on (also max. number of sounds) and the bias-slider somewhat left from middle. As you notice: This is very convenient! Switching to 1024*768 the fps drops to app. 23fps (instead of 30). I do think the V-II will enhance your fps-performance! It's called "generic"! I didn't experience any noticeable difference. Jan.

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> Hi, > I have a AMD K6 300 MHz, Diamond stealth 3D card and VOODOO 1 system > which is able of running GPL > reasonably. > With all details turned on in 800 X 600, I have about 18 - 20 fps in > training (Monza). > With mirror details to a minimium (only cars, no textures), 'many' > off-track objects and quality enhancement > off (dynamic lightning, spectacular highlight. What do these do > anayway?) on 640 X 480 I have 36 fps with drops to > 23 fps in corners and on the main straight (still Monza). > Will these framerates significantly increase if I upgrade to VOODOO 2? > I will be happy if I have 25-30 fps in 800 X 600 and with some more > mirror detail.

I have an AMD K6-2 300 overclocked to 350 and a single 12Mb Voodoo 2. In training I can use 1024*768 at the graphically undemanding tracks (eg silverstone) and get a fairly constant 36fps, not really ever dropping below 30fps. At Monza and other tracks with more trackside objects I tend to drop down to 960*720, which isn't that much worse looking than 1024*768, and get similar fps. These are with all details on except driver arms, and cars and track in mirrors, detail slider near the middle, all objects. I do however use the util that allows you to lower the refresh rate of the mirrors which helps quite a lot (maybe 5fps increase) with mirrors set to every other frame. Things of course change in races. I use 800*600, knock off the quality enhancement and move the detail slider most of the way to the left, and set objects to many. I then tend to get round about 20fps at starts, soon getting up to 30ish fps and up to 36 as things spread out. I therefore reckon that you should get the improvements you would like by going for the Voodoo 2. Voodoo 3 might be tempting though.... Hope this helps! Neil

The lighting makes the objects have brights spots, for example. Just nicer looks. I think not very much, though digital controllers or ports (MSFF wheel, PDPI L4,...) do help to take the joystick polling load off the CPU. Ruud van Gaal MarketGraph / MachTech: http://www.marketgraph.nl Art: http://www.marketgraph.nl/gallery

[snip] I do however use the util that allows you to lower the Can you tell me where to get this utility please. Thanks in anticipation. -- ICQ:7797673 http://www.charlt.demon.co.uk --

> With all details turned on in 800 X 600, I have about 18 - 20 fps in > training (Monza). > Will these framerates significantly increase if I upgrade to VOODOO 2?< Yes, but not enough. With a 300 CPU you will NEVER be able to run GPL at 800 x 600 with full detail and a full field at a steady 36 fps, no matter what video card. So start turning off all the graphics you don't need. Like dynamic lighting and specular highlights <G>, get rid of the driver's arms and ***pit textures (they use up a lot of CPU power), set mirrors to cars only, set detail slider to the middle or even more to the left. Set sounds to 4. Don't race against more than 5 opponents or the frame rate will slow down. Now you will probably have a steady 36 fps (apart from the start). A V2 (8 MB or 12 MB) would help. A V3 would be even better, but make sure your AGP port is able to provide the required current. Even so, forget about 1024x768 or buy a faster CPU. No you won't <g> If you're serious about GPL, you absolutely, desparately want 36 fps all the time, otherwise the car will be very difficult to control. So you may have to turn off even more textures and objects. Online it gets worse. With a 300 system, always use 640x480 and as little textures as required for driving. Keep track and wall textures, the rest is not that important, except as eye candy. No. And a PDPI L4 and a PCI soundcard are not going to make a big difference either. Of course, every little bit helps but the only thing that really improves GPL frame rates is a faster CPU. Good luck, Leo

You are absolutely right! Kalle

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> > With all details turned on in 800 X 600, I have about 18 - 20 fps in > > training (Monza). > > Will these framerates significantly increase if I upgrade to VOODOO 2?< > Yes, but not enough. With a 300 CPU you will NEVER be able to run GPL at > 800 x 600 with full detail and a full field at a steady 36 fps, no > matter what video card. > So start turning off all the graphics you don't need. Like dynamic > lighting and specular highlights <G>, get rid of the driver's arms and >***pit textures (they use up a lot of CPU power), set mirrors to cars > only, set detail slider to the middle or even more to the left. Set > sounds to 4. Don't race against more than 5 opponents or the frame rate > will slow down. > Now you will probably have a steady 36 fps (apart from the start). A V2 > (8 MB or 12 MB) would help. A V3 would be even better, but make sure > your AGP port is able to provide the required current. Even so, forget > about 1024x768 or buy a faster CPU. > > I will be happy if I have 25-30 fps in 800 X 600 and with some more > > mirror detail.< > No you won't <g> If you're serious about GPL, you absolutely, > desparately want 36 fps all the time, otherwise the car will be very > difficult to control. So you may have to turn off even more textures and > objects. > Online it gets worse. With a 300 system, always use 640x480 and as > little textures as required for driving. Keep track and wall textures, > the rest is not that important, except as eye candy. > > Another question: Does the controller data-aquisition setting (the way > > the wheel is read out, direct input or 'the other one which name I > > forgot") influence framerates? > No. And a PDPI L4 and a PCI soundcard are not going to make a big > difference either. Of course, every little bit helps but the only thing > that really improves GPL frame rates is a faster CPU. > Good luck, > Leo

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> [snip] > I do however use the util that allows you to lower the > > refresh rate of the mirrors which helps quite a lot (maybe 5fps increase) > > with mirrors set to every other frame. > Can you tell me where to get this utility please. > Thanks in anticipation. > -- > ICQ:7797673 http://www.charlt.demon.co.uk > --

Neil, go to www.grandprix2.com/gpl/patches.html Look for the banshee/3dfx patch. This can be used by Voodoo2 users just to change the mirror refresh. Turn off the other options as it tells you in the readme. I was sceptical before I used it, but it really does help! Good luck, Neil

... Wow! First "speculative" highlights (see "GPL VOODOO banshee" thread), and now "spectacular" highlights. I must say "spectacular" is more fitting. :-) Dynamic lighting is simply lighting that is computed dynamically. It's computed for each frame, and thus takes more CPU time than lighting effects that are precomputed. Turn it off and drive around for a while. Now watch the replay. Notice how the coloring on the car seems static. Not turn it on, drive around for a while, and watch the replay. Notice how the car seems brighter or darker depending on which way it's oriented. "Specular" highlighting is one of three components of a classic lighting model (the other two being ambient and diffuse). A lighting model is simply a way of trying to calculate the visual effect of placing one or more light sources (the sun, or a car's headlights, for example) into your simulated world. Ambient lighting is a way of trying to account for the pervasive light in an environment. For example, when you're outside, light reaches you not only directly from the sun, but also from most of the objects around you, since they reflect some of the suns light energy. Ambient lighting is applied uniformly to all objects in the environment. It takes comparatively little CPU time to compute. Diffuse lighting is a bit more CPU intensive. It is used to account for the light that is evenly scattered off a matte surface from each of the light sources in the scene. Ambient and diffuse together account for the matte, or dull, lighting on a surface. Specular lighting is significantly more CPU intensive. It is generally used to account for the highlights you see on shiny surfaces (glass, polished metal, etc.) Randy

On one of my machines, a PII 350 overclocked to 466 (thank you Abit for a 133MHz bus!!), a $30 Diamond Stealth II S220 Rendition, 64 MB RAM, and the rest of the deal... In 640X480, 33+ FPS, anywhere, any number of cars, any detail, even on good online connections. It's a 4MB video card and a 15" monitor, so I don't bother trying any higher res's. -- Kirk Lane ICQ: 28171652 RMRL #191 >Hi, >I have a AMD K6 300 MHz, Diamond stealth 3D card and VOODOO 1 system >which is able of running GPL >reasonably. >With all details turned on in 800 X 600, I have about 18 - 20 fps in >training (Monza). >With mirror details to a minimium (only cars, no textures), 'many' >off-track objects and quality enhancement >off (dynamic lightning, spectacular highlight. What do these do >anayway?) on 640 X 480 I have 36 fps with drops to >23 fps in corners and on the main straight (still Monza). >Will these framerates significantly increase if I upgrade to VOODOO 2? >I will be happy if I have 25-30 fps in 800 X 600 and with some more >mirror detail. >Another question: Does the controller data-aquisition setting (the way >the wheel is read out, direct input or 'the other one which name I >forgot") influence framerates? >Thanks in advance, >HGRM

Today I am giving up on my AMD K6-2 300 (oc'd to 350). GPL is the only thing I play and the AMD just won't get the job done. I'm trading it in and going over to the dark side (a celeron 400A W/Abit BX-6). I have tried several video card and setting combinations including Voodoo2 12 mb and Thriller AGP 8mb. with a reasonable amount of detail turned on(OK, I like the eye candy). In training I get 36fps all the time but if I raise the resolution to 800x600 it falls to 28! Racing offline I get a reasonable rate with about 12 competitors. If you do decide to stick with the AMD I'd stay with a PCI card...I've had real problems with AMD and AGP. Good Luck, Mike **** Posted from RemarQ - http://www.remarq.com - Discussions Start Here (tm) ****

Gents, I used this patch with great success when using SLI V2's, but had to remove the Glide file that it modifies to get the game to run with a V3 3000. Anyone else have the same problem - workarounds?? Cheers, Phillip..

> Gents, > I used this patch with great success when using SLI V2's, but had to > remove the Glide file that it modifies to get the game to run with a V3 > 3000. Try the following steps (for Voodoo3 problems): 1) Remove the patch 2) Search your system for files named Glide2x.dll, there should be only one and it should be located in the Windows system directory, delete the extra files, this usually comes about because of dodgy third party Voodoo2 driverset installers 3) Restart GPL, make sure it works with the 3dfx option enabled 4) Download the latest version of the patch (1.0.0.5 or higher), there was a slight problem with Voodoo3 cards when they first came out but it has been fixed in subsequent versions of the patch. 5) Reinstall the patch in the main GPL directory, set the options in the Glide.ini file 6) Try GPL again with the the patch in place - George

<snip> I have an AMD K6 300Mhz with a Voodoo 2 card and there is no way that I can get 36fps with a full field. The best that I can manage is about 27fps in the straights. This is with every single setting OFF for mirrors, and with only track textures, car textures, racing groove and horizon ON, and with detail bias as far left as it will go on 640x480, mirror detail set to CARS and trackside objects FEW, and everything else OFF that I haven't mentioned. To get a decent frame rate I can only have 8 opponents which does allow me to have the detail bias not completely to the left and have tire textures ahead ON, but that is all. It may not look as good, but its well worth doing to improve car control - I've especially noticed an improvement with braking since doing this. -- Peter Ives

AMD K6-2 400 Voodoo 3 2000 64 mb ram full field details on slider in center every other frame in mirrorrs 28 to 37 fps