Load times Nvidia - AMD (ATI)

NurEinMenschNurEinMensch Join Date: 2003-02-26 Member: 14056Members, Constellation
in NS2 General Discussion
When I first started playing NS2 (engine test and early beta) I had a Nvidia card. When I started the game it would always load within a few seconds. Later on I upgraded to an AMD card, and from then on the first time I start NS2 after a reboot it would take up to 30 seconds until I get to the menu screen. Recently I got a new computer with a Nvidia card and the game loads the menu screen within seconds again every time.

So what I had:

Nvidia: Always short loading times (to the menu screen)
AMD: Long loading time only after a reboot, short time otherwise.

Is this just a coincidence, was it specific to my setup, or is it consistent with what some of you have experienced?
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Comments

  • ArgathorArgathor Join Date: 2011-07-18 Member: 110942Members, Squad Five Blue
    NS2 has always loaded instantly for me (AMD 5850) at least.
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  • XosteanXostean Join Date: 2012-02-17 Member: 146370Members
    edited March 2012
    I use 2 Nvidia GTX 260s and load into a server in 30 seconds or less

    Im sure having an I7 processor doesnt hurt either
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  • NurEinMenschNurEinMensch Join Date: 2003-02-26 Member: 14056Members, Constellation
    To clarify I'm not talking about loading into a server but starting the game and loading the menu screen. Every time I started NS2 after rebooting my machine (even if quite some time had passed between booting and starting NS2, including having run other games in between) it would take 20-30 seconds just to get to the menu. After I had run it once restarting NS2 would only take a few seconds.

    If no one else has experienced this then I guess it was just a quirk of my machine.
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  • XosteanXostean Join Date: 2012-02-17 Member: 146370Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1912114:date=Mar 11 2012, 11:58 AM:name=NurEinMensch)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (NurEinMensch @ Mar 11 2012, 11:58 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1912114"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->To clarify I'm not talking about loading into a server but starting the game and loading the menu screen.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Oh then Nvm, its instant
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  • ArgathorArgathor Join Date: 2011-07-18 Member: 110942Members, Squad Five Blue
    To my knowledge the deciding factor for NS2 loading times is based on the connection to steam? Times when steam is struggling NS2 doesnt load or takes a while.
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  • MendaspMendasp I touch maps in inappropriate places Valencia, Spain Join Date: 2002-07-05 Member: 884Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Gold, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Retired Community Developer
    edited March 2012
    I don't have an Nvidia card to test, I only have ATI cards, but I hear the menu sound and get a black screen for a little while before the menu finally appears. So you're not the only one with that "delay".
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  • MajinMajin Join Date: 2003-05-29 Member: 16829Members, Constellation
    I have a Nvidia GTX 570
    Loads instantly
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  • FloodinatorFloodinator [HBZ] Member Join Date: 2005-02-22 Member: 42087Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Got a delay on 1 start up with AMD.
    And no delay if I run the menumod with the game.
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  • AlignAlign Remain Calm Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 5216Forum Moderators, Constellation
    Takes something like 30s on my 4770, yeah.
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  • RautapalliRautapalli Join Date: 2010-07-23 Member: 72710Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited March 2012
    No real delay at all for me, game starts in about 2-3 sec (whenever Steam isn't stuck at "preparing to launch"). HD6870.
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  • ubikjamubikjam Join Date: 2011-10-04 Member: 125618Members
    I used to get very long load times at startup, then my mobo blew around xmas. I rebuilt it with a faster processor and ram but an identical gfx card (nvidia 275) and load times became instant. I was never sure if it was the hardware or the several big patches that came between.

    It could just be that I reinstalled it from scratch, who knows...
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  • Racer1Racer1 Join Date: 2002-11-22 Member: 9615Members
    I used to get really long load times (60-90 sec to main menu). A few releases ago (build 190?) it improved significantly (no hardware changes on my side), to around 5 seconds.

    NVidia GeForce 9600 GT
    Athlon 4850e 2.5 Ghz x2
    4 GB ram
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  • IronsoulIronsoul Join Date: 2011-03-12 Member: 86048Members
    I'm running a 5850 and dont get a long load time. Mind you I recently upgraded from a green hard drive to an ssd which significantly boosted the load times to pretty much instant.
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  • weezlweezl Join Date: 2008-07-04 Member: 64557Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited March 2012
    I believe this has to do with whether files are loaded into RAM or not.
    first time I start NS2 after booting it takes quite a while, like 20-30 secs.
    but if I've already started it atleast once before it's a few secs.

    if I understand correctly, windows doesn't erase files in RAM after a program is quit, so they are already there when running the program again.
    maybe some people have windows superfetch on and it loads many or all files in the background, before they start it...

    in any case the GPU has NOTHING with load times to do!
    VRAM on the other hand... maybe it loads less textures and stuff on lowest setting than on highest...
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  • NurEinMenschNurEinMensch Join Date: 2003-02-26 Member: 14056Members, Constellation
    So why did switching from an 8800 gtx to an 5770 result in these increased load times? On the same machine when nothing else changed? And now that I have a new computer with an Nvidia card again it's pretty much instant. Granted some of that comes from it being a new computer. But not going from 20 seconds to 2 seconds can't be all from that. Especially when on my old computer with the 8800 gtx it took about 5 seconds or so.

    This has been very consistent for me and is definitely tied to the GPU. Others have confirmed it but there are also some who don't have this. Weird. I wish I still had my old computer to test this some more. Maybe it's a driver issue?
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  • weezlweezl Join Date: 2008-07-04 Member: 64557Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited March 2012
    <!--quoteo(post=1912286:date=Mar 12 2012, 02:40 PM:name=NurEinMensch)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (NurEinMensch @ Mar 12 2012, 02:40 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1912286"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->So why did switching from an 8800 gtx to an 5770 result in these increased load times? On the same machine when nothing else changed? And now that I have a new computer with an Nvidia card again it's pretty much instant. Granted some of that comes from it being a new computer. But not going from 20 seconds to 2 seconds can't be all from that. Especially when on my old computer with the 8800 gtx it took about 5 seconds or so.

    This has been very consistent for me and is definitely tied to the GPU. Others have confirmed it but there are also some who don't have this. Weird. I wish I still had my old computer to test this some more. Maybe it's a driver issue?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    so, what? do you think the graphics drivers have anything to do with it? I say unlikely.
    explain your methodology of measurement more closely. was it several times, with each card, directly after a boot?
    did you even read my entire post or just the last sentence?


    edit: i have a gtx480
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  • NurEinMenschNurEinMensch Join Date: 2003-02-26 Member: 14056Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1912354:date=Mar 12 2012, 06:01 PM:name=weezl)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (weezl @ Mar 12 2012, 06:01 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1912354"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->so, what? do you think the graphics drivers have anything to do with it? I say unlikely.
    explain your methodology of measurement more closely. was it several times, with each card, directly after a boot?
    did you even read my entire post or just the last sentence?


    edit: i have a gtx480<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    Of course I read your entire post. I don't know if it's the drivers, but that is an option. I know it is GPU related because it was directly tied to changing the video card.

    I already described my "methodology" in the first post. I had a GeForce 8800 gtx. NS2 started within only a few seconds. Every time. Eventually I replaced it with a Radeon 5770. From that moment on NS2 would always take about 20-30 seconds to get to the main menu screen on the first start of NS2 after rebooting my computer. Subsequent starts of NS2 would be near instant again, until the next time I rebooted my computer.

    Recently I got an entirely new computer, which happens to have a GeForce 570. Now NS2 starts near instantaneously again every time, reboot or no reboot.
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  • AlignAlign Remain Calm Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 5216Forum Moderators, Constellation
    Build 200 cut this to 5 seconds for me, anyone else?
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