Aaronvroom vroom der party startahJoin Date: 2002-11-05Member: 7020Members
Guys, ram has very very little to do with this. Half-life is a circa-1997 game, there is no way it has memory issues on 256-512 MB of ram. The deciding factors are refresh rate (and cap, I STRONGLY suspect this is the issue, use Roob's fix), graphics card, graphics bus, and CPU. Tweaking your swap file will be a waste of time.
<!--QuoteBegin--Aaron+Jul 8 2003, 01:28 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Aaron @ Jul 8 2003, 01:28 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Guys, ram has very very little to do with this. Half-life is a circa-1997 game, there is no way it has memory issues on 256-512 MB of ram. The deciding factors are refresh rate (and cap, I STRONGLY suspect this is the issue, use Roob's fix), graphics card, graphics bus, and CPU. Tweaking your swap file will be a waste of time. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> but it's windows xp, which uses a buttload of ram, esp. with many services/apps in the background
"Your ram seems to be the issue, yes. Especially if you're running other proggies in the background while playing. If it's really that much of an issue, go and kill every single non-OS program before you play, or upgrade to 512 megs (or switch back to windows 2000)"
Guys believe me NOTHING is running in the background, and I disabled every service that I dont use and if I do use it, it on manual. I deleted basically everything off my comp except what it needs to run. I've spent months trying to configure my computer to run NS smoothly and nothing works yet. Everything you guys have said I did and still getting poor performance, the only thing I didn't do was get more RAM, but 256 should be more then enough. With NS off I got about 180 RAM not being used and I'm assuming that should be more then enough for NS but maybe it isnt.
Also about the refresh rate lock, what does that do excatly? I can get 100 fps with v-sync off. Another thing is I downloaded those refresh rate lock XP fixes about 3 times and I hadda quick restore my computer because my moniter would be pitch black when i restared after installing it. I don't wanna go through that again.
Alcapwn"War is the science of destruction" - John AbbotJoin Date: 2003-06-21Member: 17590Members
yeah i just checked and my fps in NS is a contant 75 fps wiht my 1.7ghz 256ram and rage 128pro 32mb.
During heavy action the fps clocks down to about 60. Cool. <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::fade::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/fade.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='fade.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pudgy.gif'><!--endemo-->
"yeah i just checked and my fps in NS is a contant 75 fps wiht my 1.7ghz 256ram and rage 128pro 32mb. During heavy action the fps clocks down to about 60. Cool."
See thats what I'm talking about, my computer is 1.6ghz P4 256 RAM and gf4 MX420 and yet during any kinda action i get a nice 20-30 fps, it makes no sense at all. I got the latest drivers, I have my g-card set for performance, I turned all extras off, nothing runing in the BG of my OS, I defraged, I set my cache to performe better for gaming, i tweaked my system for gaming ( even before i did this my FPS were even worst ) and I tried to overcloak my gf4 before but it just screwed up the game. I tried everything there is to do and nothing works. So how are people with lower grade or equally good comps getting much better FPS then I am?
* V-sync is off I get 100 FPS while NOTHING is happening but in action or turret/mine spam/ hive I drop to about 30 FPS.
I know this is counter-intuitive, but how about trying an older video card. I've seen/heard it mentioned that the newest Vcards dont do so well with the older games, which HL is, even if NS has much more going on.
I'd go w/ the 512M ram also.
I run a AMD 2100+ (1.67 GHz), 512 ram, win2kpro, GForce3 64meg (vanilla), with a lower end monitor (Samsung SyncMaster950b) and have an almost constant fps of 99, with drops to the 60s in heavy action. I usually run Winamp, Trillian (IM prog), All Seeing Eye, and NAV in the background without any problems.
From that standpoint, I would say reinstall NS and start over w/ the tweaking. What is your RAM speed? (133, 400, etc.) having older slower RAM on a newer comp is just another chokepoint for the blazing CPU speed to push through. Also your HD seek times/rpm rate could be a factor, but thats just me throwing up suggestions. I'm in no way a tech, just someone thats gone through many comps and their probs.
I have ran NS on a crappy mointer and gf2 and I got just about the same FPS as I do with my new moniter and gf4.
"Also your HD seek times/rpm rate could be a factor, but thats just me throwing up suggestions. I'm in no way a tech, just someone thats gone through many comps and their probs. "
I got no idea what this means I'm sorry can you explain it in lamers terms?
"What is your RAM speed? (133, 400, etc.) having older slower RAM on a newer comp is just another chokepoint for the blazing CPU speed to push through."
RAM speed? Do you mean how much ram? I got 256, I don't know how to check its speed.
If you are running a P4, memory speed really won't be important.
If really want to know you can * check your BIOS * use something like the SiSandra utility
Also, there is no reason to *guess* about CPU usage and memory usage. If you are really serious about determining the problem, fire up Performance Monitor. It tells all. This program, standard in Windows, should be listed under "Programs->Administrative Tools" (dunno, don't have a copy of XP in front of me).
Using this you can see how much memory NS is using, how much CPU time, how many "page faults" (i.e. hits on the swapfile, a bad thing), etc.
Your HD (a cylinder) has a revolutions per minute factor. Cheaper HDs are usually 5600rpm, I found that games dont play so well on anything less than a 7200rpm now that they check the HD more often (CS was brutal with this, couldnt connect half the time in the early days because it would time out waiting for the info to load). Your seek time is how quickly the Hard Drive looks for data. I dont know if there is a way to check that in windows, but it should be in your HD info or on a sticker on the HD.
You should be able to get to the task manager by hitting CtrlAltDel and finding the option for Task Manager (at least on Win2k, shouldnt be different for XP)
Yes, if you have a P4, most of the memory that comes for it is decent, but where its a HP bundled system (right?) I'd maybe switch out the mem for more/better mem if you have the extra money for it.
Alcapwn"War is the science of destruction" - John AbbotJoin Date: 2003-06-21Member: 17590Members
<!--QuoteBegin--TheGivingTree+Jul 8 2003, 03:06 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (TheGivingTree @ Jul 8 2003, 03:06 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> "yeah i just checked and my fps in NS is a contant 75 fps wiht my 1.7ghz 256ram and rage 128pro 32mb. During heavy action the fps clocks down to about 60. Cool."
See thats what I'm talking about, my computer is 1.6ghz P4 256 RAM and gf4 MX420 and yet during any kinda action i get a nice 20-30 fps, it makes no sense at all. I got the latest drivers, I have my g-card set for performance, I turned all extras off, nothing runing in the BG of my OS, I defraged, I set my cache to performe better for gaming, i tweaked my system for gaming ( even before i did this my FPS were even worst ) and I tried to overcloak my gf4 before but it just screwed up the game. I tried everything there is to do and nothing works. So how are people with lower grade or equally good comps getting much better FPS then I am?
* V-sync is off I get 100 FPS while NOTHING is happening but in action or turret/mine spam/ hive I drop to about 30 FPS. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> wow that is weird!
Maybe it has something to do with the older cards being more optimized for the older games then the newer ones? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
btw...is the GF2 PCI or AGP? (yeah, it shouldn't really matter that much, but since Video cards send FP calculations over the AGP bus back to the CPU to process, it might make a difference in some FP intensive games)
I've got a funny feeling that this problem lies in your HL video config. Your machine should have NO problems at all with NS. I have two machines, and the crappier of the two is an XP2000 (1.53ghz) with 256mb of DDR and a GF2 Ti. NS runs perfectly, at all times. As do most games.
What video mode do you have HL running in? Software, DirectX or OpenGL? Use OpenGL if you can, perhaps all your problems will magically fade away.
I'd laugh if this is the problem hey. Three pages worth of suggestions all for something so simple.
Bugger. Just for the sake of it, try DirectX mode. Doubt it'll help, but you never know.
Unless you have a major hardware compatibility problem, the only other thing I can think of software wise is that it might be some inherant problem with the OS. If you're really that keen on fixing it, I'd suggest that you format your hard drive then reinstall WinXP from scratch. Once you've done this, don't install ANYTHING except your internet connection, HL and NS. If you have the same problem, try updating your graphics drivers. Also, see if there are any updated drivers for your systemboard. Then test.
If you have the same problem, it's not a software issue. You shouldn't have to be turning down graphics detail and things like that with the setup you have there. It'll be some sort of hardware issue.. either a problematic video card, dodgy ram or a dunger HDD just to name a few possibilities.
Narrowing it down at a hardware level will be a little more complicated. What you might want to try (if you have the knowledge) is to swap out parts from your machine into another, and see if that machine exhibits the same problems.
For example, try your video card in another machine, using the same drivers you were using in your box. Same with the ram and HDD if you're that desperate. Alternatively, try a mates video card/ram in your box and see if it makes a difference.
Just so you know I really appreciate you trying to help me.
"see if there are any updated drivers for your systemboard" I got no idea how to update my systemboard or even what it is.
"I'd suggest that you format your hard drive then reinstall WinXP from scratch. Once you've done this, don't install ANYTHING except your internet connection, HL and NS. If you have the same problem, try updating your graphics drivers"
How do I reformat or Install Windows XP? All I got with this computer was a cd that does a Quick Restore, which restores everything that the computer came with when I bought it which, has alot of extra crap in it. Anyway to JUST install windows XP?
BTW I did do quick restore and install nothing but NS, HL and Aim, and I deleted all the extra crap, well the ones that I could find atleast, I downloaded some tools to help deleted things I dont need like RegCleaner, So my comp is basically running just WindowsXP with some extras that I probably don't know about, also I got 51.8 gig out of 55.8 Gb so I don'y have alot of stuff installed or stored into my computer. I turned off ALL extras such as windows update ( i run it manually ), system restore is off, and I read a NS guide that told me which Services to set to manual or disable to have NS run at its peak. I got allt eh drivers for GF4 and I just got a tweaker for it, which helped a little bit in making the graphics worst. I updated pretty much all my drivers ( video card, moniter, IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers, Network Card, but I couldnt find a update for my Sound Card since the one I found didn't work correctly. ) I also tweaked my dsl to run faster which it does just a tad. I got NO background applications running at all ( unless windows need them, nothing extra at all except nvidia ) finally I combined about 4 guides I have found of things to change in the config file to make NS run faster and better. just FYI I have tried to play NS before I did all this of course and it ran and 5-10 fps slower then now, so all this tweaking crap has helped but to a very very small extent. It just makes no sense how I can play other games like WC3, CS, DoD, UT2003 demo, and they run perfectly fine, but I can't run a game thats over 5 years old on a system that goes far and beyond the system requirments, and even though NS adds alot more then HL it can't compare to newer game engine based games that I can run perfectly fine.
<!--QuoteBegin--TheGivingTree+Jul 10 2003, 12:38 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (TheGivingTree @ Jul 10 2003, 12:38 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Just so you know I really appreciate you trying to help me. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Yeah no worries mate. I work as tech support for IBM, so when work gets boring I tend to browse a few forums and help out where I can.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I got no idea how to update my systemboard or even what it is. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Fair enough. If you're interested, open your PC case (make sure it's turned off first) and take a look inside. The systemboard is the big circuitboard that everything is plugged into. It's also often called a motherboard. Because every part of your machine plugs into and relies on/communicates with the systemboard in one form or another, it often pays to have the latest drivers installed for your particular chipset. I'll try not to get too technical on you, but it helps to have a bit of background knowledge for this sort of problem.
In laymans terms, the chipset is a set of traffic lights. It controls what data is allowed to be processed, where it goes and when. It's one of the most integral parts of your machine, so treat it well <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo--> Usually you don't have to fool around with much, these days nearly everything is automated. If you don't know much about this sort of thing, then the hardest part of updating your chipset drivers would be to find out exactly what chipset you have. You may be able to open the case and look on the systemboard itself, but even then it'll be a bit difficult to know what you're looking for. Sometimes it's stated in clear bold writing, other times it'll be hidden away under a heatsink or something.
Hmm. If you have an OEM machine (HP, Dell, IBM etc) give me its model number and I'll see if I can look it up for you.
The problem seems to be half life related, as you stated that all other games run fine. This one will be hard to track down.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> How do I reformat or Install Windows XP? All I got with this computer was a cd that does a Quick Restore, which restores everything that the computer came with when I bought it which, has alot of extra crap in it. Anyway to JUST install windows XP? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If you only have a quick restore CD, I'd say you have some sort of OEM PC. These CDs come with a lot of bs you don't need or want in your system (I know from first hand experience - god IBM loads some crappy programs into their standard Windows installations). Best way to get around this is to get a hold of a standard Microsoft Windows XP CD. Apart from downloading a copy, your best bet is to ask your mates if they have one. Then you'll need to wipe your hard drive using a DOS boot disk, then use Fdisk to re-create a partition then install XP (actually the XP installation might be able to do this for you, I think it does actually). This is probably too complicated for you though. Do you have any mates that would know what I'm talking about? It's quite a simple process if you know what you're doing.. if not it's pretty mind boggling though. Did you get any manuals with the PC? If so, look for something that refers to Intel on it. Keep in mind, even after all this the problem may still be around.
Ah thanks, well I gotta find a Xp cd somewhere but everyone tells me that XP is bad and eats a lot of CPU and RAM, which I really need so if I did try and get a new windows I wouldn't get XP most likly. Another proble is people tell me I need more RAM because 256 isn't enough and with XP its a killer.
BTW for the motherboard I found my comp on a website if it will help, if not I can open it up and look. <a href='http://www.vprmatrix.com/products_desktop_1620.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.vprmatrix.com/products_desktop_1620.asp</a>
( just so you know I got a geforce4 MX 420 instead of the gf2 it says on the site )
Nah XP is fine, personally I think it's probably the best Microsoft OS for games. Windows 2000 uses a little less RAM, but can be a bit of a problem when it comes to certain games for some people. I have used both without a problem for 2/3 years now.
Ok. 256mb of RAM for XP is fine, you just have to watch what is running in the background. If you have 180mb+ RAM spare that's plenty, especially for NS. I've never heard of vprMatrix, but I doubt they use high quality parts in their PCs.
That website doesn't give any systemboard or chipset info, which is no suprise really. I can't really tell you much more about it, their website isn't really overflowing with technical info.
Not much more I can say, let me know how you go with whatever you try.
<!--QuoteBegin--[A]pe+Jul 10 2003, 03:30 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> ([A]pe @ Jul 10 2003, 03:30 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Nah XP is fine, personally I think it's probably the best Microsoft OS for games. Windows 2000 uses a little less RAM, but can be a bit of a problem when it comes to certain games for some people. I have used both without a problem for 2/3 years now. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Something that might cause problems with XP (especially if you borrow a non-hacked CD from friends) is the activation code. Game compatibility is also an issue. If you're only using it for games, something as old as Windows 98 might be best. Any Windows game I know of will run on that (not as stable as it should be for office work though). There are games that have problems on XP, or problems on 2000 but fine on XP, or problems on XP but fine on 2000. (Been reading some system requirements lately, found several games that will refuse to work on XP and/or 2000, and even some that will only work with 95 and 98.
Actually, I think Win2k is currently the best OS for games, over XP.
That's out of the box, of course. XP's got so much bloat it's not even funny. The memory consumed for fast-switch and the XP shell is criminal. If you tweak it, XP drops down to Win2Ks requirements. But you have to know how.
I've not seen anything (yet, I know it's coming) that gives XP an edge over 2K. The WDM (Windows Driver Model) is basically the same, for instance.
Yeah, under all the bloatwarez XP is pretty much a tweaked build of Win2k. For some reason I've noticed that my FPS in nearly all games gets a slight boost in XP, but that may be related to something like the latest dets. Once you get rid of the useless pretty crap, XP is quite a good OS imo. I agree with all the out of the box stuff enabled, it's a bloated piece of crap.
Win2k is definately a decent OS however. Perhaps it's worth giving a try in this case.
I definately look forward to the 2.0 release - after 1.4 came out, I suddenly started experiencing massive network lag when trying to play NS - I'm hoping that will get cleared up in this lastest version. (Game plays just fine in single player, as well as using mouselook - just that actual movement is pretty laggy. I'm running a bit of an older computer - Athalon 900, 256 megs of RAM, but no problems before that over a cable modem.)
Comments
but it's windows xp, which uses a buttload of ram, esp. with many services/apps in the background
Guys believe me NOTHING is running in the background, and I disabled every service that I dont use and if I do use it, it on manual. I deleted basically everything off my comp except what it needs to run. I've spent months trying to configure my computer to run NS smoothly and nothing works yet. Everything you guys have said I did and still getting poor performance, the only thing I didn't do was get more RAM, but 256 should be more then enough. With NS off I got about 180 RAM not being used and I'm assuming that should be more then enough for NS but maybe it isnt.
Also about the refresh rate lock, what does that do excatly? I can get 100 fps with v-sync off. Another thing is I downloaded those refresh rate lock XP fixes about 3 times and I hadda quick restore my computer because my moniter would be pitch black when i restared after installing it. I don't wanna go through that again.
During heavy action the fps clocks down to about 60. Cool. <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::fade::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/fade.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='fade.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pudgy.gif'><!--endemo-->
During heavy action the fps clocks down to about 60. Cool."
See thats what I'm talking about, my computer is 1.6ghz P4 256 RAM and gf4 MX420 and yet during any kinda action i get a nice 20-30 fps, it makes no sense at all. I got the latest drivers, I have my g-card set for performance, I turned all extras off, nothing runing in the BG of my OS, I defraged, I set my cache to performe better for gaming, i tweaked my system for gaming ( even before i did this my FPS were even worst ) and I tried to overcloak my gf4 before but it just screwed up the game. I tried everything there is to do and nothing works. So how are people with lower grade or equally good comps getting much better FPS then I am?
* V-sync is off I get 100 FPS while NOTHING is happening but in action or turret/mine spam/ hive I drop to about 30 FPS.
I'd go w/ the 512M ram also.
I run a AMD 2100+ (1.67 GHz), 512 ram, win2kpro, GForce3 64meg (vanilla), with a lower end monitor (Samsung SyncMaster950b) and have an almost constant fps of 99, with drops to the 60s in heavy action. I usually run Winamp, Trillian (IM prog), All Seeing Eye, and NAV in the background without any problems.
From that standpoint, I would say reinstall NS and start over w/ the tweaking. What is your RAM speed? (133, 400, etc.) having older slower RAM on a newer comp is just another chokepoint for the blazing CPU speed to push through. Also your HD seek times/rpm rate could be a factor, but thats just me throwing up suggestions. I'm in no way a tech, just someone thats gone through many comps and their probs.
"Also your HD seek times/rpm rate could be a factor, but thats just me throwing up suggestions. I'm in no way a tech, just someone thats gone through many comps and their probs. "
I got no idea what this means I'm sorry can you explain it in lamers terms?
"What is your RAM speed? (133, 400, etc.) having older slower RAM on a newer comp is just another chokepoint for the blazing CPU speed to push through."
RAM speed? Do you mean how much ram? I got 256, I don't know how to check its speed.
If really want to know you can
* check your BIOS
* use something like the SiSandra utility
Also, there is no reason to *guess* about CPU usage and memory usage. If you are really serious about determining the problem, fire up Performance Monitor. It tells all. This program, standard in Windows, should be listed under "Programs->Administrative Tools" (dunno, don't have a copy of XP in front of me).
Using this you can see how much memory NS is using, how much CPU time, how many "page faults" (i.e. hits on the swapfile, a bad thing), etc.
You should be able to get to the task manager by hitting CtrlAltDel and finding the option for Task Manager (at least on Win2k, shouldnt be different for XP)
Yes, if you have a P4, most of the memory that comes for it is decent, but where its a HP bundled system (right?) I'd maybe switch out the mem for more/better mem if you have the extra money for it.
During heavy action the fps clocks down to about 60. Cool."
See thats what I'm talking about, my computer is 1.6ghz P4 256 RAM and gf4 MX420 and yet during any kinda action i get a nice 20-30 fps, it makes no sense at all. I got the latest drivers, I have my g-card set for performance, I turned all extras off, nothing runing in the BG of my OS, I defraged, I set my cache to performe better for gaming, i tweaked my system for gaming ( even before i did this my FPS were even worst ) and I tried to overcloak my gf4 before but it just screwed up the game. I tried everything there is to do and nothing works. So how are people with lower grade or equally good comps getting much better FPS then I am?
* V-sync is off I get 100 FPS while NOTHING is happening but in action or turret/mine spam/ hive I drop to about 30 FPS. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
wow that is weird!
Maybe it has something to do with the older cards being more optimized for the older games then the newer ones? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->
<!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pudgy.gif'><!--endemo-->
I have two machines, and the crappier of the two is an XP2000 (1.53ghz) with 256mb of DDR and a GF2 Ti. NS runs perfectly, at all times. As do most games.
What video mode do you have HL running in? Software, DirectX or OpenGL? Use OpenGL if you can, perhaps all your problems will magically fade away.
I'd laugh if this is the problem hey. Three pages worth of suggestions all for something so simple.
Nah uh I always and only use OpenGL )=
Unless you have a major hardware compatibility problem, the only other thing I can think of software wise is that it might be some inherant problem with the OS. If you're really that keen on fixing it, I'd suggest that you format your hard drive then reinstall WinXP from scratch. Once you've done this, don't install ANYTHING except your internet connection, HL and NS. If you have the same problem, try updating your graphics drivers. Also, see if there are any updated drivers for your systemboard. Then test.
If you have the same problem, it's not a software issue. You shouldn't have to be turning down graphics detail and things like that with the setup you have there. It'll be some sort of hardware issue.. either a problematic video card, dodgy ram or a dunger HDD just to name a few possibilities.
Narrowing it down at a hardware level will be a little more complicated. What you might want to try (if you have the knowledge) is to swap out parts from your machine into another, and see if that machine exhibits the same problems.
For example, try your video card in another machine, using the same drivers you were using in your box. Same with the ram and HDD if you're that desperate.
Alternatively, try a mates video card/ram in your box and see if it makes a difference.
Let us know how you go.
PS: How do other games run?
"see if there are any updated drivers for your systemboard"
I got no idea how to update my systemboard or even what it is.
"I'd suggest that you format your hard drive then reinstall WinXP from scratch. Once you've done this, don't install ANYTHING except your internet connection, HL and NS. If you have the same problem, try updating your graphics drivers"
How do I reformat or Install Windows XP? All I got with this computer was a cd that does a Quick Restore, which restores everything that the computer came with when I bought it which, has alot of extra crap in it. Anyway to JUST install windows XP?
BTW I did do quick restore and install nothing but NS, HL and Aim, and I deleted all the extra crap, well the ones that I could find atleast, I downloaded some tools to help deleted things I dont need like RegCleaner, So my comp is basically running just WindowsXP with some extras that I probably don't know about, also I got 51.8 gig out of 55.8 Gb so I don'y have alot of stuff installed or stored into my computer. I turned off ALL extras such as windows update ( i run it manually ), system restore is off, and I read a NS guide that told me which Services to set to manual or disable to have NS run at its peak. I got allt eh drivers for GF4 and I just got a tweaker for it, which helped a little bit in making the graphics worst. I updated pretty much all my drivers ( video card, moniter, IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers, Network Card, but I couldnt find a update for my Sound Card since the one I found didn't work correctly. ) I also tweaked my dsl to run faster which it does just a tad. I got NO background applications running at all ( unless windows need them, nothing extra at all except nvidia ) finally I combined about 4 guides I have found of things to change in the config file to make NS run faster and better. just FYI I have tried to play NS before I did all this of course and it ran and 5-10 fps slower then now, so all this tweaking crap has helped but to a very very small extent. It just makes no sense how I can play other games like WC3, CS, DoD, UT2003 demo, and they run perfectly fine, but I can't run a game thats over 5 years old on a system that goes far and beyond the system requirments, and even though NS adds alot more then HL it can't compare to newer game engine based games that I can run perfectly fine.
Yeah no worries mate. I work as tech support for IBM, so when work gets boring I tend to browse a few forums and help out where I can.
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I got no idea how to update my systemboard or even what it is.
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Fair enough. If you're interested, open your PC case (make sure it's turned off first) and take a look inside. The systemboard is the big circuitboard that everything is plugged into. It's also often called a motherboard. Because every part of your machine plugs into and relies on/communicates with the systemboard in one form or another, it often pays to have the latest drivers installed for your particular chipset. I'll try not to get too technical on you, but it helps to have a bit of background knowledge for this sort of problem.
In laymans terms, the chipset is a set of traffic lights. It controls what data is allowed to be processed, where it goes and when. It's one of the most integral parts of your machine, so treat it well <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo--> Usually you don't have to fool around with much, these days nearly everything is automated. If you don't know much about this sort of thing, then the hardest part of updating your chipset drivers would be to find out exactly what chipset you have. You may be able to open the case and look on the systemboard itself, but even then it'll be a bit difficult to know what you're looking for. Sometimes it's stated in clear bold writing, other times it'll be hidden away under a heatsink or something.
Hmm. If you have an OEM machine (HP, Dell, IBM etc) give me its model number and I'll see if I can look it up for you.
The problem seems to be half life related, as you stated that all other games run fine. This one will be hard to track down.
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How do I reformat or Install Windows XP? All I got with this computer was a cd that does a Quick Restore, which restores everything that the computer came with when I bought it which, has alot of extra crap in it. Anyway to JUST install windows XP?
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If you only have a quick restore CD, I'd say you have some sort of OEM PC. These CDs come with a lot of bs you don't need or want in your system (I know from first hand experience - god IBM loads some crappy programs into their standard Windows installations). Best way to get around this is to get a hold of a standard Microsoft Windows XP CD. Apart from downloading a copy, your best bet is to ask your mates if they have one. Then you'll need to wipe your hard drive using a DOS boot disk, then use Fdisk to re-create a partition then install XP (actually the XP installation might be able to do this for you, I think it does actually). This is probably too complicated for you though. Do you have any mates that would know what I'm talking about? It's quite a simple process if you know what you're doing.. if not it's pretty mind boggling though. Did you get any manuals with the PC? If so, look for something that refers to Intel on it. Keep in mind, even after all this the problem may still be around.
Let me know how you go.
BTW for the motherboard I found my comp on a website if it will help, if not I can open it up and look.
<a href='http://www.vprmatrix.com/products_desktop_1620.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.vprmatrix.com/products_desktop_1620.asp</a>
( just so you know I got a geforce4 MX 420 instead of the gf2 it says on the site )
Ok. 256mb of RAM for XP is fine, you just have to watch what is running in the background. If you have 180mb+ RAM spare that's plenty, especially for NS. I've never heard of vprMatrix, but I doubt they use high quality parts in their PCs.
That website doesn't give any systemboard or chipset info, which is no suprise really. I can't really tell you much more about it, their website isn't really overflowing with technical info.
Not much more I can say, let me know how you go with whatever you try.
Something that might cause problems with XP (especially if you borrow a non-hacked CD from friends) is the activation code. Game compatibility is also an issue. If you're only using it for games, something as old as Windows 98 might be best. Any Windows game I know of will run on that (not as stable as it should be for office work though). There are games that have problems on XP, or problems on 2000 but fine on XP, or problems on XP but fine on 2000. (Been reading some system requirements lately, found several games that will refuse to work on XP and/or 2000, and even some that will only work with 95 and 98.
That's out of the box, of course. XP's got so much bloat it's not even funny. The memory consumed for fast-switch and the XP shell is criminal. If you tweak it, XP drops down to Win2Ks requirements. But you have to know how.
I've not seen anything (yet, I know it's coming) that gives XP an edge over 2K. The WDM (Windows Driver Model) is basically the same, for instance.
Win2k is definately a decent OS however.
Perhaps it's worth giving a try in this case.