changing AGP setting fixed my game's stuttering [Archive]

XyZspineZyX

11-23-2003, 03:48 PM

Ok, maybe some of you PC gurus can explain this (and explain why GR takes so long to start up - is that inherent in the game, or a setting on my machine?).

But I had great luck last night, and I thought I'd share it, in case it'll help anyone else. (I tried to do a search on "agp" here, but it didn't come back)

I have a PNY GF4 ti4200 and an Audigy XGamer sound card. GR plays great, but I've been getting stuttering, especially when sounds play, and in desert maps. As you can imagine, that's really irritating - and dangerous (to me, because it stutters in games).

I've tried different settings, to no avail, and never thought about playing with the AGP Aperature size. I had always heard to set it to 1/2 your memory, so I've had my Aperature size set to 256. Note: on some mobos, this is called Graphic Win Size.

Well, last night, I was browsing some other stuff, and found a link to BIOS Optimizations, which suggested an aperature size no larger than 128. So I tried 128, and whoa! No more stutter!!

Then, figuring why not, I tried 64, and it actually sped up my fps. For some reason, GR takes even longer to start up now (always takes a long time), but once it's running, games start a little quicker, and I'm getting 10 fps more!!

I'm now playing at 1600x1200x32, and can even turn on shadows on most maps. I'll leave shadows off, likely, though. On rainy, night maps, with 50 tangos, all high, 1600x1200x32, detailed shadows, the fps occasionally drops to 19 (used to drop to around 5), but jerks a lot.

XyZspineZyX

11-23-2003, 03:48 PM

Ok, maybe some of you PC gurus can explain this (and explain why GR takes so long to start up - is that inherent in the game, or a setting on my machine?).

But I had great luck last night, and I thought I'd share it, in case it'll help anyone else. (I tried to do a search on "agp" here, but it didn't come back)

I have a PNY GF4 ti4200 and an Audigy XGamer sound card. GR plays great, but I've been getting stuttering, especially when sounds play, and in desert maps. As you can imagine, that's really irritating - and dangerous (to me, because it stutters in games).

I've tried different settings, to no avail, and never thought about playing with the AGP Aperature size. I had always heard to set it to 1/2 your memory, so I've had my Aperature size set to 256. Note: on some mobos, this is called Graphic Win Size.

Well, last night, I was browsing some other stuff, and found a link to BIOS Optimizations, which suggested an aperature size no larger than 128. So I tried 128, and whoa! No more stutter!!

Then, figuring why not, I tried 64, and it actually sped up my fps. For some reason, GR takes even longer to start up now (always takes a long time), but once it's running, games start a little quicker, and I'm getting 10 fps more!!

I'm now playing at 1600x1200x32, and can even turn on shadows on most maps. I'll leave shadows off, likely, though. On rainy, night maps, with 50 tangos, all high, 1600x1200x32, detailed shadows, the fps occasionally drops to 19 (used to drop to around 5), but jerks a lot.

XyZspineZyX

11-24-2003, 02:14 PM

Speech therapy stops stutter Batts /i/smilies/16x16_smiley-happy.gif

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XyZspineZyX

11-24-2003, 03:13 PM

The AGP aperture size doesn't play such a big role anymore these days. The size should be 1/4 of total system RAM, so 128 is good for you. You can go for less, but these things tend to have very little effect anymore. Mine is at 128, too, and it's way below 1/4, since I've got 1280 MB of RAM at the moment. But that will probably change to 1.5 to 2 gigs of faster stuff pretty soon.

I'd also consider firing your current wheelchair pusher and hiring a new one. Might help on the stuttering a bit, too.

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/ir25/images/4sec_v2_png.png

XyZspineZyX

11-24-2003, 03:52 PM

lapioj wrote:
- I'd also consider firing your current wheelchair
- pusher and hiring a new one. Might help on the
- stuttering a bit, too.

Slowly bends in your general direction Lap (_@_)......../i/smilies/16x16_smiley-indifferent.gif

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XyZspineZyX

11-24-2003, 10:35 PM

The AGP aperture size is kindda "back up" memory for the texturing process by your graphics card.
It's effective when your graphic card's memory cannot handle the process and only then.

If you have - say - 512MB RAM and set the AGP Aperture size at 128, this does not mean that you have only 384 RAM available for your system.
You still have all 512 available as long as the graphic card's memory can handle the processes.

I'm not a guru but my conclusion is that the memory of your graphics card may not work optimally, thus "eating" from the AGP Aperture size and when this was set as high as 256 it may have affected the overall performance of your system. By setting it lower, this effect is obviously smaller as the AGP only has access to 32MB and not 256MB.

Did I write this? Bedtime /i/smilies/16x16_smiley-happy.gif

http://home20.inet.tele.dk/famjourdan/GRsig.jpg

Message Edited on 11/24/0310:38PM by GreyHaired

XyZspineZyX

11-24-2003, 11:04 PM

theBattsman wrote:

(I tried
- to do a search on "agp" here, but it didn't come
- back)

Guess what? I found this post of mine in a thread dated March 20, 2003.
Guess what? You know who the original poster of that thread was? LOL /i/smilies/16x16_smiley-wink.gif

"""Hey,

the AGP Aperture size is not depending on your 512RAM but on the memory of the card. So it should be set at max 64, possibly 32."""

http://home20.inet.tele.dk/famjourdan/GRsig.jpg

XyZspineZyX

11-25-2003, 07:29 PM

snipe21 wrote:
- Slowly bends in your general direction Lap (_@_)........

I love you too, buttercup. But not tonight. I'm tired and I've got a headache.

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/ir25/images/4sec_v2_png.png

XyZspineZyX

11-28-2003, 10:24 PM

Who *are* you people?!? /i/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif /i/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif /i/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif

Happy Thanksgiving, Turkeys!

XyZspineZyX

12-03-2003, 07:47 PM

Uggghhh! (Shudder)

Get a room! /i/smilies/16x16_smiley-mad.gif

 "Your dungeon lies on an incline, angry creatures can not play marbles."