Heapsize and extras (3 questions in total)

[accrede]

My system is:

Windows XP SP2 (fully updated with windows update, including net frameworks 1.0, 1.1 hotfix, 2.0 and 3.0)
AMD Athlon XP 3200+
1 GB RAM
NF7-S v2.0 (Latest BIOS and drivers)
Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS (Latest drivers)
ATI Radeon 9800 PRO (7.8 drivers, 7.9 caused problems, no CCC installed- its a resource hog!)
Source SDK base is also installed and updated
Steam is also fully updated

This is my command-line set up:

-heapsize 384000 -dxlevel 70 -windowed -w 1152 -h 864 -novid -console +map_background none

(All of my video and audio settings are also set as low as is possible.)

The default heapsize for FF seems to be 256000 (as reported in the console).

I have 1 GB of RAM.

Will raising my heapsize (as I have done) make a positive difference to performance or can FF only effectively use 256000?

+

Are -novid and +map_background none, necessary in FF?

+

Does the order of the commands in the command-line make a difference?

[accrede]

Bump de bump

[Split]

- Definately use HALF of your RAM for the game.
-heapsize 524288

- Get rid of the novid and map background.

- No it doesnt make a difference.

I dunno why you are using dxlevel 7 i would suggest 8.0+. Also you might wanna an extra 1 gb RAM if you have money to spend.

Do you have a GOOD fps config?
Do you have your video settings set on the lowest for all?

[accrede]

Originally Posted by Split

- Definately use HALF of your RAM for the game.
-heapsize 524288

I dunno why you are using dxlevel 7 i would suggest 8.0+. Also you might wanna an extra 1 gb RAM if you have money to spend.

Do you have a GOOD fps config?
Do you have your video settings set on the lowest for all?

If I use -heapsize 524288 I will be left with only 90MB of free RAM. Is this enough, or will this just move the performance issue from FF to the OS?

I'm all for fps and I presume(d?) that dxlevel 70 would give the greatest improvement. Is this not the case?

So you think that RAM is likely to be the bottle-neck in source based games?

I have no fps config, could you suggest a good one?

All of my settings are as low as they can go except for my resolution.

Thanks for your reply

[Split]

You have 1 Gig of memory and that heapsize is HALF of it.

I dont see what you could be running that uses almost 500 megs of RAM DURING gameplay.

Try this config that i use. Make sure your video settings are all at the lowest too. I edited so that some things wont get affected in FF.

// CSSNation GUI v1.0.1b
// By Kevin "keaNu" Consen & Vonzix
// Edited by Split for Fortress Forever
// --------------------------------
// http://www.cssnation.eu
// #CSSNation @ quakenet

// Rates

cl_lagcomp_errorcheck 1
cl_lagcompensation 1
cl_updaterate 101 // w/e you want
cl_interpolate 1
cl_cmdrate 101 // w/e you want
cl_interp 0.01
cl_smooth 1
rate 30000 // w/e you want

// Graphics

r_3dsky "0"
cl_lagcompensation "1"
cl_allowdownload "0"
cl_forcepreload "1"
cl_drawmonitors "0"
gl_clear "0"
mat_compressedtextures "1"
mat_filterlightmaps "1"
mat_forcehardwaresync "0"
mat_reducefillrate "1"
mat_monitorgamma "1.6"
mat_disable_bloom "1"
mat_hdr_enabled "0"
mat_parallaxmap "0"
mat_forceaniso "0"
mat_bloomscale "0"
mat_fastnobump "1"
mat_trilinear "0"
mat_antialias "0"
mat_specular "0"
mat_bumpmap "0"
mat_picmip "2"
mat_clipz "1"
mat_vsync "0"
mp_decals "50"
r_decal_cullsize "0"

// Models

r_propsmaxdist "0"					
r_shadows "1"
r_eyes "0"
r_eyeglintlodpixels "0"
r_eyesize "0"
r_eyeshift_z "0"
r_shadowrendertotexture "1"
r_worldlightmin "0"
r_worldlights "0"
r_flex "0"	
r_eyeshift_y "0"
r_eyeshift_x "0"
r_eyemove "0"
r_eyegloss "0"
r_teeth "0"
r_decals "50"
r_PhysPropStaticLighting "0"
r_occlusion "0"
r_shadowmaxrendered "1"
r_drawbatchdecals "0"
r_dopixelvisibility "0"
r_updaterefracttexture	"1" //Affects black hole concs!
r_drawflecks "0"
r_drawmodeldecals "0"
r_renderoverlayfragment "0"
cl_ejectbrass "0"
fog_enable "0"	
fog_enableskybox "0"
showhitlocation "1"

// Sound

snd_flushasync
soundscape_flush
volume "1"
sv_voiceenable "0"
voice_scale "1"
voice_modenable "1"
voice_enable "1"

// Misc.

fps_max "125"
con_enable "1"
weapon_showproficiency "1"

// Stuff
// *****

props_break_max_pieces "0"
func_break_max_pieces "0"
props_break_max_pieces_perframe "0"

// Ragdoll
// *******

cl_phys_props_enable "0"
cl_phys_props_max "0"

// Weather
// *******

r_rainalpha "0"
r_ropetranslucent "0"
r_rainlength "0"
r_rainalphapow "0"
r_raindensity "0"
r_rainradius "0"
r_rainspeed "0"
r_rainwidth "0"
r_rainsimulate "0"
r_rainsplashpercentage "0"
r_RainProfile "0"
r_RainSideVel "0"

// Screen
// ******

r_dynamic "0"
r_lightinterp "0"
r_avglight "0"
r_lightaverage "0"

clear
echo splits autoexec loaded

[Defrag]

Let HL2 decide on the heapsize itself. I'm pretty sure Valve have commented on this in the past and discourage setting it manually (plus they probably clamp it internally iirc).

[accrede]

Originally Posted by Defrag

Let HL2 decide on the heapsize itself. I'm pretty sure Valve have commented on this in the past and discourage setting it manually (plus they probably clamp it internally iirc).

Defrag, the default heapsize in FF seems to be 256MB (reported in the console with the -heapsize command removed). Would you say that increasing this amount is definitely unecessary (It will not improve the performance/FPS of FF)?

I was wondering if you could bend the ear of a programming/ engine dev to find out a definitive answer to this for me. However, I realise that you are busy atm with the launch and all the other issues that are coming up. So hopefully I'm not being too cheeky.

Congrats on the Mod by the way, it is MUCH better than I thought it was going to be. In fact, it is the best game since 1999