GUI settings and configuration

nicoliani · Post by **nicoliani** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:41 pm

I have just started playing Soldiers Of Fortune and need some GUI help.
Because when there is allot of creatures the game graphics tends to slow down.

I will start by asking for one and one help, when one question is answered I will make a new.

To start with I use
HQ4X with 1280*1024 DR and Hi-resolution Mode 7
I found that this "engine" brings me the best graphic.

My first Question: Vsync - Synchronizes drawing to the monitor's refresh rate. This may reduce frame rate on your computer, but will reduce tearing.

Should I use this option? And please explain this closer as I don't understand it reduce frame rate on your computer, but will reduce tearing

And tell me if I should change anything with the Hi-resolution Mode 7 and S, DR, or DS.

Post by **Agozer** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:49 pm

HQ4X is the reason why games down a lot. HQxx filters are very CPU-taxing filters. Also, Hi-res MODE7 is pretty much useless because it disables all other filters when MODE7 effects are used, and it doesn't look too hot at hindsight.

About VSync, yes you should use it, but you should also set your monitor refresh rate to 60Hz. You can also use Triple Buffering in place of VSync. If you enable both, TB disables VSync.

Deathlike2 · Post by **Deathlike2** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:54 pm

Note: Enabling Hires Mode7 will disable HQ4x when Mode 7 is in use... just so you know that.

nicoliani wrote:My first Q: Vsync - Synchronizes drawing to the monitor's refresh rate. This may reduce frame rate on your computer, but will reduce tearing.

Should I use this option? And please explain this closer as I don't understand it reduce frame rate on your computer, but will reduce tearing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_synchronization

It will reduce frame rates on your comp only if you are unable to sustain full speed.

Let's also note that HQ4x is the most intensive filter used by ZSNES. Performance can and will go down if your CPU is not great...

Triple buffering may be more beneficial than vsync... (using both on the Windows port can't hurt)

Edit: For a minor distinction..

You probably may want to use the FPS Counter ZSNES has. If the frames are not stable at 60 fps, then HQ4x is probably the cause. If the slowdowns still occur and the frames are at 60 fps, then this is possibly a bug.. but more likely a normal limitation that occurs on the real console.. as having too many sprites on the screen can actually slow down the SNES.

Echoecho · Post by **Echoecho** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:53 am

HQ4x doesn't look too hot if you ask me. And I've never seen it give 100% flawless framerate regardless of the CPU speed. The ideal thing for me well above any filters would be running at twice the exact visible resolution (512x448) with scanlines. Too bad most monitors can't handle it. Or better yet, the actual exact resolution, but that's even less likely. But I digress. I've found triple buffering is better than vsync in directdraw in most of the video cards I've used. If it's openGL mode though, vsync is the way to go.

Starman Ghost · Post by **Starman Ghost** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 4:04 am

I get full fps when using hq4x on my athlon xp +3000, even special chip games.

creaothceann · Post by **creaothceann** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 12:00 pm

Try this too:
- set your monitor's refresh rate to 60 Hz (NTSC games only)
- enable triple buffering or vsync
- disable "Auto Frame Rate" in the Speed window and set "Frame Rate" to 0

Echoecho · Post by **Echoecho** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 10:00 am

Starman Ghost wrote:I get full fps when using hq4x on my athlon xp +3000, even special chip games.

Maybe your computer is special but I doubt it. But to be clear, this is generally not noticable, but it's there. It also uses more CPU. Or I guess I am more picky, but I detect tiny shifts in framerate from occassional to rare, compared to none without it. I've tried on PCs as fast as yours if not faster, it was still there.

Clements · Post by **Clements** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:00 pm

Ran PF's WIP build of ZSNES with Lufia II in a detailed town @ 1280x1024 + HQ4X for my desktop, 1024x768 + HQ3X for my laptop, while continually running backwards and forwards (so that the screen was scrolling) with the frame counter enabled, and none of my machines experienced any slowdown whatsoever. The framerate was 60fps consistant, and silky smooth.

Desktop: Athlon64 X2 "4600+", 6800 Ultra OC
Laptop: Pentium M 750, Mobility X700

Both my machines have the latest drivers for everything, and also firmware/BIOS where applicable. Your machines must have some problems.

Deathlike2 · Post by **Deathlike2** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:20 pm

Echoecho wrote:
Starman Ghost wrote:I get full fps when using hq4x on my athlon xp +3000, even special chip games.
Maybe your computer is special but I doubt it. But to be clear, this is generally not noticable, but it's there. It also uses more CPU. Or I guess I am more picky, but I detect tiny shifts in framerate from occassional to rare, compared to none without it. I've tried on PCs as fast as yours if not faster, it was still there.

It's probably your system.. I have an Athlon64 3000+ and 3200+ running this at full speed too.. and this is running on Win2k

If you don't delete the .cfg+.dat files before using the ZSNES WIPs, you will encounter performance issues... just so you know.

Ichinisan · Post by **Ichinisan** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:08 pm

Soldier of Fortune is a PC FPS, right?

Deathlike2 · Post by **Deathlike2** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:26 pm

Ichinisan wrote:Soldier of Fortune is a PC FPS, right?

Yes.. but he's referring to the SNES game "Soldiers of Fortune"..

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/snes/data/588670.html

nicoliani · Post by **nicoliani** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:49 am

The only thing that works perfectly is when I don't use HQ4X. Using this Super 2xSaI Engine I don't get any lagging picture. Because the picture lag when I use HQ4X in particular when I move fast and when there is allot of items.
So I guess it's my system that are not so powerful to use HQ4X.

nicoliani · Post by **nicoliani** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:59 am

I found my ultimate state whit great graphic and no lagging.
640*480 DR HQ2X

But I still wonder way my computer can't handle HQ3,4X smooth. Does this filter demand better hardware than I got?

Deathlike2 · Post by **Deathlike2** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 3:48 pm

nicoliani wrote:I found my ultimate state whit great graphic and no lagging.
640*480 DR HQ2X

But I still wonder way my computer can't handle HQ3,4X smooth. Does this filter demand better hardware than I got?

Yes... your CPU needs to be like 2.8GHz since you're using an Intel processor.

Grahf · Post by **Grahf** » Fri May 19, 2006 5:29 pm

Hmmmmm some weird things in this thread.

In terms of 3D rendering, my understanding is that Triple Buffering is only relevant when VSYNC is enabled.... I guess you're saying in ZSNES it can utilize Triple Buffering whether or not VSYNC is enabled??...

Also, V-SYNC *WILL* traditionally reduce performance no matter what hardware you use or what game you play...even if the performance loss is unnoticable, VSYNC reduces performance, period.

That being said, I'm talking about 3D PC games not ZSNES emulation....so what you guys are talking about differs from what I know to be true of VSYNC and Triple Buffering for standard PC games.

creaothceann · Post by **creaothceann** » Fri May 19, 2006 5:54 pm

Just for the record...

Grahf wrote:In terms of 3D rendering, my understanding is that Triple Buffering is only relevant when VSYNC is enabled.... I guess you're saying in ZSNES it can utilize Triple Buffering whether or not VSYNC is enabled??...

VSync, as an abbrevition, means "screen updating is synchronized to the monitor's vertical refresh rate". It doesn't say anything about further optimizations.

Triple Buffering is another technique that utilizes VSync. Triple Buffering without VSync wouldn't be buffering at all.

ZSNES just happens to have checkboxes for the two, and doesn't outright tell the user that the VSync function is automatically active when Triple Buffering is enabled.

Grahf · Post by **Grahf** » Fri May 19, 2006 6:57 pm

creaothceann wrote:Just for the record...

Grahf wrote:In terms of 3D rendering, my understanding is that Triple Buffering is only relevant when VSYNC is enabled.... I guess you're saying in ZSNES it can utilize Triple Buffering whether or not VSYNC is enabled??...
VSync, as an abbrevition, means "screen updating is synchronized to the monitor's vertical refresh rate". It doesn't say anything about further optimizations.

Triple Buffering is another technique that utilizes VSync. Triple Buffering without VSync wouldn't be buffering at all.

ZSNES just happens to have checkboxes for the two, and doesn't outright tell the user that the VSync function is automatically active when Triple Buffering is enabled.

Makes sense now, thanks.
Put me off hearing people say "triple buffering OR V-sync"....that didn't make any sense at all.

nicoliani · Post by **nicoliani** » Thu May 25, 2006 6:32 pm

Deathlike2 wrote:
nicoliani wrote:I found my ultimate state whit great graphic and no lagging.
640*480 DR HQ2X

But I still wonder way my computer can't handle HQ3,4X smooth. Does this filter demand better hardware than I got?
Yes... your CPU needs to be like 2.8GHz since you're using an Intel processor.

Would a better graphic card help?

Deathlike2 · Post by **Deathlike2** » Thu May 25, 2006 6:37 pm

Somewhat.. but the filters are solely CPU based. Better CPUs help much more.

nicoliani · Post by **nicoliani** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 12:06 pm

I just found out that I have been running my LCD screen analogue. Now digitally everything runs better.

gord · Post by **gord** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 12:24 pm

just to note, although the process of actually filtering an image is based pretty much on your CPU alone lets not forget that a hq4x image is not a small image, more like 1024x960 or so, at 16-bit and 60 frames a second that can potentially equal 112MB having to go over your motherboard and find its way into your graphics cards memory in one way or another (texture memory or just the display buffer) every second, so if your going to use a 4x filter you are not only going to want a very fast CPU but also a fast agp port/pci-express with fast ram.

Clements · Post by **Clements** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 5:49 pm

Further to what Gord correctly states, I have found PCI-E x16 to be much faster than AGP 8X when doing hq3x and hq4x, which is particularly noticeable if the filter code used is less optimised than the implementation used in ZSNES.