System configuration for GTA 4

Hi friends,

I have a dell xps M1530 laptop with 3 gb ram, and nvidia 8600m gt graphics card. I am playing gta 4 on this laptop but sometimes the games starts to lag, slowing down the frame-rate. This sucks in the missions where you have to be fast and have to use your gun on many people.

I want to know what settings can i do to my laptop, or the game display settings(which i have already set to low but the problem still persists), in order to play uninterrupted lag-free and normal moving game. I don't mind low picture/graphics quality of the screen, as long as i can move around in normal way, and not in some slow-motion manner.

Thanks in advance.

Regards
EngineHeat.

 

I think this has been discussed previously. The common consensus is that a quad core processor is required to play it lag-free.

 

or a good core2extreme..possibly
xbox360 has a tri-core cpu at 3ghz and even that lags at intense moments in the game

 

So there is nothing i can do to solve my problem? What about Over Clocking and maybe some other things that i have heard from many people? I though have no knowledge of how that works.

Please guys i need to play it lag-free, even if i have to play it with lowest visual graphics as possible.

 

Well overclocking will help, this game is very taxing on video memory and I guess the cpu too.

Many high end desktops have to stick with medium settings.

View distance seems to be the big video card killer, so turn that down if you can. If its just the AI and stuff putting your cpu in the dirt the only solution to that is to overclock the cpu, and turn down the density of things (car density for example, less cars=less cpu cycles)

 

I have already put the view distance to low. Sometimes the game just comes to normal speed for like 30 seconds or so and then again goes back to it's usual self.

If over clocking can help, i would do that. I want to know if it will harm my laptop in any way? And how do we overclock our laptops?

Thanks and Regards
EngineHeat

 

Follow the link in my signature for GPU overclocking. As long as you keep a low overclocking (10-20%) you should be fine, just make sure you check for artifacts. PM if you have any questions.

I hope this helps.

 

He needs to overclock his cpu in this case not his gpu

 

What is the procedure for that?

 

Easiest way is a program call SetFSB probably but you need to find out what PLL your laptop uses.

 

SetFSB, PLL...these are all alien terms to me. Can you please care to explain in detail?

Do i need to do OC of GPU? Or OC my cpu? I'm all confused here!!

 

Like mentioned in another post, your main issue (the lag) is with the CPU due to the amount of AI (artificial intelligence) cars (or people) in the game, you need to overclock it. As for the GPU, if you want some better graphics you can try it.

 

I found turning shadows off completely helped for me on a laptop

 

You PLL code is something you may want to ask other Dell owners what it is in the Dell forum.

SetFSB is just an overclocking program that you need the PLL code to use.

Its your CPU for sure as this game recommends a 2.4ghz quad core cpu to play. Though there is a possibility overclocking the gpu may help you a bit, but I find GTA4 is not in need of a fast card just a ton of VRAM.

 

I have a T9600 @ 2.80 my CPU ussage is about 97-98%. Quad core is the way to go

 

My Asus W90 has a 2.7ghz Quad Core, have not tried this game on it yet, my desktop plays it ok with a Q6600 @ 3.6ghz and I still get a slight studder in gameplay like when a new scene loads. And I cant max out the game even with two 4850 video cards, I run out of VRAM.

GTA4 is pretty much the new Crysis in terms of system demand.

 

I can max out every thing but not view distance.
Diffrence between CrySis and GTA IV is;
CrySis = GPU Heavy game
GTA IV = CPU Heavy game
Yes, you must have good GPU to play GTA IV so

 

Crysis actually is the only game out of all my test/benchmarks that my cpu was holding me back, every single bit of cpu speed I was able to get via overclock gave me more fps, while other games were already maxed out and way over 100fps.

Big reason there is that Crysis does not use quad core, only dual core (or maybe even one core...)

But @ 2.7ghz I still need more raw cpu speed for Crysis.

 

I have finished both crysis and warhead. I had no problems about CPU. I have not ran Benchmark test. I must try that

 

Well if you understand the relation between cpu & gpu, that may be the reason. The W90 has two 4870 cards in it. So there is a lot of video rendering power, the cpu has to keep up. Only one 4870 would require nearly half the cpu power to keep up as the gpu would become the limiting factor first.

Thats in a perfect world where 2 cards scaled 100% though, crossfire really doesnt scale too great on crysis I say maybe 30% 40% max, but thats still 1.3x the power of a 4870 that my cpu has to keep up with, so my cpu was the limiting factor on my fps.

I also had the game maxed out on every setting 1920x1080 except AA because crysis has two AA modes. Edge AA and Regular AA, if regular AA is on it will disable edge AA wich actually looks better IMO and is easier to render.

I finished both games also, didnt really like warhead as much, but atleast it didnt have the bugs the first one had.

 

I've got the G50VT-X1 and the "extreme performance" setting which ups the clock speed doesn't make much difference for GTA IV. I haven't overclocked higher than what Asus set it to, but I've heard from others that overclocking doesn't seem to help GTA IV all that much.

 

Thanks for the input. I will go through the forum to find out the PLL code. Just out of curiosity, i want to know that how much CPU OC can i do on my system? I have a Core 2 duo, T8100, 2.1 GHz system. How far can i push it? And will it be safe for my system with me having no laptop coolers and all?

Thanks and Regards
EngineHeat

 

There is one trick I've found to help with crysis and the CPU, that is setting sys_physics_CPU = 1. It puts the physics calculations on the second core.

 

Cool I'll try it next time I play crysis. Miss your old avatar btw.

 

lol, yeah I've gotta get something new

 

Not possible, I've been looking etensively into overclocking the 1530 by raising the fsb, it cannnot be done. If you still want to try - download setfsb, select ICS9lprs365bglf.

As regards gta4, overclocking the gpu does help, in my case it takes the game from stuttering around 20fps up to a smoother 25+.

 

PCGH has proven that all you need for the GPU is about a 4850 or 9800 GTX to max it out. But even the fastest CPUs bog down.

 

I went to the ATITool website to D/L the software. This is what i read there " ATITool will only work on Windows 2000/XP/2003 (64 bit versions are supported)"

I have windows vista 32-bit installed on my system? Any solution for this?

 

It works for me. No problems so far.

 

Be careful overclocking don't fry your cpu, they go really fast on laptops. Make sure you oc to a speed that someone has already tried and confirmed..

I don't think that overclocking will help by much. The game needs more cpus to render the in game Euphoria engine. It's basically a beefed up next gen version of ragdoll. Crysis uses ragdoll based engines still therefore 2 cpus can deal.
Increasing the speed of you core2 duo wouldn't help drastically, you still will lag when running over a group of 20+ people on the sidewalk rofl

 

So not true. CPU are not hurt at all by overclocking unless you overheat it or over volt it.

FSB overclocking has no impact on voltage at all and almost no impact on heat. The worst that will happen is his computer locks up because he overclocked too high and he has to reboot.

As for overclocking the dual core it will help a lot, the dual core can do exactly what the quad can it just has to run 2x faster to do it if all 4 cores on the quad are used to there full potential.

He just needs to try it and see how much it helps, maybe a small bit is all he needs to fix his problem.

 

Not true at all and that is what I meant. Overclocking your laptop cpu by a few 100mhz will increase the heat a good amount, eventually burning out your cpu and leading it to be stressed out alot easier. Same thing goes for gpus..Once it hits that "no go" zone and you continue to run it at those speeds...Downclocking will begin and it has been proven.

For a dual core to run the same as a quad you would literally have to double the speed....On a laptop...Not happening. For instance my cpu is a 2.3, it would have to run at 4.6 to match a quad core 2.3....Same goes for single core to dual core ratio...

This is why quad cores are made..Less heat consumption if you have 4 cores running at descent speeds

 

your still wrong overclocking your cpu by 100mhz is not going to increase heat even by 1c, and its not going to stress it out.

Intel only makes one kind of chip for each series and just bins them at different speeds, the only difference is the internal multiplier so a 2ghz dual core is the same as a 2.8ghz dual core and if you overclock the slower one to match the higher one its not stressing it at all, its just running it closer to its natural speeds.

its just marketing, they purposely slow down cpus and sell them for less so they can sell the faster ones for more, and you sir are just a victim falling ploy to the scheme.

Im speaking with tons of experience and knowledge here.

My W90 has a 2.0ghz quad core running 2.7ghz and its only like 1c hotter, my old desktop had a 1.4ghz Opteron 148 running at 2.8ghz (100% overclock saved me $800 buying the 2.8ghz version)

and my current desktop has a q6600 2.4ghz cpu running at 3.6ghz

all of these cpu have normal temps, and are 100% stable and I have never had a cpu fail on me.

I have atleast 30 computer systems I have built and sold, all of them overclocked and not one person has ever come back to me saying there cpu died or they had a problem.

I'll end the conversation here, you have no point to argue your wrong and if you cant admit it atleast keep your lies to yourself and dont try to spread false information on the forums.

 

WOW dude can you honestly read? "Overclocking your laptop cpu by a few 100mhz "

FEW meaning 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600..... And last time I checked..You probably can't reach overclocking an average laptop cpu past 400mhz...

 

And you still point out the obvious..It's the same with Nvidia and their gpus. 9800m gs = underclocked gts...Lower the clocks and sell it for a few hundred less...
But yet you can NOT take a 2.0ghz cpu and push it to 2.8 ghz on an avg laptop.

 

You don't change the topic to another to prove yourself right...Why challenge each other we are just trying to help each other out not compete our knowledge..
You go from saying that a dual core can perform the same as a quad core to saying that intel keeps the same architecture in each cpu...

 

exactly im trying to help you out, by telling you your wrong, and then if that doesnt work I put some weight behind it.

the average cpu for a core2due these days gets 400mhz on a laptop easy, your far more likely to hit your rams fsb limit or system fsb limit before you hit the cpu limits.

im telling you overcloking the cpu has almost no effect on heat and I have proof, im telling you that intel cpus can get very hot beffore they get damaged or "fry out" and they even have built in protection to throttle down or shut off way before that can even happen.

your brand new here, your going around preaching a point that is incorrect and i corrected you. instead of trying to argue back go do some research and then come back when you found out you were wrong and then we can be on the same side.

besides your misquoting me on half of your responces.

I never said a dual core can compare with a quad core, infact go find the several arguments from me saying a slower quad core is better than a faster dual core in our dual vs quad debates.

I saw you said a few 100mhz and I said 100mhz wont even raise the temp by 1c, so do some simple math, a few =3 so 300mhz wont even raise temps by 3c and that means its not going to hurt the cpu.

If it was so dangerous how come the last 3 laptops I have bough all 3 came with built in factory overclocking for about 300mhz each? The C90S, G50V, and W90 all 3 have some kind of overclocking function for the cpu. Asus wouldnt be giving you a 2 year warranty and put a dangerous cpu killing feature on a laptop, how much sense would that make?

 

"Im speaking with tons of experience and knowledge here.

My W90 has a 2.0ghz quad core running 2.7ghz and its only like 1c hotter, my old desktop had a 1.4ghz Opteron 148 running at 2.8ghz (100% overclock saved me $800 buying the 2.8ghz version)

and my current desktop has a q6600 2.4ghz cpu running at 3.6ghz"




Obviously you have no experience when you just compared a desktop cpu to a laptop cpu when we are clearly talking about LAPTOPS.

Desktops can reach up to 3.8ghz..why? because it is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT MACHINE. Not taking into consideration a completely different cpu architecture and a much higher tolerance for heat and overclocking capabilities...You obviously don't know what you are talking about since you keep trying to prove yourself right by turning the topic away to something completely different.

 

I'm brand new here not new with computers buddy. Joining a forum doesn't mean you just came upon computers that day. And what do you think happens when you overclock. Higher speeds, higher flow of electric current...TEMPS rise up. Different in each laptop. My old m9700 had a single core turion 2.4ghz I raised it to a puny 2.5 and my temps went from an avg of 80c gaming to 83c. I still have the logs posted up on another forum I'll post it for you once I find them.

 

The W90 is a laptop, the G50V, C90S those are laptops all of them have been overclocked.

overclocking is nothing new, many people here do it. you shouldn't be scaring people away from it telling them there computer is going to overheat and tit will cause imminent cpu death

im at work for.... 4.5 more hours I can debate the point with you all night if you want, when I know i am right I'll keep at it until you can prove me wrong.

Thats what a debte is, two ideas clash until only one of them survives as the truth, also learn to edit please, multi posting is annoying and not allowed.

So from here forward how about sticking to the facts, and stop letting your feelings and opinions ruin our good debate.

old cpu tech is a bit different that turion is based on the same chip as my Opteron 148 was. Stiill 3c while gaming is within margin for error due to case temps, the gpu and other things heating up the case could easily influence it that much, just your home AC not being on for 20 minutes could do that.

If you cpu is holding back your gpu, overclocking the cpu will allow the gpu to run faster causing more heat as well, this is why I have to turn on vsync on my computer to hold my cards back or my room becomes a sauna.

No they are not, mobile cpu are designed to use less wattage and produce less heat but still based on the same chip design. It overclocks the same way and has the same effects, there are even laptps that use desktop cpu's.

Its the voltage/wattage that effects the heat not the clock speed thats the first thing I need you to understand. There is a small increase in temps from puree clockspeed gains but its negligible.

The second point is that even if temps did go up, its not hurting the cpu, its not going to kill it, stress it out, or make it run home to mommy. Ambient temps and the laptops cooling solution obviously have large effect on maintaining temps.

 

1- Your saying overclocking does not increase temps then stating that intel can handle high temps....Very convincing

2-I am quoting you exactly as you write

3-Yes many laptops come with "easybutton" overclock utilities to boost it up to 300mhz...."300mhz" not 400 not 500 not 600 and most definately not up to 800MHZ like you have stated before...."2.0 to 2.8"

4- You clearly stated saying dual core laptop cpu can match a quad core laptop cpu...Your other posts in other threads are not present here.

 

3.) Correct - to overclock from 2.0 to 2.7 on the W90 I had to use a 3rd party application to increase it higher, but it does come with turbogear that does a 15% OC stock for the 2ghz quad core that means it went to 2.3ghz for people that got the 2.8ghz dual core it overclocked them to like 3.2 ghz I think.

Sadly 2.7ghz is not even the limit! My ram hit the limit first because it cant overclock any higher without becoming unstable, the cpu should do 3ghz easy.

4.) I never did say that lol, where is the quote? I said you would need a dual core to run 2x as fast as a quad core to match it. Thats a true statment, I was also trying to argue even though the poster a page back does not have a quad core that it is not pointless for him to overclock his dual core as it can help him in the game.

 

1- Each laptop has a different tolerance to heat. Hence different cooling features.
2- I am not scaring people away from overclocking I NEVER DID. I simply said he will not gain much ESPECIALLY in gta4. Maybe an avg of 2-4 fps with 300mhz and it will still lag during stressfull gameplay which is why I usd the example of running over 20 people on the sidewalk...Endorphin is VERY demanding when put into gameplay..Look up the engine and you will be educated.
3-Mobile cpus are made to use less wattage because laptops do not have giant power bricks built in providing hundreds of watts of energy. Therefore it is all equalled out.
4- Very few laptops use desktop cpus..They basically are not considered laptops. One is the new np9280 and the clevo design the 92xx series has been based upon..So why say laptops use desktop cpus when we clearly once again are not talking about the 1 in 10 laptops that do so.
5- I SAID ELECTRIC CURRENT IS INCREASED. It means voltage in lame terms. fsb is increased allowing for more"voltage" to flow through..Same thing as I said I just put it in lamest terms so we are clear.

 

Wrong some more!

1.) yeah whats your point? I already said that.

2.) this is one wrong point, its not about fps here, its about physics & ai taking up too much of the cpu resources, if the cpu cant keep up it will lag/delay his cpu overclock of even 200mhz is maybe all he needs to fix it. this is a situation you cant say you know only the poster will know after he tries.

3.) wrong again, its not about the power draw, a adapter can supply more than enough power to push even a full fledged desktop cpu, the reductioni of wattage/voltgage here is purly for thermal reasons and for battery life.

4.) A laptop is a laptop there is no defining term that seperates them just due to the cpu used.

5.) LOL ok this is where you just derailed the train, I can see now your no longer even worth the words I am typing. FSB is Front Side Buss, its the bandwidth of the system, the main channel in wich all informatin passes between devices.

It has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with voltage or wattage, and again its totally separate and thats why I said in the very beginning that increasing the voltage is the main factor in cpu temps not the speed, as the fsb is purly a speed increase while increasing the voltage doesnt raise the speed at all but allows the hardware in the cpu to sustain higher than normal clock speeds.

clock speed = system fsb x internal cpu multi

there is no electrical value in there at all.

 

I'm tired of listing I'm just going to type since our quotes are right above us...
I had mentioned before that endorphin is a new ragdoll type engine. Endorphin combines physics of ragdoll engine with a constant ai response to interaction...For example..You run a guy over in gta4, he will fall and continue to try and get up as he falls..Ragdoll+ai. usually ragdoll engines have the ai freeze as the ragdoll like motion takes into play and then after that ai will take over again..You say I never mention physics...COMMON SENSE. Which is why I told you to go about and read up on this engine and its impact on cpus when put into a video game.

The other responses you said just don't make sense. You try to prove right when you repeat what I proved wrong already.

 

My own personal experience says that goosing the fsb on its own without a voltage increase makes little difference in heat. Since you often cant adjust the voltage on a lappy your limit ends up being how much you can clock it at the stock voltage and remain stable which will often as not be limited by the ram on a system using a cpu enjoying good yeilds on a mature process.

 

Thank you krabman.