Team Fortress 2 on the x3100

Please tell me your experiences with TF2 on the intel x3100 chip. I know this chip plays half life 2 and CS:Source well, but I am not sure about Team Fortress. I have a beta version of TF2 that does not function. Whenever I leave the initial spawning area, the frame rate drops to about 3 fps.

 

TF2 is a very fast paced game. lots of explosions and decals on screen means you'll want a dedicated card.

 

thanks that helps...

This card runs half life 2 and CsSource just fine. Those arent fast paced with lots of explosions? The beta version that I have doesnt slow down due to explosions. Its something else, and I want to know if the Steam-version has the same problem.

 

Hopefully this will help you a bit more:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=148045&page=22

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2630218&pagenumber=2

The basic gist of it seems to be that the X3100 will play TF2 but you will get incredibly poor frame rates or will have to downscale to DirectX8 or something similar. BHD is right though, TF2 does have a lot going on and many people playing at once which will put a strain on the CPU which is also having to worry about graphics memory. You could try the game on Direct X8 without any of the Aero features on (I'm presuming you are running Vista) but overall I don't think it will be too rosey. TF2 is a different type of game when compared to HL2 and CS:S which is why it drops so badly with frame rates.

 

Those links didn't help. Bottom line: I can get a smooth 40+ in CSSource, which makes me think I should be getting more than 2fps in Team fortress 2.

 

yeah, i was wondering how TF2 would play on my new macbook too. I kinda assume that TF2 would run just as well as CS: Source. Guess not :S. Anyways it makes no sense that TF2 would run that bad when the CS: S could run so well. I wonder if anyone running xp has tried TF2 on their notebook

 

From Sub-D's link. The x3100 is not a gaming card, thus it performs accordingly.

 

=) hahah I am sorry, I missed that. Too bad so sad, I didn't expect it to play CS:S perfectly too, but it does. I guess TF2 is different then.

 

You should be getting more than 2 fps if you set the game to use dx8 level shaders.

TF2 is considerably more intensive than CSS, for what its worth.

 

It makes perfect sense that CS:S would run well and TF2 would not. Just because they are both built off the same engine doesn't mean they will run the exact same.

 

When I set the game to dx8 I still get 2fps. However, that is ONLY when I leave the spawning area. In the spawning room, I get about 30fps.

 

that's normal, you should be getting more FPS in spawn and after you die before you respawn. It's just how the game works, the more going on around you, the less FPS you'll get. In TF2 the amount of FPS drop can be significant.

 

THAT significant? from 30fps to 2fps even when there are NO other players on the screen? it does this when I start an lan match with no other players too.

 

well, that sounds a bit fishy to me. Unfortunately I have no experience whatsoever with onboard GPUs. I am sorry

 

I managed to fix this problem by creating a file called "autoexec.cfg" with notepad and placing it in the /tf/cfg directory. I added only one line: "mat_dxlevel 81" to the file. Before this I had tried to run the game in dx8.1 mode with the command like -dxlevel 81. this works in CSSource, but apparently not in team fortress?

Unfortunately, my game crashes after a few minutes of play. It even gave me a BSOD once.

I was getting a stable 30 fps in corridors, however, when going inbetween fortresses (where all the action takes place) my fps dropped to about 15fps. Unplayable imho.

I am using XP with 14.31.1

*note:
game runs better in software mode. No crashes. I'd even call it 'playable.' FPS rarely dips below 20.

 

Oh boy. I think I'll stop replying because the situation seems to get worse.

For others: NO SERIOUSLY, DON'T GET X3100. If you are like the 99% of the users out there, you WILL regret it

I hope they get the drivers proper one day though because they'll seriously lose their business+the development will be the foundation for the successors like the X3500.

 

Have to modify that statement a little: "If you're like the 99% of users on NBR, you WILL regret it".

The X3100 was never meant to play games. It's supposed to be a cheap, energy efficient GPU to run basic tasks like Aero.

 

Meh, it plays Homeworld 2, so I'm happy.

 

I've been messing around with the settings for team fortress 2 in my autoexec.cfg using this guide: http://www.tweakguides.com/HL2_8.html

Its become very playable. Even when there is tons of crap going on the frame rate usually stays above 20.

 

noxxle can you please post some of the screenshots or videos on the forum? is the graphics quality comparable to CS: S? Thank you very much.

 

It does not look as pretty as CS:Source, but it is isn't 'ugly.' The game has a cartoony look to it anyway. Also, when running at 800x600, the frame rate rarely dips below 30 fps for me. This is what my autoexec.cfg looks like:

mat_dxlevel 81
cl_forcepreload 1
cl_ejectbrass 0
cl_maxrenderable_dist 500
fps_max 30
cl_show_splashes 0
lod_TransitionDist 500
mat_bumpmap 0
mat_clipz 1
mat_drawwater 0
mat_softwarelighting 1
r_drawmodeldecals 0
r_drawflecks 0
r_drawparticles 0
r_DrawRain 0
r_drawskybox 0
r_drawtranslucentrenderables 0
r_dynamic 0
r_WaterDrawReflection 0
r_WaterDrawRefraction 0
sv_robust_explosions 0
fog_enable_water_fog 0
r_waterforceexpensive 0
r_fastzreject 1
r_threaded_renderables 1
cl_detaildist 500

I will try to post some screenshots later.

*note that many of those configurations have no effect during multiplayer games if the server has VAC anti cheat enabled. Apparently, setting the graphics to do something like eliminating certain 'water effects' is considered cheating. However, setting your cfg file does not prevent you from joining the game, it just has no effect when you join.

 

What are your specs?

 

T7300 proc, 2 gigs of ram at 667mhz

 

the way team fortress 2 gets rendered during gameplay differs significantly from counter-strike source. TF2 has multiple layers of shaders getting rendered at once, to achieve that toon-shaded look, while still retaining realistic lighting effects. You're X3100 would be getting an intense workout and might need a break. It be like throwing a small child that doesnt know how to swim into the deep-end of a swimming pool, and watching him/her try to survive. I'd stick to counterstrike and mods, etc...

 

Sad to here TF2 doesnt run on X3100


I have GeForce go 6100 on my Primary laptop

I played CSS on Full settings 1280X800 & i got 30-50 FPS easily.

Is CSS & TF2 Requirements same?

 

I run TF2 on my MBP at max settings and average 60 FPS.

TF2's are a little higher.

 

TF2 is one helluva fun game. But a good-sized crowd brings my nVidia 8600mGT to its knees -- and a lot of other people, from what I've seen.

 

while I have an 8800m gtx, my son has a geforce 7600 in his notebook and TF2 runs fine, I am amazed that you have problems with your 8600mgt considering how much faster it is over the 7600m

one would consider checking drivers and settings on that there machine

seen tf2 running ok on a 6100 onboard desktop machine

 

Have tried a whole bunch of different drivers from laptopvideo2go. Quake4, Doom3, and FEAR all run really well at hi-res and hi-details (well, I turn FEAR down a little bit).

What's retarded, is that TF2 *used to* be just fine for me. Been playing for months. The only thing that changed (before I just recently started trying newer nvidia drivers) were the patches from Valve

I'm convinced it's an nVidia bug that Source games aggravate. I start out at a really high framerate (150 to 200), and it will stay there for a short while. Moving out into a crowd drops it down to 90 or so, and it will stay there for a minute or two. Next it's in the mid-40's, and before long, it's down in the teens and lower. If it's a multi-stage map, like say Dustbowl, I start out all over again with the most impressive framerate, and it drops back to unplayable all too soon.

 

I have the X3100 on two different notebooks. It is not a gaming gpu IMO.
IMO people need to understand this. Way two many threads about this chipset anid its ability to play games. It just isn't a gaming gpu.

 

There's seems to be a point that always missed in the TF2 performance threads: TF2 is as CPU intensive as it is GPU intensive. There's seems to be some programming error with Valve's code that uses excessive amount of 1 core. This explains the weird FPS drop alot of people are experiencing when they walk to a crowded area or large maps, and this has been discussed over and over at the Steam user forum. However, valve has refused to provide a solution still...

EDIT: I am in no means saying X3100 is a gaming card, but just pointing out the fact that CPU does play a role when it comes to TF2.

 

It seems updating the BIOS on my Compal IFL-90 has fully restored TF2 to it's previous performance. Getting no lower than 40 fps now in the biggest crowds, and mid-90's when things aren't so hectic. (2.0 GHz c2d, nVidia 8600mgt)

 

what kinda settings and resolution?

 

1280x800, all the 'advanced options' set to High, except for HDR and bloom, which just annoy me.