What is causing the low fps?

[PuffNStuff]

Originally Posted by ComradeHX

One more thing: is a RAM extension PCI board going to work as well as just RAM plugger into the Mobo?

That is just a pci drive using ram sticks instead of physical drives. Its super quick but not useful unless u want the speed for a reason. It does not extend the amount of RAM your mobo can handle.

[pdxmark]

I got the new 196.75 Nvidia driver and I must say, "what a performance improvement"

This is a WHQL-certified driver for GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, 100, and 200-series desktop GPUs and ION desktop GPUs.

New in Version 196.75

* Adds support for Next Generation ION.
* Adds support for GeForce GT 320, GeForce GT 330, and GeForce GT 340.
* Upgrades PhysX System Software to version 9.10.0129.
* Upgrades HD Audio driver to version 1.0.9.1 (for supported GPUs).
* Increases performance in several PC games from v196.21 WHQL. The following are examples of measured improvements. Results will vary depending on your GPU and system configuration:

o Up to 13% performance increase in Crysis: Warhead with a single GPU
o Up to 30% performance increase in Crysis: Warhead with SLI technology
o Up to 13% performance increase in H.A.W.X with single GPU
o Up to 15% performance increase in H.A.W.X with SLI technology
o Up to 30% performance increase in Left 4 Dead with single GPU
o Up to 28% performance increase in Left 4 Dead with SLI technology

* Adds SLI and multi-GPU support for top new gaming titles including Assassin Creed II, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Command and Conquer 4: Tiberium Twilight, Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes from Liberty City, Mass Effect 2, Napoleon: Total War, and Zombie Driver.
* Enhanced SLI support for World of Warcraft and Unigine.
* Adds override anti-aliasing support for Mass Effect 2.
* Includes numerous bug fixes. Refer to the release notes on the documentation tab for information about the key bug fixes in this release.
* Users without US English operating systems can select their language and download the International driver here.

Existing Support:

* Supports GPU-acceleration for smoother online HD videos with the new Adobe Flash 10.1 beta. Learn more here.
* Supports OpenCL 1.0 (Open Computing Language) for all GeForce 8-series and later GPUs.
* Supports OpenGL 3.2 for GeForce 8-series and later GPUs.
* Supports CUDA Toolkit 3.0 features and performance enhancements. See CUDA Zone for more details.
* Supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI technology* on DirectX 9 and OpenGL.
* Supports NVIDIA PhysX acceleration on a dedicated GeForce graphics card. Use one card for graphics and dedicate a different card for PhysX processing for game-changing physical effects. Learn more here.
* Download these FREE PhysX and CUDA applications now!
* Supports GPU overclocking and temperature monitoring by installing NVIDIA System Tools software.

*Note: The following SLI features are only supported on Windows Vista and Windows 7: Quad SLI technology using GeForce 9800 GX2 or GeForce GTX 295, 3-way SLI technology, Hybrid SLI, and SLI multi-monitor support.

E8400-CO/6@3825MHz~1.33Vcore, 2*1GB HyperX 1066MHz~@2.1VDRAM, GA-EP45-UD3Rv1.1~MCH@1.28V, GTX275@691/1512/1215

I was getting down to 38fps at times in some of the forested maps and maps with dense vegetation. After a proper install of the latest Nvidia driver I did notice a performance increase. Now instead of dipping to 40fps'ish, it's only going down to the 60's.

Settings I tested were played on map Beirut-
NV-Control Panel: 1400x900@75Hz, 4xAA(Nvidia override control)*, 16xAF, 'Single display performance mode', AF Sampling Optimization = off, High Quality IQ, Trilinear Optimization = off, Vsync = Force Off
Game settings: Terrain = Medium, Effects = High, Geometry = High, Texture = Medium, Lighting = High, Dynamic Shadow & Lighting = Off, AA = Nvidia Override Control, Texture Filter = High, View Distance 100%.

-58FPS low, 168FPS high, 113FPS average on my machine in Beirut... I will get averages form other maps*

Go get those drivers, they seem to make a big improvement!

EDIT: *Wrong settings, edit for misrepresentation of settings. I had found this out later when I went back to my 'Nvidia Control Panel'.

[pdxmark]

To get your 'average' frame rate in PR, since there is now BF2 benching tool, you're going to have to do a little math... But it's simple!

First, after you've entered a populated server bring up your console("~" key for most people) and type the command "renderer.drawfps 1"(do not add quotation marks) and hit enter. In the top left hand corner will be your frame rate counter.

Second, you will want to administer this and record your 'noticed' Lowest frame count and your Highest frame count. Looking around at complex textures should help with decreasing your framerate, as well as looking over large landscapes without a scope or binoculars!

Next, after you have your 'Low FPS' and 'High FPS' numbers you will need to add the two numbers together, than divide the sum by 2. This will give you your machines average frame rate with the BF2 engine.
(Low+High)/2=Average Frames Per-Second

You will than have your average frame rate your 'settings' are giving you. You can use this math to see if your settings are making your framerates go up or down.

------

You could use this calculation to see how much frame rate decrease is associated with Net-lag. Create a server on a separate machine in your house and enter the server alone, then apply the above guide. After you have compiled the averages of online and offline gameplay, the difference between the two will be the amount of frames that the Netcode of BF2 decreases because of variances in/during online play.

I myself have not yet tested the 'averages of online and offline play' method, I read both of these guides in different forums and decided it need to be posted here. Hopefully this info is useful to someone?

Hope this helps!

[SnipeHunt]

Originally Posted by pdxmark

(Low+High)/2=Average Frames Per-Second

That gives you the Median Frame Rate.

Not the average. You could easily have a consistently high FPS and have one or 2 low spikes and completely ruin that calculation.

[Volcano]

hey about those nvidia 196.75 drivers: i was excited with your claim so i went to nvidia to get em. however they are not there anymore, so i searched google for them and found this:

NVIDIA pulls 196.75 driver amid reports it's frying graphics cards -- Engadget

guess ill wait for the next one XD

[Valleyforge3946]

Well.. OP. you need more ram.. yes.. there is a memory lea and it causes bf2 to EAT memory. i have 5 Gigs of ram. and i have seen PR use 2.1 gb's of ram before. its not uncommon. i have a GT250 and play at 1440x900 maxed and i get a lot of lag sometimes.. i drop from 75fps to 17 in the city. Lol. when i scope in on ANYTHING, my FPS instantly doubles. AT LEAST.

[Pedz]

I dont know why you guys are still using 195 nvidia drivers when they're on iteration 270..
270.61 out today.