Ok, the computer I have DooM 3 installed on has the following specs:

3.0 GHz P4 Processor
1.0 MB DDR RAM
128 MB GF 5200 FX (i've heard this is a crap card, and now i'm inclined to agree)
120 GB HD...

Anyway, DooM 3 runs like CRAP on that sytem. The computer is about two or three months old... I have to run it at about 800x600 on low or *maybe* medium quality to get playable framerates. At this point the texture and graphical quality is low enough to make me almost not recognize pictures like this:

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2003/pc/doom3/0430/doom3_screen002.jpg

I've heard people tell of how well optimized it is, and how they can run it decently on their older systems... So, what is my problem? The video card could have something to do with it, but how much? Shouldn't I still be able to get better performance despite the deficiencies of my vid card?

Any help in this regard would be appreciate, any advice/suggestions, etc.

Also, feel free to post your own DooM 3 questions regarding performance and/or your system.

I made a new thread because I knew my question would get lost amongst the 7 pages of the previous one, and this thread isn't to discuss the gameplay or anything like that.

Thanks.

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Saberopus: omfq musical genuis j00 >mozart
Thrawn42689: Mozart = n00b

[This message has been edited by Brian (edited August 10, 2004).]

It's not "well optimized", that's the only conclusion I can come to.

I am forced to run it at 800x600 at medium. I can run UT2K4 at 1024x760 everything high, and it looks much spiffier.

AMDXP2500+
Radeon 9600 PRO
512 MB PC3200

ummm as long ur getting a decent frame rate then thats what they meant by 'running' good on older systems... your graphics card is your bottleneck for sure and its a 200 investment if you want graphics like that. Go buy a 9800pro and flash it so it thinks its a XT and O/c it easily cuz they are the same card. Then you will get those kind of graphics easily. Well as long ur P4 is 800fsb and ur '1mb'(gb)of ram is DDR 200mhz

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-if you don't know, then don't ask...

[This message has been edited by Snoopfighter639 (edited August 09, 2004).]

9600 don't have the pipelines like the 9800s and would be where your system can't keep up... btw guys i have no place speaking

Dual P3 1ghz, 512 SDRAM 133, Geforce 4 ti4200, gets 'er done at least

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-if you don't know, then don't ask...

My pc has much lower specs than that... And mine runs at about 50 fps on high details. Maybe you should invest in an Athlon like me. Go buy some case fans and an Athlon Xp 2500. Overclock it to about 2.2 Ghz and say hello to 50 FPS.

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I figure that one day I'll either be famous, or in prison. But I guess if I'm going to prison, I should probably try to do something that would make me famous anyway.

Not getting a new processor... video card, yeah.

ummm, yeah, i missed that about "1 MB RAM" hahaha.

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Saberopus: omfq musical genuis j00 >mozart
Thrawn42689: Mozart = n00b

bill whats ur vid card cuz ur 2500+ is nothing 'that' special to give you all around 50fps

[url]http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2149&p=7[/ur]

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-if you don't know, then don't ask...[/url]

There was a problem where some people accidently had dual display on, and it would KILL framerates. But it sounds like that probably isn't the case for you, as it would probably drag you down to 1-5fps on any quality.

You might try checking some of the technical threads via google. I've found quite a few, all were interesting reads, and you might find a fix to your problem

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</sarcasm>
Want a free ipod?
http://www.freeiPods.com/default.aspx?referer=7439474
It actually works, too.

A game is not "optimized" when you need a $300+ video card to run it "at it's own standards".

Found this via ctrl-alt-del http://www.forumplanet.com/planetdoom/topic.asp?fid=5733&tid=1438663 worked for me. Boosted my fps

[Edit: Woah, i just disabled my TV-Out and got a monumental FPS increase , Now running incredibly smoothly at 1024x768 med detail ]
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WARNING: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PEANUT!
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[This message has been edited by TheJkWhoSaysNi (edited August 09, 2004).]

i run at 800x600 with low quality and to me it compares with no other grame graphically (everything being bump mapped, the algorythms for the lighting, the sheer amount of detail on hallways with pipes and computers everywhere, working computer screens and live videos...) so i don't know i would say its pretty optimized considering how big of step above the rest it is....

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-if you don't know, then don't ask...

Doom 3 keeps crashing on me, and freezing. what do you think the problem is? i have 15 free GB, and radion 9800, and 512 ram. also a petinum 4. 1.5Ghz. help meeee.

Do you have all your drivers up to date?

I can run the game at 1024*768 on medium, 4x AA and I get around 40+ fps. I normally do 1024*768 on high, which runs really good on my system.

2.2ghz P4
512mb PC2100
Radeon 9800

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ZGPC

LIke veryone else is saying, the video card is the bottleneck.

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I'm not an actor. I just play one on TV.

try doing that options thing on the link some 1 gave, that might help, i dont know.

For gaming, it's always a good idea to cut off a few Mhz from the processor you're wanting to buy and invest into a better graphics card instead.

A system with "only" 2.4 Ghz and a Radeon 9700 level card is going to outperform a 3.0 Ghz machine with those budget cards any day, and do so by a large margin.

In Doom 3, a Radeon 9700 Pro achieves 2x the performance of a Geforce FX 5500, and is likely going to have the (even worse) 5200 for breakfast.

Yea, if you have a problem it is probably your video card. If not I bet your problem is the connection.

[yoink], because 800x600 medium with all bells and whistles is "at its own standards" and my system which costs ~400 dollars runs it beautifully. 40-60 fps, which is really just fine for that game.


It's the video card. That card is horrible.

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There is no signature

[This message has been edited by Jaiph (edited August 09, 2004).]

at some point they have to leave older system in the dust...

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---Thomas jefferson, Declaration of Independance.

it's definately your video card... the FX5200 isn't much faster than a GF4MX

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LONG LIVE DREAMCAST!!!

If it is setting new standards, then why does UT2K4, maybe even Far Cry look better on my machine? Show me a 400$ machine that runs it at 1024x760 @ high details, no AA or AF, because 800x600 at medium detail does not cut it for me, because it looks no better than other games on the market. There are jaggies everywhere, nothing is smooth. The only "impressive" part is the shadows.

How does this make me an idiot? And since when is a Radeon 9600 PRO considered horrible? It's a mid-range card, it's about 200 CAD, or ~140 US, which if you are making a system for 400$ it is already a thorn in your budget. IMHO to really see Doom 3 for what it's worth you need a Radeon 9800 PRO at least, which is ~300 CAD, or 220 USD. That leaves 180 bucks for a processor(at least a 2500+), memory (gonna want a gig) as well as a motherboard and all the other bells and whistles.

Bottom line is, in order for Doom 3 to look spectacular, you are going to be shelling out 220$ alone on a video card. I've got to say, that's hardly optimized. Did any of you play the Guild Wars open beta? Sure, the graphics don't hold a candle to Doom 3 running on a super-high end system, but even on my friend's system with a GF3ti, it still looked good. Hell - it runs nicely on a GeForce 2 MX. I got excellent performance, and very nice visuals. THIS is optimization.

From what I've seen, Doom 3 has gone all out with some effect, some very nice textures, but the jagged edges compensate to provide a decent framerate. I was thoroughly dissappointed when I first installed the game and started playing.

I'd be glad to hear your side of the discussion, but keep it mature and hold back your insults.

With AA off what do you expect? Of course there are going to be jaggies. And a 400$ system that can run on high, you just arent going to get that. What game are you playing anyway... certainly not Doom, at 800*600 medium on my computer it looks beautiful



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ZGPC

You're right about the AA, but I guess I just expected too much... Other games don't need AA as badly as this one to look jaggy-less...

maybe because other games run at higher resolutions on your machine because they don't push your system as hard as doom3 does

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LONG LIVE DREAMCAST!!!

That's because you can run other games in higher resolutions. The higher the resolution, the less obvious the jaggles are.

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WARNING: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PEANUT!
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*Points at the crying baby Jesus in the corner.*

Now who did that? Who made us side-scroll?

*wags finger*

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If at first you don't succeed, lower your standards.

Side scrolling? Run at a better resolution

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WARNING: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PEANUT!
-----@%

[This message has been edited by TheJkWhoSaysNi (edited August 09, 2004).]

um Yoshi, don't do that.



Same. Doesn't work for everyone but definitely hit the sweet spot for me.

My PC is a 2.8 ghz P4, 256mb 9800 Pro and a 1 GB of DDR400 Ram. I'm currently running it as 1024x768 at full detail and with a bit of AA. Smooth as silk and god does it look good. I think I can bump the AA or res up a bit but it looks so good as is I'm waiting till I finish to tweak any further.

Oh and here's a tweak page for anyone looking to fine tune.



That's because you're running Doom 3 at a lower res. The lower the res, the more jaggies. I hate jaggies too so if I were you I'd reduce the detail level and either bump up the AA or the resolution.

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Cantina Cloud | BCF | The Massassian 1, 2 & 3 | Gonk WoW Petition <- SIGN!
Corrupting the kiddies since '97

that little cfg change didn't do too much... a little... maybe i'll raise the number. Anyway, I'll invest in a new card. Thanks, guys.

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Saberopus: omfq musical genuis j00 >mozart
Thrawn42689: Mozart = n00b

Bask in the glory that is tweaking!
http://www.tweakguides.com/Doom3_2.html

I got your card confused with the 5200. But it's still not great. The 9600 pro is far from mid-range anymore. It's 100 bucks, or around that. 150-200 dollars will get you a great card, and the Ti line runs Doom 3 just fine. I know. 1024x768 low 2xaa 2xaf, perfectly fine FPS. Maybe it's just a problem with YOU.

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There is no signature

Here we go again...



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When guitars are outlawed, only outlaws will have guitars.

Compared to games with similar features like Thief 3, Doom 3 is very optimized.

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[="Rememeber that history isn't how the corporate controlled media made it look like. Read between the lines and free your mind. Evolution is the birth of equality and the anti-thesis to opression." - Immortal Technique=]

Massassian since: March 12, 2001

[This message has been edited by Sol (edited August 09, 2004).]

[Edit: Thanks, Sol ]

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When guitars are outlawed, only outlaws will have guitars.

[This message has been edited by MaD CoW (edited August 09, 2004).]

I think its a joke...

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*

My system is configured as such:

AMD Athlon XP 2400+
1 Gig PC2100 Ram
Radeon 9700 Pro

It runs Doom3 at 1024x768 ultra high 2x AA. At 30fps+.

It runs Doom3 at 1280x1024 high detail 2x AA. At 30fps+.

/me huggles that config line change, and his uber-system

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"The future is not determined by a throw of the dice, but is determined by the conscious decisions of you and me."
I am addicted to ellipses!!! AHHH!!! ...
Make Sorrowind Worthwhile... join it! http://sorrowind.net

http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14874&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

^--- that rocks.

I went from 28.2 fps @ 1024x768, full detail, 2xAA to 32 fps with 16 AF thrown in as well. Yay tweaking.

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Cantina Cloud | BCF | The Massassian 1, 2 & 3 | Gonk WoW Petition <- SIGN!
Corrupting the kiddies since '97

WTF... your computer is slower than mine and it runs doom3 better? DIE!!!

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LONG LIVE DREAMCAST!!!

Bump. Anyone with a 9800 pro or similar card I -strongly- suggest checking out the link I just posted. It is an awesome tweak. The FPS increase noted above was recorded using timedemo (1st run, 2nd run is even faster).

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Cantina Cloud | BCF | The Massassian 1, 2 & 3 | Gonk WoW Petition <- SIGN!
Corrupting the kiddies since '97

[This message has been edited by Jaiph (edited August 10, 2004).]

The crappiest card that will actually play Doom 3, yes. My GeForce4 can play Doom 3 better. Medium quality. 1600x1200. The early GeForceFX cards are horrible wastes of silicon and you should never have wasted your money on one.