OMG the lag is unbearable!!

[blackninja]

Well the graphics card wouldn't really be for TS3, it would be for more along the lines of my Fallout 3 and Mass Effect, as well as whatever new might come out.  I think the E7400 seems to be a fairly reasonable choice, from what I've seen from reviews there isn't much bad about it except for when trying to overclock it, but I have no intentions for that.  To Buzzler, I stated that I was able to tone down the lag to a bit of stutter every now and then when doing certain activities or in build mode, but it's no where as near as bad as it was at first. Although, this is just at the begining of the Story Progression with AM, which I have yet to turn off, since I have mainly just been redesigning right now.

[J. M. Pescado]

And a video card isn't allowed to overheat no matter what. If it does, it's just crap.

Yeah, well, lots of video cards are, in fact, crap. So how does this represent a defense? The fact of the matter is that it happens and I have written code to specifically address this point. Clearly, the problem is not too little video card, but too much.

To Buzzler, I stated that I was able to tone down the lag to a bit of stutter every now and then when doing certain activities or in build mode, but it's no where as near as bad as it was at first. Although, this is just at the begining of the Story Progression with AM, which I have yet to turn off, since I have mainly just been redesigning right now.

If the problem is occurring in BUILD MODE, then it is NOT due to AwesomeMod and is definitely due to shortcomings in your computer, because nearly all mod-related things are inactive when build mode is on.

[blackninja]

Ooooh, ok, well thank you for that info. That is a definite probability then. It only really occurs when I use the eyedrop tool and then quickly try to paint a large room or outside of my house.  But the in game lag is far more subtle now, although it's not like I still wouldn't love giving my computer the boost it sincerely needs.

[phnxflyng]

And a video card isn't allowed to overheat no matter what. If it does, it's just crap.

Yeah, well, lots of video cards are, in fact, crap. So how does this represent a defense? The fact of the matter is that it happens and I have written code to specifically address this point. Clearly, the problem is not too little video card, but too much.

Sorry, I'm an ignoramus. So what you're saying is that it's bad to have a really good graphics card? I know it's bad to have one part of a computer be really high end and other parts low end, as the low end parts can't support the high end parts. Like having a really great motor in your car and weak transmission. Is that why? Or is there something else going on with high end graphics cards?

I'm very interested in this sort of question as I plan to upgrade my computer in the coming months and would like to do it right if at all possible.

My specs, copied from the manual that came with my ABS computer:
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6400 @ 2.13Hz
NVIDIA GeForce 7950 GT
SigmaTel Audio
Total Physical Memory 2.00GB
Total Pagefile Memory 3.85 GB
Hard Disk Drive 1/1
Capacity 298.09 GB

Can anyone recommend how best to upgrade? I'd really appreciate it.

I run Windows XP.

[J. M. Pescado]

I'm saying there are issues with good graphics cards in TS3 that are not present if you have a mediocre-spec one. TS3 seems to like to drive graphics cards at totally unnecessary speeds, and many graphics card are not designed to unnecessarily worked like that, as they have heat dissipation that is not sufficient to cope with being driven at 100% for hours of simming...and driving them at 100% is totally unnecessary, to boot. A crappier graphics card would be maxed out as well, but older graphics cards are less powerful and therefore have less ability to convert energy to heat.

[Skadi]

For those with questions about video cards: My machine is a good example.
Originally I had a ATI 9550 - 128mb. Ran fine on med/low settings, could play for hours without a single issue. I was given a ATI 9800 series, 512mb. Game looked beautiful, on med/high settings, but then I noticed my system would get unstable and crash. Temp monitors showed my card hitting the high 80'c range, and then the system would reboot. Sometimes it would lock out the video card until it cooled. Thinking that the card had died, I went and bought the earlier mentioned Nvidia GTS250 -1GB. Game was even more pretty. Card would get to 79'c and I could smell a burning smell. The heat sink on this bitch is huge, like 2" thick of fins and copper pipes and a fan plus I have fans pushing air right over it. Set up a fps monitor and realised I was getting 3000+ fps while the game was loading. [That stupid plumbbob screen] I would get ingame fps from 100+ to 1500+. Using 3booter and the fps plugin, I get a happy 30fps, everything is pretty, and my card never gets over 60'c unless it's a hot day. The only time I get abnormal spikes in heat is when using the launcher, as that shows 1500 - 3000+ fps.

Before you blame the card - Crysis runs lovely with vsync on, and keeps it below 60'c. EAxis fucked up.

[phnxflyng]

I'm saying there are issues with good graphics cards in TS3 that are not present if you have a mediocre-spec one. TS3 seems to like to drive graphics cards at totally unnecessary speeds, and many graphics card are not designed to unnecessarily worked like that, as they have heat dissipation that is not sufficient to cope with being driven at 100% for hours of simming...and driving them at 100% is totally unnecessary, to boot. A crappier graphics card would be maxed out as well, but older graphics cards are less powerful and therefore have less ability to convert energy to heat.

Thanks, I understand!
So maybe I shouldn't upgrade my card, then. What's the best scenario for upgrading my computer, the processor? Several parts?

Edit: @Skadi, It sounds like the reason my game crashes may be due to my card overheating? That is... sucky.
Is there a good fan control program out there for desktop pcs like the one I dl'ed for my mac laptop (SMC fan control)? I googled and came up with "Speedfan," but I would like a recommendation, as I don't want to dl a POS.

[shadow]

Using 3booter and the fps plugin, I get a happy 30fps, everything is pretty, and my card never gets over 60'c unless it's a hot day. The only time I get abnormal spikes in heat is when using the launcher, as that shows 1500 - 3000+ fps.

I have an Nvidia Geforce 9400 GT 1Gb DDR2. It overheated, I think. It made a whirring motor noise that was incredibly annoying and when I took it out it was very warm so I put the old one back in. The company is replacing this one as it was only 3 months old. Could you explain what you mean by "using 3booter and the fps plugin" for a not so technical player? I'd like to prevent the problem from occuring again. Thanks.

[Grimma]

Using 3booter and the fps plugin, I get a happy 30fps, everything is pretty, and my card never gets over 60'c unless it's a hot day. The only time I get abnormal spikes in heat is when using the launcher, as that shows 1500 - 3000+ fps.

I have an Nvidia Geforce 9400 GT 1Gb DDR2. It overheated, I think. It made a whirring motor noise that was incredibly annoying and when I took it out it was very warm so I put the old one back in. The company is replacing this one as it was only 3 months old. Could you explain what you mean by "using 3booter and the fps plugin" for a not so technical player? I'd like to prevent the problem from occuring again. Thanks.

Check out this thread, first and second posts contain the two downloads, instructions for use and useful informations.

[Skadi]

Nvidia card users can also run EVGA to adjust their fan speed. I use it to put the fan at max, and use JM's 3 booter and fps plugin to keep things sweet. There is also a thread floating around of a standalone fps limiter here on MATY, but it wouldn't play nice for me, and the 3booter was easier.

[J. M. Pescado]

It's really the same FPS-limiter, but 3booter loads it up in a way that is simple for the peasants, and gets rid of the floaty black window after it has served its purpose.

[phnxflyng]

I just need a clarification. I just dl'ed 3booter and the FPSlimiter. So now when I want to play TS3, I double-click 3booter in the root install directory, where I extracted it? And it automatically runs FPSlimiter?

[J. M. Pescado]

Right. In fact, you can just replace your startup shortcut with a link to that, and it will work.

[phnxflyng]

Sorry if this is obvious and has already been stated--searches turned up nothing--but a while back I read some of the threads concerning fps-limiter and noticed several people complaining about the big green numbers. I thought it might be helpful to know that they can be toggled by pressing F10.