Need plugins to increase game performance : IV - Oblivion

» Sat May 28, 2011 7:53 pm

When I first got Vista I decided to check out hpow much RAM it was using up. While just sitting on my desktop it was eating up over 900 megs, compared to about 400 for my XP. I hear Windows 7 is comparable to XP as well. But at only 2 gigs to start with, that only leaves the game about a gig to use. Which is not really enough for optimal performance. Not only does he not have enough RAM, but his video card svcks and his CPU is also rather crappy. Yet he's trying to squeeze in these mods that puts all sorts of demands on a system. I have an 8800GT, which is far better than his 8400, but even I won't use QTP3. The compromises I have to make in performance just isn't worth it.

QTP3 beat up my 8800GT (awesome card by the way) and my 8850GT. It eats up 512MB really quickly. The rest of your visuals are fighting for attention.

» Sat May 28, 2011 6:01 pm

QTP3 beat up my 8800GT (awesome card by the way).

I've been very happy with it. Though it's not quite powerful enough for my setup. I'm using a 24" monitor at 1920 X 1200 resolution and I need to make some compromises in any graphic intensive game I play. With Oblivion I can't have any Anti-Aliasing, though I would really like to have at least 2x to smooth things out a bit more. But I agree, 512 is not quite enough for QTP3 in order to get optimal performance. It will run it but you have to put up with alot of stuttering, which can get rather annoying after awhile. Even the stock graphics can get annoying in that respect. A 1 gig card would definitely be much better.

» Sat May 28, 2011 10:34 pm

Wow, the 24" screen is already a sacrifice in performance. My screen is only 19". I will put up with stuttering on area transition, but outside of that...no thanks.

» Sat May 28, 2011 7:55 pm

I did a test. In fact, I've been testing as I'm going with this (so far 100% successful) BAIN FCOM++ install - something I never did enough of, way ago.

Anyway, at one stage, I had QTP3 Redimized, SI, Bomret's SI Texture Pack, official SI Oblivion update, UOP, USIP, up-to-date PyFFIed meshes, and the patches, updates, etc. for (and between) the relevant ones of those. I decided to use that info I stumbled across here, the other day, about seeing how much texture memory is being used in realtime.

Scary! With ONLY the above "mods" installed, cleanly and properly, and with OSR and Streamline installed, configured correctly, optimised and running at the time, the textures were using more than 512MB, quite regularly. That's right, without any LOD replacers, etc. Then again, with such things, it's barely increased, so go figure.

Just thought I'd throw that out there, for those with even current, fast 512MB cards, who might be contemplating the full (or even full redimized) QTP3, let alone all the other things people usually associate with it. Eek! :shocking:

edit: @ only 1680x1050, as well!

edit2: capped at 60 FPS, and generally sitting around or just above that, FWIW. (VSync on.)

» Sat May 28, 2011 10:00 am

I did a test. In fact, I've been testing as I'm going with this (so far 100% successful) BAIN FCOM++ install - something I never did enough of, way ago.

Anyway, at one stage, I had QTP3 Redimized, SI, Bomret's SI Texture Pack, official SI Oblivion update, UOP, USIP, up-to-date PyFFIed meshes, and the patches, updates, etc. for (and between) the relevant ones of those. I decided to use that info I stumbled across here, the other day, about seeing how much texture memory is being used in realtime.

Scary! With ONLY the above "mods" installed, cleanly and properly, and with OSR and Streamline installed, configured correctly, optimised and running at the time, the textures were using more than 512MB, quite regularly. That's right, without any LOD replacers, etc. Then again, with such things, it's barely increased, so go figure.

Just thought I'd throw that out there, for those with even current, fast 512MB cards, who might be contemplating the full (or even full redimized) QTP3, let alone all the other things people usually associate with it. Eek! :shocking:

edit: @ only 1680x1050, as well!

edit2: capped at 60 FPS, and generally sitting around or just above that, FWIW. (VSync on.)

With just QTP3Redimized, FCOM and PyFFI-optimization, those results sound reasonable. Congratulations are still in order (for the working game too.)

Happy gaming!
- Tomlong75210

» Sat May 28, 2011 9:15 pm

With just QTP3Redimized, FCOM and PyFFI-optimization, those results sound reasonable. Congratulations are still in order (for the working game too.)

That was without FCOM at the time (I just wanted to see it all unfold this time, and besides, I hear things are usually healthier that way.

But thanks, by the way! I had to see what vanilla was like, even before QTP3 - not as bad as I seemed to remember. Quite a pretty game as is. But wow, each and every mod has made such a difference so far...

Oh, while I remember - I was (and still am) using a few ini tweaks, mainly graphics-oriented. Perhaps that increased the GPU's memory usage... would make sense, I guess.

So far, it's fully working decked out FCOM, with Better Cities, QTP3 and Dark Regal, etc. And now, nicer skies, water, weather, nights, stars, moons, sun, godrays, special AA, DoF, grasses, fish, long distance views, and... I forget what else.

Back to it, now I'm done warning people with <1GB cards.

» Sat May 28, 2011 8:49 pm

Scary! With ONLY the above "mods" installed, cleanly and properly, and with OSR and Streamline installed, configured correctly, optimised and running at the time, the textures were using more than 512MB, quite regularly. That's right, without any LOD replacers, etc.

That's not surprising really. Even the stock graphics will use up something like 350 meg, so it won't take that much to overflow a 512 card. Especially when you consider that many of the QTP3 textures are double the size of the vanilla ones. Though the concern over VRAM is a little overrated. It doesn't mean that you can't use QTP3 with only a 512 card, it's just that you'll have to put up with alot of swapping out. Which means alot of stutters.

» Sat May 28, 2011 9:51 am

Wow, the 24" screen is already a sacrifice in performance.

But well worth it. I even think it's too small frankly. My ultimate goal is a 30", but I'll definitely need a more powerful card for that. My 8800GT is pretty much maxed out as it is. I started out with the overclocked version but I had to reset it since I was having overheating problems.

» Sat May 28, 2011 6:04 pm

Too small?! I hope to get a 24" this summer...along with an HD5870 2GB...what?! What in the world kind of lucky dust do you have at home? I would be so worried for my poor, good old nVidia card. I do not OC anything, either. It seems like I will have my first "learning experience" when I get the i5 Lynnefield though...not looking forward too it...

» Sat May 28, 2011 8:55 pm

What in the world kind of lucky dust do you have at home?

None at all at the moment, which is why I'm still using the 8800GT. I've been wanting to upgrade ever since the 200 series came out. Now it's up to 400. I just don't have any money for computer gear at the moment. Maybe next year. I'm due for a full overhaul, my system is about 3 years old now. And my monitor is too small.

I would be so worried for my poor, good old nVidia card.

The 8800GT can easily handle a 24" monitor, though you do need to make some compromises here and there. Like no Anti-Aliasing in Oblivion. Everything else is cranked though, plus I have my grass distance and a couple of other things set higher than the game's max. And that still gives me about 30-35 FPS overall outdoors. Sometimes higher, sometimes lower. I've never seen it go below the very high teens though.

I do not OC anything, either.

My card came that way, it was OCed by the manufacturer. I had to turn it back down with a utility I got from NVidia.

» Sat May 28, 2011 10:11 am

None at all at the moment, which is why I'm still using the 8800GT. I've been wanting to upgrade ever since the 200 series came out. Now it's up to 400. I just don't have any money for computer gear at the moment. Maybe next year. I'm due for a full overhaul, my system is about 3 years old now. And my monitor is too small.

The 8800GT can easily handle a 24" monitor, though you do need to make some compromises here and there. Like no Anti-Aliasing in Oblivion. Everything else is cranked though, plus I have my grass distance and a couple of other things set higher than the game's max. And that still gives me about 30-35 FPS overall outdoors. Sometimes higher, sometimes lower. I've never seen it go below the very high teens though.

My card came that way, it was OCed by the manufacturer. I had to turn it back down with a utility I got from NVidia.

I dropped mine GT about 2.5 yrs back. I cannot imagine sticking one of the 400 series cards in my rig. I do miss nVidia because of the drivers, but that card must really give off some heat...