LFS running pretty slow on my PC...

[TurboRegal]

Hey all,
Just d/led the demo, and love the game, looking into buying it if I can get my computer to run it properly. Whenever I have other computer racers in the game, the fps drops to as low as 6 fps, and the sound gets really bad. I ahve changed quite a few settings, and have got that to like 7 or 8, but still not great. Biggest change I made was to 800x600, but that didnt even do much, and 600x480 just looks to crappy to play... Anyways, here are my computer specs, just wondering what I should set the settings all at...

Celeron 1.2ghz
256mb ram
page file of up to ~400mb on all 4 partitions (1540mb total)
geforce 2 64mb agp
Windows XP Pro
Newest nvidia drivers (just formated a few days ago)

Changing to 600x480 doesnt really even do much, maybe bumps it 1 to 2 fps...

When playing by myself, on tracks like the test tracks, fps can get up to 40 fps steady, but as soon as it has to draw far distances, like on the long strait on the demo track, it lags to as low as 12fps if there are comp cars, and 20fps if its just me... Thanks in advance!

[MadCatX]

A am afraid that your PC simply isn't able to run LFS faster than you say... LFS is not like NFS series that are playable on much lower spec than devs recommends.
LFS uses MUCH CPU power because it calculates physics, very complex physics. When you're alone, CPU calcs physics only for you, when there are some another cars on the track, CPU calcs physics x number of cars.....
Resolution changing will NOt help you, because your GFX isn't loaded heavy(again, like in NFS). Only way how can GFX accelerate LFS is to do Hardware Vertex Shading. Because GF2 GFX doesn't support HVS, CPU has to do all vertex operations, and thats adding another big loadement..

If you wanna play LFS seriously, you really need a better PC. I am racing on P4E 3.2GHz, GF6600GT PCI-E, 1GB RAM and I get avg. 40 FPS with 11 cars on grid.
Min spec. for suitable racing can be AthlonXP 2500+, 512MB RAM and Radeon9600Pro....

[mrodgers]

Problem #1
Celeron 1.2ghz
Problem #2
256mb ram
Problem #3
geforce 2 64mb agp
I have a 1.2 Celeron with 512 mb ram at work that I'd love to be able to run replays during lunch to watch previous nights races with my bud at work. No go, I get 5 fps as well. It use to run the old S1 demo before S2 came out.

[MadCatX]

Problem #2
256mb RAM

I don't think that.... LFS isn't a "RAM Eater". Well, 512MB is better, but I think that 2.6P4 with R9800Pro and 256MB Ram will run LFS much quicker than 2.0Athlon with same GFX and 2gigs of RAM...

But :iagree: with the rest ot the list...:tilt:

[AndroidXP]

Unfortunately I have to agree with the other posters. You won't be able to tweak LFS to run better on your system, because it is simply too old.

A slightly better GFX card (anything > GF2/GF4MX) would already help you quite a bit because of beforementioned, currently missing, Hardware Vertex Shading.

I doubt the RAM plays that much of a factor in your current system so the priority of upgrading would be:
1. GFX card
2. CPU
3. RAM

Normally points 1 and 2 are switched, but for the extreme cases where HVS is not supported, this order is the way to go.

[mrodgers]

Unfortunately I have to agree with the other posters. You won't be able to tweak LFS to run better on your system, because it is simply too old.

A slightly better GFX card (anything > GF2/GF4MX) would already help you quite a bit because of beforementioned, currently missing, Hardware Vertex Shading.

I doubt the RAM plays that much of a factor in your current system so the priority of upgrading would be:
1. GFX card
2. CPU
3. RAM

Normally points 1 and 2 are switched, but for the extreme cases where HVS is not supported, this order is the way to go.
Yea, normally 1 and 2 would be switched and I'd say in this case as well. It's a Celeron 1.2 for crying out loud! I ran a P4 2.5 with 8mb onboard until last month when I got my first ever gfx card. It would bog a bit at the starts, but I didn't get any performance increase really going from 8mb onboard to 256 mb card. The only thing it did was smooth out race starts and allow me min or max graphics options, doesn't matter - 30 fps solid min or max. With the onboard I got 15 sometimes less if over 12 racers at the start then smoothed out to 30-40 half a lap in. Now I limit to 33 as if I don't I fluctuate more 25-40. Now I pretty much sit at solid 30.

[TurboRegal]

Oh well, I can use GT4 to play against other cars, this is just fun to play by myself because of the more realism. And yes, I know my computer has problems :-)

[SparkyDave]

Originaly posted somewhere here in tech ass ;) by Avih :thumb:

try this :

options - graphics:
- put all LOD options to minimum.
- enable track LOD reduction
- disable flags/trees/rubber/etc
- disable dither (?? is that done by the cpu or the gfx card?)
- enable hardware vertex shading

options - display:
- disable any visual option that you don't need
- some ppl report that removing the names list (N untill it's empty - while driving) has positive effect on framerate

options - misc:
- disable vertical sync
- play with various values of minimum sleep
- reduce multiplayer car draw distance
- reduce (/increase?) dynamic LOD reduction
- set updated path to user-car or off

options - view (on track with a car)
- set the view such that you see mostely the scenery and less car interiour (head position as forward as possible). some report that wheel view gives good framerate boost.
- i'd say that using virtual clocks should help too.

gfx card settings (not sure how much effect it will have since u have a pretty good one):
- aa/fsaa/anisotropic/trilinear/etc to minimum/off
- set image setting to "performance" (if applicable)
- try different drivers

hope it helps.

just a quick search took about 30 seconds :D

SD.

[MadCatX]

- enable hardware vertex shading
SD.

On GeForce2???

[SparkyDave]

On GeForce2???


lol I just c & p the whole thing :D

SD.