FarCry vid card review

[Spicedaddy]

HD3870 512MB, E7200 @ 3.2GHz, 4GB, Vista x64

using the Hotfix drivers, running 1920x1200, AA off, Very High settings:

DX9 I get low 20's but no stuttering, going to DX10 I get in the 30's but stutters alot...

Going to try dropping the res. to 1280x800 to see if that solves the stuttering, I'll be right back.

 

[AzN]

Originally posted by: SteelSix

Originally posted by: vj8usa
I'm getting the same stuttering issue as error8. It'll freeze and skip forward for a split second every few seconds, and it's extremely annoying.

I'm also getting framerates a lot lower than I expected... DX10, 1680x1050 maxed, I'm getting about 14/25/40 min/avg/max (ranch small). I thought I might be CPU limited, so I forced power settings to keep my CPU throttled down to 2GHz. Lo and behold, my min framerates slightly improved, which makes no sense.

edit: Just ran some tests at 1280x800. Virtually all the stuttering disappeared, so maybe I was running out of framebuffer. The game becomes more CPU limited at 1280, showing a big difference between 2 and 3 GHz (27 vs 34 FPS). I also reran 1680 with AA off, and got some stuttering, but less than at 4xAA. Framerates were decent (22/31/47).

I still don't really understand why my 1680 4xAA results were so much lower than the article's findings, especially considering that I'm GPU limited at those settings (my results with AA off are worse than theirs with AA on).

That sure sounds like the problem. You and error8 are 512, apoppin reports no issues with 1GB, and the first chart in OP indicates larger frame buffers really help.

That can't be right because I have 384mb of vram and it's smooth @ 1440x900 even at ultra setting long as I turn off AA.

 

[SSChevy2001]

@error
Yeah I am getting stuttering also on my 1GB. I tried 8.8, 8.10, 8.10 hotfix, 8.11 beta nothing fixes it. Also for some reason D3D10a doesn't load right with high clocks. I 1st have to lower my clocks then get the game loaded and then put them back up. Strange crap.

Honestly this game been a nightmare. Cropped Widescreen, Stuttering in DX10, slow DX9, closing out on it's own on the intro, ......

Strange how Nvidia gets some DX10.1 features and all of a sudden ATI cards suffer for it.
Ubisoft shows it's true colors again.

 

[Spicedaddy]

Originally posted by: Spicedaddy
HD3870 512MB, E7200 @ 3.2GHz, 4GB, Vista x64

using the Hotfix drivers, running 1920x1200, AA off, Very High settings:

DX9 I get low 20's but no stuttering, going to DX10 I get in the 30's but stutters alot...

Going to try dropping the res. to 1280x800 to see if that solves the stuttering, I'll be right back.

alright, just tried lower res (1024x768 since the only widescreen listed is 1920x1200), it went up to 50-60fps, but I can still feel a little stuttering. (probably less noticeable because the fps is higher)

It only stutters when walking around. Standing still and moving the mouse is smooth as silk.

Anybody tried going back to 8.9 drivers?

 

[legcramp]

I am very impressed with the GTX 260 price/performance.

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: Spicedaddy

Originally posted by: Spicedaddy
HD3870 512MB, E7200 @ 3.2GHz, 4GB, Vista x64

using the Hotfix drivers, running 1920x1200, AA off, Very High settings:

DX9 I get low 20's but no stuttering, going to DX10 I get in the 30's but stutters alot...

Going to try dropping the res. to 1280x800 to see if that solves the stuttering, I'll be right back.

alright, just tried lower res (1024x768 since the only widescreen listed is 1920x1200), it went up to 50-60fps, but I can still feel a little stuttering. (probably less noticeable because the fps is higher)

It only stutters when walking around. Standing still and moving the mouse is smooth as silk.

Anybody tried going back to 8.9 drivers?

What was performance like without the hotfix?

 

[error8]

I will try 8.9 drivers. ( bangs head against the wall)

 

[Keysplayr]

Is it the game? Or is it the ATI drivers? If the latter, what is going on with ATI's drivers? Or is it the hotfix that is the problem? Arghh... Head hurts.

 

[apoppin]

You guys with the "stutter" .. try [at least] 2xAA and 16xAF; small performance hit on a 4870 series
- see if that makes it any smoother

if you have an X2, try 8xMSAA and some CF filtering

 

[error8]

Ok, tried the 8.9 catalyst and I'm getting artifacts all over the screen ( black big squares ) . That's it for me. I'm going to uninstall Farcry 2 and will play it sometime later, when ATI or Ubisoft releases some driver/patch/hot fix.

I've tried, apoppin, using both 2x or 4x AA and the stutter is still there. I don't know what is wrong, but I'm full of it.

 

[thilanliyan]

Damn sorry it's not working for some of you guys. Hopefully a fix comes soon. Hopefully it's fine on my system as well. I haven't tried it yet either.

 

[Spamdini]

i have the same issue, HD 3870, 8.10's. word in the herd is that disabling catalyst ai fixes the stuttering. i didnt have much time, but i turned it off and went in game for like a minute. seems to be gone but there might be some side effects anyone wanna test it out?

 

[oddity21]

Game stutters both with 8.10 and hotfix. Stutter is evident with anything from 0-4xAA. Catalyst AI options have no effect on stuttering - turning the thing off seems to lower fps in DX10 mode by quite a bit as well.

Stepping down to 1280x800 makes the stutter feel less severe due to high fps even during hiccups. Still not playable by any means though. It screws up mouse movement.

I'm playing the game in DX9 mode for now. Are there any visual differences between DX9 and DX10 in this game?

 

[Spicedaddy]

It seems to be a problem with the game in DX10 mode. There's a thread about it in the Ubisoft forums.

In the meantime, I'm just using DX9 mode. It's slower than DX10, so I have to drop the res. a little, but it's about the same graphically and NO stuttering.

 

[vj8usa]

8.9 didn't help. I'm getting identical performance, and the same stuttering. I guess I'll hold off on playing it until (hopefully) a patch/driver increases performance.

 

[apoppin]

there is some stutter with CFx3 - 4870x2+4870/1GB .. but it is worse in the demo than it is in actual game play
[i searched about 2 hours for that elusive "perfect screen shot" today]
:Q

any amount of filtering does not make the stutter any different but i can also live with it; 8xMSAA forced in-game makes a much more severe performance penalty than setting it in CCC

with maxed out settings plus 4xAA/16xAF - 73.33 average/113.12 max/49.03 min at 19x12

 

[SSChevy2001]

@apoppin

You should try benchmarking with -3dplatform d3d10a in the additional command box. I got about 6% increase in my avg with 4xAA.

How where you able to force AA in CCC? I tried renaming to bioshock.exe, but it doesn't work.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: SSChevy2001
@apoppin

You should try benchmarking with -3dplatform d3d10a in the additional command box. I got about 6% increase in my avg with 4xAA.

How where you able to force AA in CCC? I tried renaming to bioshock.exe, but it doesn't work.

actually, i am not looking for more performance, but thank-you for the tip

what i am saying is that AA applied in CCC does not appear to impact anything - however, 8xMSAA definitely impacts performance when set in-game; it appears that AF may function from looking at stills, but not in motion [with x3 CF]

i am going to run 1GB 4870 next

 

[Hauk]

Check out posts 84 thru 90 for discussion of a dx10 stuttering fix:

"I found the solution for stuttering(DX10):
Open console and write: gfx_maxfps 25 (or 30)
It will run smoothly!"

 

[apoppin]

you are capping the framerate to 30

UT3 has 'smoothing' like this also, i believe

if your GPU is fast enough, i think you are fine without it

i am curious to compare with 280GTX
- tomorrow

it is great having a x48 MB for CF .. it doesn't matter which slot you use and it makes it easy to swap cards in and out

 

[error8]

Originally posted by: SteelSix
Check out posts 84 thru 90 for discussion of a dx10 stuttering fix:

"I found the solution for stuttering(DX10):
Open console and write: gfx_maxfps 25 (or 30)
It will run smoothly!"

Great find man. There is no more stuttering whatsoever!! Capping the framerate to 30 fps resolves the problem. You are a genius! :heart:

 

[apoppin]

Yep, 4870 stutters like everyone says .. even the 1GB 4870
[i don't have 512MB version]

19x12 - maxed out 4xAA = 35.53 average, 62.99 max and 27.50 min
- i guess you just need a faster card to miss the stutter

X2 or x3, even faster but with micro stutter

280GTX tomorrow .. i doubt the frame buffer matters as much as the speed of the card; anyone want me to stick in a 2900xt; or 8800GTX?

 

[AzN]

I played the game for couple of days now. for what it's worth it's not even worth all the trouble you guys are tying to get performance with this game. The game sucks. Forget the pitched reviews of 9 and 8.5. The game is like Mafia. Gran Theft Auto clone with First shooter elements. Doesn't do it for me. Very repetitive and boring. Only thing selling this game is the name which has nothing to do with far cry or crytek.

 

[SSChevy2001]

Agreed with Azn. Besides getting a headache from all the blurring going on in the game and the cropped view. The game play just the same thing over and over again. I'm on like 4% and I don't even know if I want to keep playing anymore.

The cap did fix the stuttering problem on mine. It plays just fine @ 1080p maxed 4xAA without dropping below the capped 30FPS. Oh well. :disgust:

 

[Spamdini]

confirmed the gfx_maxfps 30 command stops the stuttering, and i dont know what u guys are talking about, maybe stop taking missions from the same people, i love the game so far.also pretty sure whoever ur character is doesn't have malaria