What does it take to play on Very High Quality?

[Puddingski]

It seems that balanced is the best I can do.  I was hoping that with my system, I should be on Very High Quality or even High Quality.  The FPS is just too low above Balance.  Right now at VHQ I am 20 fps in areas where there is not much going on.  It gets worse when things get busy.  Is HQ or VHQ settings even realistic?  I am up-to-date on the NVidia 8800 drivers. AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual 4200+ (2.2 GHz) 2.00 GB of RAM Drive C:  - Windows XP and swap file (3070 MB fixed) Drive E:  - NTFS:  300 GB NVidia striped-raid (dual 300 GB drives).  Speed tests show improvement over standard drive.  - EQ2 installed on E: Sound Blaster Audigy NVidia GeForce 8800 GTS using dual DVI outputs going to Syncmaster 204b (Primary display 2 of 2) and Syncmaster 730b (Secondary display 1 of 2) 1600x1200 and 1280x1024 (Game runs on 1600x1200 monitor)

[Trepan]

You need an oscillation over-thruster. Honestly, there's nothing out there yet that will let you PLAY in high quality - its just too [Removed for Content] demanding.   You can switch to it and take screenies, but no way play in any satisfying sense of the word.

[Puddingski]

Thanks...it's the answer I was looking for.   Otherwise I am grasping at the wind.

[redde]

Um.. you can play extreme quality with good enough spec.

[redde]

I can play mine on extreme when I solo - ~25 fps in out of city zones. I prefer to play it lower than that though because I group most of the time, so I sit on high quality. Intel Core2Duo E6600 Nvidia 7950GX2 2GB 800MHz ram My brother just bought a new gaming <b>laptop</b> asus rock something or other that runs on extreme smoothly - only saw it in neriak though. Oh and the screen resolution on it is really high too..

[Puddingski]

Yes, let me add that I can also play on the higher settings when there isn't much going on.  Like you I have found that in a group these higher settings get too choppy.  Too many effects going on. In my opinion, to be able to play on these settings means under all conditions (locations/groups/solo/raid). Do you think you could find out the notebook model?  I am seriously interested in this.   My gaming notebook needs the lowest setting to be smooth in groups.

[Rokaab]

<p>I now play on Very High Quality (except in raids, where I turn it down slightly just cos it can get a bit laggy at times).</p><p>Just got a new machine - E6600 Core2Duo, 2x NVidia8800GTS, 2GB 800MHz RAM.</p><p>Generally it runs very well and looks great (had to have lowish settings on my previous old dying machine).</p>

[NiteWolfe]

i play every thing on very high now i have not had a chance to raid test yet 35 fps in q harbor using fraps to get fps. Ibuypower.com build it for me they have a awsome system config for ordering just what you want.   Sorry cant seem to make the paste do a downward list Case ( <b> Eagletech Dragon Aluminium Gaming Tower Case w/420W Power Supply Black </b>) Case Lighting ( <b> Cold Cathode Neon Light Blue </b>) Processor ( <b> [Socket-AM2] AMD Athlon™64 X2 6000+ Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology </b>) Free Software/Game ( <b> [Free] iBUYPOWER T-Shirt with AMD 64 X2 Logo on front and back with Archlord Game Graphic --- $19.99 value </b>) Free Software/Game ( <b> [Free] iBUYPOWER Aegis Case - for your Games, Accessories, Disks, Manuals ... etc. --- $19.99 value </b>) Free Software/Game ( <b> Free Game - [Scions of Fate] </b>) Free Software/Game ( <b> Free Game - [Anarchy Online] </b>) Free Software/Game ( <b> Free Software -- [3DMark®06 Basic Edition] </b>) Free Software/Game ( <b> Free Games - [Age of Empires III] and [Rise Of Nations: Rise Of Legend] must purchase with AMD Athlon 64 X2/Mobile AMD Turion 64/Turion 64 X2 Processor based system </b>) Processor Cooling ( <b> [=== Silent ===] Thermaltake MaxOrb CPU Cooling Fan System Kit Silent & Overclocking Proof = Maximum cooling efficiency for quietness and performance </b>) Motherboard ( <b> Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe nForce 590-SLI MCP Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Dual Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE-1394 Dual PCI-E MB </b>) Memory ( <b> 4096MB [1024MB X4] DDR2-800 PC6400 Memory Module Corsair-Value or Major Brand </b>) Video Card ( <b> NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTX 768MB w/DVI + TV Out Video </b>) Video Card Brand ( <b> === High Performance === eVGA Brand Video Card Powered by NVIDIA </b>) Hard Drive ( <b> 500 GB HARD DRIVE [Serial-ATA-II, 3Gb, 7200 RPM, 16M Cache] </b>) 2nd Hard Drive ( <b> 320 GB HARD DRIVE [Serial-ATA-II, 3Gb, 7200 RPM, 16M Cache] </b>) External Raid Hard Drives [USB 2.0/eSATA] ( <b> None </b>) CD/DVD Drive ( <b> [Lightscribe Technology] 18X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive Black </b>) CD-RW/DVD-RW Drive ( <b> 52x32x52 CD-RW Drive Black </b>) Sound Card ( <b> 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard </b>) Speaker System ( <b> Logitech X-230 2.1 Configuration Speakers System </b>) Network Card ( <b> Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) </b>) Floppy Drive ( <b> Mitsumi 1.44 MB Internal Floppy Drive Black </b>) Monitor ( <b> None </b>) 2nd Monitor ( <b> None </b>) Keyboard ( <b> Logitech Deluxe Keyboard Black </b>) Mouse ( <b> Logitech MX518 Gaming-Grade Optical Mouse </b>) USB 2.0 Accessories ( <b> Build-in USB 2.0 Ports </b>) Meter Display ( <b> Thermal Temperature LCD Display Black </b>) Flash Media Reader/Writer ( <b> 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer Black </b>) Extras ( <b> Surge Protector [Opti-UPS Surge Buster] Protects your equipment from surges and spikes coming from antenna/CATV/MATV Coaxial Cables + Offer complete phone/fax/modem protection </b>) Operation System ( <b> MS Windows XP Professional w/ Service Pack 2 </b>) Media Center Remote Control & TV Tuner ( <b> None </b>) Case Round Cable ( <b> Professional wiring for all cables inside the system tower </b>) Case Round Cable ( <b> Rounded Cables for Floppy/HDD/CD/DVD/CD-RW/DVD-RW Drives </b>) IEEE-1394 Fire Wire Card ( <b> None </b>) USB Flash Drive ( <b> None </b>) TV Tuner ( <b> None </b>) Video Camera ( <b> None </b>) Headset ( <b> None </b>) Power Protection ( <b> None </b>) Printer ( <b> None </b>) Printer Cable ( <b> None </b>) Warranty ( <b> Warranty Service Standard 3-</b>

[rvbarton]

<b>Here is what I use.  I play on the extreme 85% of the time.  The only time I get choppy is when I go to the  broker in South Qeynos, and there are many players around. </b>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <b>Operating System</b>: Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional with Service Pack 2 <b>AlienRespawn</b>: Alienware® Respawn Recovery Kit <b>Case</b>: Area-51m 7700 Case with 17" WideSXGA+ 1680 x 1050 LCD Display with Built-in Camera - Xeno Grey <b>Processor</b>: Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 560J w/ HT Technology 3.6GHz 1MB Cache <b>Motherboard</b>: Intel® 915P Chipset Supporting PCI-Express <b>Memory</b>: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 533MHz - 2 x 1024MB <b>Video Card</b>: Area-51m 7700 ATI MOBILITY RADEON X800 with 256MB of DDR 3 memory <b>Sound Card</b>: Creative Sound Blaster® Audigy 2 ZS PCMCIA - OEM <b>Hard Drive</b>: Extreme Performance - RAID 0 - 120GB (60GB x 2) 7200 RPM ATA100 - Hitachi <b>Optical Drive One</b>: 8X Dual Layer DVD+/-RW / 24X CD-RW Combo w/Software <b>Optical Drive Two</b>: 24x10x24 CD-RW / 8X DVD Combo w/Software MPEG2 Decoder <b>Floppy Drive</b>: USB Floppy Drive <b>Ethernet NIC</b>: Integrated 10/1000Mb Gigabit Ethernet NIC <b>Wireless Network</b>: Internal Wireless 802.11a/b/g miniPCI Card <b>Modem</b>: 56K Modem with V.92 Technology <b>Additional AC Adapter</b>: Area-51m 7700 180 Watt Auto-switch AC Adapter <b>Optional Display</b>: No Monitor <b>Games</b>: City of Heroes <b>Games</b>: Everquest 2 <b>Free Alienware T-Shirt</b>: Free Alienware® T-Shirt - White <b>Desktop Enhancements</b>: Exclusive AlienGUIse Theme Manager <b>Free Alienware Mousepad</b>: Free Alienware® Mousepad <b>Automated Support</b>: AlienAutopsy: Automated Technical Support Request System ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Melod]

<p>I also agree that if you it not smooth in every condition then I don't count it as being able to run at that setting.  So...</p><p>With a </p><p>Intel Core2Duo E6600 ATI 1950GT and 2GB ram  I can run on High Quality pretty much all the time.  I think when I start raiding again though I will have to drop the settings.</p>

[Puddingski]

Nice feedback.  I think the general consensus seems to be VHQ and Extreme work well on good systems, but with too many people (effects) around, it needs turned down. It seems my system is probably behaving normal.  Since I spend most of the time in groups, I need to keep it on Balanced to get nice smooth action.   VHQ is ok, but not as smooth. BTW, every once in awhile I will try VHQ and be happy with it.  I will leave it there for a day or so, then get in a group and some big battle and then realize I need to go back to Balanced.  To me this means it is not playable (for me that is).  I may try HQ and see how that goes though. rvbarton:  Can you play extreme in groups?  Your system seems to be a bit lower than others that cannot.  However, since it is built by Alienware, perhaps it is a testament to their system performance (designing a good system versus adding good parts to a system). Thanks again.

[Tallisman]

I play in VHQ all the time - and add environment shadows. There's some chop in town but hey ho. To my eyes, I can't really distinguish much image improvement when cranking up to extreme. I also play at max res (1920 x 1200?? Can't remember the number now but it's close to this as it's also my desktop res). System: X6800, 8800GTX, 2 x 1024 1066, Raptor 150GB 10k, 10/100 ethernet (20mbit/sec download), couple of opticle drives, Asus D5WDH mobo (think that number's right), Dell 2407.

[Tebos]

<cite>Puddingskins wrote:</cite><blockquote>Nice feedback.  I think the general consensus seems to be VHQ and Extreme work well on good systems, but with too many people (effects) around, it needs turned down. It seems my system is probably behaving normal.  Since I spend most of the time in groups, I need to keep it on Balanced to get nice smooth action.   VHQ is ok, but not as smooth. BTW, every once in awhile I will try VHQ and be happy with it.  I will leave it there for a day or so, then get in a group and some big battle and then realize I need to go back to Balanced.  To me this means it is not playable (for me that is).  I may try HQ and see how that goes though. rvbarton:  Can you play extreme in groups?  Your system seems to be a bit lower than others that cannot.  However, since it is built by Alienware, perhaps it is a testament to their system performance (designing a good system versus adding good parts to a system). Thanks again. </blockquote><p> Most likely that rvbarton is playing on modified extreme quality by turning off shadows. His system could not handle running the the game on extreme quality preset (not altering any settings) 85% of the time.</p><p>As far as your initial query; your processor is holding you back in running VHQ to Extreme Quality in all instances.</p><p>I've had rigs similar to yours and rvbarton in the past and speak from experience. My current rig runs beautifully on VHQ and Extreme Quality along with group situations.</p>

[Puddingski]

Tebos wrote: <blockquote><p>As far as your initial query; your processor is holding you back in running VHQ to Extreme Quality in all instances.</p><p>I've had rigs similar to yours and rvbarton in the past and speak from experience. My current rig runs beautifully on VHQ and Extreme Quality along with group situations.</p></blockquote> Do you think I would benefit from getting a faster CPU in the same family (AMD64 X2 6000) or would you say I need to jump to the next technology (FX62 or Intel)? Thanks!

[feldon30]

<blockquote>The FPS is just too low above Balance.  Right now at VHQ I am 20 fps in areas where there is not much going on.  It gets worse when things get busy.</blockquote> I cannot imagine running EQ2 at Balanced. It looks so much better at VHQ. I have an AMD Athlon 2.1GHz with 2GB of RAM and a GeForce 6800XT 512MB AGP card. At 1280 x 1024, it runs about 10-20fps which really doesn't bother me. I guess it's just a matter of taste. A friend has a laptop with a GeForce 7600 with 256MB of RAM and it runs 1440 x 960 at High Quality and it is silky smooth, so your 8800 GTS should be kicking serious butt. I would try running just 1 monitor at 1280 x 1024.

[cerialxthrilla]

<cite>Puddingskins wrote:</cite><blockquote>It seems that balanced is the best I can do.  I was hoping that with my system, I should be on Very High Quality or even High Quality.  The FPS is just too low above Balance.  Right now at VHQ I am 20 fps in areas where there is not much going on.  It gets worse when things get busy.  Is HQ or VHQ settings even realistic?  I am up-to-date on the NVidia 8800 drivers. AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual 4200+ (2.2 GHz) 2.00 GB of RAM Drive C:  - Windows XP and swap file (3070 MB fixed) Drive E:  - NTFS:  300 GB NVidia striped-raid (dual 300 GB drives).  Speed tests show improvement over standard drive.  - EQ2 installed on E: Sound Blaster Audigy NVidia GeForce 8800 GTS using dual DVI outputs going to Syncmaster 204b (Primary display 2 of 2) and Syncmaster 730b (Secondary display 1 of 2) 1600x1200 and 1280x1024 (Game runs on 1600x1200 monitor) </blockquote>i play on Very High with a similar machine, i can extremely high decently when im soloing. Some things to check: With the dual core, be sure to go to the AMD site and download the dual core drivers and there is a utility that improves dual core performance on programs not designed for dual core. This helped me alot with performance and crashing issues. I use 4GB of 800mhz ram. I run an Nvidia 7900GS video card at 1440x900 resolution. But i would really try those drivers and utilities if you havent yet, made a huge difference for me.

[Tebos]

<cite>Puddingskins wrote:</cite><blockquote>Tebos wrote: <blockquote><p>As far as your initial query; your processor is holding you back in running VHQ to Extreme Quality in all instances.</p><p>I've had rigs similar to yours and rvbarton in the past and speak from experience. My current rig runs beautifully on VHQ and Extreme Quality along with group situations.</p></blockquote> Do you think I would benefit from getting a faster CPU in the same family (AMD64 X2 6000) or would you say I need to jump to the next technology (FX62 or Intel)? Thanks! </blockquote><p>Note...if your current mobo can take a FX-60, then that's all you need. That is my current processor. Good luck</p>

[TSR-JasonC]

<cite>Puddingskins wrote:</cite><blockquote>What does it take to play on Very High Quality? </blockquote> <cite>Trepan wrote:</cite><blockquote>You need an oscillation over-thruster. </blockquote> No, you don't need something from Buckaroo Banzai's universe (albeit a very cool reference, nonetheless) in order to play the game without issue in Very High Quality or better.  Just look at the info in my profile.  My computer at home can play the game without problem in Extreme Quality, and only for under $1000: <b><a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/user/profile.m?user_id=222601" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><b><span style="color: #ff9900">TSR-JasonC</span></b></a> </b>

[Birn]

I think I'm picky, what I call bad FPS my girlfriend says it's smooth. Maybe this is what you need, learn to live with 20 fps <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Darkfir3]

Well, I play on HQ-VHQ except when I pvp or raid. When I raid I go balanced, when I pvp I use extreme performance for the zero lag, need quick reactions lol.

[Puddingski]

I am trying out your suggestions.   I am downloading the AMD driver (I already had the dual-core optimizer).  Also, I am looking at lowering the resolution and removing a monitor.  The CPU upgrade looks tempting too. However, before I did those things, I thought I would try out HQ mode and give it a good fair test.   It seemed good in Antonica and also in TS.  However, once I returned to Willow Wood and have 6-10 PCs in my vision, the FPS goes down to 10.   This is where I get concerend.   This is with various PCs having pets, fire effects, ....   In a party, this is probably similar performance and not good.   Gumby animation was smoother than this. So, my plan is to try the above things and come back to Willow Wood and see how it goes. BTW, there is a 52 berserker here that glows with fire.   WHen I move him off the screen, I get 5 FPS back to me.  Also, turning off shadows seems to make it more smooth.  Only a few more FPS, but less choppy.  Even VHQ is good under two conditions:  no shadows, no fire/glow effects on PCs nearby.   

[Tebos]

<cite>Puddingskins wrote:</cite><blockquote>I am trying out your suggestions.   I am downloading the AMD driver (I already had the dual-core optimizer).  Also, I am looking at lowering the resolution and removing a monitor.  The CPU upgrade looks tempting too. However, before I did those things, I thought I would try out HQ mode and give it a good fair test.   It seemed good in Antonica and also in TS.  However, once I returned to Willow Wood and have 6-10 PCs in my vision, the FPS goes down to 10.   This is where I get concerend.   This is with various PCs having pets, fire effects, ....   In a party, this is probably similar performance and not good.   Gumby animation was smoother than this. So, my plan is to try the above things and come back to Willow Wood and see how it goes. BTW, there is a 52 berserker here that glows with fire.   WHen I move him off the screen, I get 5 FPS back to me.  Also, turning off shadows seems to make it more smooth.  Only a few more FPS, but less choppy.  Even VHQ is good under two conditions:  no shadows, no fire/glow effects on PCs nearby.    </blockquote><p>Also try deleting the pagefile and re-creating it. If you haven't already done so, google for and download either Diskkeeper or Perfect Disk and defrag the hard drive. For optimal performance, you need to have at least 20% of available drive space where the pagefile resides. </p>

[AntLi]

A high end system of today but, even then EQ2 looks dated still. It has no volumetric clouds and the sky pretty bland. It has no shader 3.0 flora on the landscape and the landscape and flora are pretty static expect for the feature when turned on that moves a 2D looking shrub aside as you walk past. The flora is pretty dated period! LOTRO just on normal high setting looks better than EQ2 maxed out. EQ2 just has better animations mob and character animations. Looks like EQ2 so called future proofing isn’t that future proofed at all. SOE prediction on hardware evolution was way off.

[Tebos]

<cite>AntLion wrote:</cite><blockquote>A high end system of today but, even then EQ2 looks dated still. It has no volumetric clouds and the sky pretty bland. It has no shader 3.0 flora on the landscape and the landscape and flora are pretty static expect for the feature when turned on that moves a 2D looking shrub aside as you walk past. The flora is pretty dated period! LOTRO just on normal high setting looks better than EQ2 maxed out. EQ2 just has better animations mob and character animations. Looks like EQ2 so called future proofing isn’t that future proofed at all. SOE prediction on hardware evolution was way off. </blockquote><p> I saw my first LOTRO when visiting a friend yesterday, and as I approached the screen...I thought I was looking at EverQuest Live game. That's how plain it looked to me. As I got in front of the screen, I was un-impressed visually. Have no idea what computer system you are using to view EQII with, but your evaluation on the landscape of EQII is not "spot-on".</p>

[Puddingski]

I think EQ2 looks very nice in HQ and above.   I think LOTRO looks very nice with the high-res textures.  All-in-all, I think for similar performance settings (FPS), the LOTRO seems to look better.   I think LOTRO maxed out in visuals (which I can play smoothly) looks better than EQ2 in balanced (which I can play smoothly).   EQ2 in HQ and above, I think starts to look much better than LOTRO.   My problem is I can't experience it. The problem seems to be related to the number of PCs in my view.  Every time someone enters my view, the FPS drops 3-5 FPS.  I have tried one monitor, I have tried lower resolution, I have updated the two AMD optimizers/driver.  I have tried nightly defrags (task scheduler and contig.exe), I am now using Bitkeeper (3 weeks now) and it keeps it defragged continuously when the PC is idle.  I have also tried many suggestions with NV control panel and have even used the NV tuner to overclock my system by about 14%.   Well, the last option probably gave me about 14% improvement, but who can tell.  In other words, the FPS number isn't accurate enough to be able to say I went from 10 fps to 12 fps.   It jumps too much and I also can't recreate the same exact view to be sure.  Still, I think it did. I think several game designers counted on faster CPUs and instead they got multi-core CPUs that they don't take advantage of.   I say they should have seen that coming, but who knows for sure. After digging around, I have to agree with some that the EQ2/8800 combination is severely CPU limited.  BTW, 20 fps is acceptable to me, but 10 fps is not.  If I get 20 fps solo'ing and 10 fps while grouping, then this is a setting I can't use.   Right now, the only way to get 20+ fps while grouping is on Balanced mode. My next step is to try a CPU upgrade.  This may take awhile since it is the most expensive option.   I'm not even sure it is worth the money for improved graphics.  IMO, the game's strengths are in other areas anyway.   Even though I made the LOTRO comments above, EQ2 is still a funner game to play, by far. I am still a very satisfied customer. Thanks again!   (More system details posted below) Processor Model : 1x AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4200+ Speed : 2.53GHz Model Number : 4200 (estimated) Cores per Processor : 2 Unit(s) Threads per Core : 1 Unit(s) Type : Dual-Core Internal Data Cache : 64kB Synchronous, Write-Back, 2-way set, 64 byte line size L2 On-board Cache : 512kB ECC Synchronous, Write-Back, 16-way set, 64 byte line size Mainboard Bus(es) : ISA PCI PCIe IMB USB i2c/SMBus MP Support : 2 Processor(s) MP APIC : Yes System BIOS : Phoenix Technologies, LTD 6.00 PG System : MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD MS-7125 Mainboard : MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD MS-7125 Total Memory : 2GB DDR-SDRAM Chipset 1 Model : Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Athlon 64 / Opteron HyperTransport Technology Configuration Front Side Bus Speed : 2x 1150MHz (2300MHz data rate) Total Memory : 2GB DDR-SDRAM Memory Bus Speed : 2x 180MHz (360MHz data rate) Video System Desktop Monitors/Panels : 2 Monitor/Panel : Default Monitor Monitor/Panel : Default Monitor Monitor/Panel : Default Monitor Monitor/Panel : SyncMaster 730B(Digital) Monitor/Panel : Plug and Play Monitor Adapter : NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS Adapter : Mirage Driver Physical Storage Devices Removable Drive : Floppy disk drive Hard Disk : HDT722516DLA380 (153GB) Hard Disk : NVIDIA  STRIPE   306.77G CD-ROM/DVD : HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-H10A (CD 48X Rd, 48X Wr) (DVD 6X Rd, 6X Wr) Logical Storage Devices Hard Disk (C<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> : 153GB (45GB, 29% Free Space) (NTFS) Games (E<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> : 98GB (28GB, 28% Free Space) (NTFS) CD-ROM/DVD (D<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> : N/A 3.5" 1.44MB (A<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> : N/A MultiMedia Device(s) Device : Sound Blaster Audigy Power Management Mains (AC) Line Status : On-Line Operating System(s) Windows System : Microsoft Windows XP/2002 Professional 5.01.2600 (Service Pack 2) Platform Compliance : Win32 x86 System Memory Controller Location : Mainboard Error Correction Capability : None Number of Memory Slots : 4 Maximum Installable Memory : 16GB Bank0/1 - A0 : None None None None DIMM 1GB/64 Bank2/3 - A1 : Empty Bank4/5 - A2 : None None None None DIMM 1GB/64 Bank6/7 - A3 : Empty Chipset 1 Model : Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Athlon 64 / Opteron HyperTransport Technology Configuration Bus(es) : ISA PCI PCIe IMB USB i2c/SMBus Version : 1.02 Front Side Bus Speed : 2x 1150MHz (2300MHz data rate) Maximum FSB Speed / Max Memory Speed : 2x 1000MHz / 2x 200MHz In/Out Width : 16-bit / 16-bit SMP - MP Capability : No IO Queue Depth : 8 request(s) Chipset 1 Hub Interface Type : HyperTransport Version : 1.02 In/Out Width : 16-bit / 16-bit Speed : 2x 1150MHz (2300MHz data rate) Logical/Chipset 1 Memory Banks Bank 0 : 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2 Bank 1 : 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2 Bank 2 : 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2 Bank 3 : 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-7 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) CR2 Channels : 1 Bank Interleave : 4-way Speed : 2x 180MHz (360MHz data rate) Multiplier : 1/14x Width : 64-bit Memory Controller in Processor : Yes Cores per Memory Controller : 2 Unit(s) Refresh Rate : 7.80µs Power Save Mode : No Fixed Hole Present : No Memory Module 1 Manufacturer : Corsair Model : CMX1024-3200C2 Type : 1GB DDR-SDRAM Technology : 16x(64Mx<img src="/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Speed : PC3200U DDR-200 Standard Timings : 3.0-3-3-8 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) Date of Manufacture : Wednesday, November 14, 2159 Memory DC Line : 2.5V Set Timing @ 200MHz : 3.0-3-3-8 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) Memory Module 2 Manufacturer : Corsair Model : CMX1024-3200C2 Type : 1GB DDR-SDRAM Technology : 16x(64Mx<img src="/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Speed : PC3200U DDR-200 Standard Timings : 3.0-3-3-8 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) Date of Manufacture : Wednesday, November 14, 2159 Memory DC Line : 2.5V Set Timing @ 200MHz : 3.0-3-3-8 (tCL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS) Voltage Sensor(s) CPU1 DC Line : 1.39V CPU2 DC Line : 3.33V +3.3V DC Line : 3.32V +5V DC Line : 5.20V +12V DC Line : 12.27V Standby DC Line : 3.27V Battery DC Line : 3.00V PCI Bus(es) on Hub 1 Version : 2.30 Number of Bridges : 5 PCI Bus 0 : PCI (1/1x PCIClk) PCI Bus 1 : PCI (1/1x PCIClk) PCI Bus 2 : PCIe (3/1x PCIClk) PCI Bus 3 : PCIe (3/1x PCIClk) PCI Bus 4 : PCIe (3/1x PCIClk) PCI Bus 5 : PCIe (3/1x PCIClk) Number of PCIe Lanes : 20

[Tebos]

<cite>Puddingskins wrote:</cite><blockquote>I think EQ2 looks very nice in HQ and above.   I think LOTRO looks very nice with the high-res textures.  All-in-all, I think for similar performance settings (FPS), the LOTRO seems to look better.   I think LOTRO maxed out in visuals (which I can play smoothly) looks better than EQ2 in balanced (which I can play smoothly).   EQ2 in HQ and above, I think starts to look much better than LOTRO.   My problem is I can't experience it. The problem seems to be related to the number of PCs in my view.  Every time someone enters my view, the FPS drops 3-5 FPS.  I have tried one monitor, I have tried lower resolution, I have updated the two AMD optimizers/driver.  I have tried nightly defrags (task scheduler and contig.exe), I am now using Bitkeeper (3 weeks now) and it keeps it defragged continuously when the PC is idle.  I have also tried many suggestions with NV control panel and have even used the NV tuner to overclock my system by about 14%.   Well, the last option probably gave me about 14% improvement, but who can tell.  In other words, the FPS number isn't accurate enough to be able to say I went from 10 fps to 12 fps.   It jumps too much and I also can't recreate the same exact view to be sure.  Still, I think it did. I think several game designers counted on faster CPUs and instead they got multi-core CPUs that they don't take advantage of.   I say they should have seen that coming, but who knows for sure. After digging around, I have to agree with some that the EQ2/8800 combination is severely CPU limited.  BTW, 20 fps is acceptable to me, but 10 fps is not.  If I get 20 fps solo'ing and 10 fps while grouping, then this is a setting I can't use.   Right now, the only way to get 20+ fps while grouping is on Balanced mode. My next step is to try a CPU upgrade.  This may take awhile since it is the most expensive option.   I'm not even sure it is worth the money for improved graphics.  IMO, the game's strengths are in other areas anyway.   Even though I made the LOTRO comments above, EQ2 is still a funner game to play, by far. I am still a very satisfied customer. Thanks again!   </blockquote><p>There are some graphical elements that utilize the CPU and NOT the GPU...shadows is one of them. So yes, going with a more capable processor will yield those desired results. Moving from a 7950GX2 video card solution to an 8800GTX solution granted me higher FPS while running 1920 x 1200 screen resolution and 4x AA & 16x Ansio. There is nothing wrong in running this game, or any other game in the market with an 8800 series card and Windows XP. Vista is a whole new ball game.</p><p>When I had the AMD 4200+, I was only able to achieve acceptable FPS while running the game on Balance to HQ. When this game is set for Extreme Quality and all sliders full right, then you start to notice even more, the detail of the landscape.</p><p>TSR JasonC is running an AMD 4600+ and is able to have acceptable FPS on Extreme Quality. How he is able to achieve that is a testiment on how computer savvy he is. <img src="/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> </p>

[Puddingski]

Tebos wrote: <blockquote><cite>Puddingskins wrote:</cite><blockquote>I think EQ2 looks very nice in HQ and above.   I think LOTRO looks very nice with the high-res textures.  All-in-all, I think for similar performance settings (FPS), the LOTRO seems to look better.   I think LOTRO maxed out in visuals (which I can play smoothly) looks better than EQ2 in balanced (which I can play smoothly).   EQ2 in HQ and above, I think starts to look much better than LOTRO.   My problem is I can't experience it. The problem seems to be related to the number of PCs in my view.  Every time someone enters my view, the FPS drops 3-5 FPS.  I have tried one monitor, I have tried lower resolution, I have updated the two AMD optimizers/driver.  I have tried nightly defrags (task scheduler and contig.exe), I am now using Bitkeeper (3 weeks now) and it keeps it defragged continuously when the PC is idle.  I have also tried many suggestions with NV control panel and have even used the NV tuner to overclock my system by about 14%.   Well, the last option probably gave me about 14% improvement, but who can tell.  In other words, the FPS number isn't accurate enough to be able to say I went from 10 fps to 12 fps.   It jumps too much and I also can't recreate the same exact view to be sure.  Still, I think it did. I think several game designers counted on faster CPUs and instead they got multi-core CPUs that they don't take advantage of.   I say they should have seen that coming, but who knows for sure. After digging around, I have to agree with some that the EQ2/8800 combination is severely CPU limited.  BTW, 20 fps is acceptable to me, but 10 fps is not.  If I get 20 fps solo'ing and 10 fps while grouping, then this is a setting I can't use.   Right now, the only way to get 20+ fps while grouping is on Balanced mode. My next step is to try a CPU upgrade.  This may take awhile since it is the most expensive option.   I'm not even sure it is worth the money for improved graphics.  IMO, the game's strengths are in other areas anyway.   Even though I made the LOTRO comments above, EQ2 is still a funner game to play, by far. I am still a very satisfied customer. Thanks again!   </blockquote><p>There are some graphical elements that utilize the CPU and NOT the GPU...shadows is one of them. So yes, going with a more capable processor will yield those desired results. Moving from a 7950GX2 video card solution to an 8800GTX solution granted me higher FPS while running 1920 x 1200 screen resolution and 4x AA & 16x Ansio. There is nothing wrong in running this game, or any other game in the market with an 8800 series card and Windows XP. Vista is a whole new ball game.</p><p>When I had the AMD 4200+, I was only able to achieve acceptable FPS while running the game on Balance to HQ. When this game is set for Extreme Quality and all sliders full right, then you start to notice even more, the detail of the landscape.</p><p>TSR JasonC is running an AMD 4600+ and is able to have acceptable FPS on Extreme Quality. How he is able to achieve that is a testiment on how computer savvy he is. <img src="/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> </p></blockquote>Tebos,  many thanks.   I think that before I waste any more time, I will be looking at the FX-60.   I think my motherboard can only take an FX-62, but I need to learn a bit about this before I conclude that. How much does TSR JasonC charge for on-site private consultation?

[QuestingOne]

<p>I play on VHQ with:</p><p>FX-57 @ 3.0GHz 7950GT 512MB AGP 2GB RAM 1440x900 2x AA and 8x AS VSync. and TB On</p><p>I usually get 30+ fps with occasional dips in cities or around lots of characters.  Dual cores don't help, so I went with a very fast single core processor.  Also, I've heard issues with the GeForce 8 cards and EQ2.</p>

[Solaran_X]

I play on HQ, VHQ, and EQ with the following machine: AMD Athlon64 4000+ @ 2.41GHz on an ABIT KN8 SLI Motherboard 2GB of PC3200 (2x1GB) 2x 74GB WD Raptor 10,000PRM Performance Hard Drives (non-RAID, C: for OS and F: for Games) 2x EVGA 256MB GeForce 7900 GS KOs in SLI 500W Ultra Modular PSU Nothing overclocked (although I can overclock it all with nTune when I desire - I have an overclocked profile available).

[Puddingski]

Vaeamdar@Antonia Bayle wrote: <blockquote>I play on HQ, VHQ, and EQ with the following machine: AMD Athlon64 4000+ @ 2.41GHz on an ABIT KN8 SLI Motherboard 2GB of PC3200 (2x1GB) 2x 74GB WD Raptor 10,000PRM Performance Hard Drives (non-RAID, C: for OS and F: for Games) 2x EVGA 256MB GeForce 7900 GS KOs in SLI 500W Ultra Modular PSU Nothing overclocked (although I can overclock it all with nTune when I desire - I have an overclocked profile available). </blockquote>It's these systems playing on EQ that make me again question my performance.  When you say you play on HQ, VHQ, EQ, do you mean you play on those settings while in groups/raids?  Can you put it on EQ and leave it here always?  I can not and I think my system should be better than yours (8800 vs 7900SLI)

[TSR-JasonC]

<cite>Puddingskins wrote:</cite><blockquote>How much does TSR JasonC charge for on-site private consultation? </blockquote> I don't think my employer would enjoy me "moonlighting." However, I'm more than happy to give tips and recommendations for better system performance.

[Solaran_X]

<cite>Puddingskins wrote:</cite><blockquote>Vaeamdar@Antonia Bayle wrote: <blockquote>I play on HQ, VHQ, and EQ with the following machine: AMD Athlon64 4000+ @ 2.41GHz on an ABIT KN8 SLI Motherboard 2GB of PC3200 (2x1GB) 2x 74GB WD Raptor 10,000PRM Performance Hard Drives (non-RAID, C: for OS and F: for Games) 2x EVGA 256MB GeForce 7900 GS KOs in SLI 500W Ultra Modular PSU Nothing overclocked (although I can overclock it all with nTune when I desire - I have an overclocked profile available). </blockquote>It's these systems playing on EQ that make me again question my performance.  When you say you play on HQ, VHQ, EQ, do you mean you play on those settings while in groups/raids?  Can you put it on EQ and leave it here always?  I can not and I think my system should be better than yours (8800 vs 7900SLI) </blockquote>I can solo in Extreme Quality, group in Very High Quality, and raid in High Quality. I can't go Extreme all around just yet...but I'm working on it.