First time PCSX2 user, playing Haunting Grounds but having trouble with configs

[lesbihonest]

Currently playing Haunting Grounds on these settings:

GSDx 5334 SSE41 -> GSDX10 on Direct3D10 (Hardware)

My FPS on this setting is 59 - 60 so it runs absolutely fine but at certain parts of the game the environment just doesn't look right in terms of color. I decided to try it on Direct3D10 (Software) and it looks normal but the problem is the FPS on it is a little slower like low 50's in some areas and lower like in the 40's in some others.

In addition, there are also parts in the game when the environment is completely screwed up when I'm using the software render; for example, the character being a bright blur or there are just bright spots here and there in the background on certain parts of the game.

My question is, what are the recommended configurations for Software Render to boost FPS to the normal 59-60 for the entire game and how do I rid the visual blurs and bright spots?


Here is my PC specs:

Pentium Intel Core i3 550 @ 3.20 GHz
RAM 6 gigs
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GT240

Thanks

[jlwmanagement]

You can add rendering threads in the graphics config screen. Software mode is known to fix quite a few graphical issues in many games. But it requires more CPU horsepower so the slowdown you see is normal with your setup. As far as the issues in software mode, can you show a screenie?

[lesbihonest]

You can add rendering threads in the graphics config screen. Software mode is known to fix quite a few graphical issues in many games. But it requires more CPU horsepower so the slowdown you see is normal with your setup. As far as the issues in software mode, can you show a screenie?

Yeah, I set the rendering threads at 3 which would normalize the FPS in some areas but slow it down at 40 FPS at some. Is there anyway to have it set to be at 59-60 FPS for the entire game?

Here's the visual issue that I'm talking about...those bright white spots aren't supposed to be there and the character is just one bright blur.

[jlwmanagement]

Are you using MTVU hack?

Post all of your settings.

[lesbihonest]

Are you using MTVU hack?

Post all of your settings.

I'm using the newest version of PCSX2 which I'm guessing is 1.0.0?

The settings are all on default after I installed it, except for the GS plug-in so I'm not using the MTVU hack. I didn't touch the other plug-ins since I'm new to this program so I don't want to screw anything up.

When I play it on Hardware mode I'm using the resolution on 900 x 700 to which I have Texture Filtering checked and some changes to the shade boost to make the game look more like the PS2 version. I also checked Edge Anti-Aliasing and set the Extra Rendering threads to 3. The anti-aliasing and extra rendering is left alone when I put it on Software mode.

[DaTankAC]

EE and GS are both low, with slowdowns still occurring. Most likely the old gpu is the culprit. This is assuming you are in hardware mode.

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Also, setting the extra renderings to 3 affects software mode only. This helps take some of the load off the GS%, which is usually maxed out when in software mode, as the cpu is literally doing all the work.

[lesbihonest]

EE and GS are both low, with slowdowns still occurring. Most likely the old gpu is the culprit. This is assuming you are in hardware mode.

---

Also, setting the extra renderings to 3 affects software mode only. This helps take some of the load off the GS%, which is usually maxed out when in software mode, as the cpu is literally doing all the work.

I guess I expected older PS2 graphics should have no problem with my PC considering that I can play games like Dishonored and Borderlands 2 on High settings? I thought playing it on software mode should be a lot better in terms of FPS considering this game looks a lot clearer on Hardware mode and less pixelated which is why I wanted to see what was going on.

[jesalvein]

Dont compare pc games with emulated ones.
It´s a ridiculous nonsense.

Software mode looks more pixelated because it doesnt use your gpu capabilities.
Which means only your cpu tries to render everything. That´s why you need a lot of horsepower to get good speeds.

[lesbihonest]

Dont compare pc games with emulated ones.
It´s a ridiculous nonsense.

Software mode looks more pixelated because it doesnt use your gpu capabilities.
Which means only your cpu tries to render everything. That´s why you need a lot of horsepower to get good speeds.

Hey, I don't know much about how emulators work, I'm just trying to understand it and considering that I'm new to it, so I can only compare it to the performance on PC games unless someone explains why it's "ridiculous nonsense"

So I'm guessing that my processor isn't sufficient enough for software mode? If that's the case then I have no choice but to continue playing it with the weird colors on Hardware

[jlwmanagement]

This^

You are going to need to overclock or get a better processor. Emulating cannot be compared to PC gaming because there are additional layers of processing/abstraction. PC games simply run on the CPU and GPU as they are intended.

Emulated games are not so simple. Your CPU and GPU are not what the game is intended to run on so software must pretend (hence emulate) to be the gaming hardware in order for the game to run properly. This means not only is your CPU and GPU processing the games information it also has to do all the emulation processing to translate (cant think of a better word here) the games "code" into something your PC can natviely understand.

A good example is trying to run a Mac OS in Windows. It isnt easily done natively because they dont speak the same language, but an emulator (like VirtualBox) can translate it so both can speak to one another but there is a performance penalty associated with it (sometimes significant).

I think that is all accurate