Need help with my PCSX2 (Especially SMT)

[snowlesswinter]

I just started using PCSX2 to play Shin Megami Tensei games (all 7 of them from PS2) but I faced some problems. I will post my problems and computer settings here I hope professional PCSX2 users can help me. Thanks.





Problems:

1. Graphic Glitches on Persona 3 and Persona 4

2. Slow down on game speed
I. Cutscenes - 100% speed is written but they are actually laggy (Including the sound, I can't hear them well)
II. Walking/menu - 60% speed
III. Battle/talking - 40% speed

(I opened my taskbar manager to check my CPU usage and PCSX2 usually cost me 66% CPU usage and 88% during battle.)





PCSX2 settings:

PCSX2 version: PCSX2 0.9.6

Graphics: GSDx 890 (MSVC 15.00, SSE2) 0.1.14 (Windowed resolution, Direct3D 10 (Hardware) renderer, native resolution, turned on texture filtering and turned off wait vsync)

Sound: SPU2-X 1.1.0 (Default settings)

Controller: Lilypad 0.9.9 (Default settings)

Cdvdrom: Linuz Iso CDVD 0.8.0 (I play iso files in my computer ripped from real PS2 DVDs) (Compression method: .Z - compress faster) (Disabled block dump)

Dev9: DEV9null Driver 0.3.0 (Default settings)

Usb: USBnull Driver 0.5.0 (Default settings)

Firewire: FWnull Driver 0.4.0 (Default settings)

Bios: Europe v02.00(14/06/2004) Console

Memcards: Default settings

CPU:
I. Turned on EERec, VU recompilers (VU0rec and VU1rec), Multithreaded GS mode (MTGS)
II. Frame limiting: Limit
II: Detailed settings: Default

Patches and Gamefixes: No specific patches and gamefixes for SMT games

Speedhack:
I. Turned on x3 Cycle Rate
II. Turned on INTC Sync Hack
III. Turned on IOP x2 Cycle Rate
IV. Turned on WaitCycles Sync Hack
V. Turned off Escape Hack

Advanced:
(Both EE Recs and VU Recs options)
I. Round Mode: Chop/ Zero
II. Clamp Mode: None
III. Turned on Flush to Zero and Denormals are Normal





Computer Settings:

Operating system: Windows Vista Home Basic with DirectX 10.1
RAM: 1GB
Processer: Intel® Pentium ® D CPU 3.00GHz (3.00GHz Pentium D)
Graphic card: NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS





I need answers on:

1. I heard increasing RAM (I have 1GB RAM) won't help speed up my PCSX2. Is this true?

2. Do I have to change my PCSX2 settings (I actually think I already try my best here ^^) or download some new components to speed up my PCSX2? (I have a default PCSX2 0.9.6)

3. Do I need to upgrade any of my computer components? (Processer/graphic card/RAM/operating system)

4. Does enable block dump on Linuz Iso CDVD 0.8.0 increase my game speed? (I turned it off)

5. How do I fixed the graphical glitches on Persona 3 and Persona 4?

This might take some time but I hope someone can help me. Thanks a lot. Little and big help are both appreciated. ^^

[Bositman]

1. Probably not,but 1GB ram for Vista is really low,maybe it will
2. Get the latest beta,and use the new speed hacks there. The slow even with 100% fps bug is probably caused by the EE/Rec cycle x3 hack you have on
3. Your CPU is pretty weak,your GPU is average to weak. The most fps increase would come from a CPU upgrade
4. No,read the guide to find out what it does
5. The latest beta should fix that

[snowlesswinter]

1. Probably not,but 1GB ram for Vista is really low,maybe it will
2. Get the latest beta,and use the new speed hacks there. The slow even with 100% fps bug is probably caused by the EE/Rec cycle x3 hack you have on
3. Your CPU is pretty weak,your GPU is average to weak. The most fps increase would come from a CPU upgrade
4. No,read the guide to find out what it does
5. The latest beta should fix that

Thank you so much for helping! ^^ But by the newest beta, do you mean PCSX2 Beta 1474? Do I need to install the extra plug-in too?

[Bositman]

Yes that's the one i mean and you'll need the new plugins (mainly GSdx) to get rid of the P3/P4 bugs

[snowlesswinter]

I found out that I can compress my iso file using the Linuz Iso CDVD. Will the game run faster if I compress the iso file?

[Bositman]

No,again read the configuration guide...

[Saiki]

8400gs is haunting me now lol.. anywhos... an 8600GT will do you good, the 8400 has some bad limits on resolution, native isn't liked by it either.

[snowlesswinter]

No,again read the configuration guide...

I'm sorry bout that. Thanks for reminding me again. I think I can fix my problem now.

8400gs is haunting me now lol.. anywhos... an 8600GT will do you good, the 8400 has some bad limits on resolution, native isn't liked by it either.

I see I might get 8600 or higher from store ^^

[Saiki]

a 8600 would probably do you some good (I started with a 8400, native is ugly on it (speed-wise) 8600GT is fine). and contrary to popular advice, increasing past that 1gb of ram would most definatly help you. Vista eats up about 4/5 of 1gb from the start. I have 4, and still sometimes PCSX2 runs slow if I am running something like skype. ram does play a role it this, if you're only running pcsx2, then I do advice going for at least 2gb, that will give pcsx2 1gb to play with, which is great, less than 256 and you're asking for trouble.

[Bositman]

a 8600 would probably do you some good (I started with a 8400, native is ugly on it (speed-wise) 8600GT is fine). and contrary to popular advice, increasing past that 1gb of ram would most definatly help you. Vista eats up about 4/5 of 1gb from the start. I have 4, and still sometimes PCSX2 runs slow if I am running something like skype. ram does play a role it this, if you're only running pcsx2, then I do advice going for at least 2gb, that will give pcsx2 1gb to play with, which is great, less than 256 and you're asking for trouble.

OK I agree that 1 gb is not enough,but how can 4 GB get used up with PCSX2 and skype is beyond me I mean,I could run Crysis Warhead and get 1,8 Gb used ,while PCSX2 uses about 300mb,still not even near 4
Anyway as I said before,the 8400 is less a bottleneck for PCSX2 than your Pentium 4. Sure upgrading to a 8600 will give you some fps,but using a core 2 duo for example (even at like 1,8 ghz) will give you a huge FPS boost compared to that Pentium 4 So if i was you,I'd first look for a processor upgrade