Silent Hill: Origins/ Video

[Pez]

Hi all; it's been a while since I've been here on the boards.

Has there been any recent updates or tweaks for getting Silent Hill: Origins to run smoother?

I've got PCSX2 v. 0.9.8 (r4600).

In the beginning when I'm in the hospital - and if I have Travis's flashlight on - it's very choppy and slow. If I turn the flashlight off, then it runs smooth.....but it's hard to see

Anyone know of any settings/ tweaks I could try?

I've got an Intel Q9450 processor, 4GB of RAM, and an nVidia GeForce GTX 470.

Thanks for any input.
Pez

[jesalvein]

Tried latest svn with mtvu speedhack ?
What is your cpu clockspeed ?

[Pez]

Hi jesalvein; thanks for the reply.

The Intel Q9450 is a quad core processor; CPU speed is 2.66Ghz per core (4 core processor).

And what's the "svn with mtvu speedhack"? I don't know what that is or how to implement it. Is it a download from this site? Or is it a "hack" in the sense that I'll have to edit some file.

Please let me know.

Thanks!
Pez

[jesalvein]

Your cpu is a bit weak for this game...
Try this http://pcsx2.net/svn.php

[Ambient_Malice]

Erm... That CPU, the Q9450, should he *highly* overclockable. Pushing it to, say, 3.2Gghz should be a cinch.

The MTVU speedhack is located under Config -> Emulation Settings -> Speedhacks.

Tick "enable speedhacks", then also tick MTVU (Multi-Threaded microVU1.) This will allow Core #3 to do some processing work instead of sitting idle. This feature only works on machines with more than two cores and/or hyperthreading.

If you need help overclocking, let me walk you through it. I use an Intel Core 2 6600 @2.40 Ghz which I've overclocked to 3.0 Ghz with no voltage increases.

According to this, you should be able to get up to 3.5Ghz without much issue. (I'd settle for 3.2, though.) http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=168801

[Pez]

Hi Ambient_Malice; thanks for the detailed reply.

I followed your instructions for the MTVU speedhack, but, unfortunately, it didn't help if I have Travis put on his flashlight; it really runs slow & jerky if he has the flashlight on.

And ya know.....I had heard way back when I first got this Q9450 that it was easily overclockable. I have a decent Gigabyte motherboard, and I went into the BIOS and tried overclocking it, but, I could never seem to get a stable overclock; I'd be doing something graphically intensive, and poof: my system would crash and re-boot.

And I've got a good PSU, too: a Corsair of 750 watts with a solid 12v rail. You say that you were able to overclock yours with no voltage increase; I even upped my voltage by small increments but still couldn't seem to get a stable overclock.

I can play SH: Origins, but it sure is maddeningly slow when Travis has his flashlight on .....so I usually leave it off.

Pez

[Ambient_Malice]

Well, I'm guessing you were doing the overclock wrong. A common mistake is increasing the FSB, which will make the computer crash if done incorrectly.

Could you perhaps tell me what the options in your bios are re: CPU clock are, plus their current settings, and perhaps I could help you overclock it. Generally, you should be able to hit 3Ghz just by running at 333Mhz with a multiplier of 9. However, it becomes more complex if the motherboard supports independent bus speeds.

[refraction]

Make sure your memory isnt overclocked, you will have to lower the multiplier for it, also you will probably have to bump the voltage up if you havent already.

[Ambient_Malice]

In my opinion, raising voltage is only needed once you hit about 3.2Gghz It should be possible to hit 3Ghz with stock voltages.

[Pez]

Hi again.

So, you want to try & help with an overclock, eh? Alright, I'm game.

My Gigabyte motherboard's model number is: EP35C-DS3R

Everything now is at stock value.

Here are some screenshots from my motherboard's manual; it's known as the MIT (Motherboard Intelligent Tweaker) screen:

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll217.../BIOS4.jpg

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll217...BIOS4B.jpg

These two shots are really on the same screen, it's just that you would have to scroll down to see all the options.

And keep in mind: these values you see on these screen shots are not my current values; these are just the pictures they use in the manual.

But, from looking at these two screenshots, what settings do I need to tweak?

refraction: you mentioned the memory being overclocked; on one of my overclocking attempts in the past, I did do just that.

But basically, are you saying that if I can get a stable 3.0Ghz overclock, that this should enable me to get SH: Origins to run more smoothly when Travis has his flashlight on? That'd be nice!! I kind of "play in the dark" without his flashlight on much of the time so I can have smooth gameplay, but, it'd sure be nice to leave the flashlight on and see things in a clearer light!

If you need to know my actual current setting in my BIOS (if the screenshot pics I provided aren't enough help), let me know and I'll reboot and bring up my BIOS screen and get those numbers for you.

Ambient_Malice & refraction: thanks for your input and suggestions so far.
Pez