AWFUL lag in areas with just track and grid.

tomurban said:
John: I think I have the solution to my FPS problem. If you have a chance check out this review. I am referring to the MSI 430GT OC version still at 49W (I think) since they did not test for power draw. Another plus is having all military grade components. NOTE: The i3 530 used in the comparison is probably comparable to my i5 650. No wonder my FPS drop into the 5-10 range at times. I would be interested in your thoughts.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/MSI-N430GT-MD1GD3-OC-LP-Video-Card-Review/1144

Thanks, tomurban
Click to expand...

Trainz performance varies according to the performance settings and what you have in the layout. I run the equivalent of an i7 something or other that's a couple of years old with an ATI 5850 and I'm happy with the performance. It's probably overkill but put the right assets in the layout, push the performance settings to the most demanding and I can bring it to its knees. These days I think any i3 or above with any recent stand alone graphics card will give reasonable performance especially with 4 gigs of memory or more in DirectX and TS2010.

Does that answer your question?

Thanks John
 
Yes John, thank you. I was just somewhat surprised at the poor performance of the on-board Intel graphics in the tests and my own experience with TRAINZ 09. I am going to order and install the msi OC version. After I have some results on power consumption and a FPS range, (with TRAINZ) I will post results here in case someone else has a small desktop and needs a good stand alone graphics card. I am presently using 09 and will probably skip 10 and go to 2012 when the regular version is released

tomurban
 
tomurban said:
Yes John, thank you. I was just somewhat surprised at the poor performance of the on-board Intel graphics in the tests and my own experience with TRAINZ 09. I am going to order and install the msi OC version. After I have some results on power consumption and a FPS range, (with TRAINZ) I will post results here in case someone else has a small desktop and needs a good stand alone graphics card. I am presently using 09 and will probably skip 10 and go to 2012 when the regular version is released

tomurban
Click to expand...

TS2010 has been reported to have better frames per second than TS2009. Speedtrees has its own render engine which is thought to make a difference. However as you mention TS2012 in due out very shortly although I expect its more about content than anything else.

Cheerio John
 
From reading some of the other posts on this forum, I get the impression that Speed Trees are also a Frame Rate killer and have been turned off or replaced. As a 2010 user yourself, what is your opinion on Speed Trees?

Regards, tomurban
 
tomurban said:
From reading some of the other posts on this forum, I get the impression that Speed Trees are also a Frame Rate killer and have been turned off or replaced. As a 2010 user yourself, what is your opinion on Speed Trees?

Regards, tomurban
Click to expand...

I like them. They are rendered mainly on the GPU so where the cpu is the bottle neck they give better fps.

Cheerio John
 
Thank you for your response concerning the Speed Trees. I will give them a try when I get 2012. Just ordered the MSI GT 430 OCLP edition ($75 US at newegg). The posted specs actually exceed the GT 440. I am hoping to achieve FPS in at least the low 20's to mid 40's range on a consistent basis (in driver). I will let you know how it goes. Thanks for your expertise.

tomurban
 
Last edited:
Well, the MSI GT 430 has been installed and is working. Had to remove heat sink cover to clear HD mounting bracket.

System specs......Computer: Lenovo M90 Model#3269
Monitor: Lenovo 22" Thinkvision LCD (1680x1050) native res (digital)
OP System: WinXP, Sp3 (Win 7 Installed not activated)
4 GB DDR3 @ 1333 Mhz
HD 250 GB Maxtor @7200RPM
CPU Intel i5-650 @ 3.0Ghz (4 cores)
GPU Intel HD Chipset/1028Mb video ram (shared)
PS 300W
The above (fairly new) system really bogged down on some routes in TRAINZ 09 which prompted me to seek an affordable solution that the existing PS could support without being over taxed. After considerable research and reading various graphic card reviews the nvidia powered GT 430 (low profile) and its low power requirements seemed like a good choice. Further research into the many cards available (and some good user reviews) in this series pointed to the overclocked MSI unit with 1Gb of DDr3 RAM.

A Before and After test using the built-in and modified Tidewater route produced the following results with a set up of two continuously running AI trains, 6 idling engines (both steam and diesel) and approximately 60 assorted freight cars scattered throughout the route (both built-in and downloaded)
All settings maxed out.

Before using Intel on-board HD graphics.

Lowest FPS (average) 5 Highest FPS (average) 20 (Outside of Cab)
Lowest FPS " 15 Highest FPS " 30 (In Cab)

After with MSI GT430 installed.

Lowest FPS (average) 10 Highest FPS (average) 30 (Outside of Cab)
Lowest FPS " 20 Highest FPS " 50+(In Cab)

As can be seen, the installation of a stand alone Graphics Card resulted in considerable improvement with smoother running overall and no stuttering. In addition, distant scenery items no longer "pop" in as they previously did. Hope this information can help someone with a SFF desktop that is considering an upgrade. Hopefully, with this set up I will be able to run 2012.(Boxed Version)

NOTE: PS current draw running TRAINZ Driver with on-board graphics = 80W
PS current draw running TRAINZ Driver with MSI GT 430 OC = 100W.........FPS obtained using FRAPS.............Power consumption in WATTS obtained using Kill-A-WATT.

tomurban

A few additional comments and observations as I try different routes and settings with the graphics upgrade. For one, mouse and arrow key movements in surveyor are much faster and quicker to respond. Scenery details and objects, track buildings, trees, etc. appear smoother and more detailed than before when using open GL. Also loading times, the program itself and routes in general are much faster than before. I would guess approximately 50% faster overall. So far I am very happy with this upgrade.
 
Last edited:
I have an update, in case anyone is considering the GT 430 or similar video card. I just downloaded a couple of cabooses from the DLS. They showed error free in CM2, but when I viewed them in Railyard, I experienced the dreaded black textures and pixelated bogies. Unticking hardware acceleration in CM2 and re-committing fixed both of them. The strange part, is that all of older content is showing up perfectly. It is just the new downloads that were affected. It is also a real pleasure to go from CM to Railyard in 10 seconds or less rather than the 30-40 that it used to take.

Take Care All, tomurban
 
This is quite interesting about the Watt usage, my two Nv 460's have 4 power leads between them and must soak up the juice. I will have to find out about this "Kill-a watt" thingy ma jib you mention and give it a try, how does it work and where can I get it?
Ta.
 
tomurban said:
I have an update, in case anyone is considering the GT 430 or similar video card. I just downloaded a couple of cabooses from the DLS. They showed error free in CM2, but when I viewed them in Railyard, I experienced the dreaded black textures and pixelated bogies. Unticking hardware acceleration in CM2 and re-committing fixed both of them. The strange part, is that all of older content is showing up perfectly. It is just the new downloads that were affected. It is also a real pleasure to go from CM to Railyard in 10 seconds or less rather than the 30-40 that it used to take.

Take Care All, tomurban
Click to expand...

That hardware acceleration problem is now fixed in TS12 by the way, verified on a GT450 and GTX460.

TS12 has a Tree Detail slider, any problems with FPS, just back the slider off. Seems to vary the distance that the SpeedTree LOD cuts in.
 
Funny thing is the celeron has been around since 1998, and there are STILL gamers who haven't gotten the word. You want to play ANY 3D video game, including simulators, avoid anything with the word celeron.

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question268.htm

"If all you do is check email and browse the Web, the Celeron is fine, and the price difference can save you a lot of money." Spread the word, any system with a celeron is useless for games. :n:
 
clam1952 said:
That hardware acceleration problem is now fixed in TS12 by the way, verified on a GT450 and GTX460.

TS12 has a Tree Detail slider, any problems with FPS, just back the slider off. Seems to vary the distance that the SpeedTree LOD cuts in.
Click to expand...

That is really good to know as I am planning on acquiring the disk version when it is released.

tomurban
 
Just a note on msi Gt 430 OCLP at newegg. It no longer seems to be listed on their website (single fan version). The dual fan version (same specs) is much thicker and requires two slots. Incidentally, mine runs quite cool even over clocked at 800 Mhz. GPU temp at idle is 43C and 57C peak under load (TRAINZ). This is well below the design limit of 95C.

tomurban
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top