FF7 - Horribly low FPS in battle

[Millenia]

Hey guys, been lurking qhimm's forums for ages (although I kind of feel like a leech for registering this late and asking for help with my first post :< )

So the problem, as the title says, is horribly low FPS in FF7's battle mode. I get a stable 30 FPS in field, but in battle it never goes higher than 7-8. The rig I'm temporarily using isn't exactly cream of the crop, but a GeForce 3 SHOULD be able to handle a game this old more than well..

Full specs:

Pentium 4 1,8GHz
GeForce 3 Ti200
1GB of DDR-400
Windows XP Professional SP3

[DLPB_]

Are you using Aali's driver?

http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=8306.0

[Millenia]

Yeah, although it does the same thing with or without it.

[DLPB_]

There is no reason why you shouldn't be getting a full frame rate with that system....

I suggest maybe updating your video card drivers or even rolling back to some in the past.  Wait though before you do that as someone around here may have a direct reason why it is doing this.

Does it do it without vsync and with it?

Does it do it with or without window mode?

[Millenia]

Does it with any video mode, be it hardware or software, windowed or fullscreen, 640x480 or 1680x1050.

The drivers are the newest ones available for the GeForce 3.

[DLPB_]

The problem with computers is it can be so many issues:

config (i think we have ruled that out?)
Drivers
bugs
processor
problems with OS  or background programs (like something using all the processor)  but even then why it should fail only in battle is a mystery to me.


I suggest drivers.  I had a load of issues with the newer nvidia, so if nothing else works I would go back to an earlier revision.  See what happens.  But using aalis driver should have stopped the issues I had.

if your computer uses hyperthreading then disable it in the BIOS

[Millenia]

Yeah, the weird thing just is that it runs just fine outside battle, so it really perplexes me why it's only laggy in battle mode :/
Seems like it's capped at 8 FPS or something since it never goes lower than that

[DLPB_]

have you disabled Hyperthreading too?

But yes that is pretty weird....

[RW_66]

Ok, I have a machine that is somewhat similar to yours:

P4 3.0 w/HT
XP SP3
1 GB ddr-400
7800 GS (AGP)

Firstly, you should be using Detonator drivers with that ancient video card, NOT Forceware. Would be much preferable that you upgrade it, but AGP cards are hard to come by anymore. Secondly, you should be using a FRESH install off the CD, and using the Eidos 1.02 patch with Nvidia TNT selected, NOT Riva 128. If you are trying to use some Ultima edition, you are screwed, because it CANNOT be properly patched. Thirdly, Aali's graphic's patch can be applied.. AFTER you configure the sound and graphics in the FF7 Config program. Don't forget to install the registry modifier, and set the FF7.exe to "98/ME compatiablity".

If you have to re-set something in the FF7 Config, you will need to re-install the FF7 Registry hack for Aali's program to work

[DLPB_]

ff7config doesnt need to be touched...aalis driver bypasses it.

[Aali]

No it doesn't, you still need to set resolution, MIDI and audio drivers in FF7Config before importing the .reg file.

[DLPB_]

I thought all resolution was done inside your driver? I havent touched that program in a long time...

[Millenia]

Ok, I have a machine that is somewhat similar to yours:

P4 3.0 w/HT
XP SP3
1 GB ddr-400
7800 GS (AGP)

Firstly, you should be using Detonator drivers with that ancient video card, NOT Forceware. Would be much preferable that you upgrade it, but AGP cards are hard to come by anymore. Secondly, you should be using a FRESH install off the CD, and using the Eidos 1.02 patch with Nvidia TNT selected, NOT Riva 128. If you are trying to use some Ultima edition, you are screwed, because it CANNOT be properly patched. Thirdly, Aali's graphic's patch can be applied.. AFTER you configure the sound and graphics in the FF7 Config program. Don't forget to install the registry modifier, and set the FF7.exe to "98/ME compatiablity".

If you have to re-set something in the FF7 Config, you will need to re-install the FF7 Registry hack for Aali's program to work

Yeah I'll try an older driver, the rest I've already done. This PC is just a temporary solution BTW so there's little sense in upgrading - I have a PC with a quad core processor, 4 gigs of RAM and a Radeon 4870 - its motherboard is just fried and I'm waiting for a replacement :/

E:/ Ugh, the older driver doesn't help at all - in fact it makes matters worse by not supporting my screen's native res (1680x1050) :/

[Reaper24]

You should consider getting a new video card. It's hard to find a decent driver for these old graphics cards nowadays.

[Millenia]

I just need a new motherboard so I can use my HD4870, but I have no idea when I'm getting one (The RMA process is taking forever D:)