Benchmark

[macguba]

I am making a mission with lots of units in it and I am concerned that players with slower computers will experience excessive lag.  I am considering using a benchmark command to control whether certain non-essential units appear in the game.  

In init.sqs:-
fast=false
? benchmark > X: fast=true

In some units/objects:-
Condition of presence:    fast

The question is, what should X be?    (And is this the best way to do it?)

I know that there is no correct answer and it depends on the mission and how much you are going to remove (not a great deal in this case), but can anybody give me any tips, thoughts or suggestions?   My own comp's benchmark is quite high so it's hard for me to judge.

Many thanks.

[Tomb]

well, oldboy, I can give ya some info about my comp's since I just bought another one:


=============
Old Machine
=============

CPU:  AMD Athlon 655 mHz
RAM: 384 MB (sdram)
Gra.: GeForce-3 (64 mb)
ben.: 1685
res :  1024x768


==============
New Machine
==============

CPU: Intel P4 3.2 gHz
RAM: 767 MB (ddr)
gra.: GeForce 5700 (256 mb)
ben: 6410
res : 1024x768


 - not that I can feel any difference though, as I just began to use more addons, bas_tonal stuff and
the Stalingrad map etc. so the game engine & cpu are still pushed to their limits   ;D


anyway, hope it helps. Other ppl with old pentium III comps could post similar info here  

[Artak]

=============
Semi new/old machine
=============

CPU:  AMD Athlon 2000+ XP @ 1677 MHz
RAM: 1024 MB (ddr @ 266 MHz)
Gra.: GeForce-4 Ti4200 (128 mb)
ben.: 4555
res :  1024x768x32

[Azraell]

CPU - Athlon 2700+Xp(@2312.0MHz)

RAM - 512mb DDR333MHz

GFX - ATI Radeon 9600Pro (128mb)

Bench - 6410

Res - HW T&L 1024 X 768 X 32

Viewdistance value- 2000 = smooth game with lots going on at once....Maybe anything below 3000 consider a low speed PC.

[m21man]

P4 3.2GHz
1GB RAM
128MB Radeon Pro
Resolution: 1600 x 1200 x 32
Benchmark: 6849

My old comp (P2 400MHz, 384MB RAM, 64MB Radeon) had a benchmark around 700.

[GrimMonkey]

CPU: AMD Athlon(tm)
RAM: 256 MB
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 200
Benchmark: 2879
Resolution: 1024x768x32
GHz: 1.40 GHz

D**n thing's over 3 years old.


Beware the GrimMonkey

[Wadmann]

Here are my PIII's specs:

CPU: PIII 733 MHz

RAM:512 MB

GeForce4 Ti 4400

Resolution: 1024 x 768 x 32

Benchmark: 1372


                                                                                            Wadmann

[macguba]

Gentlemen, thank you all very much this is very helpful.   The more indication I get of the range benchmarks the better.

Does anybody have any experience of using the benchmark command in this way?    What benchmark level did you set?

[Sui]

Damn... I could have used this thread a while back. Pity I'm too slow to think of starting one

I used 3 levels in Facile Ground Macca,

• < 1500
• >= 1500 <2000
• >= 2500

This was based around my crappy old system:

Duron 800
GF4 Ti 4200
512 MB SDR Ram
Benchmark: 1997

However I think it would have been better had I spread them out more evenly... maybe 1500 - 2500 - 3500.
I was doing things like chopping out scenery (especially at the airport!), and making infantry groups one or two men smaller.
Also, I made the effect scripts require a minimum benchmark, and limited the number that ran at once based on benchmark.

I guess the best way to test it is to have two PC's, one bottom of the range and one near the top. Anyone got too much money, and want to help out? ;D

[edit] Specific examples anyone? [/edit]

I was using this sort of line in the 'condition of presence' fields of scenery/units:

benchmark > 2000

Since most of the OpFor were 'spawned' in, I'd simply put a conditional line for the last couple of guys that came in...

Code: [Select]

...
"SoldierEG" createunit [getpos (leader ecattackgrp4),ecattackgrp4,"",0.75,"PRIVATE"]
"SoldierEMG" createunit [getpos (leader ecattackgrp4),ecattackgrp4,"",0.75,"PRIVATE"]
"SoldierEB" createunit [getpos (leader ecattackgrp4),ecattackgrp4,"",0.75,"PRIVATE"]
"SoldierEMG" createunit [getpos (leader ecattackgrp4),ecattackgrp4,"",0.75,"PRIVATE"]
? (benchmark > 1500): "SoldierEB" createunit [getpos (leader ecattackgrp4),ecattackgrp4,"",0.75,"CORPORAL"]
? benchmark > 2000: "SoldierEB" createunit [getpos (leader ecattackgrp4),ecattackgrp4,"",0.75,"PRIVATE"]
And I'd also have a line like this at the start of most effect scripts:

? (benchmark < 1500): exit

Simple tricks, but if you use them enough in the same mission they really work well in making it playable for both high and low end systems...

[sa8gecko]

I guess the best way to test it is to have two PC's, one bottom of the range and one near the top. Anyone got too much money, and want to help out?

Why not just a Top Pc, and underclock it when needed ?  ;D

anyway:
Cpu PIVB 2,8 oc 3,15
Ram 512 PC 3000 (185 Mhz)
Ati 9800pro 128 MB
resolution 1024*768*32
benchmark 7389

[Homefry31464]

Pentium 4 3,2 GHz w/ HT 800MHz FSB
1.5 GB RAM(300 or so MHz, maybe 266)
NVIDIA 5950 256MB

Benchmark:7639

EDIT: Res 1024x768x32

[sa8gecko]

Wow, that is a fast machine, Homefry.
The ram is probably clocked at 200 Mhz (fsb/4)
Have you an advanced cooler ?
Because if you have, and have a PC3500 RAM or
better, you could overclock to it to 3,5 Ghz, raising
fsb to 220 Mhz.

[Homefry31464]

Yeah, your's isn't much slower.  It's wasted with 56k though.  I'm afraid to overclock, the thing was too expensive for me to mess it up.

[Kaliyuga]

 Think my benchmark is somewhere in the low 3000 area ;D
:toocool:

[Igor Drukov]

Proc : Pentium IV 2.4 Ghz
Ram : 512 Mb
Gra.: GeForce-4 Ti4200 (128 mb)
Res : 1024*768*32
Benchmark : ~3700


I didn't know you could get so high benchmarks...