FPS-Boost Script and 32Bit-Workaround (better gaming experience!)

FPS (Frames per Second) defines the amount of pictures shown on your monitor in one second.
This is a Command-Script which is enabling your computer to manually adjust the CPU-Timer-Frequency, this causes a higher FPS and a stable good performance! Applications like Medieval 2 will be treated with higher priority and get addressed with more "power". The script will not overclock any components.

Download FPS-Booster (click)

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After you downloaded the command-script you will need to open the file.
You will see the following message:

"Press any Key to restore Normal Timer Frequency"

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Now start your Game/Application.
After you finished playing, view the FPS-Booster in your Running-Tab. Press Enter and your normal Frequency is restored.
Your components will not get any bad influence cause of that. The same Frequency-Boost appears when running "Window Media Player", but that is Memory intensive, my script doesn't cause any memory usage..

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Important:
1. Run the FPS-Booster as Administrator.
2. The advantage gained by the script is limited by your computer configuration
3. The Hyper-Threading technology in newer CPU's prevents the issue which is addressed by the FPS-Booster. Don't expect a performance leap in that case.

3GB Switch Workaround for 32Bit Operating Systems
MadBoris provided a workaround similar to the one he provided for Supreme Commander here for reference.

What does it do?
It has to do two things that both rely on each other to work. We have to tell the operating system it can use more than 2GB user address space, 2.5GB actually, while leaving 1.5Gb for the kernel. We also have to set the Empire.exe executable to be allowed to address beyond the 2GB ceiling, which means that the exe needs to be Large Address Aware.

What does it help with?
This is not the solution for all crashes. It deals primarily with the crash to desktop that is caused by lack of virtual address space.Due to the unique nature of how addresses are mapped differently on each machine this crash may happen at different places and times of the game, even loading a map, menu or waiting on an AI turn. If you try this fix, and you follow directions properly, and it doesn't help you then your crash is due to something else.

How do I do it?
Follow directions explicitly. I have seen people consistently skip steps or not read the directions properly so it doesn't work for them when they don't do what it says. it's not as complicated as it sounds, I'm just being thorough.

Requirements

Only real requirements is that you have atleast 2GB RAM. You don't need beyond that even though we are allowing addressing up to 2.5 GB. Also following instructions and being somewhat familiar with working with files in windows is required. Make sure you are using Vista SP1. If not then you need this hotfix that fixes a major blunder with Vista address space - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940105

THE WORKAROUND

XP 32
* Find your Boot.ini located usually on the C:.
If you cannot see it, you probably have system files hidden, then follow these instructions at microsoft (also uncheck "hide protected operating system files")
* Right click on the boot.ini and choose properties. Uncheck "read only"
* Open the boot.ini by double clicking it.
* Under the section called [operating systems] find the line that says "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional...". Yours may look a bit different. We are going to make a duplicate, so that if you make a mistake you will not harm yourself from booting into your computer. Drag you're mouse across the entire line, right click and choose copy. Then right below the line you just copied right click your mouse and choose paste. You should now have two lines one after another that are exact duplicates.
* Change the bottom line that you just copied with the following addition on the end. Add a space at the end of the line and then this without the quotes "/3GB /USERVA=2500"
* In that lower boot entry you just made, find the name of the operating system in quotes and change it to something like "Windows XP 3GB", so you can differentiate at boot up.
* Close and save the boot.ini.
* Right click on the boot.ini, hit properties, check read only.

Vista 32
* In Vista go to Start menu. Go to Accessories. Locate the command prompt shortcut and hover mouse over it. Right Click on the shortcut then select Run as Administrator.
* In the command prompt type this exactly: bcdedit /set increaseuserva 2500. Then hit enter.
* Make sure you get a message back confirming the change was made. To verify the entry is there you can type just bcdedit, hit enter, and you should see the entry now listed.
* Then close the command prompt. You just told Vista to increase user virtual address (userva) space to 2500MB.

* Now reboot to make the changes appear.

Windows 7

* Open your start menu and type "cmd" into the search box. (also can be located at the "extras" tab)
* Right click on "cmd.exe" and run it as admin.
* Type in the following command: BCDEDIT.EXE /Set IncreaseUserVa 2500.
* Leave the command window and resart your computer.


SUMMARY
We extended the user virtual address space in XP and Vista to 2500MB, so now applications can utilize up to that much if they are set to be Large Address Aware.
If you still encounter performance issues, it is possible to chose a higher amount of UserVa (I recommend a maximun of 2900) -> /Set IncreaseUserVa 2900

TO UNDO THE CHANGES
For the XP 32 bit just delete the line from your boot.ini.
For Vista 32 / Windows 7 Open command prompt as administrator and type: bcdedit /deletevalue increaseuserva. That deletes the entry.
Reboot and you are back to normal.

thx @madboris

Originally Posted by YassirX

3GB Switch Workaround

(...)

XP 32
* Find your Boot.ini located usually on the C:.
If you cannot see it, you probably have system files hidden, then follow these instructions at microsoft (also uncheck "hide protected operating system files")
* Right click on the boot.ini and choose properties. Uncheck "read only"
* Open the boot.ini by double clicking it.
* Under the section called [operating systems] find the line that says "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional...". Yours may look a bit different. We are going to make a duplicate, so that if you make a mistake you will not harm yourself from booting into your computer. Drag you're mouse across the entire line, right click and choose copy. Then right below the line you just copied right click your mouse and choose paste. You should now have two lines one after another that are exact duplicates.
* Change the bottom line that you just copied with the following addition on the end. Add a space at the end of the line and then this without the quotes "/3GB /USERVA=2500"
* In that lower boot entry you just made, find the name of the operating system in quotes and change it to something like "Windows XP 3GB", so you can differentiate at boot up.
* Close and save the boot.ini.
* Right click on the boot.ini, hit properties, check read only.

First off, this works just fine! Battles with lots of units seem to run comparatively smoother now. +rep

Now... I was wondering, if it's possible to use even more than 2,5GB RAM without making my OS instabil? I'm using Windows XP Home with 4GB (4096 MB) RAM. Here's the boot.ini I'm using atm:

Code: [View]

[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP 3GB RAM" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /3GB /USERVA=2500
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

If I want to use 3GB instead of the 2.5GB, provided leaving only 1GB to the kernel won't make my OS instabil, would if have to change the boot.ini to the following?

Code: [View]

[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP 3GB RAM" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /3GB /USERVA=3000
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Would that work and will Windows XP still run as stabil and blue screen free as before (this is very important to me)?

Regards!

Originally Posted by Casual Tactician

First off, this works just fine! Battles with lots of units seem to run comparatively smoother now. +rep

Now... I was wondering, if it's possible to use even more than 2,5GB RAM without making my OS instabil? I'm using Windows XP Home with 4GB (4096 MB) RAM. Here's the boot.ini I'm using atm:

Code: [View]

[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP 3GB RAM" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /3GB /USERVA=2500
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

If I want to use 3GB instead of the 2.5GB, provided leaving only 1GB to the kernel won't make my OS instabil, would if have to change the boot.ini to the following?

Code: [View]

[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP 3GB RAM" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /3GB /USERVA=3000
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Would that work and will Windows XP still run as stabil and blue screen free as before (this is very important to me)?

Regards!

It's been quite a while since I worked with the XP-Operating System but I guess that it will barely use more than 1GB of space... so basically you can try to higher the amount of given user-space. If it does not work you will still be able to go back to the old settings as the blue screen will only appear when applications cause high memory usage.

If it does appear you will most likely need to switch to a userva of 2500.

So this will increase performance of FPS? Or does it reduce lag?

Originally Posted by A1_Unit

So this will increase performance of FPS?

yes, it increases the timer-frequenzy of your computer components.

Low FPS is lag?

Originally Posted by A1_Unit

Low FPS is lag?

Yes

Increasing FPS=less lag!

Originally Posted by A1_Unit

Increasing FPS=less lag!

Seems like I didn't quite understand your first post
Youre absolutley right, by increasing the fps you also reduce your picture freezes (lags).

Originally Posted by Vifarc

That's an overclocking??

Kind of, it adjust the Timer Frequency of your CPU. To do this you would normally need to manually adjust the CPU Stats.
This Script is not fit on a specific Timer-Score and thats why it is better than manually adjusting the Frequency in the CPU-Configuration.

If the CPU-Usage is high the Timer-Frequency will get higher too, to allow a maximum of power.
Just test it yourself

Edit: To sum it up, your appliaction will be treated with a higher priority.

Originally Posted by YassirX

Kind of overclocking, it adjust the Timer Frequency of your CPU. To do this you would normally need to manually adjust the CPU Stats.
This Script is not fit on a specific Timer-Score and thats why it is better than manually adjusting the Frequency in the CPU-Configuration.
If the CPU-Usage is high the Timer-Frequency will get higher too, to allow a maximum of power.
Just test it yourself

Then I think this thread must be deleted, or you have to write a big warning, as overclocking is not a normal use of the hardware (warranty is lost?).

if i'm not wrong it's more like a underclock matching the cycles/ timer to a frequency that matches what is most optimized for the specific program... AFAIK underclocking doesn't always mean worse performance and doesn't mean breaking the waranty (i think) but i'm uing it on a bios locked lappy and even i saw improvements..

Originally Posted by Vifarc

Then I think this thread must be deleted, or you have to write a big warning, as overclocking is not a normal use of the hardware (warranty is lost?).

Originally Posted by Bomimo

if i'm not wrong it's more like a underclock matching the cycles/ timer to a frequency that matches what is most optimized for the specific program... AFAIK underclocking doesn't always mean worse performance and doesn't mean breaking the waranty (i think) but i'm uing it on a bios locked lappy and even i saw improvements..

correct, you also get the same result when running windows media player in the background but cause of the memory intensity you would not get a noticeable better performance.
If this Script would cause you "any" problem's like bad influence on the components or the lose of the waranty I wouldn't post it here.

I use the Script myself.

Originally Posted by YassirX

is enabling your Computer to manually adust the CPU-Timer-Frequency, this causes a higher FPS!

That's an overclocking??

thanks

Will give this a try, and I hope you don't lead us all to ruin.
btw, It's a bit scary to open an 40kb .exe-file

And thanks

Originally Posted by JuL14n

Will give this a try, and I hope you don't lead us all to ruin.
btw, It's a bit scary to open an 40kb .exe-file

And thanks

Dont worry, be happy

Originally Posted by YassirX

Dont worry, be happy

hmm, it didn't seem to work.

Is it hardware specific? I've got AMD 64 4000+, and can control most of it with Nvidia controlpanel.

Originally Posted by JuL14n

hmm, it didn't seem to work.

Is it hardware specific? I've got AMD 64 4000+, and can control most of it with Nvidia controlpanel.

What didn't work exactly, when you clicked on the Exe, did you get an Command-Window or did it not appear?

Try running the Exe as Admin.
- The Script is not Hardware specific and runs with any CPU.

Originally Posted by YassirX

What didn't work exactly, when you clicked on the Exe, did you get an Command-Window or did it not appear?

Try running the Exe as Admin.
- The Script is not Hardware specific and runs with any CPU.

The cmd window came up, but my FPS didn't increase.

But I ran it while the game was running, and my low FPS was probably most because of all models it
had to load.
Could be that my CPU got 7 stars in command and my GPU is weak with it's unit on 256mb.

Will test it in another game which requires more of the CPU, Oblivion.
A huge battle in vanilla medieval 2 could also work.

edit: Wait, mount & blade! Almost crashed my computer when I played a battle with over 300 men on the field at the same time.