Computer/what i need.

**lisandre** · May 09, 2010, 07:04 AM

Hello.

My computer is a Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40 GHz
3,25 Go de RAM
Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS
Win xp pro.

I play with everything in low. (no shadow, no grass... etc) And the battles steel freeze.

With my screen i have to play in 1600x1200 (widescreen mode on).. perhas it is the problem.
But if i try at a lower resolution then the game is blurred

I d like to know from the members of this forum, who play the game with all the details at maximum, what is their configuration.
I m borred to play this game and not be capable of enjoying big battles because of constant crash.

As always, thank you and sorry for the bad english.

Alexandre.

**HolyDevil** · May 09, 2010, 07:11 AM

lower the resolution to something more decent, then u can turn on the rest

also, with that PC (much better than my own) you really can't turn on the other details?!? thats very wierd...

i got a ATI x1600, the only thing that laggs my PC are shadows (well shadows are graphic cards worst enemy

)

but with ur GTS, you should be fine with a little lower resolution...

**lisandre** · May 09, 2010, 11:39 AM

Well, i can turn "on" most of the details and like you, it's the shadow who make the game lag, but what i try to do is to prevent the game to crash when there is a battle with a lot of units.

For that, I have already try many things but nothing is working.
Too many units on the battle map = computer freeze. (and a reboot)

With a lower resolution, i really have a hard time with my LCD monitor. (native resolution 1600x1200) The game is really blurred.

I don't think M2TW recognises multi-cores, so It just uses 1, I may be wrong though

Is that why my computer freeze?

It doesn't use multicore but you can have it run on one core with higher priority.

If i do that.. can i possibly stop the freeze?

**Drewb** · May 09, 2010, 10:07 AM

I don't think M2TW recognises multi-cores, so It just uses 1, I may be wrong though

**bɑne** · May 09, 2010, 10:20 AM

It doesn't use multicore but you can have it run on one core with higher priority.

**Kawee** · May 09, 2010, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by bane_tw

It doesn't use multicore but you can have it run on one core with higher priority.

How do you pull that off?

**lisandre** · May 09, 2010, 12:16 PM

How do you pull that off?

I think you run the game.
Ctrl+alt+supp.
You go in the windows "processus" and right clic on "kingdoms".
At the bottom of the list you choose "difine affinity"
And choose to run the game with only one core.

I just try that, and my computer still freeze in battle.

Perhaps i did something wrong.. If someone can give us some more tips..

I have disable V-sync too.. not working.

I really think getting a new computer (yes, i really like this game and this mod..) but i don't understand why i crash and some others don't, with a computer not better than mine.

In the end.. i m practicing my english on the forum.. wich is always a good thing

**bɑne** · May 09, 2010, 01:53 PM

lisandre if I read your bug report post correctly your still playing 6.0 - reinstalling 6.0 and patching to 6.2 RC4 would be my recommendation along with trying a smaller unit size.

**lisandre** · May 09, 2010, 04:54 PM

Bane_tw, i play SS 6.2 RC4 with nothing "on" at all. Units are already at the smaller size.

I have already reinstalled the game a few time. Defrag again and again my hard drive.
I have no antivirus and firewall..
Internet is off when i play and there is nothing else running but the game.
Driver are installed.

Perhaps it s coming from a hardware problem.. I really don't understand.
Or trying with an other driver with my Nvidia card. An older one.

I ll give it a try and hope for peoples here to think about something.

Thx anyway for your time.

**bɑne** · May 09, 2010, 05:10 PM

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

My system is worse then yours so you should be able to top the above values. As to the battle crashes one idea out of mtw1 times: Lower your battle resolution. Having a high battle resolution was a constant cause of crashes for me when playing mtw and rome.

**k/t** · May 09, 2010, 05:17 PM

In case anyone is wondering, when he says "supp.", it means "Del".

I doubt that's of any help, though.

**bɑne** · May 09, 2010, 06:26 PM

I doubt that's of any help, though.

True - I have no idea how much you can gain by doing that.
If you assign 1 processor and a high priority with the taskmanager you theoretically force other processes onto the other cores but
then again you shouldn't have anything big running while gaming anyways.

**ScH** · May 10, 2010, 03:18 AM

How old is your PC? If it's more then 6 months/1 year, try cleaning the cooler on your proc. When CPU overheats it shuts down and PC freezes. When there are lots of units in the battle, CPU is working harder, not graphic card.

Cleaning cooler is easy, but before that check if you have guarantee sticker preventing opening of the case. If still under guaranty you'll have to let the store where you bought it handle that. And they will charge you for it (not included in guaranty).

p.s. be careful not to mess with paste on bottom side of cooler and on the top of CPU. Don't touch those parts cause the paste is really important for transferring heat from CPU to cooler.

**lisandre** · May 10, 2010, 07:25 AM

Hello,

Thank you for your answers and for the copy of this file Bane.
Mine looks almost the same, with less options. And it didn't work..

I did some try, and did what you told me to do.

I have clean the cooler (wich is a Thermaltake.. sort of tower..).
Installed new Nvidia driver(again).
up the drivers for my HD realtek(sound card)
Clean the ventilos inside my computer.. there is 4 of them.
Installed directx.. defrag again..

well.. it almost worked. I did the battle and at the last minutes.. after all the armies where defeated, i put game speed at x6 to test and the game have freeze.

I m pretty sure now, the probleme is coming from my hardware. And like you said ScH, could be my cpu.

I know that the answer is somewhere here on the forum, but could you give me some good free software to check my cpu and system please?
I d like to see what is going on when it freeze.

Beside, i have found that the game freeze for many others people in battles with the same condition. Lots of units.
Didn' t find any sure solution

And it looks like there is none..

In case anyone is wondering, when he says "supp.", it means "Del".

Sorry, even if i try, my level in english always make me do this kind of mistake.

True - I have no idea how much you can gain by doing that.

It didn't do anything good.. so you gain nothing..

I feel more and more that this post should have start in technical forum.. but then, i really thought about just upgrading my pc or even buy a new one.. (wich is also an existing post in the technical forum

)

I keep looking..

**k/t** · May 11, 2010, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by lisandre

Sorry, even if i try, my level in english always make me do this kind of mistake.

No, you just have a French keyboard.

**ScH** · May 10, 2010, 08:46 AM

If it worked for longer now, it could be overheating.
You can find out if it is from overheating CPU. Try some monitoring software or check in BIOS after restart.
Don't know how much you know about hardware.

I have just few more advices in case it is caused by overheating:
Try reapplying the thermal paste. (http://img466.imageshack.us/img466/9365/line800qe9.jpg)
Change BIOS setting for fan speed to maximum.
Plug the cooler really firmly and check if all pins hold.

Good luck :-)

**Marto** · May 12, 2010, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by lisandre

Hello.

My computer is a Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40 GHz
3,25 Go de RAM
Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS
Win xp pro.

I play with everything in low. (no shadow, no grass... etc) And the battles steel freeze.

With my screen i have to play in 1600x1200 (widescreen mode on).. perhas it is the problem.
But if i try at a lower resolution then the game is blurred

I d like to know from the members of this forum, who play the game with all the details at maximum, what is their configuration.
I m borred to play this game and not be capable of enjoying big battles because of constant crash.

As always, thank you and sorry for the bad english.

Alexandre.

I think it must be something else you know. I play SS6.1 on my Dell lap-top and it's nothing special. 1.8 Ghz Intel, 1Gb RAM, and a basic ATI Radeon. Runs fine with all options set to max....

**Morph85** · May 12, 2010, 10:51 AM

Gotta be something else, hardware malfunction/overheating etc. The specs are plenty, mine are similar and I play on max settings huge units and the only slow down I see is with 5000+ troops at 6x and persistent arrows...

**luciferleigh** · May 12, 2010, 12:13 PM

try installing everest (trial version) and run it before you start playing, if it is overheating that should show it

**lisandre** · May 13, 2010, 11:21 AM

Run some tests.. everything is working fine.. CPU/Gpu are ok.. one hour of full test.. no error at all.
Everything works fine but the game.
(I didn't test my ram.)

Soon i ll have a new config.

ATI radeon 5850 Toxic 2Go
With a I7 860 as a processor.. new ventirad.. (Noctua NH-D14)
new RAM, mother board and one more Hard.

I'll run some test and see if the probleme is still there. If it is.. perhaps it's something with the actual hard drive, it will be the only thing left with the new config..

Anyway, thank again for your time and help.