Overclocking TNT2? anybody dared to?

Hey All I've running GPL and get decent, but not great framerates with my P3 600 and CL TNT2. I downloaded an overclocking program from Creative for the TNT, but am too afraid to try it. Am I just being a wuss? Will it really help GPL that much? I'm running with the latest 3.53 dentonator drivers. Guidance needed. Thanks J

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>Hey All >I've running GPL and get decent, but not great framerates with my P3 600 and >CL TNT2. I downloaded an overclocking program from Creative for the TNT, >but am too afraid to try it. Am I just being a wuss? Will it really help >GPL that much? I'm running with the latest 3.53 dentonator drivers. >Guidance needed. Thanks >J

Some reminders: 1) framerate in GPL is never more than 36 FPS ('it's programmed that way'). 2) I assume you're using the 'OpenGL beta2' patch that you can download from Papy's website (www.papy.com). If not, you should install it, because it enables hardware accelleration for nVidia chipsets like TNT, TNT2 and GeForce. The way the mirrors are drawn (using a standard OpenGL-technique that is not very well implemented in the drivers), it in fact boils down to three 'screen-updates': one for the main forward view and one for each mirror. A framerate of 36 effectively means 3x36=108(!) That is even too much for your config (assuming you've turned all screen detail on and are running on a resolution of say 1024x768. There is however a work around and it's described in the readme-file that's included with the OpenGL-driver. The framerate of the mirrors can be configured relative to the updates of the main-viewing area. In my CORE.INI file (in the GPL-directory) the following is added: [ OpenGL ] MirrorsEvery = 4 ; 3) Try to overclock, but do not turn it on the maximum settings at once. Be gentle, nudge it up step by step and see if it keeps working. If the speed gets too high for your card, it will lock your computer, but not destroy the card. (I'm using a Diamond Viper TNT2 Ultra on 180Mhz core and 200Mhz memory. My PIII450 is overclocked to 527Mhz). Good luck, Peter

Have you remembered to lower the mirror refresh rate by editing the core.ini file? With your setup you should be getting solid 36-38 fps when hotlapping. Yes. :) Give it a try. Start by taking some baby steps. Up the core & memory frequency in... say like, 5 MHz steps. Stop when you start getting occasional lockups, seeing some black polygons or experiencing other visual anomalies. Then back off a bit. I'm not familiar with CL's model, surely it does have a fan? Make sure it's really working before you start experimenting and there will be no harm done. No. You've already got a powerful 'puter, overclocking your TNT2 won't make a dramatic difference, mostly you'll see some improvement in D3D games, don't get your hopes up when it comes to GPL. The framerates you're getting with that P3 + TNT2 are pretty much as good as it can get with the OpenGL beta patch - providing you've got those mirrors tuned down. I know it can get a bit distressing at times when you're racing with a full field. Even the Voodoo3 (clocked to 174) I'm currently using with my Cel550 starts coughing at the start of the race and whenever there's a pile-up of some sort, the gameplay becomes something less than fluid. If those are nVIDIA's ref drivers, you should know that they have hidden an overclocking option in there. Enabling it requires some registry tweaking tho. They obviously didn't want that careless & uninformed home users start experimenting without actually understanding what it's all about. I'll just copy here what I wrote before: <OLD STUFF> In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\NVIDIA Corporation\Global\NVTweak create a DWORD "CoolBits". Set the Value to 3. For more options, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\NVIDIA Corporation\RIVA TNT\NVTweak create a DWORD "PowerUser". Set the Value to 1. This should enable VBlank and render ahead settings behind the D3D Advanced settings. Needless to say, I take no responsibility for any consequences, I found these tips from Usenet sometime last fall and they worked for me. If you're not comfortable with modifying the registry, I suggest you try something else, like the TNTclk - you really can't go wrong with that. </OLD STUFF> --- Antti Markus Peteri 15 miles. your dim light shines from so far away - Soul Asylum, Promises Broken

Before official 1.2 and DX7 38 fps was pretty much standard when hotlapping. Now, I wish I had some screenshots... --- Antti Markus Peteri 15 miles. your dim light shines from so far away - Soul Asylum, Promises Broken