Improving performance in a Vista-32bit machine

[SiegeTank]

I figure since it's patch day more peops will be visiting the site and maybe I can get some expert advice.

I run EQ on several PCs, various ages and configurations, various OS: XP, Vista-32 and Vista-64.

I have a Vista-32 system which seems to under-perform in EQ. Despite shutting off spell effects and cutting back the clipping plane, it responds VERY slowly. I have to click hot buttons 2-3x to get things to work, like bags to open, spellbook to open, spells to mem, etc. It's like playing with mittens on! Thing is, a very similar XP system right next to it works fine. Here's the specs:

Vista-32 runs Home Premium is AMD 64 Dual 2.3 Ghz with 3G RAM (it's an HP Pavilion) with a GeForce 8400GS card (not great but should run EQ fine, altho I might upgrade it to one with more RAM, since they're cheap now, and see if that helps.)

XP machine, an old clone, is XP SP3, Pentium-4 2.85Ghz with 3-gig RAM with a GeForce 6800GT.

A dualcore should outpace a Pentium-4, I would think!

I've disabled all the crap that comes with an HP, the only programs loaded while I play are MQ2, EQ and Norton-360, which uses a lot less memory than it used to. I run Norton-360 on the XP machine too.

Task Manager shows memory useage during gameplay as higher on the XP machine than the Vista-32! Yet I get the awful sluggishness on the Vista.

This is the only Vista-32 machine I play EQ on. My other Vista machines are 64-bit and they fly; I can run 3 instances with no discernible lag.

I have scanned the system with Norton, SuperAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes without problem. I did notice the free SuperAntiSpyware, which I'm new to (replacing Spybot on friend's recommendation) did leave an icon running and when I shut that off it seemed to improve performance slightly.

Oh, and I have updated video driver.

So... any suggestions as to what to look at next? Or does Vista-32 just suck at runningf EQ?

 

[Hostagecs]

vista sucks

 

[SiegeTank]

This system didn't come with downgrade rights so I'm pretty well stuck with Vista atm.

 

[maces]

I agree with Hostagecs. Vista is nice for Dumbuser installation.
Insert CD after 1 Hour you have a working system.

I am running 6 different Desktop PCs and the second Maincomputer crashed and i didnt find my image with the xp sp3 so i tested Vista. It looks nice but XP is better to handle what i find. But here comes more the knowledge from XP from my work. So i cant say really that and that helps. I think maybe the little finetuning could help.

Dont know if this helps in EQ and if this is possible in Vista.
Maybe try it. Right click COmputer go to Properties go to Advanced. Click settings on Performance and click from "Let Windows choose what's best for my computer" to Adjust for best performance. I think that improved Windows a little bit but not eq.

Regards

 

[Blitzkrieg]

WinEQ2 helped tremendously in managing and maintaining frames. I noticed a significant improvement when I was on x86 XP Pro SP3, and it's a must have for me now on x64 Vista Ultimate.

As far as the game itself goes, I used to run up to four boxes on the XP gig with all screen resolutions at 1024x768 and every effect turned down (including old models set in OptionsEditor). It was smooth (60+ FPS even) for the most part, just depended on the zones. There was no difference when I carried this same setup to x86 Vista Ultimate. I did not have to stop any background processes either besides the dumb sidebar.

Note: The setup above was with a vanilla installation. No MQ2, WinEQ2, etc..

 

[SiegeTank]

I'm thinking the issue is Vista-32 bit. It's got all the extra burdens of the Vista OS with only 32-bit processor firepower. This is my "black sheep" system, the only one I ever bought with 32-bit Vista. It must have been a fire sale at my local Best Buy... frankly, I don't recall WHY I bought it any more.

 

[SiegeTank]

Updated video driver to the very most recent, which is sept09 and this seems to have helped a significant amount.

Going to invest in a better video card, prolly 512mb, and see what that does.

 

[Krugerr]

Ive used Vista since it came out. Initially, i kept thinking to myself "This is crap".. Howver, once you get used to it, its actually a much better OS, despite its memory usage. And the fact that iirc, support for XP is stopping/stopped since its old now. Windows7 is even better still, running 64bit and it flies, i run 2 EQ's. have 2 diffrence browsers running, itunes, and usually a movie too (split screen) 4gb and im still only on around 35% memory usage after it settles down, i am using a 1gbgraphic card tho.

My advice would be honestly to ween yourself off of XP now. Get used to Vista and then upgrade to 7 when its fully released.. it is definatly worth going for 64bit.

 

[Casca]

I run 10 machines I purpose built for EQ mostly. 8 of them are ITX low wattage machines. I started out using the onboard IGP which were 780G's on 6 of em and 9300nv on two, but have since added GTS250 vid cards to most of em and ATI equivalent on a couple. The other two machines are much more powerful and I use em on my main front and center accounts.

I paid into a Technet subscription a couple years ago. Was one of the best things for running multiple computers I have ever done. First year it cost me $99 cause I got in durring a very good deal. Second year it cost me $249 and is worth every penny for when I make the move to Windwos 7 on all my computers.....cause I get 10 totally legal liscenses of Windows 7 for that $249....also, 10 lisences of pretty much every OS microsoft ever had. 98, XP, vista 2003, 2008, Ultimate, Basic, Bussiness, Home (yes, that means you actually get like 30 or 40 keys for windows 7 ....10 of each version) 32/64 whatever.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/renew.aspx


Look for coupons, will drop the price alot. Oh, btw windows 7 has been fully rleased for technet subscribers for months now, I just been too lazy to swap over cause I have no problems with vista.



Also, 32bit OS or 64bit,...it's Everquest......a game from 1999. How much ram do you have? Yes, a 32bit OS doesn't see mor then 3.6gb(@there), but that should be fine for EQ. 6 of my ITX builds are using AMD 2500 CPU's , 4gb of ram and even when I ran it with just the onboard IGP, it ran EQ fine.....till I got around a bunch of people. I have vista 64 bussiness on most of my purpose built box machines, but since all of em are only doing 4gb, 32...64..?? that really doesn't make much of a difference.

It's got all the extra burdens of the Vista OS with only 32-bit processor firepower.

I am no gear guru, but Vista 32 runs a 64bit CPU fine. About the only difference will be how much ram it recognizes and EQ doesn't get much better over 4gb unless you're running like 4+ accounts on it and probably not even then. The vid card will make a difference depending what you have now. So will ram depending what you have now. Ram is cheaper to do.

 

[JimJohnson]

I run 10 machines I purpose built for EQ mostly. 8 of them are ITX low wattage machines. I started out using the onboard IGP which were 780G's on 6 of em and 9300nv on two, but have since added GTS250 vid cards to most of em and ATI equivalent on a couple. The other two machines are much more powerful and I use em on my main front and center accounts.

I paid into a Technet subscription a couple years ago. Was one of the best things for running multiple computers I have ever done. First year it cost me $99 cause I got in durring a very good deal. Second year it cost me $249 and is worth every penny for when I make the move to Windwos 7 on all my computers.....cause I get 10 totally legal liscenses of Windows 7 for that $249....also, 10 lisences of pretty much every OS microsoft ever had. 98, XP, vista 2003, 2008, Ultimate, Basic, Bussiness, Home (yes, that means you actually get like 30 or 40 keys for windows 7 ....10 of each version) 32/64 whatever.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/renew.aspx


Look for coupons, will drop the price alot. Oh, btw windows 7 has been fully rleased for technet subscribers for months now, I just been too lazy to swap over cause I have no problems with vista.

Windows 7 has not been in RTM/OEM for months.


As for vista I personally hate using xp machines. Even though they are faster at some things overall I think Vista is a better OS. Everyone just likes shit handed to them, so they hate vista since it takes a little tweaking to run right.

 

[DemonH2]

Crazy kids and their wanting a good OS out of the box.

 

[Casca]

Well, last update they had for the Windows 7 RTM download page on technet was the beginning of August and I am pretty sure I seen it with limited options (only Ultimate version) before July.

 

[SiegeTank]

It's never what ya expect...

Just bought a EVGA GeForce 9500GT with 1GB of DDR2 RAM. Surprisingly, only requires 300W of power. I went to swap out the 8400GS (256mb) and---lo and behold---the damn card practically burned my hand off! Looks like the on-card fan is intermittently failing and the card heats up seriously but not enough so as to entirely crash the system.

But probably surely enough to interfere with the video card's smooth performance!

New card was only $44 after rebates and works GREAT so I'm a-keeping it.

So, this one time at least, Microsoft was NOT to blame!

 

[Funkalicious]

Even if the Video card seems to help a bit, I recommend looking over http://www.blackviper.com - those tweaks seemed to help my Vista 32 bit machine quite a lot.

 

[Artemus]

How to speed up a Vista machine:

1) Go to any retail store that carries it and buy WIndows 7 on October 22.
2) Format the drive, install WIndows 7
3) Use Vista discs as coasters.

Problem solved.

 

[ambivy]

How to speed up a Vista machine:

1) Go to any retail store that carries it and buy WIndows 7 on October 22.
2) Format the drive, install WIndows 7
3) Use Vista discs as coasters.

Problem solved.

Its true. Windows 7 is great.

 

[SiegeTank]

WHICH Windows 7 is great?

Here are the editions supposed to be available:

Windows 7 Starter

Windows 7 Home Basic

Windows 7 Home Premium

Windows 7 Professional

Windows 7 Enterprise

Windows 7 Ultimate

Standard upgrade editions

Standard upgrade editions (Family Packs)

Anytime Upgrade editions

European alternative editions
E editions
N editions

South Korea alternative editions

Some of the foreign ones will come with and without IE8 due to potential lawsuit problems.

 

[Anthrax]

I went with three copies of Windows 7 Professional personally.

 

[Kkthnx]

Buy starter so i can lol at you

Starter can run 3 programs at a time

Antivirus , Firewall , IE

omg you cant do anything else!

I have Ultimate and have pre-ordered a copy of Hom Premium

Enterprise = Business version of Ultimate


E Version isnt going to be released anymore
N version doesnt come with Media Player