fatbagsbehr

I'm having trouble with my ATi Radeon x700pro. When trying to play certain games, sometimes these "special effects" would come up on screen. My Omega drivers can't produce these, and hence, the game drops to 1-5 FPS (1%).

Let's take Super Mario 64 and my N64 emulator for example. After I defeat Bowser (I like calling him Koopa) and talk to him, he is supposed to turn to ashes, rise up into the air spinning, and blow up into a key. Well, that's not how it turned out!

Full Video in 7z format (16.8mb):
http://rapidshare.de/files/15858774/omega.7z.html

Small GIF Animation (1.33mb):
http://x11.putfile.com/3/7619404141.gif

Technical Details:
After talking to Bowser/Koopa, he starts to disappear using some sort of special effects. However, the Omega drivers can't produce these and drop the FPS. When Bowser/Koopa is spinning, his sprite becomes slightly smaller after each frame. The FPS starts increasing for this matter. Eventually, the sprite is so small that the FPS gets to about 12FPS, and then Bowser/Koopa blows up into the key. Because the special effects stopped, the FPS immediately rose back to 30FPS/29.9FPS (100%/99%).

Help:
I am sure that the plugins are all good and configured properly because (a) this problem happens to many of my games, and (b) it only started happening since I installed the Omega drivers. Please help me. I am going to get a new video card (the ATi Radeon x1600pro to be exact) and am not sure whether to get the Omega drivers or not.

Extra Downloads:

Power Archiver: You will need this program to unzip the 7z file. I recommend that you download this because it compresses and decompresses ZIP, RAR, and 7z files MUCH better than Windows Explorer can! Plus, it has a much larger GUI and much friendlier look to it.

DivX Player and Codec: You may need the DivX codec to play the full video. The DivX codec comes with the installation of DivX Player, however, once installed, you will NOT need to use DivX Player to play the movie. However, I do recommend you play with DivX Player because (a) it has much better sound, graphics, and quality than Windows Media Player, and (b) it may be able to play the DivX movie better.

fatbagsbehr

Oh, and in case you need it, here's my dxdiag (system info):

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 3/18/2006, 21:57:38
Machine name: YOUR-CCD0E6383E
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Gateway
System Model: GT5032
BIOS: )Phoenix - Award WorkstationBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4200+, MMX, 3DNow (2 CPUs), ~2.2GHz
Memory: 1022MB RAM
Page File: 377MB used, 1888MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
Display Tab 1: The file ati2dvag.dll is not digitally signed, which means that it has not been tested by Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL). You may be able to get a WHQL logo'd driver from the hardware manufacturer.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Music Tab: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.
Network Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D: 0/4 (n/a)
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: RADEON X700 Series (Omega 3.8.221)
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc. (Omega 3.8.221)
Chip type: RADEON X700 PRO (0x5E4B)
DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5E4B&SUBSYS_23021002&REV_00
Display Memory: 256.0 MB
Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (75Hz)
Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6599 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 1/24/2006 21:52:48, 255488 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: No
WHQL Date Stamp: None
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: ati2mtag.sys
Mini VDD Date: 1/24/2006 21:52:31, 1478656 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B71EE2-1D0B-11CF-756A-0803A1C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x1002
Device ID: 0x5E4B
SubSys ID: 0x23021002
Revision ID: 0x0000
Revision ID: 0x0000
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D
Deinterlace Caps: {6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{3C5323C1-6FB7-44F5-9081-056BF2EE449D}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{552C0DAD-CCBC-420B-83C8-74943CF9F1A6}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Enabled
D3D Status: Enabled
AGP Status: Enabled
DDraw Test Result: Not run
D3D7 Test Result: Not run
D3D8 Test Result: Not run
D3D9 Test Result: Not run

-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
Description: Realtek AC97 Audio
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_026B&SUBSYS_0CA8105B&REV_A2
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: ALCXWDM.SYS
Driver Version: 5.10.0000.5900 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
Date and Size: 9/26/2005 17:07:00, 3644800 bytes
Other Files:
Driver Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
HW Accel Level: Full
Cap Flags: 0xF5F
Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 192000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 26, 25
Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 26, 25
HW Memory: 0
Voice Management: No
EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: Yes, Yes
I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: Yes, Yes
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No
Registry: OK
Sound Test Result: Not run

---------------------
Sound Capture Devices
---------------------
Description: Realtek AC97 Audio
Default Sound Capture: Yes
Default Voice Capture: Yes
Driver Name: ALCXWDM.SYS
Driver Version: 5.10.0000.5900 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Date and Size: 9/26/2005 17:07:00, 3644800 bytes
Cap Flags: 0x41
Format Flags: 0xFFF

fatbagsbehr

I think the problem may be my video card. It is only an x700pro. I will be getting a new one soon (an x1600pro). Do you think getting the new video card will help solve the problem?

NOTE: I think the problem has to do with OpenGL. The problem has only been occuring on Project 64 (my N64 emulator) and Snes9x (my SNES emulator). It has once happened to me on Call of Duty 2. Does that use any OpenGL commands? I know that Project 64 uses OpenGL because I'm using Glide64, which uses OpenGL commands.

If anybody can help me, that would be great.

Dyre Straits

You may be onto something with suspecting OpenGL. CoD2 does use OGL and if all the other apps/games are OGL, you've likely narrowed down the source of the problem.

__________________

Spyre

No it doesnt, COD2 is a D3D game.

__________________
ATI Beta Tester
game.AMD.Moderator

Cube623

it surely can't be the gfx card being crap as my old Radeon 9000 managed to play COD2 fine.

__________________

fatbagsbehr

Yeah, my video card can play CoD2 just fine, also. It just happened a couple times with CoD2. It happens a little more often with my N64 emulator, but my SNES emulator is totally unplayable!

Dyre Straits

I was sure it was OGL. I stand corrected.

__________________

fatbagsbehr

OK, I don't care if it's OGL or DX9. There were probably background tasks interfering or something. Forget that.

I just want to know how to fix the problem. It's VERY annoying. Many games are just totally unplayable. What should I do to fix it? Will getting the new video card fix the problem? Because it won't be until a month before I get the video card.

fatbagsbehr

I figured out the problems!

With Super Mario 64, I realised that there wasn't a bad plugin, but instead a bad glide wrapper. I got another one very similar to the other one (I can't tell the difference, practically) that has the Bowser fix in it. It is also much more advanced than the other one. The only downside is that there are a tad few more bugs in this one (like the peach-to-bowser painting), but I can live with it. Also, this glide wrapper also fixes a bunch of other games like Yoshi's Story.

And, with the SNES emulator, I figured out that it was just a coincidence! It had nothing related to the N64 emulator at all! I realised that it had to do with the sound. The sound quality was set too high. When playing with no sound from the Options menu, it worked, which meant that I figured out the problem! Unfortunately, it also means that I must now get a sound card. Oh well. It's worth it for all the other games, too. Don't forget, soon I'm going to be getting the new video card, also. I hope my computer's ready for this great boost of performance.