Computer Problems and SPWAW

[Dragoon 45]

I have read a lot of the threads that talk of how much of a memory hog SPWAW is. Well I am having problems with the Game running on my desktop now. The game will entirely freeze up, not the occasional black screens. The only way out of it is to physically turn the computer off. I have 1gb of ram, athlon 2600 processor, WinXP home, 120 gb HDD, 128mb video card, and turn off background programs when I play. I suspect the video card may be going bad but don't know how to check it. The computer seems to freeze when I do anything graphics extensive. Any suggestions. On my laptop the game runs fine without any problem.

[BruceAZ_MatrixForum]

Had similar problem -- I replaced my V-Card and that did the trick. It will still freeze up now and then (what a memory hog!) but all of us have this problem. [&:]

Good Luck!

Recon
Semper Fi

[minefield]

If you are experiencing freezes in applications other than SP:WaW ("anything graphics extensive") then I doubt SP:WaW is the culprit.

SP:WaW is lousy in how it asks for resources so it will run your computer to the max. I don't believe it taxes the video card to the max though.

I suspect a heat or frequency problem. Search for the free mother board monitor and see if your computer is getting very hot during intense use. This could cause it to lock up. You might want to also check and ensure your front-side bus speed and other frequencies are set properly. If you have memory that can't handle the multiplier, it can cause the computer to lock up. Some video cards (I suspect yours) have a utility where you can over- / underclock it. Try underclocking some of your devices (lower multiplier on motherboard / video card) to see if that is the problem. If that fixes the problem but the device should be able to handle the original settings, then the device is probably bad (or at the lower end of the manufacturer's tolerances).

Try some freeware applications to test your computer's hardware before you try SP:WaW specific things. There are plenty of free burn-in and performance benchmark programs out that that will push your computer to its max.

[Goblin]

Futuremark has 3DMark05. It is designed for gamers to test their machines, and gives a score to compare with other gamers. Its been big for a few years now, and the scores are used for 'bragging rights' at LAN parties and such.

Goblin

[Dragoon 45]

Thanks for the ideas. It locks on most games I try to play. It has a noticeable fan sound in the background when it is running so I am not sure if it is a heat problem. I have a high end laptop that only has 64mb video on it and it seems to handle most games well. I updated the drivers for the video card about a month ago which didn't seem to help in the least. I will try some of the shareware you have suggested and see what happens.

[m10bob]

I don't believe any of us had that problem till XP,(but I have been told XP itself is not the problem).I suspect however XP may be causing something else to make SPWAW "act up"..Look for other threads in here for other options:try the tech support forum..[:)]

[KG Erwin]

Dragoon45--the fan sound--that's the key--your PC is overheating , so this is what's causing the lockups. Am I wrong, or the more modern a PC, the more problems you have with SPWaW? I have a Dell Dimension 2400, and have NO problems running the game. The consistent thing is that it uses 100% of the CPU resources. Does this mean that the better the PC is, the harder the game is on its resources?

[KG Erwin]

We need to narrow down the systems the game has problems with, and try to establish a system problem profile. If we can establish common features between the problem systems, then we can focus on the similarities and approach the problem in a logical way.

[RBWhite]

Dragoon45

Try replacing your cooling fan.

Get one that runs over 4000 RPM's, that would be about 35CFM's (amount of air being moved)

Also; any build up of dust & dirt on the motherboard, heat sink and inside the power source will also cause major problems.

That should make a difference.

Rick White

[skukko]

We need to narrow down the systems the game has problems with, and try to establish a system problem profile. If we can establish common features between the problem systems, then we can focus on the similarities and approach the problem in a logical way.

You said it KG.

I had more than one machine running Spwaw. It runs smoother the as faster CPU PC has. Tested: From 350Celeron to Athlon 64 3000+. Spwaw uses memory alot, but can be played with 32megs of mem. You can get nightwalk with your dog while spwaw runs AI turn, but it don't crash. Tested: From ancient 32megs simm to gig's ddr. Screen warps when moving map with low memory on videocard, but it is stable and causes that "epileptic- warning" at the manual.[:D] Tested from 16megs to 256meg.

What I've found is this above said Overheating. New videocards create heat, and can give you black-screen followed by blue... Over-clocking CPU causes early dead of PC and Spwaw cries because of lost calculations.

Remember also to check that your motherboard-soundchips have drivers that work. I am against all those chips: they've caused me gray hairs as they loose their drivers in some *namenotsaid* -highend installations.

Win98SE against XP... While updating Spwaw from 4.x to 6x XP had serious problems to run Spwaw. Code was corrected and XP worked. Can be still in the backgroung thus Spwaw IS DOS -game and XP hates DOS so much that it doesn't recognise it. Sounds like divorsed couple: DOS meets XP

[Goblin]

Anyone who overclocks their CPU should test it for stability. Run Prime95. It should run for at least six hours without an error message (24 is recommended). If you get one earlier, readjust your settings for stability. I just overclocked my 939 pin Athlon 64 3000+(1.8g) to a 3800+ (2.4g) and ran Prime for over 8 hours with no errors before I turned it off out of boredom. The first time I overclocked it, I had an error inside of 10 minutes. The second time I adjusted, I had one after 20 minutes. Third time was a charm.


Goblin

[minefield]

Here is my two cents on the situation:

Older DOS games relied on infinite loops in their programming structure:

while(1){ the whole program}

or

while(no user input){}
part of program that reacts to input
loop back to top

I think SP:WaW has at least one such loop in it due to its behavior. On all of my systems, it will run the CPU to the max the whole time it is running (for windows xp ctrl-alt-del and look at performance tap while SP:WaW is running).

These loops aren't a problem on older systems since they were expected to be run full out for significant periods of time. Modern desktops are meant to sprint--they are idle most of the time and then they do a tremendous amount of calculations then they return back to a relatively idle state. If a modern system runs at its max for a long time it most likely won't be able to channel all that heat away (some Pentiums will lower their clock frequency automatically to reduce heat generation) and will eventually cause a system crash.

The solution I have found for my AMD system is to run winthrottle and use the SouthBridge power-saver functions (introduced with laptops in mind) to reduce my clock frequency so less heat is generated even when the system is being run at its max the whole time.

Link for your benefit, I make no claims so use at your own risk:
http://www.oldskool.org/pc/throttle

[KG Erwin]

Alright, if nothing else, I'd recommend that players of SPWaW on high-end systems restrict continuous play for no more than a few hours at a time. My Dell 2400 runs very quietly, so I don't have any notion on when it may be overheating.

Therefore, in my long campaigns, I save frequently, and play a single battle no more than three or four hours before saving and exiting the game. This should be a general rule for game play--the smaller scenarios can be played in an hour or two, but the larger campaign games and Megas probably need this rule to be applied.

Would you guys agree that the three or four hour save/exit cycle is a safe procedure to follow?

[skukko]

Dear KG:

I've played onliners and they've gone beyond +8 hours. How can I practise to sit and play if I can't play continously more than 4-5 hours? [:D]

Ok, you got the point in that saving issue. Besides it is good way to prove to your family that you are alive..

[RBWhite]

Also: some motherboard manufactures provide software that monitors your system temperatures, fan speed & voltages. You can preset them to popup or give you an auditable alarm when the system begins to overheat.

I'm sure there is independant software on the market that anyone can get that will preform the same function.



Rich White

[minefield]

Use motherboard monitor to see what your computer's temperature is:
http://mbm.livewiredev.com/ (site may be down)