I was wondering if any could provide some tips for me getting my computer to run a bit better for Stormblood. I got about 8300 for my score when I did the benchmark, and I'm wondering about these things possibly helping my comp run better. I literally know nothing about computer stuff, so I'm wondering if people have feedback on the following, since I'm looking for my comp to run better without me having to pay with money I don't have to get performance increases.
Closing skype/Using only one mic chat program during the game.
Defragmenting - I think my comp says 2% fragmented, and I'm wondering if this has much to do with my score
Clearing cookies
Cleaning the dust out of my comp tower - Probably should do this, since I don't think I have in the 4-ish years I've had this (Got it 2 months before A Realm Reborn)
Possibly keeping the temp in my room a bit colder - Since I know comps can get hot, even with good cooling systems, and I'm wondering if the temp being lower in my room helps.
Also I don't know how to check the specs of my comp to actually say what I'm using, so help on that would be greatly appreciated. All I can say it that it's an alienware gaming comp I got as a birthday gift.
Ok so I'm bad at computer stuff and....
Printable View
-
06-09-2017, 12:54 PMBacentOk so I'm bad at computer stuff and....
-
06-09-2017, 12:59 PMJeycht
A score of 8300 is great.
You don't have to worry about 4.0. The max score is 7k+, you have way more than the max. (don't worry about scores in the benchmark topic if it's because of it) -
06-09-2017, 01:00 PMTachyon
Could you provide some more information on what your computer specs are?
Areas like towns and other instances with a lot of characters tend to be pretty cpu-heavy, where as graphical enhancements are usually gpu heavy...
What settings are you currently using? Adjusting your settings (HBAO, real time reflections and LOD etc) help too.
But in no way is 8300 a bad score (Though I definitely would recommend dusting it out, lol) -
06-09-2017, 01:01 PMsavageink
Bug spray...it gets the bugs out.
-
06-09-2017, 01:23 PMAethaerynAll of that will give you minimal to no increase in performance, but also certainly can't hurt. Lower ambient temperature and cleaning off dust would only make a significant difference if high heat is throttling performance of your gpu or cpu. However, if your computer was all highish end parts from right before ARR launched, then 8300 is about what you should expect on max settings at 1920x1080. If you find yourself having a lot of frame rate issues at max in Stormblood, just drop your settings down to High (Desktop) preset or something and you should be fine, but a score of 8300 means you likely won't notice any major drops outside of busy areas.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bacent
If you wanna provide specs, run dxdiag and tell us what it says your processor and memory are under the system tab, then go to the display tab for the name of your video card. (If you don't know how to 'run' something, you can just windows key + R or right click on the start button for windows 8/10, or just Start > Run if something older) -
06-09-2017, 01:31 PMZiehn
If your looking to up your performance, there is no way without spending the $$$ for upgrades.
-
06-09-2017, 01:31 PMlyndwyrmAs others have said, a score at 8300 is plenty high. High enough that not many programs you would leave open in the background would slow you down.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bacent
Defragmenting would only really affect load times, and is only relevant if you're running off of a HDD. IIRC, Windows 7-10 schedules defrags automatically, so this probably isn't even a problem then. If you're running an SSD there's no benefit to defragmenting and Windows 7-10 would have this default to off.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bacent
Cookies are just browser data, so this really shouldn't have an effect.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bacent
Cleaning dust out would be a good idea, just use a can of compressed air and focus on tight areas of heat sinks. This will probably be on top of the CPU and likely also the Graphics card. If you're not confident doing that, try and find someone that is confident and will show you. It is simple, but having a demonstration never hurt.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bacent
Cooling your room however, will probably just be a waste of money for the A/C.
When you're running the benchmark, your main specs are the 4 lines of text beneath the "Visit the Official Website" button. Like:Quote:
Originally Posted by Bacent
The middle two lines are your CPU and Graphics card.Code:Windows 10 Pro 64-bit (6.2, Build 9200) (14393.rs1_release_sec.170327-1835)
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700K CPU @ 4.00GHz
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (VRAM 6103 MB)
1920x1080 Maximum Borderless Windowed
-
06-09-2017, 01:31 PMBacentOk I 'think' these are the things you mentioned?Quote:
Originally Posted by Aethaeryn
OS: Windows 7
System Model: Aurora-R 4
Processor: Intel(R) core(TM) i7-3820 CPS @ 3.60 GHz (8 CPUs), ~3.6GHz
Memory: 8192MB RAM
And as for the stuff from the display tab
Chip Type: AMD Radeon Graphics Processor (0x68180
DAC Type: Internal DAC(400MHz) -
06-09-2017, 01:49 PMAethaerynIt should say the name of the GPU on the display tab above the Chip Type, but if not for whatever reason you can do what lyndwyrm suggested and check the benchmark. (or I forgot the game launcher also has a "System Information" button in the config)Quote:
Originally Posted by Bacent
-
06-09-2017, 01:58 PMLukha
You should definitely be cleaning the dust out of your tower at least every six months. It won't significantly raise your performance, but it will lower the risk of freezing and long load times due to things running hotter than they should. It's just general good computer hygiene.
If you've never used compressed air before, it's important to make sure you NEVER turn the can upside down, or hold it sideways while blowing; only right-side up, even if that means you have to move the computer around in order to get to certain areas. Tilting the can may cause the contents to come out in liquid form rather than gas, and the liquid will freeze on contact. For the same reason, blow in short bursts, not continuously, and in sweeping motions, not directed at one spot for a long time, because otherwise you may cause freezing. be careful not to get any dust in your eyes from the blowback, either; goggles or at least a pair of glasses/sunglasses while you blow wouldn't be a terrible idea. -
06-09-2017, 02:02 PMBacent
Windows 7 home Premium 64-Bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.160121-1718)
Intel(r) Core(TM) i7-3820 @ 3.60 GHz
AMD Radeon HD 8870 (VRAM 2027 MB)
Yeah, went ahead and looked at the benchmark, since mine wasn't listed above the chip type thing.
I'm actually bringing my comp tower to my dad's place June 14th for that, he's worked with computers and airplane parts in his line of work, so he'll be doing that for me while I do some yard work/gardening for himQuote:
Originally Posted by Lukha
Thanks for the tips though, I've never really used compressed air before, so that's some good stuff to know. -
06-09-2017, 02:25 PMAethaeryn
That score is about right for that video card and cpu.
But yeah, you should be fine for Stormblood anyway. Not gonna be 60fps everywhere at max settings, but it should be playable. -
06-09-2017, 02:49 PMBacentAwesome sauce, thanks~Quote:
Originally Posted by Aethaeryn
Though any suggestions on inexpensive parts down the line I might be able to get to help my gaming performance? -
06-09-2017, 02:56 PMsavageinkMore ram, a better video card, and an SSD would be the three things that would improve your performance...cheap is a matter of perspective.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bacent
-
06-09-2017, 03:35 PMAethaerynVideo card would be the easiest if you have an adequate power supply. You can grab a gtx 1060 or an rx480 for under $300, or spring for a gtx 1070 to get more mileage. You're still probably not gonna have 60fps in busy places (like current idyllshire/limsa levels of busy if your server is anything like mine) with that cpu, but a cpu upgrade would almost definitely mean new RAM and motherboard too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bacent
I'd personally just keep saving up for a whole new build at this point and buy parts when they're on sale around the holidays or something, but that's honestly up to you. -
06-09-2017, 06:19 PMFile2ish
That is a good score, should still be able to handle the game no problem. I'm not sure if you ran the benchmark at max settings, but that is a good score nonetheless. If you're happy with the settings you're running at, you're golden to play the game when Stormblood hits. Don't really need to worry about the performance.
That said:
If you're looking for better performance in the form of higher graphics settings, assuming you're using a desktop PC: the quickest and easiest upgrade for better performance would be to replace your video card. Though that will depend on if you're willing to spend money on one. If you're not willing to or are unsure if you want to spend money on an upgrade, don't worry about it. You can play the game just fine as is.
And to note: an Intel Core i7 3820 CPU is more than enough for the game, and 8GB of RAM is just fine (honestly you don't really need more unless you're looking into building a high end gaming computer or workstation). You wouldn't get a performance bottleneck from either for FFXIV.
As for choosing a video card, it would depend on your budget. I'm going to go ahead and assume you wouldn't want the top of the line $700+ card, so a ~$200 video card like Nvidia's GTX 1060 or AMD's RX480 (and RX580) will likely give you scores of *in Vegeta's voice* over 9000 at 1080p maximum settings, which should equate to a smooth frame rate that will rarely dip below 60 frames per second in FFXIV (and should be consistently at 60fps or above when not in highly populated zones).
There are cheaper cards sub $150 on the market as well, such as Nvidia GTX 1050ti and AMD RX460, but the performance would likely be only marginally better than your current video card, if not the same performance (honestly I haven't looked into the AMD HD card series in years so I don't remember any specs), and perhaps not worth the upgrade.
*EDIT* (Sorry, I know I have a habit of getting kind of technical with stuff, hope I didn't do it in this post despite it's length).
And on the topic of cleaning out the dust from your computer and heatsinks: It's also a good idea to replace the thermal compound between your CPU heatsink and the CPU every few years if you still run the same computer. It can do wonders for thermal performance, especially if replacing thermal paste that had gaps form between the contact of the components. If you can have that done at your dad's place when you go (as per your comment) you'll have a lower chance for the CPU to thermal throttle itself and/or cause the computer to freeze (if a CPU gets too hot, it will throttle itself down so it doesn't overheat).
And another upgrade for your computer would be to install a Solid State Drive (SSD) for the game to be installed on. SSD's are much faster than Hard Disk Drives (HDD) in pretty much every way. Many people install our operating systems (like Windows) on an SSD instead of an HDD because the boot up time is significantly faster. Games on an SSD will load very noticeably faster than it would installed on a hard drive. -
06-09-2017, 09:08 PMKisaiTenshiThe three things you can do to improve the score marginally (like in maybe double digits)Quote:
Originally Posted by Bacent
1. Turn off the computer wait about 30 minutes, blow the dust out with compressed air, slowly. Don't use a vacuum, and don't hold compressed air down too long or it will freeze components. If anyone smokes, has pets, or just has an exceptionally dusty environment, you need to clean it out more often.
2. Just close the web browser honestly, when you leave it running, things like ads, videos, and javascript (eg twitter, tumblr, reddit, disqus) will just keep bleeding your computer for memory. If you have a mobile phone or tablet and need to keep checking things, use that instead.
3. Uninstall software overlays. Geforce Experience, Steam, MSI Afterburner, etc. Basically anything that overlays also adds input latency due to the compositing requirement. It's very tiny, but noticeable when you turn on video capture.
More to the point, if you are trying to squeeze more out of the same hardware, just upgrade the cooling system. Most OEM systems (Dell, Alienware, etc) use the cheapest parts possible, that's why they make so much noise. If your system doesn't sound like a jet engine, then you're good. If it sounds like a jet engine taking off when the game runs, then the CPU/GPU is working too hard and probably needs a better cooler. That's the cheapest thing you can do.
Anything else involves replacing the GPU. That then may require replacing the Chasis and PSU if you pick something too big.
You can get a little more performance if you use a tool to change the CPU affinity for the game to avoid hyperthreaded cores, but that's so trivial that it barely matters except for people on i3 systems. -
06-10-2017, 05:50 AMFile2ishUpgrading the cooling system in an OEM built computer isn't always feasible, many OEM motherboards don't use the standard mounting brackets for the CPU heatsink that are generally found per socket type on ATX and ITX motherboards. Also Dell owns Alienware :PQuote:
Originally Posted by KisaiTenshi
On a separate note, after looking at the computer specs again when not dead tired after work; it seems he's playing on a laptop (I don't recall there ever being an AMD HD 8870 video card, and the i7 3820 fits Intel's naming scheme for mobile CPUs).
There is no easy upgrade path for a laptop, the best way to get more performance out of a laptop would be to install an SSD (if you have a free 2.5" drive port) as your game drive to improve loading times. And, going back to my previous comment about thermal paste: if you know someone tech savvy enough THAT YOU TRUST WITH YOUR EQUIPMENT to tear down your laptop, you can have them clean off and replace the thermal compound on the heatsink copper pipe brackets mounted to the CPU and GPU. This will help with the thermal issues when running games on a laptop and likely help it so the cooling fan isn't ramped up to 100% all the time. Neither of these will give you direct performance gains, but it will help your laptop in the long run.
That's the best advice I can offer outside of purchasing a new laptop outright. But your benchmark score is good for the game, no need to upgrade unless you really really want to play with higher settings. -
06-10-2017, 05:58 AMYurimiBased on the naming and configuration he is running an Alienware Aurora R-4 Desktop PC, which is their "top end" desktop model and not a laptop. The 8870 was included in some OEM cardsQuote:
Originally Posted by File2ish
Edit,
upon quick glance it seems this was the top end PC of theirs from 2013 though with the Radeon card rather than the GTX series (most likely for cost reasons?)
Looking up specs from the time it seems these were the mid range options of the R4 initial lineup from early 2013 -
06-10-2017, 06:00 AMAethaerynNah, there's a desktop version of the 8870. They basically just went in Dell's computers (and he has an Alienware - Aurora R4 is a desktop PC). Performance wise, it's basically an HD7950 with higher clock speeds but less memory and memory bandwidth.Quote:
Originally Posted by File2ish
-
06-10-2017, 07:09 AMAylisObsessive Nvidia fan here o7 I wouldn't go with the 1050 TI at all. Its more or less Nvidia's new first time video card. It's a great budget card if you're upgrading from onboard graphics to a video card. Performance wise though it's about on par with the GTX 670 as I recall. The OP probably wouldn't see any real performance increase at all. It's better to sock the money away and spring for a 1070 at least for the best performance boost on a budget if they wanna go the Nvidia route.Quote:
Originally Posted by File2ish
To the OP, the score you got as many have said is a good score and I wouldn't worry at all. Deffo do like what was suggested and have all the dust blown out of the case and all fan blades wiped clean and the heatsink as well. -
06-10-2017, 05:24 PMBunnyChain
I found this quite useful for picking a graphics card.
It would be really nice to have some use from submitting those benchmark results. Like make a database accessible via lodestone where you can see it all and sort by fps/score/hardware. -
06-10-2017, 05:37 PMMasekase_Hurricane
I'm sorry but you're f***ed, had you got a score of 8301 you would've been fine :P I suggest you go out and buy the most expensive rig possible and then you will be perfect for SB (j/k).
-
06-10-2017, 05:56 PMKathrynSorry don't know much about computers myself but I just had to do "Titus Andromeda" <3Quote:
Originally Posted by Aethaeryn
-
06-10-2017, 07:04 PMMaliki_OzariI understand you're trying to make a point (in a poor way). The OP said he didn't know anything about computers. That is why he asked the community. I mean, he even said he isn't good with computers. Why would you post this? Does it make you feel better about yourself somehow? My score blows 8301 out of the water. Does it make me cool? No. Does it really matter? Maybe a little. Is it hard for you to ignore a post rather than be ignorant. It shouldn't be.Quote:
Originally Posted by Masekase_Hurricane
I just came back to the game after a long break, and the 'decent' community was a big part of it. I understand all games will have bad apples like yourself, but it's a shame you feel the need to be mean to someone asking for help.
I imagine if we had a real conversation about something more deep than a benchmark score or your hate for alienware that can be found in a google search, you likely don't know anything about computers. Your reply screams "I don't know what I'm talking about, but I need the attention". -
06-10-2017, 07:43 PMMasekase_HurricaneI'm sorry you couldn't get sarcasm and no the OP didn't need to know anything about computers, as the score at the end was self-explanatory 7000+ = extremely high. So why would the OP have any worries? As for the rest of your post, you come across as a complete fool next time I will write in Italics so you can understand sarcasm :SQuote:
Originally Posted by Maliki_Ozari
-
06-10-2017, 10:30 PMAylisQuote:
Originally Posted by Bacent
So....I went and looked and found all your system specs here https://www.cnet.com/products/alienw...gb-2-tb/specs/ I'm assuming its all a in box stock build. The only thing I can think of hardware wise other then the already mentioned SSD is...what monitor type are you using? If you're using a basic monitor then upgrading to one that has Free Sync on it "might" give you a little more oomph due to your graphics card no longer being slowed down by your monitor while V-Sync is being used. Have a lookie at this video. It's the explanation of what Free Sync and G-Sync are and what they do.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ey-KObDABI -
06-10-2017, 11:09 PMKisaiTenshiWhen you upgrade a GPU, you always pick the option that minimally doubles the previous performance just to stay afloat. The 1050 is basically equal to "Intel's onboard GPU is a joke, has always, been a joke, why do they even bother?" alternative. It's better because it's a nVidia Geforce part, but that's about it. If the part in the system is equal to the 1050, then the next part needs to be the 1060 or better.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aylis
nVidia's cards scale rather linearly. Each next card is roughly double the performance of the previous. They also tend to be double the price.
so 1050 = 99, 1060=199, 1070=399, 1080=799 or so. The best value card is always going to be the one below the top. So the 1070 is currently the best value, but probably not justified unless you have a 120fps monitor, run the desktop at 4K, or play VR. Like you can run the desktop at 4K on the weakest parts, but you don't realize how bad it is until you put a better card in. -
06-10-2017, 11:51 PMMycow8me
Overclocking and heat management are the only real ways for significant performance gains beyond upgrading. Learning how to overclock can save you a significant amount of money and allow you to get the most bang for your buck. Imagine buying a i7 3820 and getting better performance than a stock i7 4770 by overclocking it. Most intel processors are not overclocking friendly though. The ones that are have a "k" on the end of the name to let people know the multiplier is unlocked which is the "easiest" way to overclock without any real trouble. Your processor is not a K variant so you would have to overclock using the FSB (frontside bus). The problem with overclocking the FSB is that it affects your ram and motherboard bridge speeds (the link between your video cards, audio cards, network cards, or even onboard stuff). in most cases large FSB overclocks require multiple voltage increases and also memory timings changes while a multiplier overclock is as simple as increasing the multiplier and voltage to the CPU usually. There are some programs that do it for you out there but these are never a good idea for cpu overclocking, it should be done through the bios manually.
Video card overclocking is also available assuming your card supports it. Some video cards are manufacture locked just like processors though. Make sure you check into it before you buy. Usually video cards come with programs that allow for overclocking much easier.
The I7 3820 is a non k variant so you would have to overclock the FSB. I looked online and it says it has 8 cores and a turbo of 3.8ghz. 8 cores is a waste really and you are not going to see a performance drop with alot of background processes or programs running with 8 cores. FFXIV will see more gains from a higher single core speed than from 8 cores. If I were to overclock your CPU, i'd literally disable 4 of the cores and get a higher/stabler FSB that way. 4 cores is more than enough for FFXIV and a few background applications. I looked online and it looks like 4.5ghz is very achievable on this processor but I wouldn't do that without a liquid cooler.
Honestly I wouldn't want to walk anyone through a FSB overclock due to damage risks. If you don't know what your doing, I don't recommend this but if you decide to try, remember to start small and ease upwards. Do not go instantly putting in large changes. You have to run a program like prime95 to check for stability, simply booting windows is not enough. Sometimes you can increase it by 1-3 without having to change anything if you were lucky and got one of the best chips on the line. Remember the FSB affects alot of things and you may have to change more than one voltage. RAM is manufactured to run at certain speeds @ certain voltages so you will have to check your rams specs.
Video card overclocking is much more easier... Heat management is as easy as drilling some holes in the side of your case and installing a push pull airflow with 2 fans bottom and top if the side panel on the case does not have fans. Still need to use a program to monitor temps though. -
06-11-2017, 12:29 AMAylisYep! The 1070 offers the best value and best performance for its price out of all the current top dog Nvidia cards. Even then with everything out right now and whats coming in years from now pertaining to games. The 1070 will handle it. Even if its a bit overkill. I have a 1080TI and while I love it even I'll admit its overkill and that's with a G-Sync monitor. Also yes Nvidia's cards do scale kinda linear. It only gets kinda wonky when the TI models come into play. Like, from most of what I read if you're running a 980TI the only viable upgrade is the 1080TI. While if you're running anything but the 980TI. The choice is yours on how much you wanna spend. 1070,1080 or 1080TIQuote:
Originally Posted by KisaiTenshi
-
06-11-2017, 08:56 AMAethaerynI don't think his gpu supports freesync. o: But that'd be a great idea for him to get if he upgrades his gpu rather than going for a full new build.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aylis
He's my favorite. <3Quote:
Originally Posted by Kathryn
-
06-11-2017, 10:40 AMAylisYeah you're right :( I looked at the AMD GPU support page cos I was curious and yeah..he would need a GPU upgrade to use Free-sync.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aethaeryn
"All AMD Radeon™ graphics cards in the AMD Radeon™ HD 7000, HD 8000, R7 or R9 Series will support Radeon FreeSync™ technology" http://support.amd.com/en-us/search/faq/219