Keeping SCS Running

[ic451uk]

Hi there,

My copy of SCS seems to freeze (sound & game carry on, but the screen stops updating) very soon after I start each time; I rarely manage to finish the tutorial without this happening, and I've managed to get as far as my first 10 minute autosave once. Lowering the graphics settings helps, but not very much. dxdiag & hijackthis attached.

Needless to say, I'm not getting very far with the game! Please help!

Thanks,
ic

[dreadmime]

Two quick solutions:

#1.) You're using outdated drivers, both for DirectX and for your Video Card.

Pop over to http://www.microsoft.com/directx and http://www.nvidia.com and grab the latest drivers.

#2.) You have a [censored]-load of stuff running in the background. Try shutting it down.

Ultimately, I think your problem comes down to most everyone's problem:

The game wants a gig of ram of it's own to play with, at minimum. You've only got about 600MB to start with off the bat from all the other programs loading.

At some point, i'm going to buy an extra gig or two of ram, just to sort of "verify" to myself this is the problem.

#3.) Try running in a windowed mode at the minimum settings. Turn everything off. And make sure you're updated to Patch #3 with Low Memory Optimizations on.

#3 especially has allowed me (finally) to play the game for up to seven hours straight without a problem.

[Manni]

The game wants a gig of ram of it's own to play with, at minimum. You've only got about 600MB to start with off the bat from all the other programs loading.

I can see that he/she has Memory: 1022MB RAM

the driver isn`t THAT old, its from 12/5/2007

[dreadmime]

Yes. He/She has 1GB period. Windows uses about 300MB on it's own, so He/She has 700MB to play with. Then he/she has another 150MB of "stuff" loaded, which puses them down to the 550MB range. Essentially, by the time they even load SCS, they're already down to HALF a gig.


As to drivers. There's a newer one. Not much newer (only a few weeks.) but newer.

[Manni]

Yes. He/She has 1GB period. Windows uses about 300MB on it's own, so He/She has 700MB to play with. Then he/she has another 150MB of "stuff" loaded, which puses them down to the 550MB range. Essentially, by the time they even load SCS, they're already down to HALF a gig.


All true but unbelievable for a normal-user. It has been hard trying to explain to most that XP likes to have 1000 RAM for its own smooth run.

You`ll hear arguments like: "But Game-AH and Game-TZ as well as Game-OH are running perfect......why doesn`t this one?"

[ic451uk]

Updated DirectX - thanks for that, although why M$ doesn't include such things on Windows Update I'll never know.

I can't find a more up to date driver for a 7600GT on XP than Forceware 169.21, which is the one I have - unless I go with a Beta release, of course, but I don't like the sound of that.

I'll trim down the background tasks and see if that helps; I think I'll try expanding the memory as well.

Incidentally, I'm male if you want to talk about me!

Thanks,

ic

[Manni]

I can't find a more up to date driver for a 7600GT on XP than Forceware 169.21, which is the one I have - unless I go with a Beta release, of course, but I don't like the sound of that.
Absolutely right! There is no newer driver for the 7`series. Nvidia splits now since those 8`cards.

One has got to look precise which driver to chose. :)

Me regards to Albion :D

[dreadmime]

I wasn't sure if it was newer or not. yours reports a date of 12/5, but the date on Nvidia's website for the 7x Series was 12/17 or something like that. :p

Like I said, I think the problem ultimately revolves around the fact that most people aren't aware just how much memory XP Really wants, and how much games want, and ultimately you end up fighting between the two (Via your HD Swap Space, which is a LOT slower.) and for some programs, it's hardly noticeable, but for a game like SCS which wants as much memory as it can get it's grubby little hands on... it becomes very clear and very noticeable. :p

I'm hoping this next month i'll be able to swing an upgrade, and pop in 2 more 1GB modules to up myself to 3GB, and report on it's effect on SCS. :p

[Manni]

I'm hoping this next month i'll be able to swing an upgrade, and pop in 2 more 1GB modules to up myself to 3GB, and report on it's effect on SCS. :p

I ignore to believe that it is just shortage of RAM for SCS to go desktop. In my big XP-pc I have 4 modules each 1025 RAM stuck in (yes I know XP can read only some 3400) and the game still goes desktop in spite of two 8800 GTX-cards. Be sure I only have 4 jobs in systemstart so it can`t be that, and no Nortons on board.
I have finished with trying and patching a long time ago and have knocked the game off harddrive.