Showbudgets issue

I have some problems with hl2, and i think it's graphics card related.
When i turn on +showbudgets, the "swap buffer" part is often MASSIVE,
up to 25 ms.

Anyone knows what "swap buffer" does and if it's normal?

I also have problems with the video settings. When i go to the video
tab and check my advanced options, it says that my Hardware DirectX
level is 8.0.

I know that my graphics card supports DirectX 9.0 but i've recently had
an old card that didn't support 9.0. Will this affect the gaming
performance?

first off, it helps to post a card type so we can assist you.

secondly, i asked this question recently, i will find the post and lead you to the swap buffer explanation in a moment.

third, there is a way to force your game to read the card as a 9.0 hardware. lemme see if i can locate that too.

fourthly, you seem to be having all sorts of issues.. my condolences :/

[edit]

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting keved</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Orpheus</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>
what exactly are swap buffers anyways?

</DIV></DIV>

Texture fill rate. The more env crap rendering on a texture, and the more of that texture which is on-screen, the more framerate gets totally hammered. I had the problem on Riot where I had used certain textures on the floor so I extracted the vmt text file, edited out all the extra rendering stuff, saved it with a suffix of _custom, and framerate doubled.

Valve do seem to have done something about it in the latest update though. I've been able to go back to the default textures for Riot beta 2.
I'll take a look at your new version of Swamplight shortly, Finger.

</DIV></DIV>
[edit#2]

right click on your HL2deathmatch icon and scroll down to properties.

under the shortcut tab you will see a "target" window.

somewhere in the middle add this command "-dxlevel 90" without the quotes and apply.

your hardware should now read as 9.0

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Orpheus</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext> right click on your HL2deathmatch icon and scroll down to properties.
under the shortcut tab you will see a "target" window.

somewhere in the middle add this command "-dxlevel 90" without the quotes and apply.

your hardware should now read as 9.0

</DIV></DIV>
After you have loaded HL2 with the -dxlevel 90 command you may have to remove the command again before you next load HL2 again (don't worry, it will remain in dx90 mode). Maybe it was just my setup, but everytime I load HL2 or HL2DM with a -dxlevel xx command it resets my entire config (keys, video setup, etc).

must be just yours bud, cause mine is Aok.. as far as i can ascertain anyways. :/

Tnx for all the help! But my fps drops to about 1/2 when i set the directX level to 9,i get like 12 fps when i'm running HL2.

Here's my specs:

2 GhZ AMD CPU

1 Gb of RAM, (133 mhz bus i guess)

GeForce FX 5200, graphics card

80 gb+ free disk space

My video settings are:

1024x768

Low Models

Medium Texures

Bilinear Rendering

Simple Reflections

Low Shader

Low Shadows

Vertical Sync: off

DX 9 = (12) fps

DX 8 = (30) fps

DX 7 = 60 fps (looks like duke nukem 3d :biggrin: )

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting RaPtoR</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>Tnx for all the help! But my fps drops to about 1/2 when i set the directX level to 9,i get like 12 fps when i'm running HL2.

Here's my specs:
2 GhZ AMD CPU
1 Gb of RAM, (133 mhz bus i guess)
GeForce FX 5200, graphics card
80 gb+ free disk space

My video settings are:
1024x768
Low Models
Medium Texures
Bilinear Rendering
Simple Reflections
Low Shader
Low Shadows
Vertical Sync: off

DX 9 = (12) fps
DX 8 = (30) fps
DX 7 = 60 fps (looks like duke nukem 3d :biggrin: )
</DIV></DIV>

i am sorry, but this is your problem.

i went from a radeon 9000 64 meg to a nVidia 5200 256 meg and lost many FPS.. i went back to my 9000.
i would settle for the 30 at DX8 bud, cause thats as good as it gets with a 5200. its a piece of crap card.

1 Gb of RAM, (133 mhz bus i guess)
GeForce FX 5200, graphics card

As orph said the fx5200 is not a good card, and AFAIK if your CPU is 2ghz AMD then it's probably a 3200 if it's an athlon, which is 333mhz FSB.

Yes, the bus is prob 333 mhz, just me messing around with numbers. Tnx
for all the help. I guess the best i could do is to buy a better
graphics card :/

The 3200 has a fsb of 200mhz and a multiplyer of 11.

yeh the 5200 is quite crap but i didnt think it was that bad but that was the best card i had ever had until I was given a 5700 so I was really happy with it.

swapbuffers is affected by complicated shaders like water, reflection, normalmapping, etc. For mappers this means reduce the amount of expensive shaders in your map. For players this means turning down the shader detail or switching to a lower DX level.

I've got a 9600pro which is good on mid settings at a res of 1024x768 if that helps.

6800 is the only way to go, it was worth the money i spent on it.

When you build a new computer don't crap out on anything, I did that oringally and bought a geforce 4 MX440, and upgraded a few monthes later to teh 6800.