A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

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R0GUE
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A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by R0GUE » Sun Oct 14, 2018 6:49 am

I don't know if this is widely known, it's quite possible I am helping no one. But I did think it MIGHT be helpful to share this one simple and fairly cheap thing I did to increase FPS in NWN: EE quite a lot.

So since I got NWN EE, it's been pretty playable, there were rare places where I had 60 FPS. But mostly it was somewhere around 30-40 and then there were many places like in Cordor where it would dip to the 20s.

But this weekend I finally installed a Solid State Hard Drive as my main boot drive, and I also installed NWN on that drive.

Wow, talk about a major difference. I assumed SSD's would only really help loading times, but I've seen a MAJOR increase in FPS in all zones, where I am getting 60 FPS easy almost everywhere. I don't know enough about the tech side of computers to understand why it would help so much. I have a NVIDIA 1070 graphics card, so I thought that would be enough to get the max out of NWN, but for some reason installing a SSD really had a major positive effect.

SSD's are really cheap right now, I got a 250 MB one for about $40. And I was able to install it myself, so it is not very hard. So I suggest if you are still running a computer with an old Hard Drive: make the switch. You will be very happy you did.

Like I said, I am probably the last person on earth to NOT be using an SSD, but I thought it might help a few people out there.

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by StrykerMontgomery » Sun Oct 14, 2018 9:37 am

I still have a hard drive more than 1.5 decades old lol.
Currently played characters:
Have not played for over a year, thinking of returning again

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by DM Symphony » Sun Oct 14, 2018 11:56 am

This has usually been my first recommendation for people looking for an easy to upgrade gameplay in NWN for both editions. As any object fades into view it has to be pulled from the data files and rendered, the server merely tells your computer which assets to fetch.

I haven't announced it here, though, so thank you for doing so.

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by EnigmaticSpirit » Mon Oct 15, 2018 1:45 pm

I'm using an SSD, but I've just cleared space for NWN on it to try this. I only use it for my Windows and such, usually.


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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by Rooshi49 » Mon Oct 15, 2018 3:20 pm

Cool I might try putting NWN onto my SSD and try it out

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by Dalek Caan » Mon Oct 15, 2018 9:26 pm

Well paint me blue, that did a lot. Shifted the game from my standard hard-drive to my SSD main one. My average frames have doubled O.o

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by Jagel » Tue Oct 16, 2018 11:22 am

Just for the tech idiots (like me): can you move the game and make Steam follow or is it easier to uninstall/reinstall?

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by Dalek Caan » Tue Oct 16, 2018 2:02 pm

Jagel wrote:
Tue Oct 16, 2018 11:22 am
Just for the tech idiots (like me): can you move the game and make Steam follow or is it easier to uninstall/reinstall?
Steam has its own functionality for migrating games.

Go to Steam-Library.
Find NWN:EE, right-click.
Choose Properties.
Find "Local Files"
In Local Files should be some option to move installation data. If you have all your games on one hard-drive, Steam will create a folder on your SSD for all the games you want there. Personally, I have NWN, Witcher 3 (because Witcher 3 is awesome) and PUBG on my SSD.

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by DM Symphony » Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:04 pm

Even though I've seen people have different drives for their OS and program files compared to their game library and media storage, I also cannot highly enough recommend putting your OS on an SSD. If you are doing one of each this may mean putting NWN also on your OS drive (where the documents folder will be anyways, for hak servers this could matter, except for workshop haks), but, totally an excellent choice for OS background stuff, starting your computer, browsing cache, etc.

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by ActionReplay » Wed Oct 17, 2018 6:23 pm

Yeah I got all my Steam games on my SSD. Helps a lot, also when downloading new titles. On my old HDD I would notice when downloading games from Steam my computer would be really slow. I guess my old drive could not keep up with the download speed I was getting from Steam.

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by Dalek Caan » Wed Oct 17, 2018 6:40 pm

ActionReplay wrote:
Wed Oct 17, 2018 6:23 pm
Yeah I got all my Steam games on my SSD. Helps a lot, also when downloading new titles. On my old HDD I would notice when downloading games from Steam my computer would be really slow. I guess my old drive could not keep up with the download speed I was getting from Steam.
What sort of broadband connection do you have? O.o

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by ActionReplay » Wed Oct 17, 2018 7:34 pm

Dalek Caan wrote:
Wed Oct 17, 2018 6:40 pm
ActionReplay wrote:
Wed Oct 17, 2018 6:23 pm
Yeah I got all my Steam games on my SSD. Helps a lot, also when downloading new titles. On my old HDD I would notice when downloading games from Steam my computer would be really slow. I guess my old drive could not keep up with the download speed I was getting from Steam.
What sort of broadband connection do you have? O.o
I had BBB as an ISP which was one, if not the fastest one, in Sweden then they got bought up by another ISP and it carried over there. I got a special deal then and a boost, very cheap, at 800Mbit/s.

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by Dalek Caan » Wed Oct 17, 2018 8:36 pm

ActionReplay wrote:
Wed Oct 17, 2018 7:34 pm
Dalek Caan wrote:
Wed Oct 17, 2018 6:40 pm
ActionReplay wrote:
Wed Oct 17, 2018 6:23 pm
Yeah I got all my Steam games on my SSD. Helps a lot, also when downloading new titles. On my old HDD I would notice when downloading games from Steam my computer would be really slow. I guess my old drive could not keep up with the download speed I was getting from Steam.
What sort of broadband connection do you have? O.o
I had BBB as an ISP which was one, if not the fastest one, in Sweden then they got bought up by another ISP and it carried over there. I got a special deal then and a boost, very cheap, at 800Mbit/s.
Well that explains how a download can occupy so much capacities of your computer. Holy cow...

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by Jagel » Thu Jan 03, 2019 11:42 am

Hate to necro this thread but finally found time to fifle with this. How do I find out which disc that’s SSD?

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by R0GUE » Fri Jan 04, 2019 5:58 am

Jagel wrote:
Thu Jan 03, 2019 11:42 am
Hate to necro this thread but finally found time to fifle with this. How do I find out which disc that’s SSD?
Type Optimize in your Windows Search bar. Click on Defragment and Optimize Drives.
You will see a list of your drives and their type. If its a Solid State Drive it will say so.

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by Richørd » Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:20 am

Here's something that happened to me.
I run Windows 8.1 as my OS and recently tried installing an older type of game. MDickie's Wrestling Mpire. People who know those games might know them to be chaotic gems.

Anyways. As soon as I tried running the game I was asked to install DirectPlay. Without it the game never even came up, instead crashing instantly.
After letting Windows automatically install DirectPlay MDickie's game still ran like crap. Appareantly they can't work on Windows 8 and above anymore ...

... but then I went back to Arelith and discovered that I suddenly had a smoother overall experience. Areas like Bendir or the Arcane Tower, even Shadowcordor had less FPS drops.

So maybe try installing DirectPlay if you run a more modern system and experience FPS issues?

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by Dalek Caan » Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:08 pm

Richørd wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:20 am
So maybe try installing DirectPlay if you run a more modern system and experience FPS issues?
Whart sort of improvement are we talking about? Stable fps around 60 or so?

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Re: A possible cheap fix for FPS issues

Post by Richørd » Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:35 am

Dalek Caan wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:08 pm
Richørd wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:20 am
So maybe try installing DirectPlay if you run a more modern system and experience FPS issues?
Whart sort of improvement are we talking about? Stable fps around 60 or so?
No, not at all. But it's as I said way better. Don't expect me to give you concrete FPS numbers though :P Just try it out.

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