SC4 runs slow with new VGA

[Chingchang]

Well, originally SC4 ran VERY fast on my machine, scrolling and zooming were very quick. Until Friday. The replacement 8800GTX BFG sent me arrived, and after I installed it, scrolling and zooming in SC4 became horribly slow. If the camera isn't moving, it runs fast as usual, but when I move around or zoom, it stutters like crazy. Fraps would be reading 1 FPS.

I tried reinstalling the drivers, going back 175 from 178... nothing seems to work. What do I do? 

[Chingchang]

Help?

[callagrafx]

Looks like no-one has a solution...have you tried contacting the support people?

http://www.bfgtech.com/supportroot.aspx

[Chingchang]

Looks like no-one has a solution...have you tried contacting the support people?

http://www.bfgtech.com/supportroot.aspx

It's not a problem with the graphics card.

[callagrafx]

You're sure about that, are you?  Strange that it was fine before you upgraded the card.  Maybe the settings on the card are too ramped up for a 5 year old game to handle...

I take it you have installed the latest drivers?  If not, I suggest you look here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_97.94.html

[Chingchang]

You're sure about that, are you?  Strange that it was fine before you upgraded the card.  Maybe the settings on the card are too ramped up for a 5 year old game to handle...

[/quote]Sorry, I thought you meant the physical card. What settings should I turn down?

I take it you have installed the latest drivers?  If not, I suggest you look here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_97.94.html

Uh, I said in my first post I have the latest drivers.

[thundercrack83]

Uh, I said in my first post I have the latest drivers.

Do you really think getting smart with someone that's trying to help you is the best way to find a solution to your problem? Not to mention, nowhere in your first post does it say you installed the latest drivers, only the drivers. I understand that you're frustrated, but maintain some decorum please.

You also may get more help if you renamed your thread something actually pertaining to your problem, other than "Slow... so slow..." How is anyone supposed to know what you're having a problem with by that title?

[callagrafx]

Sorry, I thought you meant the physical card. What settings should I turn down?

Try the antialias and anisotropy settings...they could be interfering with the game engine.

Uh, I said in my first post I have the latest drivers.

Actually, you said you'd downgraded your drivers 

Try a google search on problems with the graphics card....other people's experiences may shed some light on your problem and may offer a solution.

[daeley]

did you check if the game reset the software/hardware rendering settings? Maybe it reset to software after you replaced the card.

[Chingchang]

Do you really think getting smart with someone that's trying to help you is the best way to find a solution to your problem? Not to mention, nowhere in your first post does it say you installed the latest drivers, only the drivers. I understand that you're frustrated, but maintain some decorum please.

I wasn't being "smart."

Try the antialias and anisotropy settings...they could be interfering with the game engine.
Actually, you said you'd downgraded your drivers 

Try a google search on problems with the graphics card....other people's experiences may shed some light on your problem and may offer a solution.

I mentioned that I had tried going back.

Google only seems to bring back issues with Vista. I can't seem to find anything on an 8800GTX and SC4 either.

I just tried turning down the settings you suggested, but SC4 still runs slow.

did you check if the game reset the software/hardware rendering settings? Maybe it reset to software after you replaced the card.

On hardware rendering, it's slow. On software rendering, it's a little bit faster, but the graphics look terrible (with all settings turned up, yes).

[Chingchang]

Please help.

[thundercrack83]

It looks like folks here have exhausted their knowledge trying to help you out with this. Sorry.

Did you try going back to your old graphics card?

[Sheep49]

I had the same problem once. I downloaded the newer drivers, and the game was slow like a worm. Reinstalling the game and downloading all the plug-ins again helped me. But I would suggest it as the last resort, since I've heard that most of the people don't find it very helpful

And, of course, you have updated SimCity 4 with the update, right? If not, install it. Even if it won't help you, you'll see nice highlights on custom BATs

And yeah, going back to the old graphics card may help, too

Sorry if I wasn't really helpful. I tried my best

[Chingchang]

It looks like folks here have exhausted their knowledge trying to help you out with this. Sorry.

Did you try going back to your old graphics card?

My older graphics card was an Nvidia MX4000, which was in an older computer that I sold off a couple of months ago.


Oh, you meant the defective 8800GTX. Well, I don't have that one anymore, I sent it back to BFG.

I had the same problem once. I downloaded the newer drivers, and the game was slow like a worm. Reinstalling the game and downloading all the plug-ins again helped me. But I would suggest it as the last resort, since I've heard that most of the people don't find it very helpful

And, of course, you have updated SimCity 4 with the update, right? If not, install it. Even if it won't help you, you'll see nice highlights on custom BATs

And yeah, going back to the old graphics card may help, too

Sorry if I wasn't really helpful. I tried my best

I already have the latest updates/patches for SC4.

I guess I will try reinstalling.

[Chingchang]

I reinstalled SC4 but that didn't fix it. 

[LoneRanger]

Just a question, while you waited on the new card, any chance you used another gfx card till you got the new one?
Do you have problems with other games also or is it pure SC4 related?
Anything else that might have changed soft- or hardware in between the time?

I noticed it has been a week since the last post so maybe problems are resolved?

[Turambar]

I have this exact issue.  It frustrates me simply because I could load this entire game into my video memory if needed, yet here it is running slowly like I'm back on my computer from 2002.

Nobody knows anything that can help?  (I'm getting close to figuring out which drivers to downgrade to)

[wouanagaine]

You may try to run the Nvidia control panel, and choose 'Manage 3D Settings' and then go in the 'Program settings' tab and select simcity4 then play with the various parameters. Try to first disable everything then turn them back on when it makes sense and see how to game behaves

I have a gf 8800 GTX
My forceware driver is 175.16
and here are my settings




the game runs smooth

[Elektra]

For the most part I have all of the same settings that are listed above.  Though I don't run AA or the Anisotropic Filtering.  My SC4 runs smoothly with all the in game settings maxed out on the 8800 and drivers (175.19).