Dawn Of War runs choppy regardless of detail settings or resolution

[Accaris]

I just bought Dawn Of War and its running choppy on my PC! It stutters and jerks no matter what settings I use... they could be set to low, or all high. Changing resolutions and refresh rates didn't do anything either. The demo ran as smooth as glass! My computer should be able to chew Dawn Of War up and spit it out:

ASUS P4P800-SE motherboard with the latest chipset drivers installed
Pentium 4 3.0 ghz Northwood w/ 800 mhz frontside bus and Hyperthreading
1.0 gig Corsair XMS PC3200
eVGA GeForce 6800 GT non-overclocked with Forceware drivers 61.77
Western Digital 120 gb Special Edition ATA100
Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS with the latest driver update
Windows XP Home SP1a with DirectX 9.0c

Defragged the harddrive too. Same thing.

[Anakaris]

Are you running anything else in the background that might be taking up processor power?

[ÜberJumper]

Yeah you should be having no problems there at all... I've got a 2.26 P4, and mine runs just peachy (with same vid card).

Follow the instructions in the hints folder on the top of this forum, and follow up by posting the warnings.log and dxdiag.txt in this folder.

[Accaris]

I also just switched to Forceware 66.31, and that didn't help.

Warnings:

12:07:11.1 MATHBOX -- Version=5, Cpu=INTEL Pentium-IV:f=15,m=2, Mode=SSE
12:07:11.3 GAME -- Warhammer, 1.00, Build 57117.44353
12:07:11.3 GAME -- Available memory: 1023MB RAM, 1900MB Pagefile
12:07:11.4 State::State - set socket send buffer to 131072
12:07:11.4 State::State - set socket receive buffer to 131072
12:07:11.4 HostState - 66.190.94.190:6112 / 66.190.94.190:6112
12:07:11.4 Session : Now Host
12:07:11.4 Session : We are now a Host
12:07:11.4 PeerState - 66.190.94.190:6112 / 66.190.94.190:6112
12:07:11.4 PeerState::ConnectCallbackHost - connecting to host at 255.255.255.255:6112
12:07:11.4 GSTransport::Connect - GT2AddressError
12:07:11.5 SPOOGE - Driver[Dx9 : Hardware TnL] on adapter[0], version[4,32]
12:07:14.2 SPDx9 -- Driver Name = nv4_disp.dll Device = \\.\DISPLAY1 Desc = NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT
12:07:14.2 SPDx9 -- Driver Vendor = 0x10DE Device = 0x0045 SubSys = 0x020410DE Rev = 0x00A1
12:07:14.2 SPDx9 -- Driver Version Product = 0x0006 Version = 0x000E SubVersion = 0x000A Build = 0x19E7 (6631)
12:07:14.2 SPDx9 -- Driver GUID = {D7B71E3E-4305-11CF-896A-0E2200C2CB35}
12:07:14.3 SPOOGE -- 486.00MB available texture memory
12:07:14.3 SPOOGE -- 486.00MB available texture memory
12:07:14.9 GAME -- Beginning FE
12:07:16.3 MOVIE -- Opening movie 'movies:relic_intro.lua'
12:07:18.2 MOVIE -- Closing movie 'movies:relic_intro.lua'
12:07:18.2 MOVIE -- Opening movie 'movies:dow_intro.lua'
12:07:19.7 MOVIE -- Closing movie 'movies:dow_intro.lua'
12:07:20.3 MOD -- (mod manager) W40k, 1.0
12:07:20.7 MOD -- (mod manager) Failed to load Folder 'W40k\Data_Shared_Textures\Full'
12:07:20.7 MOD -- (mod manager) Failed to load Folder 'W40k\Data_Sound\Full'
12:07:20.7 MOD -- (mod manager) Failed to load Folder 'W40k\Data_Whm\High'
12:07:28.7 GAME -- Using player profile Accaris
12:07:34.5 APP -- Game Load
12:07:34.5 GAME -- Ending FE
12:07:34.6 GAME -- Beginning FE
12:07:34.7 APP -- Game Start
12:07:34.7 GAME -- Ending FE
12:07:34.7 GAME -- Beginning mission savegame1 (1 Humans, 3 Computers)
12:07:41.4 GAME -- Preloading all models
12:07:41.8 RENDER ANIM -- Art/EBPs/: Unable to open file!
12:07:45.3 GAME -- Applying Team Colours
12:07:46.7 GAME -- Precaching Events
12:07:59.5 GAME -- Loading completed (25 seconds)
12:07:59.5 SIM -- Setting SyncErrorChecking level to Low
12:07:59.5 GAME -- Starting mission...
12:08:20.2 SimulationController::Pause 1
12:08:22.1 GAME -- Ending mission (?)
12:08:22.1 SimulationController::Pause 0
12:08:22.6 MOD -- (mod manager) shutting down
12:08:22.8 SPOOGE -- 486.00MB available texture memory
12:08:22.8 SPOOGE -- 486.00MB available texture memory

Application closed without errors

DxDiag:

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 9/21/2004, 12:16:23
Machine name: ACCARIS
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 1 (2600.xpsp1.020828-1920)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
System Model: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
BIOS: BIOS Date: 03/26/04 18:28:55 Ver: 08.00.09
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz (2 CPUs), ~3.0GHz
Memory: 1024MB RAM
Page File: 148MB used, 1801MB available
Windows Dir: F:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.0001.0904 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
Display Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Music Tab: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.
Network Tab: No problems found.

Should I post anything more than that?

[ÜberJumper]

That's a start for now...

You mentioned in your first post that you had the 61.77 drivers, but your warnings.log says otherwise... did you try to install the 66.31 drivers?

[Accaris]

That's a start for now...

You mentioned in your first post that you had the 61.77 drivers, but your warnings.log says otherwise... did you try to install the 66.31 drivers?

Yes, I tried the 66.31s. No change in performance.

I will mention that in a 1v1 skirmish map, its as smooth as it should be. But anything higher than that (or singleplayer campaign) and choppiness prevails.

[ÜberJumper]

Hmmmm try going back to the 61.77's, and Try again, this time however, try it with shadows off.

[Accaris]

I did so, and saw a dramatic decrease in stuttering with shadows off, even with everything else at high. After tweaking, I found that shadows and terrain detail at medium (and all other settings on high) provided the best balance. Although this problem is a bit irksome; I didn't buy this computer to have to resort to turning things down to "medium." ;) Perhaps a future patch might help things.

[ÜberJumper]

Well, I'll definately follow up on this when I get my copy this week.

Oh... I keep damn forgetting... the demo was actually locked at medium details for everything, so even setting it to High in the demo it was actually on medium. We may see quite a bit of performance issues thus related for the full version.

[pacificspec]

well... for me defraggin the hard drive improves overall performance of the game( most noticable reduces the chance of crashing to desktop). So for some people i figure it might be DOW is trying to access resources from the Hard drive but misc files are fragged to the point of affecting game play.

[Totmacher]

I did so, and saw a dramatic decrease in stuttering with shadows off, even with everything else at high. After tweaking, I found that shadows and terrain detail at medium (and all other settings on high) provided the best balance. Although this problem is a bit irksome; I didn't buy this computer to have to resort to turning things down to "medium." ;) Perhaps a future patch might help things.

I'm fairly certain you can increase your terrain detail to high (from medium) and not see any difference in the rendering or performance. Shadows OTOH are EXTREMELY slow but your system is definately quite high end and should handle them easily. I suspect something else is afoot. Do you have the latest version of your MB drivers?

George

[FatalTheRabbit]

I have this problem too.... i posted about it but recieved no explaination. It seems like alot of people have it and so far none of the 'fixes' help at all.

I'm at my hopes end. I suppose ill just have to return it and do without.

[ÜberJumper]

This might have something to do with Securom.

[Pride]

I've the exact same problem. When moving screen (by moving mouse to the edges) it starts moving choppy. The effect grows more and more massive each minute passing. After 30 minutes or so, even the normal animations (without moving screen) are getting really choppy.

I've tried setting all graphic settings to LOW/NONE, disabled fast write and SBA, changed chipset drivers, changed graphic card drivers - and nothing is overclocked.

Memtest86 shows no errors on my memories. (400MHz Kingston, using atm at 333MHz even)

And that's not even the ONLY problem. It also CRASHES occasionally. Im getting the bug/error submit-screen.

Here's the DXDiag -> DXDiag (http://myy.helia.fi/~a0202541/DxDiag.txt)

And here's the errorLog -> Error Log (http://myy.helia.fi/~a0202541/errorLog.txt)

ADDITION

And the warnings.log -> warnings.log (http://myy.helia.fi/~a0202541/warnings.log)

[ÜberJumper]

Hmmmmm but if you leave the mouse in one spot, it's not choppy right? If you navigate by clicking the minimap instead of scrolling, no problems right? If it's paused, no problems scrolling right?

[Bl00d_R4VenS]

if u navigate via minimap the stuttering is not transparent because u navigate too fast try moving the map via mini map slowly and ull notice it very well...the more units in the game, the later in game choppiness is stronger and the units dont have to be visible at all...

[Pride]

It's still choppy! Even when I pick a campaing mission - mission 8 for example (or which one was it where the cultist is running close the temple wall or so) - the movement is choppy even there! The game engine cutscene I mean.

And the longer I play - I dont even have to have more units, the choppier it gets.

Im absolutely sure that this is some sort of bug. Perhaps between the game and some of my hardware?

[Bl00d_R4VenS]

its mission 6 and especially super choppy when marines and cmarines fight across the ditch in the cutscene, while comp scrolls across it...

[vsampo]

disable hyper threading or make the game only run on 1 processor. Had the same problem and that fixed it for me.

[aNOmALy]

I dont think that it is only related to 'Hyper Threading'. I have an AMD processor - same thing happens to me. In the campaign, certain levels stutter alot, or when you play against more than 1 computer player - dont know how it performs in a multiplayer game yet. Something strange is going on, some people experience it, others dont. My friend has a much less powerfull pc than me, game runs smooth on his ??

I am going to buy more memory, for various reasons, one of them being the requirements for 'Brothers In Arms'. I dont know if it will solve my problem - I doubt it.

Could somebody please help us ??

Here is my system specs :

Gigabyte nForce2 Ultra Motherboard (GA-7N400Pro2)
AMD Athlon XP Processor, 3200+ (400 FSB)
KingMax 512 MB DDR400 Memory (2 x 256 MB, Dual Channel)
Seagate 120 GB SATA Hard Drive
Thermaltake PurePower 360W Power Supply
Leadtek GeForce 6800 GT, 256 MB

[aNOmALy]

More memory Did Not help !!

I just installed another 512 MB memory..... still have the same problem. Game runs choppy, after a while you do not even have to scroll, just checking the animations you can see that the game is stuttering. I officially give up now !! My system is strong enough for the game, but the bloody thing is whacked, full of bugs, or just plain crap..... I think I must move on to something else.