F.E.A.R. results for XP machine I just built (Dell 2400 Dimension Sleeper)

[Eric Kazer]

Just figured that I would show off the result of a e8500 with a HD 7970 running Windows XP. There are stutters in some of the test. I think it is because it's only a dual core CPU. I plan to upgrade it to a Q9650. I think it did OK for what it is. 

 

It could use a Sound Card. I have a Creative Audigy 2 Value. I would use Audigy RX, but my PCIEx1 slot is covered by my HD 7970. DDR3, LGA 775, and Floppy are definitely a odd combination. Asrock G41C-GS R2.0 is the only Main Board I could find at time that I built this thing that supports Floppy and DDR3. It also has HP DVD multi drive to install my old Games all though I use GOG Offline installers now with no DRM. Make XP less of a pain in the ass to use for old games.

 

I will redo tests if the Q9650 CPU at 3 GHz and 12MB L2 Cache works. I wonder if heatsink is ok. 95 watt TDP. E8500 is I believe 65 watt TDP. 

 

It runs good. And It has all of XP's updates up to end support. I figured it would be fun to mess around with it.Now I hope that I have my Audigy 2 Value drivers because there is no support for the card anymore from Creative. Could be SOL for that. Should be a nutty XP build. Need to find something besides HP optical drives. I might have a couple Dell drives somewhere. Trying to make it look original from outside and have old functions like floppy. I have a couple of Optiplexs' that I could use DVD rom drives from to finish the look.

 

Anyway that's the F.E.A.R. test for 1920x1080 Settings at High settings with E8500 CPU. 3.16GHz with 6 MB cache L2. Halfish of Q9650. Top CPU @ 3GHz.

[Beowulff83]

You should get a pretty big performance bump when you switch the the q9650.  A few years ago i was able to run battlefield I on an overclocked q9550.  It wasn't amazing or anything but for as old as the cpu was i was pretty impressed it was able to handle it at all.

[muito_gostoso]

WRONG, DISABLE soft shadows,even a gtx 2080 stuters from 200 fps to 40 fps, with soft shadows activated, steam version is broken.

 

use GOG version.

 

just f.e.ar. original use dual core , extraction point and perseus mandate just use 1 core, bad optimization in new repack IMO.

 

you need a very good dual core with hight IPC, to full play fear.

 

[Eric Kazer]

I am using GOG version. Offline installers.

 

Windows 10 has issues. Need dinput8.dll. Game won't run consistent without it. It was running at 8 to 10 fps with a I3-3240 and a GTX 1050 ti in my HP Z220 with 12 GB @ 1600 MHz memory. After it hit 300 FPS constantly with no stutter maxed setting for test. Downfall is no controller input. I don't know what a quad will do in XP. I3-3240 is a dual core CPU, that's probably why it works flawlessly with F.E.A.R.. I should try it with the same hack on my machine with a I7-3770 and see how it goes. That also has a GTX 1660 in it. System Memory 16GB @1600MHz. Also, by no means is a E8500 a bad CPU. Surprised that that runs it at all.

[Eric Kazer]

Results from my rig with 3770, GTX 1660, and 16GB @1600MHz. Running Windows 10 with hack. I added the .dll to this post. I downloaded it once to test it from where I put it on forum. Right click and show if folder once downloaded after it states that it can harm computer. Click show in folder. Drag it to desktop. Open F.E.A.R. folder and drop it there. Launch game in Windows 10 and it will work through direct input, and work without flaw. I hope it will help people run this in Windows 10. Also think that 7,8,and 8.1 work with this too. 

dinput8.dll

[Eric Kazer]

Put the .dll into the main folder of the game. It works. Also there are no stutters after adding.

[Eric Kazer]

Results with 4k while I am messing with the I7-3770 machine with GTX 1660. Did not see stutters.

[Eric Kazer]

These are results in 4k with everything turned on. Features are shown. I7-3770, GTX 1660, 16GB @1600MHz. Low 76 FPS, no Stutters.

[Eric Kazer]

All tests for 4k are done in Windows 10 with Direct Input hack. For some reason the game takes over 2 minutes to start. Could be because it's on a hard drive, and I'm used to everything running on SSDs on that machine.

[Eric Kazer]

Hack works with GOG and Steam. dinput8.dll

 

Or you can run F.E.A.R. in XP.

 

Also on different PCs, there is a performance gain on faster duel cores, and it works with quad core CPUs like my I7-3770 without a problem. Remember, the game was designed for XP and that is why the dinput8.dll needs to be added for newer versions of windows. There is more than likely nothing to do with optimization.

 

Typical 1080p setting not changed ran a minimum of 189 FPS, Average of 398 FPS, and Maxed at 888 FPS.

4k nothing changed from default was 143 FPS minimum, 239 average, and 422 Maximum

4k everything at Maximum set as shown is 76 FPS minimum, 127 Average,and 237 Maximum. 

 

The XP Machine with standard default at 1080p was 63 Minimum, 116 Average, and 218 Maximum

 

Now, The Windows 10 Machine with the I3-3240 were as follows,

101 FPS Minimum, 229 FPS Average, and 486 FPS Maximum. 

[Eric Kazer]

Going back onto subject, I now think that cores help. This is based on testing different systems. Also with different OSs'. Game looks real nice in 4k 60 with Vsync enabled to play without tearing. My 50" LG can run 1080p 120Hz. Wonder what that is like. XP machine might do that OK. I'll find out when i change the CPU. Remember double cache 12 MB, Double cores 2 @ 3.16GHz, 4 @ 3.0GHz. The speed isn't that different, but the cache is. Wolfdale vs. Yorkdale cores.

 

Hope this thread has a lot of useful info in it. This has been a fun experiment so far. Also shows how tech has advanced over the years.

[Tsuki]

people still play F.E.A.R?

dont get me wrong,  great game. im just surprised people still play it

[mariushm]

More than 2 cores may help in the sense that the video card driver's threads can now work on another core, leaving two cores available for the game.

They game may not use more than 2 cores, but it has more time on those two cores.

 

You can also play with video card driver settings and manually force some things, if you want high fps. 

You could also use video card settings like super resolution , super scaling etc

Run the game natively at 1080p or whatever seems it likes most and then use Virtual Super Resolution to get it to 4K or whatever you want. The video card most likely has lots of spare processing power to scale the image in hardware with very good quality.

 

 

[Eric Kazer]

Ya,

First time getting into it. Think I waited till the right time. That game is fun. Didn't think I could like keyboard and mouse for a game, but it is needed for that game. Cores help. Don't know what original specs were. After dinput8.dll it runs nice on Windows 10. Before that it was 8 to 10 FPS, a failure. It does take advantage of hardware speed. That's why 4k is possible with a GTX 1660 and a I7-3770. That's all I have on my main machine, unless I count FX 8350 with my R290x. I like early to mid Intel. Sure does beat out FX series in a lot of ways. In Fact I got the lawsuit thing in the mail about the FX Series misleading people. Both were good for gaming. I am into retroactive kind of stuff. F.E.A.R. looks great for it's time. Yes I can see why people play F.E.A.R. . Also a reason to use XP. EAX sound. 

 

I have a Audigy 2 Value that I can stick into a PCI slot. I don't think EAX works in Windows 10 with F.E.A.R. Ya, EAX is greyed for Windows 10. Audigy 2 Value Supports EAX. 

 

May be another reason for CPU cores of Q9650. Good setup for time game was made and used. Alot of reasons for a XP rig can be found on Phil's Computer Lab. 

 

Other thing that I noted, 

It stalls during checkpoint saves. probably because of hard drive use for GOG games, and emulators on I7-3770 rig. I have 2 SSDs and one Hard drive. The Z220 with a I3-3240 loads in a snap because of Adata SU850 1TB SSD. I don't know how redundant they are, but Hard drives on a XP machine seem more practical because of expense. If SSD is like the Flash Drive I use to play music in my car, data will disappear on SSD. Time will tell with SSD VS. HDD. Oh well Back ups everywhere including many machines. XP, no cloud, DRM free hopefully. DRM kills games. (EA). Just rambling now. How many XP games can I activate because of DRM? Kind of feels like a big middle finger. WTF physical copy DRM. No Steam XP, DRM. At least GOG has offline installers or games would die and be forgotten. At least GOG has F,E.A.R. and other XP era games. Even going back to DOS and SCUMMVM. 

 

I will see what F.E.AR. is like with more cores when it comes in for XP, also want to see what EAX is like in 7.1 surround.