Chapter 16. Gaming Optimization

What You’ll Learn

In this chapter, I’ll show you:

• How to fix game video problems

• How to repair bizarre or inexplicable gaming crashes

• How to fix Vista sound problems for games that work fine on XP

• How to tweak and customize your controllers

• How to upgrade your system to be a better gaming platform

• How to exploit Vista gaming performance secrets

Game Troubleshooting

If your machine’s performance is marginal and its specs barely meet or exceed basic Vista specifications, it’s never going to run games well. This sounds unsympathetic, but I have to be up front with you here. Lackluster hardware cannot be tweaked to perform well.

Let’s put it this way: You can trick out a subcompact car, but it’ll never beat out a sports car with a bigger engine or haul the family camper with any kind of grace. Computers follow the same immutable law.

So, if your system stutters and stammers and won’t load or play your games well, I urge you to take a hard look at your system and ensure that it has the hardware required to play the games you want to play. That said, the tweaks and fixes in this chapter can get games working better or turn average game play into better game play.

With that, let’s get into it.

Vista, the Hardware Hog

Vista is hardware hungry, so if your system is already struggling with the operating system, it won’t make much of a gaming machine.

My minimum specs for a reasonable Vista system are as follows:

• Multicore processor

• 1GB of RAM

• DirectX 9 video card, with 256MB of video RAM (see Figure 16.1)

Figure 16.1. This nVidia GeForce 6800 card in my Dell PC supports only DX9.

That blows away the Microsoft recommended specs (see the section in Chapter 4, “Optimizing a Sluggish System,” called “Hardware Requirements: The Basics”). In gaming, you’ll have to do better, so use the following specs as a guideline:

• Multicore processor, preferably Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64 FP or better.

• 2GB of RAM.

• DirectX 9c-compatible video card. By 2008, your video card better be a DX10-compatible video adapter with at least 256MB of VRAM, but preferably 512MB, if you can swing the mortgage payment.

• A decent sound card and set of speakers. You might want to consider Creative’s X-Fi line of sound adapters for optimal game sound. Other excellent gaming speakers can be had from Klipsch and Altec Lansing.

The most logical and easiest hardware upgrades are as follows:

• RAM—Adding extra memory is as simple as ordering extra RAM and plugging it in. The hard part is finding what specific memory chips you need. Use the memory calculator at Crucial.com to keep this simple.

• Video card—You’ll also want to consider a video card upgrade. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to pop out your existing video card and replace it with one that supports DirectX 10 (more on this in the next section) and has extra video RAM.

To learn more about upgrading the hardware on your system, check out Chapter 4.

Sweet, Sweet DirectX 10

Microsoft has promised that Vista will be the ultimate gaming platform. As usual, the Redmond dweebs have their hype panties on, but there is one large component that Vista has that will definitely help gamers get kick-ass gaming performance out of Vista. It’s called DirectX 10, or DX10 to geeks.

DirectX is a series of audio and video technologies that Microsoft designed for Windows to give the system multimedia performance.

Although DirectX 10 is important, it’s not a solo show when it comes to game performance. It needs to be paired with compatible DX10 video hardware, as well as games that are optimized for DX10.

DX10 Games

There were no DX10 games when Vista was released at the end of January 2007, but they started to become available in the spring, and expect a big push from gaming companies with lots of new titles by the end of 2007 and into 2008.

When I called Microsoft early after Vista’s release and asked for Microsoft’s hottest Vista games, I got sent Microsoft’s own Flight Simulator X. But even FS X is not yet DX10 ready. However, a patch will be released to give it DX10 compatibility. Early DX10-compatible games include Electronic Arts’ Crysis, THQ’s Company of Heroes, and Funcom’s Age of Conan (see Figure 16.3).

Figure 16.3. Oooh, look! A DX10 bat demon in Funcom’s Age of Conan.

DX10 Video Cards

As of mid 2007, there was an ample supply of DX10-compatible video cards from manufacturers such as ATI and nVidia. First-generation cards came out just after Vista launched. They weren’t cheap, with the lowest prices at around $400, but they quickly dropped in price to the $200 range. A year or so beyond the Vista launch, you won’t be able to buy a card (or a new computer) that isn’t DX10 compatible.

DX10 Sound Cards?

Most sound cards will run just fine under DirectX 10 on Vista. Your largest headache will be playing games that had great sound on Windows XP under DirectX 9c but that lose all their environmental audio effects when played on Vista.

Check out the section “Problems with Legacy Game Sound” later in this chapter to learn more about Vista sound fixes for games designed for XP.

Slumming It with DX9

If after an examination of your system, you realize that you have only DirectX 9 hardware components, don’t fret.

Your DX10 games will work just fine on older DX9 hardware. DX10 is backward compatible. However, if you’ve been hoping for the visual feast that you have seen in promotional screen grabs for DX10 games, you may be disappointed. To get all the new visual effects, you’ll need DX10 hardware and software.

What you’ll miss when playing a DX10 game on a DX9 system is richer dynamic water, clouds, and photo-realistic game play. Mist looks like vaporized water and not clumps of spray paint.

Basic Gaming System Troubleshooting

When a game won’t run, there are some basic troubleshooting steps you can take to fix the problem. I am going to assume here that your system’s hardware is up to spec and yet something still is wrong with your gaming performance.

Sloppy, Choppy Video

If the visuals in the game are choppy or edges on simulated environments are extra jaggy, that’s a classic sign of an underpowered video card.

First, check your game index to see whether hardware is the problem:

1. Click the Windows button and type performance.

2. Click Performance Index and Tools when it appears on the Start menu.

3. Look at the Windows Experience Index (see Figure 16.4) and check Gaming Graphics. You want a score that is no lower than 4 and preferably closer to 5, which is the best score a computer could get at Vista’s release. If you are reading this in 2008 or 2009, you should see scores over 6.

Figure 16.4. The Vista Experience Index shows me that RAM is holding back my system from being a better gaming system.

4. If one of your components is holding back the system, consider upgrading that component. Low subscores in RAM, Graphics, and Gaming Graphics are going to impair your game performance.

The ideal solution here is to buy an updated video card with more video RAM that is DirectX 9x compatible, or better, DirectX 10 compatible. Look for a card with at least 256MB of video RAM. Go to 512MB for more demanding games. Vista was launched at the beginning of 2007, so if you are reading this and it’s been a few years since the Vista launch, chances are the latest games require a lot of video RAM.

Perk Up Your System with Performance Fixes

There are some software fixes that you could invoke that will help improve performance without adding new hardware on a borderline system. These are not perfect fixes, but they should measurably improve your system’s performance under certain circumstances:

• Add a USB key to the system and set it up as a ReadyBoost drive (see Figure 16.5)—This can take the edge off a system that is laboring under a heavy load. The USB memory key doubles as extra system cache and goes a long way to improve the performance of a memory intensive game. Learn more in the section “Boost Vista with Your USB Key” in Chapter 4.

Figure 16.5. Boost your system’s performance with your USB key using a new Vista feature called ReadyBoost.

• Free up some memory—Make sure you close all unnecessary applications on the system when you run the game. Also, clean out your startup routine using MSCONFIG and turn off any unnecessary programs that launch when Windows boots. Learn more in Chapter 3, “Startup and Shutdown Issues,” in the section “Weasely Software That Loads on Startup.”

• Check for spyware—Do a scan with Windows Defender and a second antispyware application (such as the free Spybot Search & Destroy from www.safer-networking.net) to see whether your system has any spyware infections. Malware can eat up precious system resources. Learn about how to scan for spyware and remove it in Chapter 12, “Security Troubles.”

You can also see how your system handles game performance by opening the Games Explorer, a new Vista feature that shows you the game inventory on your system. (Type Games Explorer in the Start menu search area.) When you select a game, you’ll see a game’s minimum required rating, its recommended rating, and what your system rating is.

Crashes, Stutters, and General Weirdness

Odd or inexplicable behavior from games usually boils down to application bugs, bad or buggy drivers, or even BIOS problems. Here’s how to deal with those oddities.

Update Your Drivers, Dude

On Vista, drivers for hardware such as video card and sound adapters are new and can be buggy. So it’s important that you upgrade your drivers for both video cards and audio cards as they become available.

This was true on XP. Gamers discovered that XP’s gaming performance was lackluster relative to operating systems that came before. As graphics and sound hardware drivers improved, however, so did performance, so be sure you check with your peripheral manufacturer’s website to check for the latest drivers.

Running Windows Update will sometimes get you the latest driver package for your video card, but sometimes it can take a while for the new driver to be made available through this mechanism, so be sure to check the manufacturer’s support area directly.

If your video card came preinstalled on your system, you may also want to check the support area of your computer maker’s website to see whether there are any driver packages there.

Rebuild the BIOS

Your system is running hard when a game is playing, so make sure all the underlying support systems are up to date.

The BIOS is system software that bootstraps the hardware, keeps time, and gets the system going before Windows kicks in. So, it’s a good idea to do a BIOS update if one is available. You may find that this will solve odd and buggy game behavior in some cases.

If you bought your PC off the rack (such as a Dell or Gateway system), BIOS updates (see Figure 16.6) are available for download from your system manufacturer. Check the manufacturer’s website. If you built it yourself or had a small outfit build it, check with the motherboard maker (companies such as Asus, Gigabyte, Intel, and so on) for BIOS updates.

Figure 16.6. Download and run a BIOS update from your computer maker.

I outline a step-by-step BIOS update in Chapter 8, “Hardware Headaches.” To save you from flipping around in the book, however, here are the basic steps:

1. Locate the BIOS update executable from your system’s manufacturer, usually available for download in the support area.

2. Kill off all programs and run the BIOS update from the desktop.

3. The system will update and reboot one or more times before the update is done.

On older systems, you had to create a diskette with a BIOS update and boot from that. Because Vista runs on fairly new equipment, this process should no longer be necessary. You should simply have to find and download a BIOS update executable. But I thought I’d mention it because there’s always someone who doesn’t fit the general advice.

Here’s a link to an article I wrote in 2000, called “How to Update Your BIOS with a Floppy Disk,” that should help the floppy disk people: www.cyberwalker.com/article/671.

Chipset Driver Update

Chipsets are a collection of silicon chips and devices that are hard-wired into a motherboard. They include controllers, onboard sound adapters, and the actual chips that surround the CPU (you’ll often hear chipsets referred to as north- and southbridges, but you needn’t worry about the distinction here).

PC makers and motherboard makers will occasionally issue chipset driver updates to correct flaws found in their systems and improve the compatibility for new technologies, including new operating systems.

It’s always a good idea to update the chipsets when they become available, especially on performance PCs. Often, a chipset update, combined with a BIOS update, will solve odd system behavior and inexplicable crashes or system hangs.

Chipsets, like driver updates, are available from your computer maker or motherboard vendor (see Figure 16.7). Here are some quickie steps:

1. Locate the chipset update executable from the website of your system’s manufacturer. If available, it usually can be downloaded in the support area.

2. Turn off all programs on the desktop and run the chipset update from the desktop. It’s usually an executable that self installs.

3. The system will update and reboot one or more times before the update is done.

Figure 16.7. Chipset updates are usually available for download from the support area of your computer or motherboard maker’s website.

Joyless Joysticks: How to Fix Your Controller

Has your controller lost control, or has the joy gone out of your joystick? Game peripherals can go wrong for a variety of reasons. Try the following fixes if you have trouble with your triggers:

• Update your drivers—If a controller is giving you problems, the first place to start is to check for driver updates for your manufacturer. I’ve covered this territory before in this book, so there’s no need to repeat how to do this kind of update here. I will say that older controllers may not have Vista drivers at all, or they may simply use native drivers built into Windows Vista. Go to your controller maker’s website and see whether a downloadable update is available.

• Check for additional utilities—Sometimes game peripheral makers offer bonus software to optimize or calibrate your controller or to program or customize controls. Check to see whether there is a version for your controller that works with Windows Vista.

• Clean and lubricate—Make sure your controller isn’t covered in game sweat. Clean it with a damp cloth and squirt a little lubrication between parts that move. A little WD-40 will go a long way to eliminate jerky movements.

Figure 16.8. Your joystick is not a beverage holder.

Customize Your Controller

You’ll find a Game Controllers icon in the Control Panel. This allows you to access any properties or provide a peripheral control panel that lets you customize, calibrate, or adjust your joystick or controller:

1. Click the Windows button.

2. Type Controller in the Search box and click Game Controllers when it appears in the Start menu.

3. Select your controller from the box and click Properties to see the controls (see Figure 16.9) to adjust it.

Figure 16.9. A visit to Saitek’s website resulted in a better Vista driver and controller applet for my four-year-old Rumble Force joystick.

4. Click Advanced to select a controller that you want to use for older games.

My Older Games Won’t Run

Older games may struggle to run in Windows Vista or they may even fail to install at all.

This is not always resolvable, although you can give it a shot by using the Vista Program Compatibility Wizard.

Start the Program Compatibility Wizard (see Figure 16.10) as follows:

1. Log in as an administrator.

2. Click the Windows button, and on the Start menu in the Search box, type mshta.exe res://acprgwiz.dll/compatmode.hta and hit Enter. Then rest your fingers from all that typing.

3. When the wizard comes up, click Next and choose the program by locating it on the system or in a CD-ROM.

4. Selecting I Want to Choose From a List of Programs scans your system for installed applications that you can choose from.

5. After it’s selected, on the next screen, specify which operating system it worked on before Vista and then click Next yet again.

6. Choose the preferred display settings, especially if this has been a problem. Try different combinations.

7. Next, give the program administration privileges (assuming you know and trust the program).

8. The program then runs. The wizard stays open so you can further diagnose it if there are problems.

Figure 16.10. Use the Program Compatibility Wizard to nudge older games into working with Vista.

Check for a Patch

Like any other software, games ship with bugs. So, companies will often issue patches (see Figure 16.11) to fix known problems.

Figure 16.11. Electronic Arts lists patches it released for Battlefield 2 on its website.

Problems will often emerge with particular combinations of hardware. You may find that a specific video adapter or a sound card works fine with some games but not with others.

There are several techniques you can use to resolve issues like this, as follows:

• Go to the game developer’s website and see whether there is a downloadable patch.

• Take a trip to the hardware device maker’s site and search for the name of the game on its site, especially if it has support forums. Often you’ll find a clue to a solution in these resources.

• Check out gaming forums and ask fellow gamers. They can be your best resource for fixes, especially as it pertains to specific hardware and game combinations.

• Game Spot (see Figure 16.12), for example, has a PC Hardware Discussion area. Visit www.gamespot.com and then click Soapbox, Forums.

Figure 16.12. When you experience odd game behavior, it’s always helpful to go to game forums such as the one on Game Spot.com.

• For IGN’s forums, visit http://boards.ign.com/.

• Ziff Davis’s site Game Tab at www.gametab.com is another good site.

• The Games Forum site at www.gamesforum.com/ is also worth a look.

Problems with Legacy Game Sound

You may find that a game that ran perfectly well on XP suddenly has sound issues on Vista. Environmental sounds may have gone away, and the game sound only outputs in two-channel stereo.

That’s because Microsoft changed the way in which games address sound in Vista. Audio issues were one of the causes of crashes in XP because a lot of audio routines were called inside the kernel. And when a routine chokes, it’ll take down the kernel, which results in a blue screen.

In Vista, a lot of that audio functionality was taken out of the kernel so that an audio crash wouldn’t take down the whole system.

This re-engineering required a whole redesign of the audio architecture in Vista, and as a result, some sacrifices had to be made.

In DirectX 9c, an API or application program interface called DirectSound3D was used to pass off audio to the hardware. It got trashed, however, and isn’t included in DX10.

That’s why there can be sound issues with some legacy games designed for XP but installed on Vista.

There is a workaround for those who own any Creative X-Fi sound adapter (except for the low-end Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio card). Creative has developed a product called ALchemy that redirects and translates requests from a game to the DirectSound3D API to an open source API called OpenAL.

This redirect mechanism restores the sound to its full glory. As I write, this is available for the X-Fi line for free; however, company officials say that they are working on a version of ALchemy (see Figure 16.13) that may result in a product that works on Vista for all brands of cards. You’ll have to pay for the download from the Creative website.

Figure 16.13. ALchemy is Creative’s solution to sound problems on legacy games.

You can learn more about ALchemy at http://preview.creativelabs.com/alchemy/default.aspx.

If the link is dead, search for “Alchemy” on Creative.com for more info.

Thwarted by Parental Controls?

The new Parental Controls feature is worth a mention in this chapter because it can limit game play.

If you log in as a standard user, and Parental Controls are on for your account, it’s possible that your gaming activities have been limited based on game content ratings by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

Someone who controls the administrative account on the system may have purposely limited which games you can play.

If you don’t have the administrator user account access, there’s nothing you can do to play a game that you have been blocked from playing.

If you do, log out of the account you’re in and log back in as an administrator. Then, type Parental Controls in the Start menu search area to access Parental Controls and click the user account for which you want to adjust gaming permissions.

To do that:

1. In Parental Controls, click Games.

2. Click Set Game Ratings.

3. Inspect what ratings the account has been assigned and adjust it accordingly. The least-limiting ESRB rating is Adults Only.