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Thief2 and Directx9 renderer problems

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First post, by 386SX

Posted on 
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l33t

Hi,
I've almost finished this game with one of the most complicated config (Atom D2x00, SGX545) using the T2Fix patch but with the old Directx6 renderer and windowed mode, the only way it can run with Win 8.1 without problems but the frame rate that's slower than the medium-end config of the 2000 (from 10fps to 30fps).
What I think I understood from this experience is that the PowerVr SGX545 gpu would easily run this games MUCH faster with the Directx9 renderer (I ended up testing some times the game with it but the menu is unreadable but once the game start the frame rate seems to be like three times higher but the graphic seems to hang while the games still runs but until that happens the frame rate sure was higher) but probably some drivers/Win GUI incompatibility not being supported officially with this o.s. force to use the old dx6 renderer that itself can't run enough fast too cause probably only working in windowed mode, maybe for how Win 8.1 works (I read on this forum old threads about old games running slow with Win8.1/10 for such possibility) or cause the GPU might runs old games with some compatibility logic mode cause 3DMark2000 get 1300 points.
I attach a photo of the game menu with the directx9 renderer enabled in the cam_ext config file, the menu is running the sound is ok the mouse cursor is not visible but somehow I can get to enter a new game. I tried different wrappers to OpenGL but I don't see any differences. What would you suggest trying?
It seems the gfx errors in the menu (the pixel, the colors..) are variable with the GUI of the o.s. and happens as well as with the game videos running until the game start where for few seconds the rendering seems like perfect.
With the Dx6 rendered windowed both the menu and the games runs as expected but slow.
Thanks

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Reply 1 of 4, by pentiumspeed

Posted on 
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Power VR SXG545 is total write off for me after finding out long ago. It is licensed by Imagination technologies with very limited token support even intel pointed back at imagination in turn pointed back to intel. Even intel didn't put enough effort to fine tune the driver and didn't support the linux as well.

This was the reason I dropped Atom long ago.

Cheers,

Great Northern aka Canada.

Reply 2 of 4, by 386SX

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Still it is strange how the gpu itself could have done "more" in terms of speed and this games is an example.. for some reasons old games seems to have problems running fast while there'd not be known reasons for a Directx10.x theorically capable 400/600Mhz gpu to not run these games beside imagining some sort of compatibility layer in which rendering problems were solved in some way but not using the full power of the gpu that is clearly seen in bench like 3dmark05 as already said before where it gets 730 points that might not be a lot but still much higher in comparison to an incredible 1300 score in 3dmark2000.
The Directx9 renderer of the T2Fix patch beside the menu problem and the later crashes, shows that the direct 3D native d3d9 acceleration run just as expected probably around 40/60fps it might be even higher.
In the thief game logs when the dx9 renderer is enabled clearly shows the HW gma3600 dll drivers loaded directly instead of the dx6 sort of "generic" hardware direct3d surface which added to the windowed mode results in the frame rate seen.
I might add to this mini-pc a PCI (old style) modern gpu like a GT2x0 or GT5x0 to give the system some boost but too bad this gpu was left to its own without knowing the real reason.

A thing that surprised me is that trying an old FX 5200 card with Win 8.1 and latest Vista drivers, even this card can't run 3DMark2000 correctly (20-30fps) that's maybe what happens when an older type of gpu were not designed for newer Vista and later o.s. and can't work as they could in an older one.

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