Batman:AC Question

[TheMailMan78]

I just noticed Batman:AC installs the AMD Dual-Core optimizer on my Intel rig. Is this thing safe to uninstall and not effect the game? I would hate to uninstall it and screw the game up.

[tacosRcool]

i would assume so

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by tacosRcool

i would assume so

Thanks but I dont like to assume.

[TheOne]

There should be no effect on your performance either way with it installed or uninstalled, it is meant for older AMD CPU's and Windows XP.

http://support.amd.com/us/Pages/dyna...ID=153&lang=us

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Stamp_Counter

[pantherx12]

I would leave it "The AMD Dual-Core Optimizer can help improve some PC gaming video performance by compensating for those applications that bypass the Windows API for timing by directly using the RDTSC (Read Time Stamp Counter) instruction. Applications that rely on RDTSC do not benefit from the logic in the operating system to properly account for the affect of power management mechanisms on the rate at which a processor core's Time Stamp Counter (TSC) is incremented. The AMD Dual-Core Optimizer helps to correct the resulting video performance effects or other incorrect timing effects that these applications may experience on dual-core processor systems, by periodically adjusting the core time-stamp-counters, so that they are synchronized.
"
Won't cause you any mischeif.

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by pantherx12

I would leave it "The AMD Dual-Core Optimizer can help improve some PC gaming video performance by compensating for those applications that bypass the Windows API for timing by directly using the RDTSC (Read Time Stamp Counter) instruction. Applications that rely on RDTSC do not benefit from the logic in the operating system to properly account for the affect of power management mechanisms on the rate at which a processor core's Time Stamp Counter (TSC) is incremented. The AMD Dual-Core Optimizer helps to correct the resulting video performance effects or other incorrect timing effects that these applications may experience on dual-core processor systems, by periodically adjusting the core time-stamp-counters, so that they are synchronized.
"
Won't cause you any mischeif.

Ya know I should have but I rolled the dice. I uninstalled it and it ran fine. I checked MSCONFIG and the damn thing was still listed as a start up item. I found the registry entry and removed it. So far the game and everything runs ok. Time will tell. I really need to learn to leave well enough alone.

[TheOne]

Originally Posted by TheMailMan78

Ya know I should have but I rolled the dice. I uninstalled it and it ran fine. I checked MSCONFIG and the damn thing was still listed as a start up item. I found the registry entry and removed it. So far the game and everything runs ok. Time will tell. I really need to learn to leave well enough alone.

It shouldn't have any effect on your system, as I posted earlier it is meant for older Dual-Core AMD CPU's and Windows XP.

http://support.amd.com/us/Pages/dyna...ID=153&lang=us

AMD Dual-Core Optimizer Version 1.1.4
Description:

The AMD Dual-Core Optimizer can help improve some PC gaming video performance by compensating for those applications that bypass the Windows API for timing by directly using the RDTSC (Read Time Stamp Counter) instruction. Applications that rely on RDTSC do not benefit from the logic in the operating system to properly account for the affect of power management mechanisms on the rate at which a processor core's Time Stamp Counter (TSC) is incremented. The AMD Dual-Core Optimizer helps to correct the resulting video performance effects or other incorrect timing effects that these applications may experience on dual-core processor systems, by periodically adjusting the core time-stamp-counters, so that they are synchronized.

This driver is for Windows XP only.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Stamp_Counter

AMD processors up to the K8 core always incremented the time-stamp counter every clock cycle.[6] Thus, power management features were able to change the number of increments per second, and the values could get out of sync between different cores or processors in the same system. For Windows, AMD provides a utility[7] to periodically synchronize the counters on multiple core CPUs. Since the family 10h (Barcelona/Phenom), AMD chips feature a constant TSC, which can be driven either by the Hypertransport speed or the highest P state. A CPUID bit (Fn8000_0007:EDX_8) advertises this.

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by TheOne

It shouldn't have any effect on your system, as I posted earlier it is meant for older Dual-Core AMD CPU's and Windows XP.

http://support.amd.com/us/Pages/dyna...ID=153&lang=us


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Stamp_Counter

I know what it is. Its just annoying as hell it was even installed. Its just another useless process I don't want/need.

Anyway I uninstalled it and removed the start up entry in the registry. Ill post back here if it causes any issues.

[Wrigleyvillain]

I should have bough this game recently for 66% off because I am remotivated to go back and finish the first one now after seeing TDKR (never did due to GFWL refusing to see/load my saves...don't even get me started). So, in other words, finally motivated to start it over (which I never was having been halfway through grr). Also have an Nvidia card now...

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by Wrigleyvillain

I should have bough this game recently for 66% off because I am remotivated to go back and finish the first one now after seeing TDKR (never did due to GFWL refusing to see/load my saves...don't even get me started). So, in other words, finally motivated to start it over (which I never was having been halfway through grr). Also have an Nvidia card now...

Dude both Batman games are so well done, they give me hope in the future of gaming. This is how to make an epic single player experience and stay true to a character.

[purecain]

batman AC is a real treat... even after i'd finished the main campaign i found myself loading it up and starting a brawl with large groups for fun.....

excellent game...

[Crap Daddy]

Originally Posted by TheMailMan78

Dude both Batman games are so well done, they give me hope in the future of gaming. This is how to make an epic single player experience and stay true to a character.

I agree, it's a fantastic game and the graphics are amazing. And don't believe those who will tell you PhysX in this game is worthless.

[Widjaja]

Yeah I removed it.
I see no point in it being there in my system.

I recall Duke Nukem doing the same thing and from what I recall caused issues with certain Intel rigs when playing the game.

EDIT:-
Somewhat OT, those riddler trophies and riddles are really hard to find 100%.
Can't find anymore of The Riddler's henchmen to give me the locations of the last ones.

Cat womans story line quests were easy enough though.

[TheOne]

Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City utilize PhysX more than most other games with it and both are very fun, but in my opinion to short, and BAC is poorly optimized with DX11, and I personally wish they would have done more story based DLC's with BAC.

[Frag Maniac]

Originally Posted by Crap Daddy

I agree, it's a fantastic game and the graphics are amazing. And don't believe those who will tell you PhysX in this game is worthless.

Actually it's the DX11 implementation on the PC version of B: AC that most complained about. The only really noticeable high tesselation was on Ivy's vines, yet still the performance plummeted throughout the game. It's also noticeably hitchier in many places than Arkham Asylum was, esp in the ruined underground passages leading to the subway station.

If you grade on a curve, they're still both great games, but I feel switching from Eidos to Warner Bros Games on the publishing end resulted in a lot of little QC issues. B: AC's story also could have been done much better. Lots' of great villains, but little to flesh them or the missions with them out.

Where B: AC shines the most is it's improved combat system, added difficulty of New Game Plus mode, and the many engaging trophies, riddles and challenges it has. The interludes playing as Catwoman were kinda nice too. It had been nice if they'd included one or two missions as Robin though. Only place you can do that is in the challenge maps or the Harley Quinn's Revenge DLC, which isn't bad, but not as challenging as the game.

One thing I will always give Rocksteady kudos for is making fantastic use of UE3 in overall visual quality. No one else has utilized it as well graphically really. Not even Epic Games whom made the engine can come close to the detail they've achieved. I'm just sad to see Eidos lose the series, they were better at QC, and forum support. One of the last good publishers out there really, and since they're pretty good developers too, they understand both ends of it and take a competent, hands on approach to the publishing.

[Widjaja]

Originally Posted by TheOne

Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City utilize PhysX more than most other games with it and both are very fun, but in my opinion to short, and BAC is poorly optimized with DX11, and I personally wish they would have done more story based DLC's with BAC.

The whole thing is poorly optimized.
Apparently DX9 became worse after the patch.
Possibly trying t make DX11 better.
I think they bit off a bit more than they could chew with the whole free roam concept and Unreal Engine 3 being able to cope with it.

[Frag Maniac]

Originally Posted by Widjaja

The whole thing is poorly optimized.
Apparently DX9 became worse after the patch.
Possibly trying t make DX11 better.
I think they bit off a bit more than they could chew with the whole free roam concept and Unreal Engine 3 being able to cope with it.

I have it updated and have ran the DLC and I saw no performance drop even on just a GTS 250. It's not as polished performance wise as Arkham Asylum, but I doubt it's solely due to UE3 not being able to handle it, unless you mean specifically DX11 support. I blame it more on WBG not giving enough time and funding to the normal routine optimizing schemes, like making sure all non visible textures are occluded, checking for mem leaks, etc. UE3 has always been suited for large maps, that's one reason so many devs use it. Furthermore, free roam mode has nothing to do with any performance issues. If anything there is less scripts being triggered in free roam than during the normal gameplay.

[pantherx12]

Originally Posted by Crap Daddy

I agree, it's a fantastic game and the graphics are amazing. And don't believe those who will tell you PhysX in this game is worthless.

It is pretty close to worthless, a lot of the effects could of be run on the CPU with slightly lower accuracy.

It's cheap that they don't include atl east something similar for AMD cards.

( They could of had NON dynamic fog for example, rather than having it removed completely, could of had papers on the floor running just on CPU easily, you only have to watch the Phsyx on/off comparison video on youtube to see that physx off is just a load of shite compared to what other non phsyx games pull off)


Eh hopefully now OpenCL is starting to become more widely adopted we'll see less of that.

[Crap Daddy]

Originally Posted by pantherx12

a lot of the effects could of be run on the CPU with slightly lower accuracy.

But you see, they aren't. No reason to get angry and bash it. It's only maybe one important game a year and if you want to see this in your game you buy NV because they say so. While I don't agree with this proprietary stuff I understand that every company tries to sell what they have through different methods. You as customer choose.

Looking forward to see PhysX in Borderlands 2 this year.

[pantherx12]

Originally Posted by Crap Daddy

But you see, they aren't. No reason to get angry and bash it.

Well really there is, because they do it by choice not because it isn't possible.

AMD have 25% of the GPU market now, Nvidia have 16% it is not fair at all to AMD customers.

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by pantherx12

Well really there is, because they do it by choice not because it isn't possible.

AMD have 25% of the GPU market now, Nvidia have 16% it is not fair at all to AMD customers.

Simple fix is to pay for SDK for developers as NVIDIA does. Its not NVIDIA's fault AMD has zero developer support out there for games. NVIDIA now is helping Adobe with development. Its not just about making hardware. Its about making the hardware work with the software. NVIDIA is a software company that has a hardware division. AMD is a hardware company.......with a skeleton crew driver team.

Is NVIDIA's hardware vastly better then AMD? Hell no! Is its software support? Yup.