ArmA2 efficiency - 2 PC setup?

[dmarkwick 261]

I'm wondering if anyone already uses this idea, I first heard of it during my Falcon 4 days, another resource-hog. The idea is that for single-player smooth gameplay, you need two PCs, one running as a dedicated server and the other one actually used to play the mission, as a client.

I know that I can get quite good FPS on any of the islands if I just plonk a unit down and wander about the place, and I can even get good FPS with lots of items standing around, even smoke & other effects etc. It's when all the AI are battling it out around the place that I lose all my FPS, and I cannot help but wonder how much of that FPS I can claw back if I had a second PC running the mission in dedicated-server mode, essentially doing almost all the "thinking" for me.

[Bulldogs 10]

I still do that today, as long as the misses ain't around to use her system. For the amount of CPU Arma uses by just playing it, it seems a little off to use it for dedi's and for playing at the same time.

[[frl]myke 14]

Since ArmA 2 rarely needs more (or at least not much more) than 50% on a Quadcore, you can also run dedicated server on same machine as you play. The benefit is maybe a little lower than having it on a second PC but still much better than just hosting it.

[mosh 0]

Yes, running a second computer for a dedicated would help for what you want, but the real benefits of a dedicated would really show if you had a few people join. But you are talking mostly single player, so you might not see much improvement.

And of course for any MP mission testing, a dedicated is the only way to go, although I have never tried the -server command with the normal exe...

[Bulldogs 10]

That's what I thought, but the odd thing being that if I run through 4 cores in an intense area my read on all 4 cores go's up to 90-95% on each core without dedicated server running, so it shouldn't leave much leeway except for that if I run with -cpucount=2 cutting out 2 cores I get the same performance with only 2 cores going to 90-95%

[kklownboy 43]

Since ArmA 2 rarely needs more (or at least not much more) than 50% on a Quadcore, you can also run dedicated server on same machine as you play. The benefit is maybe a little lower than having it on a second PC but still much better than just hosting it.

Maybe, maybe not... you have issues of Cache, and I/Os... I say its not a good idea if you play warfare of Dom ect, but on small COOP...~

[EDcase 87]

Makes alot of sense as the server is only really processing the AI and doesn't need to feed a graphics card it can have a lower spec CPU and still be an improvement from self-hosting.

The other thing its doing of course is data packet sending and receiving which doesn't use much CPU power.

Edited February 25, 2010 by EDcase

[Bulldogs 10]

Yeah. Compiling and decompiling packets is minimal usage at best, and very generic to the point that most computers now days are doing constant packet compiling and decompiling without noticing it. A dedicated server doesn't use enough bandwidth to be effected by the packet handling, but the AI handling, scripts and such are going to effect it a fair amount.

[jpinard 10]

Is there a way to do this now with an instant boost to fps in single player? If so I'm going to have to commandeer my wife's computer.

[dmarkwick 261]

Is there a way to do this now with an instant boost to fps in single player? If so I'm going to have to commandeer my wife's computer.

Not for SP unfortunately, if by SP you mean campaign or SP-only missions. All SP-only missions can be made into MP missions though by simply resaving them in the MP missions folder from the editor.