Mister Frag

PassMark BurnInTest isn't free, but you can use it for 30 days to evaluate. There are other tools that are free that have some of the same functionality. MemTest86 can perform exhaustive checks of your RAM, and CPU Burnin can check the CPU, bus, and cooling.

http://www.tweaksrus.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=337&Itemid=41/

I'd try running something like PassMark BurnInTest to stress-test your system (CPU, RAM, bus, cooling) and make sure it's up to snuff -- a stable system should be able to run BurnInTest indefinitely without lockups or crashes.

The latest ForceWare driver is far from the best, even the WHQL-certified one has significant problems. Skip to the third page of that thread and check out the V78.03 driver -- that's the one I would recommend.

If you don't have access to the aforementioned Resource Kit, you can find ImageCfg.exe here: http://www.robpol86.com/Pages/imagecfg.php

Why not get a separate fullsize keyboard to plug into the laptop while you're playing games at home? That way you don't have to fumble for the correct keys...

Run DXDIAG.EXE and check the Display tab -- make sure all acceleration options are enabled and that all the video tests pass.

What do you mean by "standard MS joystick"? Some older gaming peripherals are not supported under XP. Check under Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Game Controllers to see whether XP even sees your joystick. If it doesn't, then DirectX won't see it either, and neither will OFP. If the joystick doesn't show there, click Add, and scroll down near the bottom of the list, where you can select "Microsoft Sidewinder (Autodetect)". If that doesn't work, select and configure the joystick manually.

The 64-bit beta drivers are only useful if you are running the 64-bit version of Windows XP. Given the current state of Windows XP 64-bit, device driver support for third-party peripherals, and the small number of 64-bit applications and games, I can't recommend going with this configuration for the time being.

I have one more tip for you: turn up Digital Vibrance a little, and then use the Display Optimization Wizard in the Tools section of the ForceWare Control Panel to fine-tune the display -- this will give you much richer colors, and you'll wonder how you ever used your computer and played games without this. The Display Optimization Wizard doesn't even work in some of the other ForceWare versions that have been leaked, along with custom resolutions and game profiles. I've added a 1440x960 display-centered custom resolution for recording in-game videos at standard DVD resolution using FRAPS and its half-size recording option. That's one reason why I keep returning to this particular build.

V78.03 as modified by the X-TremeG guys is my favorite, it is fast, has excellent display quality, and hasn't had any bugs that I experienced. You can get it from Tweaks R Us. I've tried several more recent ForceWare drivers because I was hoping to take advantage of my P4D 840EE with the multithreaded drivers, but all of them suffer from display corruption in OFP -- the sky, menus etc. are always messed up.

If the problem doesn't appear immediately and crops up 20 minutes into the game or so, then my money would be on an overheating issue -- either the CPU and/or the GPU is getting too hot and throttling back.

Microsoft has a hotfix for the AMD X2 processor driver that addresses issues related to the Cool-n-Quiet technology. It resolves inconsistent performance and sporadic slowdowns, which could well explain your lag problem. You can get it by contacting Microsoft Support, or you can search for WindowsXP-KB896256-v3-x86-ENU on the web.

I've been playing OFP on an Intel 840D EE (one core with two HT-enabled processors / 4 processors total) for about two months, and haven't had any problems yet. In fact, the new system is more stable than my old 3.06GHz HT-enabled one. Also, Microsoft has a tool called Imagecfg.exe (part of the NT Resource Kit and the Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit Supplement One) which allows you to permanently modify the processor affinity masks of the executable. The process loader will respect the flags and execute the process only on the processor(s) you select, though you can override them at any time using Task Manager.

Check out these screenshots: http://www.lo-mac.com/screenshots.php The game doesn't have the flexibility that OFP offers (you can only pilot aircraft), but the graphics engine looks pretty good already.

FYI, LavaSoft today released an updated version of their popular Ad-Aware spyware/malware/adware scanning and removal tool. The new version, Ad-Aware SE, incorporates a new scanning engine that can deal with previously undetectable infections.

The GF4 Ti 4600 draws more power than an old MX, and produces more heat. If you have a weak or borderline power supply, the system may not be able to provide enough current on all the rails during peak power consumption. We're also in the middle of summer (unless you are on the southern hemisphere), so everything runs hotter now. Make sure all the fans are all turning.

Not very. Acceleration is poor, too. On the bright side, it seats four comfortably...

The problem isn't specific to OFP, and especially with respect to future games (OFP2 and otherwise), a new sound card that gets more than passing attention from the manufacturer when it comes to writing drivers is the way to go.

Yeah, not only do these guys get their rounds off really fast, but they hit their targets, too. I've seen the targets that Jerry leaves behind during these demonstrations, and he's also one of the top competitive shooters in America. And Bob is hitting steel with his pistol, you can hear the bullets hit the target in the video.

OK, I've converted the Jerry Miculek video, and created a video of Bob Munden. Both videos are in WMV (Windows Media Player) format. Enjoy! Jerry Miculek Bob Munden PS: The audio and video of the Jerry Miculek video were already out of sync in the original.

Just wait awhile, and I'll make an MPEG2 out of it when I get home. I'll also post some footage of Bob Munden doing some rapidfire using a pistol.

You need an MPEG4 decoder to see it, such as XviD.

From http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/08/31/eg.trial.reut/index.html Looks like Nick du Toit might be in a bit of a pickle...

Nope, that's Jerry Miculek.