256mb --> 768mb RAM = same benchmark score!

[Petrifyus]

Hey guys,

I've been playing FFXI for a little while now and i always get lag from my PC in the main cities and my disk light flashes constantly. I came to the conclusion that i needed more than 256mb of RAM to run this game properly. I've since bought a stick of 512mb (400mhz) and put it in slot 1, moving the existing stick of 256mb (333mhz) into slot 2 but the game doesn't seem to think its there :confused: . Windows tells me i now have 768mb of RAM but my benchmark scores are still the same as they were before and the game still lags like crap in town.
Here are my PC's specs:

Pentium 4, 1.9ghz
ASUS P4S533-MX Motherboard (with 400mhz front side bus)
Geforce 4 ti4800 SE (ASUS V9480/TVD), running in AGP 4x
768mb RAM (running at 333mhz)
80gb HDD (with craploads of space left)
Windows XP
on board sound (although i use a sound system connected via USB)

I get 3600 in Benchmark program 1 and in Benchmark program 2 i get 3000 (low res) and just under 2000 (high res).

I downloaded FRAPS and it tells me i get 5-10 frames in San d'Oria, and 20-25 frames out in Ronfaure

Can anyone help me work out why my new memory has done nothing? :sweat:

[Stormfalcon]

The problem is that, while you have more memory, the sticks don't match, at least not speed-wise. I'm surprised that it's not causing your system any instability other than speed issues. A lot of times, systems can get finicky whenever multiple sticks of RAM are used in them and they don't match exactly. Try removing the 256MB stick and see what happens.

[Petrifyus]

hmm i'll try that

The thing is though, i was assured that it would work because they had no 333mhz sticks left....

[Doppelganger]

that could cause some problems... might want to send the 400mh back and get a rated 333mh one just in case.... the other problem is that the benchmark can't measure a big difference between 256 and up because it has a smaller memory usage than the actual game... when you play ffxi for real, you WILL notice a relatively large increase in proformance, as long as your video modes are in high area and not borderline

[Petrifyus]

Ok well i've tried it with only the stick of 512, and changed the bios up to 400mhz ram speed and played the game and the benchmark again. I get the same performance regardless of which stick of memory i have in by itself, or whether i have both in. My non PC-expert evaluation is that my computer appears to be only using say 200mb of ram and then using the virtual memory when it needs more, regardless of how much physical memory i have :confused: Is that possible?

Also, when i turn all the effects down and the resolution down there isn't a great increase in framerate.

You say that the benchmark program doesn't use as much memory as the real game.... Why do i average 7 frames per second and have the disk light flashing throughout the benchmark? Shouldn't it run better than the actual game?

This is really frustrating because i only want my PC for FFXI, and if i have to spend even more money on it then it would end up being cheaper to import a US PS2

Will i loose any FFXI data or Playonline users/content ids if i uninstall then reinstall FFXI? Is that likely to help me?
If that doesn't work i dont know what to do. The store i bought the memory from doesn't do refunds or exchanges unless the product is faulty...

:dead:

[aerobahn]

I concluded along time ago ( dopple can attest to this) that the Benchmark is Bandwidth intensive.

That being said have more FSB, faster Ram, and a better CPU/ GPU will increase your BENCHMARK score.

Ram will have an IMPACT on the game itself.

your frame rate in game is also reliant on your INTERNET connection.

Also having HQ shadows, and doing the Texture hack will have an adverse effect on performance.


If you hard drive is actively seeking at times when there is a lot of data onscreen that means you do not have enough ram . OR other things can cause it to behave erratically.

windows will Always utilize virtual memory no matter how much ram you have . unless you turn off virtual memory .( not recommended unless you have at least 1-1.5 gigs)

To be honest. I can tell you how not to have lag INGAME.


1.9 ---------- 2.4 GHz CPU

512 ---------- 1gig RAM

4800 -------- 9600 pro GPU

56k, ---------- 1mb connection Internet connection



Those are minimums for having no lag. If you decide to have hack your textures or put HQ shadows on you need to up the graphics card.

There is now way around it. You have many bottlenecks so if you want Zero lag you must upgrade.

[Doppelganger]

all welcome back aero


as for bandwidth, best width out there is dual channel 400mh[up to >6gb/s according to some companies, though i don't exactly know if that is close to true] (i think, though dual channel 1066mh rambus may be close , though far more expensive, ill check stats asap)
as for myself, dual channel 800mh rambus with 4x 256 mb sticks provides a lot of bandwidth for an archaic type of mem (it's bound to be about now... no computer company wants it cuz it's so damn expensive)

the stats aero listed are true for all but city... if you are at the bastok ah at peak time, even those stats will lag a bit in high quality...