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Mac Pro 3,1 + Radeon 5770 = TF2 Performance Problems

Z

ZennZero

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 21, 2008
85
0
London
So I just replaced the 8800GT in my 3,1 MP with a 5770. For some reason -- regardless of the graphics settings I choose -- I get a weird little graphical "hitch" in Team Fortress 2 (edit: and Half life 2) every couple of minutes. It almost looks like a severe lag spike, but I don't have the issue when using the 8800GT.

Any suggestions? The only "exotic" thing in my system is a Blackmagic Intensity card, but as it is sitting there idle I wouldn't think it is interfering (and again, it was never a problem with the 8800GT)...
 
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I just did the same upgrade. I do not own Team Fortress 2 so I can comment on that problem. But I have not had any issues at all.
The only game I play is X plane and FSX in windows. I an getting 3x the frame rates in Xplane over the 8800GT plus some higher settings.
 
Well, it might be a Source engine thing -- I confirmed it happens in Half Life 2 as well, so that pretty much rules out the network as a possibility.
 
No issues like that here. Radeon 5870.

Running at least 10.6.5?
 
I am actually a little closer to figuring this thing out. . . With the historical view of the CPU meter in Activity Monitor open, I see that these little hiccups correspond with small spikes of some system-level process (i.e. "red" colored CPU utilization).

Unfortunately, I am not fast enough to switch over the to process viewer and see what is causing the spike. Does anyone know of a means of logging the contents of the process list? Or some other means of seeing (either in real-time or historical) process activity while in-game?
 
ZennZero said:
I am actually a little closer to figuring this thing out. . . With the historical view of the CPU meter in Activity Monitor open, I see that these little hiccups correspond with small spikes of some system-level process (i.e. "red" colored CPU utilization).

Unfortunately, I am not fast enough to switch over the to process viewer and see what is causing the spike. Does anyone know of a means of logging the contents of the process list? Or some other means of seeing (either in real-time or historical) process activity while in-game?
Click to expand...

This won't directly get you what you want, but check your Console and see if there is an event that corresponds with the spikes.
 
It sounds like the kind of problem I have when I over clock a video card. It get artifacts from the extra heat. In your case it could indicate a bad card.

You might want to get an exchange while you are in the return window.
 
I am pretty familiar with overheating artifacts, and this really doesn't match the typical symptoms...

I did have an idea however: I bet I could use Top and log the command prompt output. I am going to have to try that over the next few days.

In the meantime, 100 Internets to anyone with a potential solution.
 
ZennZero said:
I am pretty familiar with overheating artifacts, and this really doesn't match the typical symptoms...

I did have an idea however: I bet I could use Top and log the command prompt output. I am going to have to try that over the next few days.

In the meantime, 100 Internets to anyone with a potential solution.
Click to expand...

Get another (identical) card and test it. You will save yourelf hours of effort and what-ifs.
 
Log into the MP using ssh via the laptop (any other machine really, OS X, Windows or Linux) and fire up 'top', watch 'top' as slowdowns happen?
 
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