zajazd on 1/10/2021 at 10:38
I am assured that this is the right place for it.
M.H. on 1/10/2021 at 10:42
Thief 1 & 2 both have really low GPU demands without antialiasing or postprocessing.
I used a cheap Celeron G1610 in my HTPC for a few years and it could run Thief FMs @ 1080p 60fps on its iGPU.
Replaced the CPU with an i5-3470S from a dumpster PC at work last year.
On low end GPUs it is important that postprocessing is off and antialiasing should be tested.
The Celeron iGPU was to weak for antialiasing but your nvidia should be strong enough for at least 4x multisampling.
CPU speed is far more important as Thief uses badly optimized code and only a single core.
Especially on low-end systems it is important that you use "single_display_mode 3" for triple buffered vsync and also "d3d_disp_limit_gpu_frames 1 1" in your "cam_ext.cfg" file.
When stuttering occured the CPU was the cause and not the GPU. Some scenes in "Keeper of Infinity" for example.
On my Celeron it noticeably boosted performance when the software based framerate limiter ";framerate_cap 100.0" was deactivated for some reason. (was unnecessary because of vsync anyway)
I use a GTX 1050 Ti in my main PC and run Thief @ 1080p with 4x Multisampling + 2x2 Supersampling.
2x2 Supersampling means it is running @ 4K resolution internally but the 1050 Ti runs passive cooled the entire time.
The cooling Fans would only start above 60°C which even with antialiasing is never reached in low-end games like Thief 1/2.
Important: For forced antialiasing to work you have to disable fullscreen optimizations @ right click compatibility settings
zajazd on 1/10/2021 at 11:09
My CPU is i5-4570 from 2014.
M.H. on 1/10/2021 at 11:20
Quote Posted by zajazd
My CPU is i5-4570 from 2014.
Your CPUs iGPU would be absolutely strong enough for Thief 1/2 without antialiasing & postprocessing, but you should have 8GB+ RAM.
Your NVIDIA could be strong enough for antialiasing.
Thief 1/2 without antialiasing looks a bit annoying.
The CPU itself is still ok and great for Thief.
Important: For Intel GPU "d3d_disp_no_rgb10_buf" must be activated in your "cam_ext.cfg" file.
zajazd on 1/10/2021 at 11:41
Doesn't NewDark do that by default? I don't see any 'jaggies'.
M.H. on 1/10/2021 at 11:54
Quote Posted by zajazd
Doesn't NewDark do that by default? I don't see any 'jaggies'.
Yes, as far as I remember it activates 2x/4x/8x multisampling @ "cam_ext.cfg" , it even runs with default settings @ compatibility.
But "2x2 Supersampling + 4x Multisampling" forced @ NVidia driver looks A LOT better.
Forced antialiasing via NVidia driver only works when fullscreen optimizations are disabled.
Multisampling alone doesn't help against texture flickering.
baeuchlein on 2/10/2021 at 12:34
In many cases, it's indeed the CPU that counts for Thief, but there are some exceptions. For example, Ricebug pointed out some years ago that Intel processor graphics may have problems when lots of particles must be drawn. You can see it in "Keeper of Infinity 2"; in the first mission, the dust around the large holes in the streets may bog down your machine depending on what GPU you have - my HD 3000 is choking on the dust, so to speak. In the second mission, the scene with the three guards standing before a fence behind which lots of fog can be seen brings this old Intel GPU down to its knees. An ancient Radeon 9550, more than 15 years old and considered "low end" since about 2006, actually performs much better in that location - even with a CPU that's also about 15 years old.
However, areas with a very wide angle of vision, such as looking down on a city from above, usually put a heavy load on the CPU. Things change only a little there if one changes the GPU or uses another machine with a similar CPU, but a very different GPU.
And, as always: Your mileage may vary, depending on several things.
john9818a on 2/10/2021 at 21:40
Quote Posted by zajazd
I am assured that this is the right place for it.
Not really since this topic pertains to playing Thief in general. Fan missions even with the more complex missions don't put a large strain on even the entry level video cards. This forum is for post of and looking for help and comments on specific fan missions. It helps keep TTLG organized when tech questions are posted in the tech forum and fan mission are posted in the fan mission forum.
zajazd on 3/10/2021 at 07:51
I am super low spec PC gamer now.
Dahenjo on 3/10/2021 at 10:25
Quote Posted by zajazd
I am assured that this is the right place for it.
Did one of the moderators tell you this?
I like the topic but also think it should go in the Technical & Troubleshooting forum.
