The Perfect Computer Setup for PWE!
(Noob Friendly)
My friend MagicParadox and I have tested the game on identical systems with different Graphic Cards (r7 and r9) and different clock settings. He used an Intel processor, i an AMD FX. Since the server lags alot we had to figure out how to run it the most energy efficient and spent some hours of testing. The shocking results are...
Part 1: The Setup and Test results!The CPU:
-3,4 GHz CPU power! The game requires 3,2-3,3 GHz to run on 99-100%, so we put it on 3,4GHz to have 3% space for MassPk, Events etc. and it runs fluently as best as it could!
The GPU:
-445 MHz of Graphic Card power! 340-380 is what it needs the most. Onboard cards often have 400, so your laptop will run well! The 445 MHz are only used on Multi-Clienting or at events. Helpfull is a high RAM Frequency, while it`s not required or changes anything. A downclocked GPU of 790 MHz will allow You to run the game perfectly and watch videos or do internet stuff next to it. You will end up at 445 MHz this way whilst you give it more space by chance. In empty areas, the R9 went down to 50 HZ (!) sometimes, due to it `s better energy management.
The RAM:
-4gb of RAM for single clienting! On Events, the game can run up to 3,3gb straight on each client... If You use a 64bit system, use at least 8gb since up to 1,3gb can be eaten by the OS. A high frequency does not mean it runs faster. Important are CL`s (Clock Latencies) aswell as the right handling of the files. The game is really old and isn`t optimized, so you can use any RAM (or play a bit with Latencies for a more "luxurious" feeling...).
SSD or HDD?:
-SSDs improve the initial loading time of cities and areas but don`t affect the gameplay at all. In the test, the SSD even had a deficit of 2 fps once the game was loadet after entering a new area!
The Internet:
-When PW was made, the internet was slow. The game needs 8-23 kb. Reducing the computer`s package size (files being transferred) can reduce the felt lags but it won`t affect the game at all. Most of the people say "My internet is too slow!"<No, it is not!
Conclusion:
The game is CPU intensive only, nothing more, nothing less! Once You got a CPU with 3,4GHz, there`s nothing more You can do to increase the performance since the server is too slow to offer a better ping rating! Still, in areas like Heaven, the game goes straight to 54-58 fps or more. There are 4 channels with different populations and once You begin lagging, switch to one with a lower ping (ms)! I have installed a software for "Profile" settings, allowing me to downclock the graphic card the way i need it! This makes it run more silent + i waste less power = better for the Nature since a highspeed GPU does not affect the game while the power is still eaten!
Tricks and Hints:
-A clean Operating System is required! Any update routine and all the autostarts can slow down all the tasking You do!
-Issues with AMD Radeon Graphic Cards are well known! Using multiple monitors can half Your GPU`s output even the device is shut! Unplug the cable and the driver may work well again!
-For a "perfect" GPU setup, try to figure out when the CL hits your frequency and find the perfect match! But this is nano second thingie stuff and only looks awesome!xD
-These tests are absolute! There is no room for discussions since they were done professional by cookie monsters! If Your system is without bad software/autostarts etc., this is the exact setup for this game!
PS: I`m not a nerd! My R7 card was way too loud, especially in summer, and to save the 100-300 bucks for a new card i`ve learned and tested this all and i think it`s better to do this than working many hours irl to get the money while i have a graphic card already... Aswell it`s better for the nature! And next to it, Knowledge is Might, right?
On request of my besty who still plays on EPW i decidet to put it in a bit more detailed. She told me, there are many basement children playing alot and talking like they are good but not even use Tangling Mire, so it makes sense to go a bit more into detail to make even the last mehican understand PCs.
Part 2: Engineer knowledge for PC noobs and power users!
Frequency means how often a signal/currency switches from A to B in one second. The game is built on quick data manipulation and general RAM handling as it uses an old but still actual type of rendering which uses the CPU to emulate the graphic shaping. In fact you can call it an emulated graphic card as it`s used in playstation or other emulators often (So called software drivers). The other way (NVIDIA Cuda) it does NOT
apply as it should here. Hyperthreading emulates a 2nd CPU core while there is only 1, meaning it is a system internal trick for data handling, which does also not apply since the game goes straight for power. Also, You can not put the game on several real cores by hand in the Windows settings. Sadly a high speed RAM does not affect the results. DDR2 uses 1 sidet plate building, DDR3 2, DDR4 4, meaning that per signal request 1, 2 or 4 parts on the ram act at once while the frequency itself is splitted up on these. This grants a better data request while the latency suffers due to the construction. For Perfect World, a straight Frequency with a low Clock Latency makes the job since the file packages put in it are quite small (Files where pretty small back when the game was made.). This is the theory and the results showed us: Having or not having Intel`s Hyperthreading or a good Clock Latency or high end RAM Frequency does not matter at all because the potential for the game is used up at a point. In other words: CPU Frequency alone DOES matter.
Motherboard and general data handling means nothing more than how efficient a currency (Volt) switches from one point to another. The general lack of technical aspects make it hard to improve the way software acts. 10 years ago and now, they still use the same semi-conducting technology. The material must reach a specific temperature to make the used metal transport the signals the most efficient over a certain distance (Drive -> RAM for example). Due to the way that there are capacies of gigabytes of data handling, we always had and still have bottlenecks in form of CPU and others. In other words, we have bottlenecks all the time but try to deal with it the best we can. And right here we have the problem of SSDs/HDDs combined with old games.
Overclocking is the manipulation of frequencies. You can modify the GPU`s, the CPU`s and the RAM (DDR and GraphicDDR) transmitting speed. It will cause You to lose warranty, so use at own risk! Another important thing is that higher transfering rates cause more heat=You must take care of the cooling. Reducing the Graphic Card`s frequency as much as it is needet for the game, You are able to reduce the system internal heat which allows You to overclock the CPU a bit better. This works for me but i don`t take the responsibility since this is always at Own Risk!
Ask Your local electronic engineer if You have further questions about this and do NOT rely on test results of PC newspapers and the words of the manufactors. This is the way it is crafted in the manufactories, not the way it could be with perfect circumstances (Perfect World quote;D). The tests in newspapers and portals are all based on the theoretical potential of the devices, not the realistic use. This is why they say Pascal is the new generation of GPUs while it has an advantage of around 20% only. It`s like in the children story of the eagle and the worm. The worm covers as rabbit but it`s still only a worm and gets cought once it begins croaching again.
I will not go further into this since i followed the wish of my besty with this noob friendly guide. Also i don`t play here anymore. I showed mercy by spending alot of time once more. Take an example on me and make the community better with your awesome work and not throw it in the dirt! Have a nice 2nd summer!:D <3
