Im new to Halo and have a few questions.

[Grr8xtc]

For starters here are my system specs:
Evga 680i mobo
2 gigs of Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C4 Memory
2 Evga 8800 GTX graphics cards in SLI
Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 Processor
BFG 1000w PSU


I just got my copy of halo 2 for vista and a few things are puzzling to me. For starters I cant seem to go beyond the 1024x768 screen resolution in the game. It only offers 800x600 and 1024x768. I have a samsung 30 inch monitor with a native resolution of 1360x768. I am curious about it as I seem to not get very good fps in the game. Is there a command to see how many fps you are getting in game? Also when the game goes from actually playing it to a cut scene there is this strobe effect of sorts. I am sure that is the graphics card drivers, but i am using the latest certified drivers (158.24). I also encounter the strobe effect when the game first launches the "Microsoft Games" screen.

Sorry to sound like a noob, but after trying a few sets of drivers I am getting frustrated. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Reaper Man]

Change the refresh rate and see if it allows you to set the resolution higher, or set a custom resolution..but personally, I forget how.

[Mr Buckshot]

1. You have an awesome PC. GIMME.

2. Use the -vidmode tagline to set a custom resolution. Since Halo 2 Vista natively supports only a few levels of resolutions, and your height is 768 pixels, it defaults to 1024x768

Download a program called FRAPS and leave it running when you play H2V - a counter will show your framerate.

By rights your actual frames should be pretty high, but many people have complained the action is still sluggish no matter how high your framerates are. Don't forget, H2V is one of the shittiest console-to-PC porting jobs I have ever experienced. Man, I thought MGS2 Substance was bad enough but H2V changed that.

[Grr8xtc]

Change the refresh rate and see if it allows you to set the resolution higher, or set a custom resolution..but personally, I forget how.

unfortunately at the native resolution i only have the option of a refresh rate of 60. (damn me for having to be the first on the block with a 30 inch monitor) now if i set the monitor to 1024x768 i get the option of setting the refresh rate to 60,70,75.

Mr Buckshot: how do i use the -vidmode exactly? again sorry to sound noobish, but i am new to halo. once in game, do you hit the "-" key and type vidmode? ps. thanks for the comment about my pc. i sold my first born child to get it....:eek: j/k

[Mr Buckshot]

http://www.h2vista.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2935&highlight=resolution

Edit the target line in the Halo 2 shortcut on your desktop.

Put -vidmode w,h after the quotation marks in the target line. w is the horizontal and h is the vertical, so if your monitor is 1366x768 you type -vidmode 1366,768

I'll let you have my first born child in return for your PC :D

[p0lar_bear]

Don't forget, H2V is one of the shittiest console-to-PC porting jobs I have ever experienced. Man, I thought MGS2 Substance was bad enough but H2V changed that.

Ugh, tell me about it. I can't believe how bland the game looked, yet how shitty it ran on my PC. Perhaps Konami had a hand in H2V's port? :tinfoil:

[Xetsuei]

H2V is a horrible port, but it doesn't run nearly as bad as Rainbow Six: Vegas. ;_;

[Roostervier]

RB6:V runs pretty good... at least at the place I played it =p. It was actually pretty fun. However, H2V is a pretty bad port, performance wise.

[MrUncool]

First off, how can you have a 30" monitor with 1360x768? That is TERRIBLE, it's more like a TV than a monitor. My 20.1" is 1680x1050. Also, try using the latest beta drivers from nVidia, I use those with my SLI 8800GTS and it works fine. Turn down anti-aliasing in your control panel to match what's set in-game to get rid of the retarded lights (thats what I did), and turn UP anisotropic as high as it'll go to smooth out your framerates (itll be less jerky).

And btw, custom resolutions look horrible from what i've heard.

[Mr Buckshot]

And another note:

Windows Vista doesn't support SLI yet so only one of your video cards will be enabled until Nvidia or Microsoft releases a driver to support SLI.

I'm assuming it's a 30" HDTV that grr8xtc has. It's ok, there are 50" TVs with 1280x720 resolution :P back in the days before 1080p. I have a 55" 1080p HDTV that I use my X360 on, and laptops have 1920x1200 resolutions on 17" screens >.<

My monitor is a 20" 1680x1050 too, but H2V will never run playably at that resolution unless I get an 8800 GTX or the ATI equivalent.

[MrUncool]

It does support SLI, I'm running it right now. And TVs are meant to be looked at from FAR away, therefore low resolution is fine. Monitors are meant to be looked at from closer range, thats why it needs a higher one.