Racedriver GRID: Poor performance

[shreepads]

Hi

System Details
- 64 bit Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS (Lucid)
- Intel DG33FB motherboard (PCI Express v1.1)
- Intel C2D E7200 @ 2.53Ghz
- 2 GB RAM (DDR2 800)
- Palit GT 240 1GB DDR5 Sonic PCIe card (factory overclocked)
- Latest NVidia proprietary drivers (260.19.29)
- Default Wine install (1.2) from repositories

From what I can see on the box the system should easily run Racedriver GRID (at least on Windows). Also other stuff that uses the card (Compiz, Games from the repository, Celestia, VDPAU) are very stable.

I've also got Commandos 2 running on Wine with no problems with the above setup.

Installing Racedriver GRID from disk was fairly smooth, got it done on the first attempt with no issues.

Running it from the default desktop icon was smooth as well, was running full-screen 1440x900 res with no issues, that is until I started the first race...

The first few seconds were fine but then started getting stuttering sound and the game soon went unresponsive, requiring a hard boot.

Next up, I first tried reducing the in-game settings in steps all the way down to 800x600, Low detail. Now while the game didn't completely freeze up, I was able to race a bit longer before the sound stuttering and freezing up issues started, but was able to exit safely but with a very badly lagging system.

Tried some of the recommended Wine performance tweaks to no avail.
- Registry Entries:
-> Alsa Driver:
-> UseDirectHW set to y
-> Direct3D:
-> VideoMemorySize set to 512 and 1024
-> DirectDrawRenderer set to opengl, but then deleted as it didn't help
- Commandline, used WINEDEBUG=-all

Also tried running Wine in the desktop emulation mode (800x600) with no luck. At this stage I also tried changing the process priority to -10 but no luck.

Observations:
- The CPU is maxed out while actively playing (both cores). When I stop the race e.g. while using the menu options, one core is maxed out at a time
- The graphics card seems relatively unstressed. While it does move to the performance mode (seen via NVidia Settings) it definitely doesn't heat up too much (approx 55 deg C as opposed to approx 70 deg C in extended VDPAU usage)

Any suggestions?

[Halzen]

The following needs to be overriden for Grid to work: xinput1_3.dll, d3dx9_36.dll, openal32.dll, and wrap_oal.dll.

If it's still not running well even at low settings, try finding the following document: /Codemasters/GRID/hardwaresettings/hardware_settings_config.xml

In there, disable multisampling, post processing, and shadows.

[shreepads]

The following needs to be overriden for Grid to work: xinput1_3.dll, d3dx9_36.dll, openal32.dll, and wrap_oal.dll.

If it's still not running well even at low settings, try finding the following document: /Codemasters/GRID/hardwaresettings/hardware_settings_config.xml

In there, disable multisampling, post processing, and shadows.

Thanks for that!

I'm not too familiar with the whole DLL override process so let me tell you what I did (after some Googling around)

- Copied xinput1_3.dll, d3dx9_36.dll, opengl32.dll (couldn't find openal32.dll so assume that's a typo?) from my dual boot Win XP (SP3) windows/system32 folder to ~/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Codemasters/GRID

- I couldn't find wrap_oal.dll anywhere in my WinXp install so left that out

- Modified the default GRID desktop launcher so that it reads:

env WINEPREFIX="/home/user/.wine" WINEDEBUG="-all" WINEDLLOVERRIDES="xinput1_3,d3dx9_36,opengl32=n" wine C:\\Program\ Files\\Codemasters\\GRID\\GRID.exe

- And then ran the above from the command line

Resulting performance is a bit better, was able to complete a lap but the frame rate was definitely lagging at times and sound was completely stuttering.

Anything else I can try?

TIA!

[shreepads]

Tried again after setting DirectDrawRenderer to opengl again.. Seems to be stable with a LITTLE better performance (hard to tell)..

But at least I could finish the first Toyota Supra race coming in 7th / 8, although 23 secs behind 1st!!

[Halzen]

Well, when we say "override" in Wine, we usually mean the following process:

1. Open a terminal and type "winecfg" (without quotes, of course).
2. Choose the application profile you want to modify in the Applications tab, then switch to the Libraries tab.
3. In the "New override for library" box, type in the item you wish to override (for example, "xinput1_3.dll" without quotes) and click Add.
4. Normally, the default "(native, builtin)" will do the job. If not, click on your new override in the "Existing overrides" list and select Edit to pick out a new parameter.

Try following those steps with the overrides I suggested.

[shreepads]

Deleted the DLLs dropped into the GRID folder, followed your instructions above, launched from the default launcher and its all working perfectly!

Bumped up to 1024x768, all settings turned to Low/ Off and still delivering very good video and audio...

Thanks a ton!! Now if only I could improve my driving that easily.......

Only bother now is the DVD drive which must spin up at start each time, it creates a real racket and I'm worried the vibrations will affect my precious HDDs...

[Halzen]

Deleted the DLLs dropped into the GRID folder, followed your instructions above, launched from the default launcher and its all working perfectly!

Bumped up to 1024x768, all settings turned to Low/ Off and still delivering very good video and audio...

Thanks a ton!! Now if only I could improve my driving that easily.......

Only bother now is the DVD drive which must spin up at start each time, it creates a real racket and I'm worried the vibrations will affect my precious HDDs...

Good to hear that worked for you. It's always good when we get by with the easy fixes.

I hate DVDs. I use Steam for my gaming nowadays, so I haven't had to use a physical disc in a good long time. For anything else, I've always ripped the ISOs or found a no-CD patch. You might consider doing the same.

[shreepads]

I hate DVDs. I use Steam for my gaming nowadays, so I haven't had to use a physical disc in a good long time. For anything else, I've always ripped the ISOs or found a no-CD patch. You might consider doing the same.

I did try to create an ISO image using Brasero and then mount it using isomount and then point Wine to it in 'Drives'... But the SecuROM protection jinxed it and I have a 6.4 GB image that is blank when mounted...

Any ideas of other tools? I am able to rip DVD videos without any problems using Handbrake...

[Halzen]

I did try to create an ISO image using Brasero and then mount it using isomount and then point Wine to it in 'Drives'... But the SecuROM protection jinxed it and I have a 6.4 GB image that is blank when mounted...

Any ideas of other tools? I am able to rip DVD videos without any problems using Handbrake...

SecuROM will probably thwart most ripping methods. A no-CD patch will do you better in this case.

[shreepads]

Thanks!

Now for some more drama, got a Wine update earlier today and after applying it my beautifully working GRID is now crashing

Have attached the completely unhelpful screen message.

Ran it from the terminal and got the following.

Any ideas what went wrong? From what little I saw in Update Manager the Wine update was a security related one, nothing to the effect that 'THIS WILL CRASH WORKING APPS'...

user@UbuntuD64Lucid:~$ env WINEPREFIX="/home/user/.wine" WINEDEBUG="-all" wine C:\\Program\ Files\\Codemasters\\GRID\\GRID.exe 

wine: Unhandled page fault on read access to 0x00000000 at address 0x7e0ae734 (thread 0009), starting debugger...
Unhandled exception: page fault on read access to 0x00000000 in 32-bit code (0x7e0ae734).
Register dump:
 CS:0023 SS:002b DS:002b ES:002b FS:0063 GS:006b
 EIP:7e0ae734 ESP:021d8b10 EBP:021d8d08 EFLAGS:00010246(  R- --  I  Z- -P- )
 EAX:00000000 EBX:7e0f1ff4 ECX:ffffffff EDX:00000000
 ESI:7e0f9fb8 EDI:00000000
Stack dump:
0x021d8b10:  00001f03 03c000ea 7c5b1028 ffffffff
0x021d8b20:  00000001 00000001 00000000 00000018
0x021d8b30:  00000001 7c53f7a8 00002200 021d8b60
0x021d8b40:  00000000 00000000 00000000 7c5b1028
0x021d8b50:  7c5a7330 000001ff 03c000ea 00000000
0x021d8b60:  00000002 7bc9cff4 021d8cd8 f75ab011
Backtrace:
=>0 0x7e0ae734 in winex11 (+0x3e734) (0x021d8d08)
  1 0x7e0b1337 X11DRV_wglGetProcAddress+0x26() in winex11 (0x021d8d58)
  2 0x7eb38cc9 wglGetProcAddress+0x68() in gdi32 (0x021d8da8)
  3 0x7ecfe7a3 in wined3d (+0x4e7a2) (0x021d9448)
  4 0x7ed1308a in wined3d (+0x63089) (0x021d9468)
  5 0x7ed9baba WineDirect3DCreate+0x59() in wined3d (0x021d94a8)
  6 0x7ede8d2d Direct3DCreate9+0x5c() in d3d9 (0x021d94d8)
  7 0x0162c1c8 in grid (+0x122c1c7) (0x021d951c)
  8 0x0162c608 in grid (+0x122c607) (0x021dab5c)
  9 0x01356447 in grid (+0xf56446) (0x021ef89c)
  10 0x01249c1a in grid (+0xe49c19) (0x021efd44)
  11 0x00000008 (0x015c349d)
  12 0x5d8b5351 (0xec8b55c3)
0x7e0ae734: repne scasb	%es:(%edi)
Modules:
Module	Address			Debug info	Name (110 modules)
PE	  230000-  246000	Deferred        xinput1_3
PE	  400000- 1ce4000	Export          grid
PE	 21f0000- 25a7000	Deferred        d3dx9_37
PE	10000000-10019000	Deferred        openal32
PE	18000000-18033000	Deferred        binkw32
ELF	7a14f000-7b800000	Deferred        libnvidia-glcore.so.260.19.29
ELF	7b800000-7b97d000	Deferred        kernel32<elf>
  \-PE	7b810000-7b97d000	\               kernel32
ELF	7bc00000-7bcb9000	Deferred        ntdll<elf>
  \-PE	7bc10000-7bcb9000	\               ntdll
ELF	7bf00000-7bf04000	Deferred        <wine-loader>
ELF	7da37000-7db00000	Deferred        libgl.so.1
ELF	7db41000-7db75000	Deferred        uxtheme<elf>
  \-PE	7db50000-7db75000	\               uxtheme
ELF	7db75000-7db7a000	Deferred        libgpg-error.so.0
ELF	7db7a000-7db83000	Deferred        librt.so.1
ELF	7db83000-7dbbc000	Deferred        libdbus-1.so.3
ELF	7dbbc000-7dc2f000	Deferred        libgcrypt.so.11
ELF	7dc2f000-7dc40000	Deferred        libtasn1.so.3
ELF	7dc40000-7dc44000	Deferred        libkeyutils.so.1
ELF	7dc44000-7dc4c000	Deferred        libkrb5support.so.0
ELF	7dc4c000-7dc50000	Deferred        libcom_err.so.2
ELF	7dc50000-7dc74000	Deferred        libk5crypto.so.3
ELF	7dc74000-7dd25000	Deferred        libkrb5.so.3
ELF	7dd25000-7dd36000	Deferred        libavahi-client.so.3
ELF	7dd36000-7dd42000	Deferred        libavahi-common.so.3
ELF	7dd42000-7dddd000	Deferred        libgnutls.so.26
ELF	7dddd000-7de0c000	Deferred        libgssapi_krb5.so.2
ELF	7de0c000-7de53000	Deferred        libcups.so.2
ELF	7de86000-7de90000	Deferred        libxcursor.so.1
ELF	7de90000-7de96000	Deferred        libxfixes.so.3
ELF	7de96000-7de9a000	Deferred        libxcomposite.so.1
ELF	7de9a000-7dea2000	Deferred        libxrandr.so.2
ELF	7dea2000-7deac000	Deferred        libxrender.so.1
ELF	7deac000-7deb2000	Deferred        libxxf86vm.so.1
ELF	7deb2000-7deb6000	Deferred        libxinerama.so.1
ELF	7deb6000-7ded8000	Deferred        imm32<elf>
  \-PE	7dec0000-7ded8000	\               imm32
ELF	7ded8000-7dede000	Deferred        libxdmcp.so.6
ELF	7dede000-7dee2000	Deferred        libxau.so.6
ELF	7dee2000-7defc000	Deferred        libxcb.so.1
ELF	7defc000-7e019000	Deferred        libx11.so.6
ELF	7e019000-7e032000	Deferred        libice.so.6
ELF	7e032000-7e03b000	Deferred        libsm.so.6
ELF	7e03b000-7e03d000	Deferred        libnvidia-tls.so.260.19.29
ELF	7e058000-7e0fb000	Export          winex11<elf>
  \-PE	7e070000-7e0fb000	\               winex11
ELF	7e151000-7e178000	Deferred        libexpat.so.1
ELF	7e178000-7e1a8000	Deferred        libfontconfig.so.1
ELF	7e1a8000-7e1bd000	Deferred        libz.so.1
ELF	7e1bd000-7e233000	Deferred        libfreetype.so.6
ELF	7e233000-7e238000	Deferred        libuuid.so.1
ELF	7e238000-7e248000	Deferred        libxext.so.6
ELF	7e250000-7e26b000	Deferred        wsock32<elf>
  \-PE	7e260000-7e26b000	\               wsock32
ELF	7e26b000-7e354000	Deferred        oleaut32<elf>
  \-PE	7e280000-7e354000	\               oleaut32
ELF	7e354000-7e3d6000	Deferred        msvcrt<elf>
  \-PE	7e370000-7e3d6000	\               msvcrt
ELF	7e3d6000-7e40f000	Deferred        dinput<elf>
  \-PE	7e3e0000-7e40f000	\               dinput
ELF	7e40f000-7e4fa000	Deferred        comctl32<elf>
  \-PE	7e420000-7e4fa000	\               comctl32
ELF	7e4fa000-7e55c000	Deferred        shlwapi<elf>
  \-PE	7e510000-7e55c000	\               shlwapi
ELF	7e55c000-7e736000	Deferred        shell32<elf>
  \-PE	7e570000-7e736000	\               shell32
ELF	7e736000-7e76e000	Deferred        winspool<elf>
  \-PE	7e740000-7e76e000	\               winspool
ELF	7e76e000-7e7cd000	Deferred        setupapi<elf>
  \-PE	7e780000-7e7cd000	\               setupapi
ELF	7e7cd000-7e7e1000	Deferred        libresolv.so.2
ELF	7e7e3000-7e7fe000	Deferred        dinput8<elf>
  \-PE	7e7f0000-7e7fe000	\               dinput8
ELF	7e7fe000-7e81f000	Deferred        iphlpapi<elf>
  \-PE	7e800000-7e81f000	\               iphlpapi
ELF	7e81f000-7e833000	Deferred        lz32<elf>
  \-PE	7e820000-7e833000	\               lz32
ELF	7e833000-7e8a8000	Deferred        rpcrt4<elf>
  \-PE	7e840000-7e8a8000	\               rpcrt4
ELF	7e8a8000-7e9a8000	Deferred        ole32<elf>
  \-PE	7e8c0000-7e9a8000	\               ole32
ELF	7e9a8000-7ea3d000	Deferred        winmm<elf>
  \-PE	7e9b0000-7ea3d000	\               winmm
ELF	7ea3d000-7ea85000	Deferred        dsound<elf>
  \-PE	7ea40000-7ea85000	\               dsound
ELF	7ea85000-7eae0000	Deferred        advapi32<elf>
  \-PE	7ea90000-7eae0000	\               advapi32
ELF	7eae0000-7eb6c000	Export          gdi32<elf>
  \-PE	7eaf0000-7eb6c000	\               gdi32
ELF	7eb6c000-7ec9d000	Deferred        user32<elf>
  \-PE	7eb80000-7ec9d000	\               user32
ELF	7ec9d000-7edd5000	Export          wined3d<elf>
  \-PE	7ecb0000-7edd5000	\               wined3d
ELF	7edd5000-7ee09000	Export          d3d9<elf>
  \-PE	7ede0000-7ee09000	\               d3d9
ELF	7ee09000-7ee36000	Deferred        ws2_32<elf>
  \-PE	7ee10000-7ee36000	\               ws2_32
ELF	7ef9a000-7efa6000	Deferred        libnss_files.so.2
ELF	7efa6000-7efbd000	Deferred        libnsl.so.1
ELF	7efbd000-7efe3000	Deferred        libm.so.6
ELF	7efe6000-7efff000	Deferred        version<elf>
  \-PE	7eff0000-7efff000	\               version
ELF	f7404000-f740e000	Deferred        libnss_nis.so.2
ELF	f740f000-f7413000	Deferred        libdl.so.2
ELF	f7413000-f756d000	Deferred        libc.so.6
ELF	f756e000-f7587000	Deferred        libpthread.so.0
ELF	f7588000-f7590000	Deferred        libnss_compat.so.2
ELF	f75a4000-f76e4000	Deferred        libwine.so.1
ELF	f76e6000-f7704000	Deferred        ld-linux.so.2
Threads:
process  tid      prio (all id:s are in hex)
00000008 (D) C:\Program Files\Codemasters\GRID\GRID.exe
	00000009    0 <==
0000000e services.exe
	00000014    0
	00000010    0
	0000000f    0
00000011 winedevice.exe
	00000017    0
	00000016    0
	00000013    0
	00000012    0
00000023 explorer.exe
	00000024    0
Backtrace:
=>0 0x7e0ae734 in winex11 (+0x3e734) (0x021d8d08)
  1 0x7e0b1337 X11DRV_wglGetProcAddress+0x26() in winex11 (0x021d8d58)
  2 0x7eb38cc9 wglGetProcAddress+0x68() in gdi32 (0x021d8da8)
  3 0x7ecfe7a3 in wined3d (+0x4e7a2) (0x021d9448)
  4 0x7ed1308a in wined3d (+0x63089) (0x021d9468)
  5 0x7ed9baba WineDirect3DCreate+0x59() in wined3d (0x021d94a8)
  6 0x7ede8d2d Direct3DCreate9+0x5c() in d3d9 (0x021d94d8)
  7 0x0162c1c8 in grid (+0x122c1c7) (0x021d951c)
  8 0x0162c608 in grid (+0x122c607) (0x021dab5c)
  9 0x01356447 in grid (+0xf56446) (0x021ef89c)
  10 0x01249c1a in grid (+0xe49c19) (0x021efd44)
  11 0x00000008 (0x015c349d)
  12 0x5d8b5351 (0xec8b55c3)
user@UbuntuD64Lucid:~$