Will updating to a new version help performance on my old computer?

[Dean_The_Machine]

Hopefully this isn't off topic:

I am currently running a relatively "old" version of KSP on my relatively "old" computer, and I have the majority of the game's settings set in order to improve the performance of the game.

My question is: if I downloaded and installed a "newer" version of the game would that help improve the performance of the game? Have the developers been actively working to reduce the game's resource usage as they release each "new" version?

 

Also, I'm not sure if my question warrants starting a new topic... thanks in advance for your help!

[Geonovast]

Hello, @Dean_The_Machine!  I've split your question off into its own thread, I believe you will get better/more responses this way.

It might help if you can share what version you're currently using and what your computer's specs are.

[Piper]

Specifically which version do you have?  I know there was one big update they did where they specifically tackled performance and made it a ton faster.  I have an older computer laptop myself, and I know I did see a difference, especially with larger stations and bases.  It still take forever to load, but I think that's mostly because of the obscene number of mods I have.

[Dean_The_Machine]

Thank you for your help Geonovast!

I am embarrassed to share what version of the game I am running as well as my computer specs.

But I realize I am asking for help... so... I am currently playing version 0.23.5.464.

Computer specs: 
AMD Athlon X2 L310, 1.20 GHz
4.00 GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics  
450GB HDD

If there is an additional information that would be helpful, let me know.

[Geonovast]

4 minutes ago, Dean_The_Machine said:

I am embarrassed to share what version of the game I am running as well as my computer specs.

No need to worry about that here!  I'm sure that no matter how bad you think it is, someone's trying to run KSP on something less powerful than what you have.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge of the past versions will come along, as I started playing with 1.3.

[Dean_The_Machine]

20 minutes ago, Piper said:

I know there was one big update they did where they specifically tackled performance and made it a ton faster. I have an older computer laptop myself, and I know I did see a difference, especially with larger stations and bases.

Thanks for your reply!

Any idea what version that was? Have you updated KSP on your computer since then?

[MechBFP]

36 minutes ago, Dean_The_Machine said:

Thank you for your help Geonovast!

I am embarrassed to share what version of the game I am running as well as my computer specs.

But I realize I am asking for help... so... I am currently playing version 0.23.5.464.

Computer specs: 
AMD Athlon X2 L310, 1.20 GHz
4.00 GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics  
450GB HDD

If there is an additional information that would be helpful, let me know.

Do you have a 32 bit or 64 bit OS? The latest version only works on 64 bit systems. 

[Dean_The_Machine]

1 minute ago, MechBFP said:

Do you have a 32 bit or 64 bit OS? The latest version only works on 64 bit systems. 

64 bit OS

[MechBFP]

I would say to give the current version a try and see if it even works. 

I believe in 1.8 they will be dropping support for DX9, so I think with your graphics card it won’t be able to run it anymore after that point. 

EDIT: Looks like your card actually supports DX10 so perhaps it could still work. Not sure to be honest. 

Edited September 27, 2019 by MechBFP

[Dean_The_Machine]

Alright, so as far as you know, there wouldn't be any diminishing returns by updating to the latest release vs. updating to something like 1.4?   In terms of a newer version of the game having optimizations to perform better while avoiding being so feature laden as to run slower than an older version of the game?

[Piper]

36 minutes ago, Dean_The_Machine said:

Thanks for your reply!

Any idea what version that was? Have you updated KSP on your computer since then?

I can't remember specifically which update it was, I think it was around the 1.4 era of updates, but either way it was definitely in between 0.23 and now, lol.  0.23 and the newest versions are almost entirely different games.  But I have the latest version of KSP, and my laptop isn't much newer then the one you have.  I think I was even playing KSP on an older laptop with almost identical specs to have, and that was up until 1.3 or something about that.

If you have the space on your computer, I recommend installing a second install of KSP of the latest version and giving it a try, and see if it works.

[MechBFP]

Since 1.3 I have personally only seen performance improvements in each version. Some things are a bit worse, like when something explodes the game lags a bit compared to old versions, but that could potentially be due to mods or the DLC I have installed as well.

Now I never used any pre 1.0 versions so I can’t really comment on what the difference is going to be for such a large jump in versions.

 

[Lisias]

2 hours ago, Dean_The_Machine said:

Hopefully this isn't off topic:

I am currently running a relatively "old" version of KSP on my relatively "old" computer, and I have the majority of the game's settings set in order to improve the performance of the game.

My question is: if I downloaded and installed a "newer" version of the game would that help improve the performance of the game? Have the developers been actively working to reduce the game's resource usage as they release each "new" version?

Your mileage will vary. Greatly.

Newer KSP versions are known to improve performance to machines that have some juice to space. On machines already near its limits, things gone slower. So, it will vastly depends on the machine itself.

Let me explain it using my MacPotato as an example. This machine runs MacOS 10.12, has a mobile i5 3210M (3 Megabyte cache) and 16G (1600MHz - PC3-12800) of RAM. And an Intel Graphics 3000. Stop laughing, please.  

By the nature of some work on some Add"ons I"m mangle a bit, i had fired up every single available KSP version available to me on Steam, including the 1.0 Demo, and got to this:

• KSP 1.0 Demo - Runs marvelously.
• 1.1 <= KSP < 1.3 - Runs very fine.
• KSP 1.3.x - Same thing, but a bit slower than previous versions. Some tweaks on the Game Settings were necessary to handle large vessels without loosing too much FPS.
• 1.3.0 <= KSP <= 1.4.3 - Approximately the same performance, but I had to downgrade the Textures to 2X to get the same performance. Using antialiasing is prohibitive now. Keeping the textures at 1X lowered the FPS a bit. Only a problem on vessels with more than 150 to 200 parts. But I still could fly 1.000 parts vessels. Painfully.
• KSP 1.4.4 <= KSP < 1.7 - Performance improved a bit, but using 1X textures were out of question. I started to get nasty problems on stuttering on the KSP scene when using Kerbal Konstructs.
• KSP 1.7 - Using Textures better then 4X is out of question. And I had to use 8X to get acceptable FPS on larger vessels that I could handle comfortably before.

So, no. In my case, upgrading KSP was counter-productive on the performance criteria.

On my specific case, the problem is memory bandwidth on the GPU. The GPU is weak, but it can handle some load (I run Elite dangerous on this thing). What happens is that the GPU RAM is limited to 540 Megabytes (or something like this), and once textures gets bigger (and 1.7 got a huge revamp on some textures), they need more GPU to be handled. And once you blow the GPU RAM, the GPU starts to fecth data from the CPU RAM - this border is costly. By downgrading the Textures level, I save some GPU RAM preventing the border crossing.

The same for the antialiasing. Using antialiasing costs twice (or more) in memory bandwidth, further taxing something that is weak on my rig. Until KSP 1.2 IIRC I could sue some antialising. On 1.3 it started to tax the FPS, and from 1.4.4 and above, no way.

1.4.4 added the PQS cache, if memory serves me well, so this extra memory bandwidth usage can explain a bit what's happened on my rig - but it's a guess, I didn't really researched the matter.

TL;DR: publish your rig details, so I can estimate better what can happen to ir as you upgrade KSP.

 

[Curveball Anders]

2 hours ago, Dean_The_Machine said:

64 bit OS

Then I'd advice to upgrade that RAM, unless it's soldered.

Each upgrade actually works better, ever on potato grade computers, if you turn all settings down, and show some restraint and patience.

I've played KSP, with some success, on similar hardware.

For instance, my laptop basically can't render the surface of kerbin or mun (minmus is fine, ish), so I have to fiddle with the cam or go and get myself a nice cuppa).

But the hard limit is RAM.

 

[Ogberi]

 If you can't spring for a newer machine, what i can recommend is to max out your ram, and to invest in a solid state hard drive.  

The extra ram helps the most, the ssd speeds up loading and the inevitable swapping to disk when ram runs low.

My rig is an i7-2600k, 12gb of ram, 500gb ssd, gt1070 with 8gb.  Takes about 250-300 parts before any noticeable lag in space, 200 or so on a planet. Detail and gfx cranked to max.

[Dean_The_Machine]

Alright, thank you all so much for your answers and your help! I wish I could convey how much I appreciate it!

[linuxgurugamer]

1 hour ago, Ogberi said:

g and the inevitable swapping to disk when ram runs low.

Should never happen.  Memory is cheap, any swapping makes things painfully slow

[linuxgurugamer]

On 9/27/2019 at 11:46 AM, Dean_The_Machine said:

Thank you for your help Geonovast!

I am embarrassed to share what version of the game I am running as well as my computer specs.

But I realize I am asking for help... so... I am currently playing version 0.23.5.464.

Computer specs: 
AMD Athlon X2 L310, 1.20 GHz
4.00 GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics  
450GB HDD

If there is an additional information that would be helpful, let me know.

If you do update, be sure to keep your current game.  Im not sure if the save will be usable, there are several years worth of updates.  Just install the current version in a new location and enjoy the updates

[Lisias]

On 9/27/2019 at 12:46 PM, Dean_The_Machine said:

Thank you for your help Geonovast!

I am embarrassed to share what version of the game I am running as well as my computer specs.

But I realize I am asking for help... so... I am currently playing version 0.23.5.464.

Computer specs: 
AMD Athlon X2 L310, 1.20 GHz
4.00 GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics  
450GB HDD

If there is an additional information that would be helpful, let me know.

Ugh… I missed the rig specs on the thread.

Your worst problem is the GPU, it's a shared memory solution. And it uses 500 mega of RAM at maximum as GPU memory. 

So the CPU and the GPU are "fighting" each other for access to the memory. Use the lowest resolution you manage to enjoy, it will easy the pressure on the memory bandwidth, allowing the CPU to use it for more time on each frame. Also set the framerate to 60 (there're some Add'On that would allow 30 fps? It's probably the best setting for your rig). Also sets your Texture Quality to the lowest you manage to withhold (1/8 probably...).

The lower clock doesn't help, KSP runs better on CPUs with less cores but faster clocks.  If you are using a Desktop, I would recommend to check the best CPU your motherboard support and upgrade it. A X2 with a high clock is better than a X3 with lower clock. Go for the highest clocks.

Upgrading your memory would allow you to install more Add'Ons, but will also increase the pressure on the memory bandwidth as there're more and more textures to be shoved on that puny 500 megabytes "GPU RAM". But it will allow you to run comfortably a browser while your are KSPing, so I think it's a nice improvement anyway.

I think you should aim to KSP 1.22 or 1.3.1 max. From 1.4, the internal optimizations (and Unity version change) will bite you heavily.