This article duplicates for CoD4 tweakers what we published for CoD:WW experimenters the other day (see article: CoD:WW Standard FPS Demo)

Trying to determine whether you had any success in tweaking your config_mp.cfg file to get higher frame rates, requires that you set up a common datum when you record fps (frames per second).

Up to now, any time I have reported to you that config A is superior to config B...etc., I have done so by trying as best to note the FPS in exactly the same conditions.

When you are in a map, where you look is very important. Stare at the sky and the frame rate shoots up (there's nothing for the cpu to draw except the static sky). Look at a roiling fire ball or at an explosion and your rate will drop. Bring in player models and the same will happen.

In order to provide a means to standardize many variables when quoting frame rate, I have taken the advice of a former BASHBoards forum goer, [DA]Flash and tried to improve our means of measurement.

Therefore, we humbly offer the following FPS demo file for standardizing the way you read your own framerate in CoD4:

Yitchtest01_cod4.dm_1

By the way, we also have one for CoD:WW.

While it is very difficult to truly come up with a standard for these measurements, we can at least now make the environment (map, gamestate, view direction) during the recording of the FPS a constant.

How to record your frame rate using Yitchtest01_cod4

a) Download the file above and uncompress it (it's zipped).

b) Put the file in your demo folder. For XP uses you can find the folder here:

C:\Program Files\Activision\Call of Duty 4 - Modern Warfare\main\demos

c) Load up CoD4 and type /demo and select Yitchtest01_cod4. Personally, I prefer to use the Cybopat player. Download here.

d) The demo loads and you will see yourself in mp_ambush, with an M14, looking down a long alley. There is some smoke wafting around, but the scene gives me fairly steady framerate.

Make sure you have the following console variables set:

/com_maxfps 0   --- uncaps your fps
/cg_drawfps 1     --- brings up the fps in top right corner

To be sure you have your settings reset, type /vid_restart

e) You will see some chat text appear and when the text says record NOW, note your FPS (take a screenie, F12).

Now, if you change anything in your config, you can quickly check what it did to your framerate.

Results

Loading up various configs that can be found on this site, yield the following:

*Notes, 

Stock was run on a Quad system, running an 8800GTX GPU with 1024x768 resolution. 85 Hz monitor freq, AA x4, No sync, Shadows, Specular, DOF, Glow, Dyn Lights Normal, Ragdoo, Bullet Impacts, and Normal Model Detail.

The frame rates above were run as is with whatever resolution and settings came with the config file. Note that resolution makes a significant frame rate difference (note that Yitch3 is run in 800x640, whereas puller's is run at 1280x1024) which accounts for the difference there.

Clearly, setting up your resolution as 640x480 would yield even better results - with a horrendous loss in detail.

(Earlier framerate tests elsewhere on this website were done on a single CPU nVidia 6800).