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Inexplicable lag in games.
So, I bought a brand new rig (some of you might remember my other thread). The problem is, I've got some really top of the line parts (ok, mid-high) in it, and yet I get lag in games I should be running absolutely smoothly, like WoW, CS, TF2, WAR Beta, Oblivion, etc.
At first I thought it might be my graphics drivers, but after updating those, there was only minor improvement. It's not my internet connection, because I get it in offline games like Oblivion, too. I just can't figure it out, and I was wondering if anybody *here* can.
My system specs are as follows:
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 6400+
OS: Vista Premium (64-bit)
RAM: 4 GB
Video: 1 GB Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT
Mobo: Asus M3A 780G EMH / HDMI
... I think that's all that's really necessary to solve it, but if you need to know more to help me out, ask, and I will divulge.
Comments
How's your heat?
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"Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places..." ~ H.P.Lovecraft, "From Beyond"
Member Since March 2004
None at all. I've got liquid cooling, and 2 fans. I'm not even over-clocking it.
Update your mobo bios, that might fix it. There are sometimes problems with 125W CPUs on that board...
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"Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places..." ~ H.P.Lovecraft, "From Beyond"
Member Since March 2004
And that's a field of technology I'm still very green in. How do I go about doing that? I'm guessing I just go search Asus' homepage?
Chances are, the chokepoint that is the most responsible for your lag is somewhere on the internet (which technically is latency, not lag) or somewhere server side.
Client side problems are pretty easy to suss out; most often they're related to your CPU, your graphics card, or your net connection.
Most often non of those are to blame, which means the lag is beyond your control.
Try downloading some video from YouTube and see if you're having the same problems.
CH, Jedi, Commando, Smuggler, BH, Scout, Doctor, Chef, BE...yeah, lots of SWG time invested.
Once a denizen of Ahazi
And that's a field of technology I'm still very green in. How do I go about doing that? I'm guessing I just go search Asus' homepage?
Yes, I believe ASUS even has a program that helps you upgrade, but yeah they will have BIOS updates and more than likely guides on how to do it correctly. It's actually fairly easy to do.
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"Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places..." ~ H.P.Lovecraft, "From Beyond"
Member Since March 2004
I get it in offline games, like Oblivion, and Age of Empires 3.
I get it in offline games, like Oblivion, and Age of Empires 3.
I'd then say check your video drivers, and scan your system for spyware/malware running in the background.
To include whatever "helpful" software came with your rig.
CH, Jedi, Commando, Smuggler, BH, Scout, Doctor, Chef, BE...yeah, lots of SWG time invested.
Once a denizen of Ahazi
What processes do you have running?
I get it in offline games, like Oblivion, and Age of Empires 3.
I'd then say check your video drivers, and scan your system for spyware/malware running in the background.
To include whatever "helpful" software came with your rig.
Already done it.
Thar be my processes.
EDIT: Only 2 processes got cut off, and yes, they are supposed to be there.
Ok. A couple of things from me.
1. Are you running Service Pack 1?
2. Are you running Xfire?
3. What version of AVG are you running? If you're running version 7, update it to version 8, which is also free.
I'm assuming, of course, that it is a fresh install of Vista. And as you're talking about lag, I'm guessing you mean the game stutters or freezes for a second. You should update your audio drivers if you're running onboard audio, or using an old soundblaster addin card.
The next thing to try is to simply use a video benchmark tool and run it to see if it locks the system up.
1. Yes
2. No
3. Already upgraded.
I'll check my sound drivers, it is an onboard soundcard. And Vista is fresh.
Do the games run OK on the old rig? Old rig OS XP?
CH, Jedi, Commando, Smuggler, BH, Scout, Doctor, Chef, BE...yeah, lots of SWG time invested.
Once a denizen of Ahazi
Do the games run OK on the old rig? Old rig OS XP?
Depends. My old rig was a POS, but yes, some of those games, like CS:Source, and WoW, I could run hiccup-free. Oblivion barely ran, however. And yes, my old rig had XP.
Do the games run OK on the old rig? Old rig OS XP?
Depends. My old rig was a POS, but yes, some of those games, like CS:Source, and WoW, I could run hiccup-free. Oblivion barely ran, however. And yes, my old rig had XP.
Ack. I'll bet Vista is doing something hinky then.
If you've got the disks from the old rig, can you install XP on the new one? See how the games run with XP vs. Vista?
Oblivion might well need upgraded hardware to run properly, but on XP. I'd give it a shot, see what happens.
Key thing is to make one change at a time, so you can truly isolate the problem.
CH, Jedi, Commando, Smuggler, BH, Scout, Doctor, Chef, BE...yeah, lots of SWG time invested.
Once a denizen of Ahazi
Do the games run OK on the old rig? Old rig OS XP?
Depends. My old rig was a POS, but yes, some of those games, like CS:Source, and WoW, I could run hiccup-free. Oblivion barely ran, however. And yes, my old rig had XP.
Ack. I'll bet Vista is doing something hinky then.
If you've got the disks from the old rig, can you install XP on the new one? See how the games run with XP vs. Vista?
Oblivion might well need upgraded hardware to run properly, but on XP. I'd give it a shot, see what happens.
Key thing is to make one change at a time, so you can truly isolate the problem.
My old system was a factory tin can. XP was pre-loaded. No discs. At least, none that I'm aware of.
Do the games run OK on the old rig? Old rig OS XP?
Depends. My old rig was a POS, but yes, some of those games, like CS:Source, and WoW, I could run hiccup-free. Oblivion barely ran, however. And yes, my old rig had XP.
Ack. I'll bet Vista is doing something hinky then.
If you've got the disks from the old rig, can you install XP on the new one? See how the games run with XP vs. Vista?
Oblivion might well need upgraded hardware to run properly, but on XP. I'd give it a shot, see what happens.
Key thing is to make one change at a time, so you can truly isolate the problem.
My old system was a factory tin can. XP was pre-loaded. No discs. At least, none that I'm aware of.
They SHOULD have included OS disks; Dell, for example, gives you CDs or DVDs with the OS in case you need to reinstall; the OS is included in the price of the computer. They also include backups of all their house helper software, like media players and such.
However, I've bought from non-mainstream vendors, and they've neglected to include the disks, possibly to avoid paying MS.
If you can find a friend with XP disks I'd still try that, because given the troubleshooting you've done, it seems to me that Vista is working its "magic" with your games.
CH, Jedi, Commando, Smuggler, BH, Scout, Doctor, Chef, BE...yeah, lots of SWG time invested.
Once a denizen of Ahazi
Actually, I think the BIOS update worked. Everything seems to be running a lot more smoothly now, hopefully it stays that way, but I will troubleshoot a bit more should it return.
Thanks for the help, fellas.
Woot! I'm glad things have settled down and you're enjoying your gaming on that nice new rig.
CH, Jedi, Commando, Smuggler, BH, Scout, Doctor, Chef, BE...yeah, lots of SWG time invested.
Once a denizen of Ahazi
My pleasure, glad to help, and happy gaming...
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"Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places..." ~ H.P.Lovecraft, "From Beyond"
Member Since March 2004