Windows 7 - Low FPS While Playing Online Games

I play a lot of PC games and most of those games are online games. My problem is that I get such low frames per second while playing online. When I play single player offline games I have seen my fps well over 100 and I average about 60.
When I play online games, (MMO's for example) I average 20-60 fps and I even see my fps dip into the teens occasionally. This is with or without V Sync. Needless to say, I do experience slow down. It's not often but when it does happen, it is annoying.
I utilize cable oppose to DSL and I average about 8Mbps download speed, so I can't figure out for the life of me what the problem is.
I hear some people say that they average 60-100 fps even while playing these same MMO's or other online games. It sounds kind of fake to me when I hear that these people are getting such good numbers and I'm getting such bad ones. I don't have a top of the line PC but I don't have a toaster either. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

CASE: NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT Red Steel / Plastic Enthusiast ATX Full Tower Computer Case
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have you considered possibly lowering settings like AA FX or lowering shadows or resolution? Or it could possibly be a driver problem not sure because from what i see you have a decent setup trying tinkering with the settings first

I think most online games require at the very least 10Mbps speeds. Optimal is 15-20Mbps and that's with a router that can handle it (not the little piddly modems that come with the ISP - even the Verizon fiOs ones). I personally do not play online games... especially not MMO's (I don't want to be robbed monthly just to play an already expensive to buy game)... but I could if I wanted too, because I have 30Mbps down and almost 25Mbps up and that's with a router designed for gaming/video streaming that is also guaranteed to not bottleneck large data transfers online (Netgear WNDR37AV, which is also responsible for bumping my 25/25 to 30/25).

I can say with a certainty, since other non-net games work perfectly within normal and above average FPS, it is NOT your hardware or rig. Period. It has to be your net (and I'd say most of your problem would be coming from the dismal upload speed as online games - especially MMO's - rely on BOTH to send and receive data in a continuous loop).

10Mbps!?!?!!?

I have an average ping on BF3 64player of about 40! With a 1.7Mbps connection!

Used to play 128player return to castle wolfenstien with 56k lol.

The average internet speed in the entire uk is less than 6Mbps, from your reply it would mean most of the Uk can't play online games lol

Even when lowering the settings, the issue is still there. Thank you for your suggestion tho.

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I think that's the best answer that I have ever received concerning this issue. It just makes sense. I'm using a Dual Band Linksys router (Linksys E2500) and a Arris TM602G/115 modem (that was provided by my ISP). My ISP offers at max, a 25MBPS download/2MBPS upload package.
Your upload speed seems ridiculously fast compared to the norm.

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As the OP stated, he CAN play them... they're just bottle-necked. You get what you pay for. I could probably downgrade my internet to the bare minimum of 1Mbps each way (and on "high speed" DSL rather than fiOs Broadband), and still be able to play an older game like Warcraft II.BNE over it's online network (though I doubt anyone's still playing it) and have NO problems. Try that with a modern MMORPG game (i.e. WOW) with significantly larger chunks of data having to be passed between you and the net. It'll be horrible.

And what else, pray tell, would you suspect when all other games NOT online play perfect? It has got to be the net.

i dont know, but id have thought modern games like Bf3 will have more and larger data packs than WoW.

was merely saying i manage with 1.7Mbps with 0 lag and low pings on all modern FPS's

Woot? I've been playing wow since the wotlk came out with 1mbps, and never had any problems! It runs constantly at around 60ms ping, which may not be perfect, but i couldn't expect more from 1mbps. It just can't be his internet.

Edit: BTW. I don't think internet has anything to do with fps...

it doesnt/shouldnt. it would just produce lag. But fraps may read that as lower frame rates, as its the same thing that happens when a system struggles.

is it possible for you to run a cable from your router to your rig? that will rule at a wireless issue.