Lag with video games

[DrNick]

If yours is an OEM machine, then perhaps you've got stuff loading that you don't need that's taking the resources you need for games? Often, OEM's will load every piece of crap they bundle with the machine, which only means what you want to run runs a bit slower.

Hit the Windows logo, then type msconfig. Allow it, then click the startup tab. List everything that's checked.

Thanks Fumz

I didn't have to allow it the program ran by itself so I clicked the startup tab and this is what I got:

Alps Pointing
Quickset
IDT PC Audio
Microsoft Security Essentials
MicrosoftR Windows operation system (two times)
Steam
Google Toolbar Notifier
Adobe Acrobat
Dell Support Center updates
E-Z soft converter (video recorder)
iTunes
Default Manager
Quicktime
Dell Webcam Central
FATrayMon
Java(TM) Platform SE 6 U17
Microsoft office One note

 

[DrNick]

Since you have an onboard NVIDIA sound card, I'm going to assume that computer came with an NVIDIA network card (since it's not stated anywhere, but correct me if I'm wrong). I remember once when I was repairing a vista machine that had a similar issue, that when you install the NVIDIA chipset drivers, it prompts you to install some network control software thing (I think it was called Network Access Management or something). I remember this software ran as a service and created hiccups in many source, steam based games (TF2, L4D, etc). Try going to the NVIDIA website with Internet Explorer (not firefox or any other browser), Drivers - Download NVIDIA Drivers, and under "Option 2" there should be a button to autodetect your motherboard chipset. Try this button out to see if it provides you with a file to download. If it does, download it, install it and pay close attention to each screen when you try to install it. If it asks you to install this Network Access Management software, click "NO". I've never tried this install on a Dell so it may say that the drivers aren't supported, but maybe the chipset drivers on the Dell website will work.

Ok, I'm going to download the one it recomended me which was
Notebook Release 195
Version: 195.62 WHQL
Release Date: December 4, 2009

 

[valtonray]

you have several programs running that could be turned off to improve gaming performance.

 

[DrNick]

So yah think just switch them off from there? Which one do you think? And the drivers didn't seem to do much

 

[Fumz]

Uncheck:
Quickset
Steam
Google Toolbar Notifier
Adobe Acrobat
Dell Support Center updates
E-Z soft converter (video recorder)
iTunes
Default Manager
Quicktime
Dell Webcam Central
FATrayMon
Java(TM) Platform SE 6 U17
Microsoft office One note

Reboot and run the game, see how it goes?

 

[DrNick]

Ok, thank you. I did not disable Java because I'm taking a class on it and I use that one application, if it is neccecary though I will disable it.

 

[Fumz]

Just because you prevent it from loading at startup does not mean it won't run when you decide to use it. This is different from disabling.

Also, java apps and Windows 7 don't work so well yet... there's a memory leak that has yet to be resolved by either MS or Sun.

**edit**

You might also want to have a look at Black Viper's page? This tells you what services you can disable/set to manual. Personally, there are only a few I actually disable, like remote registry; the others I dislike I set to manual... because you never know when the machine is going to need to use it, either now or in the future. http://www.blackviper.com/Windows_7/servicecfg.htm

 

[DrNick]

I'm going to try out the game now thanks

 

[DrNick]

Ok well the game still had a drop in fps but I kept itunes enabled because I couldn't play anything when it was disabled, should I disable it?

 

[Fumz]

Which game; single player or online?

Again, removing an item from the startup menu does not disable it, per se. Very few items require being loaded at startup, like a laptop's mouse pointer for ex. itunes is still usable, or at least is should be... not 100% because I use Winamp to play and itunes only to fill my ipod. Remove itunes from the startup menu, reboot, then click the itunes icon and see if you can play music. Doing this for any item will let you know if it's essential the item needs to be loaded at startup.

 

[DLG]

i dont know if this has been asked before but when u say drop in performance, was it fine up until a certain point? if so, can u remember prior alterations that might be a causal factor?

 

[DrNick]

Well, about 5 to 10 minutes into a game the drop happens. Then the low fps will continue for about 20 seconds, and then I will get normal fps again for a bout the same amount of time.

It was the Crysis Sandbox2 Editor

 

[Fumz]

Do you have any other games you can test? I ask because you're never going to get good fps in Crysis; even for an sli setup, at times, Crysis fps can drop to the 20's... so it may just be that one game and not a symptom of something larger?

 

[DrNick]

Well I run it in medium and it goes from 20 fps, which I don't mind it's normal to about 6.

 

[Fumz]

Well, that's not unexpected, even though you're playing on medium; the 8400's are not gaming cards.

Have a look at what Crysis is doing to much better cards, with a much stronger cpu... paying attention to the minimum fps. "Two Times Two": ATI Radeon HD 5770 and HD 5750 in CrossFireX Configurations (page 7) - X-bit labs

 

[DrNick]

I don't mind the normal fps I get but I'll look into that, you don't think theres anything else to help out?

 

[Fumz]

I'm not sure if you need help? If it's getting Crysis fps higher, then I'd suggest running it on all low settings. For anything higher you really should be using a gaming card.

If your other games displayed the same behavior, then we might see if there was indeed a problem that could be fixed?

**edit**

Oh, and can you log in to your User CP and fill out your specs? lol, I keep having to scan several pages back to remind myself what hardware you're running.

 

[DrNick]

No I mean with my fps drop that I normally have. That I started this thread for. It is all games too.

By the way, will this work on my computer?
ATI Radeon? HD 5870 graphics

 

[Fumz]

That's not going to fit in a laptop... It's badass, for sure, but a tad large.

What other games? The resolution for one game may not be the same as the resolution for another. We can go one by one if you'd like... as I think the only real problem so far is that you're being somewhat limited by your hardware. Tweaking certain game settings may let you overcome that.

 

[DrNick]

Ok, I have:
Crysis
Half-Life 2 (All of them but I played but uninstalled)
Team Fortress two
Portal
Orion mod for Half Life 2

They all have almost the exact same problem, I'll fill in my specs now

Edit

I didn't know what a lot of those were or where to find them. But can you recomend like the best notebook graphics card?