Lag exactly every 30 seconds

[RaseriWF]

Hi all, and to anyone who can help me with this.... thanks in advance.

I just upgraded my computer to

Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.080814-1236)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: System manufacturer
System Model: System Product Name
BIOS: BIOS Date: 08/23/07 16:39:16 Ver: 08.00.14
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 6000+, MMX, 3DNow (2 CPUs), ~3.0GHz
Memory: 3072MB RAM
Page File: 440MB used, 4005MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)


I am getting in game lag (going from 90 FPS to 2 FPS) for 5 to 10 seconds, exactly every 30 seconds. I have suspended antivirus and Curse while running to see if that helps and it does not. I have updated all of my add ons and all of my software (exept directx 10, it won't install at the moment for some reason). Is there anything else I can do, and if not, how do I contact Mythic to report my issue?

Thanks!!!:p

[Cillbo]

Are you using the Dual Core Optimizer and driver?

http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/utilities/DCO_1.1.4.zip
http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/utilities/AMD_Processor_Driver_1320053.zip

[Drakhon]

(exept directx 10, it won't install at the moment for some reason)

DX10 is only legitimately available on Vista, not XP. There are ways around that, but as WAR only uses DX9, it's irrelevant to the problem at hand.

Was this actually an upgrade to an existing system or is it a new system? If the former, what was replaced?

[Wazdakka]

Are you wireless? If so, see if a wired connection fixes it.

[RaseriWF]

It's not wireless.

I recently purchased and installed a new motherboard, new video card, new memory. I am concerned that my hard drive could be a problem. It's almost full, and it is IDE. Since there was only one IDE slot on the new motherboard, I had to master/slave it with the cd rom/dvd.

Is the game accessing my hard drive enough to have it slowing me down (as it is small and nearly full) ?

[Wazdakka]

One way to find out would be to delete something. Also, can you hear it thrashing during the slowdown?

[Drakhon]

Thrashing is a potential problem, but it is unlikely to cause an exactly repeating pattern of slow downs. Not a bad idea to defrag it, though. I suggest freeware defraggers like Defraggler and JKDefrag (my preference, though a bit harder to use) as the Windows one one it's own is not particularly effective.

When you upgraded those hardware components, did you reinstall Windows? It's a good practice when upgrading a motherboard because there are a lot of components to a motherboard that get their own drivers and leaving them around when you install a new one can end up causing issues.

[RaseriWF]

So frustrated.

I got a new drive, 160g, installed Windows XP fresh. Tested my internet connection, and it is balls fast, no problems. Tested my connection to the servers with the UO Trace (just because it's on Mythic's website, and I could) - no problems. There's no thrashing on the HD, never has been. I think my memory is ok. The game runs SO beautifully on the highest settings, and I can run and fight even in the biggest groups. EXCEPT for every 30 seconds. I surface from the 10 seconds of 1-3 FPS in a scenario surrounded by Order and being pitched into lava. It's maddening, and making the game unplayable for me. I've surfed the other boards for possible solutions but (aside from the NVIDIA control panel tweaks that I did, disabling and uninstalling firewall, antivirus and Curse - did that too) can't find anything helpful.

I do appreciate people reading this (as it is more of a vent than anything else at this point), and the help was nice. I'm going to put this thread to bed and probably not play so much any longer.

Ras

[Sethial]

So frustrated.

I got a new drive, 160g, installed Windows XP fresh. Tested my internet connection, and it is balls fast, no problems. Tested my connection to the servers with the UO Trace (just because it's on Mythic's website, and I could) - no problems. There's no thrashing on the HD, never has been. I think my memory is ok. The game runs SO beautifully on the highest settings, and I can run and fight even in the biggest groups. EXCEPT for every 30 seconds. I surface from the 10 seconds of 1-3 FPS in a scenario surrounded by Order and being pitched into lava. It's maddening, and making the game unplayable for me. I've surfed the other boards for possible solutions but (aside from the NVIDIA control panel tweaks that I did, disabling and uninstalling firewall, antivirus and Curse - did that too) can't find anything helpful.

I do appreciate people reading this (as it is more of a vent than anything else at this point), and the help was nice. I'm going to put this thread to bed and probably not play so much any longer.

Ras

I have the same problem on one of my systems here, I have identical systems and one does it and the other doesn't. I have no idea what the deal is.

[Chrysanthe]

My husband custom builds systems and does repair. He has a few questions for you:

1) What motherboard did you buy?
2) What video card are you running? Are you running SLI?
3) What is the size of your power supply?

Even though your stuff is new, you could have a bad piece of hardware that is malfunctioning. He says you're most likely having a video card issue. When your system is running, make sure the fan is working on the video card. Overheating is a common cause for loss of FPS. We bought identical NVidia cards years ago and both started malfunctioning after a month or so. The fans had burnt up in them. Turns out the company we bought them from had received a bad shipment of cards. We got them replaced and they worked beautifully. Bad hardware happens sometimes.

Without knowing the size of your power supply - that could also be the problem. Some video cards require a minimum of a 500 watt power supply, and some even require more than that to function properly. A power supply that is too small can cause your system to tank when it starts pulling too much power.

[RaseriWF]

Thank your husband for me...

I bought an Asus M2N68-VM. The on board network card was crap and didn't work so well, so I installed a linksys ethernet adapter (basic LNE100tx).

I got a new nvidia 9600 gt, and the fan is apparently working. I ran pcpitstop on my system and got a "top 5%" for my 3D graphics, bottom 29% for regular graphics. I don't really know what this means or if it is important. There are two power inputs to this card, and I have them both plugged in. This is correct?

I bought a new 750 watt power supply also. The best they had at the store.

I do appreciate your help!

[Chrysanthe]

What brand is the NVidia card? Example: EVGA, BFG, FXX, Chaintech.

EVGA had some type of issue with the 9600 series cards. A friend of ours bought one and had to send it back. That's partly why we're asking what brand of NVidia card you bought. Either way, it shouldn't be showing as a bottom 29% for regular graphics. Without being able to test your system, hubby is leaning towards there being a problem with the video card. Your computer setup should make that thing scream. Side note - did you download the latest NVidia drivers? There were new ones put out a week or so ago.

[Chrysanthe]

They're having fits all over the NVidia forums about the 9600 cards and low fps. Especially the EVGA brand cards. They have a known issue with the cards.

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=60826&st=240&p=399995&#entry399995

We strongly recommend ditching that card or getting a RMA on it. Hubby says you should avoid the 9600 cards altogether for right now. NVidia is aware there is an issue and hasn't done anything to fix it for months now.

[Chrysanthe]

More examples of people having low fps issues and help offered (though most didn't work):

http://www.overclock.net/graphics-cards-general/359169-getting-low-fps-9600gt-oc.html

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html;jsessionid=9D4A401167138AAC56C38A4DA8C 264D7.app11_08?topicId=5469237448&sid=1

http://www.incrysis.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=405694

Hubby is yelling to me from the office saying, and I quote - "Tell that guy to take that piece of (bleep) 9600 back and upgrade to a 9800 card. The 9600's have had issues for months and Nvidia hasn't bothered to fix them. Doing a RMA is pointless. He can upgrade to a 9800 for a little more money."

<chuckles> So there you go.

[RaseriWF]

Hrm. Thanks! It's a geForce card, 9600 gt.

I wonder if I kept the box........

btw, I'm a she ;)

[RaseriWF]

Yes, I updated the driver last night. It didn't help.

[RaseriWF]

I think I'll get a new video card tomorrow, just to see, b/c I have not had any luck with anything else. Then I'll see about getting my money back for this one. Thank you for your support :)

[Chrysanthe]

We were glad to help, lady! I have a 8800 GT and it's better than the 9600 GT. I have very few issues with it. I can run in high settings in Warhammer in most cases. I had to change it to fastest framerates for a brief bit ingame here recently though, but then, there were over 200 people fighting in one spot in Praag. <laughs> Whooo, that was fun. I have less ram than you though. :)

[RaseriWF]

I purchased a new PNY nvidia 9800gtx+ and it didn't change anything. As the super-last resort (which maybe should have been my first step), I overlooked the super-fabulous pings I had gotten and broke down and called Comcast. I just knew that they wouldn't be able to help me and that I would waste hours of my life talking to a CSR who would make me unplug my cable modem 32 times and other ridiculous things. (Not like I've been there before). Instead, he said right away, "ma'am, you have a huge problem with 30% packet loss (and 1% is bad). I'll send a technician to your house."

Hopefully tomorrow, I will have some resolution. Thanks for bearing with me. I know for sure that if I had to do computer repair for a living, I'd pull all my hair out within a week.

[Drakhon]

Thanks for bearing with me. I know for sure that if I had to do computer repair for a living, I'd pull all my hair out within a week.

It's not always that bad and it generally helps when the one doing the fixing is actually at (or otherwise controlling) the computer to be fixed. :)

[Chrysanthe]

<laughs> Well considering that most of our repair work is hands-on, it's not too frustrating. It's a lot easier when you can troubleshoot a system right there. Now trying to fix my 71 year old Granny's laptop over the phone IS frustrating. She lives two hours away, so sometimes the phone is our only option. It doesn't help that she knows absolutely nothing technical about computers. "I clicked on something, I'm not sure what, in my Outlook and now everything is all mixed up. What do I do?" Oh...my...god...

Packet loss is huge. That will definitely cause you to stutter around and whatnot. Hang on to the box for that 9800, get your cable fixed and try the 9600 again. You might have gotten lucky and got one of the few good 9600 cards out there. If that's the case, you can return the 9800. If it were me though, I'd try to find the packaging for the 9600 and take that thing back and keep the 9800 bad boy. :)