Lag Problems in Project Reality

[Chaos 508]

Unfortunately, for the past month I have been working tirelessly on getting my computer in working condition. It all started when my computer began getting insane frame by frame style lag in project reality and eventually made playing it impossible. I have tried everything, defragging, virus scans, video drivers... basically everything I can think of. I brought it in to a tech person and even that didn't fix it. I recently decided to have it wiped and the problem has still not ceased. Here are my specs:
Manufacturer:
HP-Pavilion
Processor:
AMD Phenom(tm) 8650 Triple-Core Processor (3 CPUs), ~2.3GHz
Memory:
4094MB RAM
Hard Drive:
488 GB
Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 9300GE
Monitor:
HP w1707 Wide LCD Monitor
Sound Card:
Speakers (Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio (Vista))
Operating System:
Windows Vista? Home Premium (6.0, Build 6001) Service Pack 1 (6001.vistasp1_gdr.100608-045

If someone could help me soon that would be excellent.

[Garack]

NVIDIA GeForce 9300GE -) its like an onboard card.

^^ Get a 8800 GT ot better this card is ****.

[SnipingCoward]

When exactly did this issue occur? Right after installing the newest version, before, after? Try to think of an event that might correlate.

Since I am asuming that by "wiped" you had to reinstalled Windows.
I am tempted to think this might be a hardware issue.
A possible cause might bet that for some reason clock rates have been altered. - Resetting your BIOS to default values might help.

To make sure we are actually talking about a performance issue check your frame rates in game: "renderer.drawfps 1" in console. If the frame count stops updating during the issue it is probably a severe system issue, if the FPS just drop to really low it is probably your PCs performance. If you are having no change in FPS during this skiping it is a network lag.

[thepalerider]

Your running Vista so make sure your 'textures' are set at 'medium'.
BF2 isn't a multi-threaded app which means it can't take advantage of your extra processors. However since you have more than one CPU or 'core', you can set the CPU 'affinity' of the game to force the game to run on one CPU or core only, with the system using CPU/core 1&2.)
You can do it with 'Task manager' or I think through your shortcut by adding
AFFINITY 3
to your shortcuts 'target' string like this:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\pr\pr.exe" start /AFFINITY 3 +fullscreen 1
Your shortcut can do more. I use:
start +widescreen 1 +szx 1600 +szy 1200 +restart +playerName xxxx +playerPassword xxxx

Replace XXXX with your user name and password

Adding this string bypasses the startup video, logs you in and takes you directly to the server browser.

If you still have trouble run battlefield cleaner to flush out your video cache files

Still no joy?

Trash your BF2 cache files
Path:
C:\Users\'your user name here'\Documents\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2\cache

Throw EVERYTHING inside the folder named cache away.
don't worry the files will be replaced with new ones when the game restarts.

Still CTD?
OK
Some other things you can try before you uninstall/reinstall.
Backup your BF2 folder that's inside your documents folder. Once you have a backup delete the original from your documents folder.
Try starting PR from your PR shortcut
a new default folder is created
link to your online account.
If all goes well (CTD gone) all you have to do to get your custom settings back is copy your 'control' file from your backup to the new profile folder.
path:
C:\Users\your user name here\Documents\Battlefield 2\Profiles\0002
note: you may not have a 0002 folder so use 0001

You can try just setting your settings in PR to 'default' then quit out on game and restart. ( This worked for me once after messing with in game settings gave me bad lag)

Good luck

[Chaos 508]

When exactly did this issue occur? Right after installing the newest version, before, after? Try to think of an event that might correlate.

Since I am assuming that by "wiped" you had to reinstalled Windows.
I am tempted to think this might be a hardware issue.
A possible cause might bet that for some reason clock rates have been altered. - Resetting your BIOS to default values might help.

To make sure we are actually talking about a performance issue check your frame rates in game: "renderer.drawfps 1" in console. If the frame count stops updating during the issue it is probably a severe system issue, if the FPS just drop to really low it is probably your PCs performance. If you are having no change in FPS during this skipping it is a network lag.

Well it was right before this version came out it just really slowed down. And yes I wiped everything and reinstalled windows. I ran hardware checks and it said everything was fine, but I dont know. also I tried the fps thing and it worked fine stayed low until i lagged when it would freeze updating. Then when it stopped lagging it would update again. I dont get it.

[Chaos 508]

Tried just about everything thepalerider said. FPS would be fine then freeze up after say a grenade went off near me, or i would die or something. Hardware issue maybe?

[SnipingCoward]

Try alt-tabbing into windows during the lag, if you cannot do it this means you are experiencing a system-wide freez. In that case I would assume that you have either a corrupted OS (which you just reinstalled, therefore unlikely), bad drivers or a hardware component is failing.

Check the event viewer for anything suspicious.
Since it is a reinstall I hope for the best and suggest you update your drivers / install the ones provided by you manufacturer (as windows inhouse drivers are not really good anyways).
Also deactivate all unneccessary processes (e.g. AV-software, IMs).

As far as hardware goes...
- Maybe the bios settings became corrupted. Reset them to defaults.
- Testing each component by replacing it with a different one is tedious but effective.
- Remove all unneeded hardware (USB devices, sound card) if you can, deactivate onboard sound in the bios.

[Chaos 508]

Try alt-tabbing into windows during the lag, if you cannot do it this means you are experiencing a system-wide freez. In that case I would assume that you have either a corrupted OS (which you just reinstalled, therefore unlikely), bad drivers or a hardware component is failing.

Check the event viewer for anything suspicious.
Since it is a reinstall I hope for the best and suggest you update your drivers / install the ones provided by you manufacturer (as windows inhouse drivers are not really good anyways).
Also deactivate all unneccessary processes (e.g. AV-software, IMs).

As far as hardware goes...
- Maybe the bios settings became corrupted. Reset them to defaults.
- Testing each component by replacing it with a different one is tedious but effective.
- Remove all unneeded hardware (USB devices, sound card) if you can, deactivate onboard sound in the bios.

Ok Ill try to alt tab. Also how do i check the event viewer? I use game booster which gets rid of unnecessary programs using my ram. Anyways how would I reset the bios to default? I installed video drivers recently (the newest there was) for my NVIDIA video card directly from NVIDIA but nothing changed lag wise.

[Chaos 508]

Tried the alt tab it worked. It seems fine until random parts when it laggs up and makes it unplayable. Choppers are near impossible to fly as well. Im wondering if its just a video card thing or something else

[SnipingCoward]

Also how do i check the event viewer?

Simply use windows search - type "Event Viewer".
On the left hand side it will give you a tree of folders. Go into "Windows Logs".
Click each of the sub items (e.g. "System") and in the center list check if there is anything other than "Information" (i.e. "Error"). There is also a timestamp, so you want to write down, when a lag was and check if there is anything not "Information" around that time +-1min.

I use game booster which gets rid of unnecessary programs using my ram.

Try without game booster, may that one "optimizes" a bit too well .

Anyways how would I reset the bios to default?

You can find instructions for multiple ways on how to do that in your mainboards manual.

Tried the alt tab it worked. It seems fine until random parts when it laggs up and makes it unplayable.

This has confused me (too many "it"). Are you able to alt-tab, exactly when the FPS counter freezes?

[Chaos 508]

You can find instructions for multiple ways on how to do that in your mainboards manual.

This has confused me (too many "it"). Are you able to alt-tab, exactly when the FPS counter freezes?

Whats a mainboards manual? Im such a noob *facepalm*

And yes I can alt tab during the lag and what seems to be happening is when im in a chopper flying near ramiel and it loads a bunch of buildings it laggs up bad. Then eventually it reverts back to its original clean non laggy game. Lag happens randomly and can last either a while or really quick. My dad has a friend who would give me a video card IDK if its better or worse but hey if it fixes it. for now ill try the event viewer thing and if i can figure out the bios that too.

[Garack]

btw 0.957 eats more then 20 frames more to me than previous versions of pr and my other mates have this problem too. its bugged somehow even with high end cards. read bug section about it. with your card it must be a pain. i get 25 frames with gtx470 in most city maps

https://www.realitymod.com/forum/f26-pr ... ost1497994

[SnipingCoward]

I am a spelling noob ... "mainboard's manual" - the manual of your motherboard ("mobo") (shipped with your pc (booklet) and usually as download available from the manufacturer of the mobo)


Thus far I conclude:
The lagging can either be your gfx card not being able to catch up (performance lag) or you are having problems with RAM being utilized properly causing "hard faults".

Decreasing ingame settings like AA and esp. screen resolution (i suggest to lowest, I think 800x600) will probably tell you which it is.

Else: you can try to decrease graphics settings:
"NVidia Control Panel" has multiple options that can be set to increase your performance by sacrificing quality.

The latter can be addressed by
1. defragmenting
2. check your "Control Panel\System and Security\System" and "Resource Monitor" if the correct amount of RAM is available

[Chaos 508]

Ive got 4 gigs of ram so that should be fine. I will try to reduce in game settings.

[Chaos 508]

SnipingCoward;1503329']I am a spelling noob ... "mainboard's manual" - the manual of your motherboard ("mobo") (shipped with your pc (booklet) and usually as download available from the manufacturer of the mobo)


Thus far I conclude:
The lagging can either be your gfx card not being able to catch up (performance lag) or you are having problems with RAM being utilized properly causing "hard faults".

Decreasing ingame settings like AA and esp. screen resolution (i suggest to lowest, I think 800x600) will probably tell you which it is.

Else: you can try to decrease graphics settings:
"NVidia Control Panel" has multiple options that can be set to increase your performance by sacrificing quality.

The latter can be addressed by
1. defragmenting
2. check your "Control Panel\System and Security\System" and "Resource Monitor" if the correct amount of RAM is available

Ok so I checked screen resolution its at the lowest and aa is off. It still lags. Also the NVidia control panel was confusing and i couldnt find the settings thing. I just had this pc wiped so idk if defragging could help. I will just in case do it however. My ram is 4 gb i just verified and my dads friend is gonna put in another video card just to see if it helps. When it comes back if it still doesnt work, Im gonna try to reset the bios. If i reset them will i lose anything or is it just like changing a setting?

[Garack]

you dont have to reset bios.

get a better gfx card and wait till 0.96 comes out, atm 0.957 is bugged to eat frames like hell...

But with your new gfx card (8800 or better) you should have 60 + frames in kashan desert or maps without houses .

[SnipingCoward]

Ok so I checked screen resolution its at the lowest and aa is off. It still lags.

This is strange, I believe any modern card should run this at 800x600 with no AA.

Also the NVidia control panel was confusing and i couldnt find the settings thing.

You want to look for "Manage 3D settings" and maybe switch to advanced in the view menu.

Im gonna try to reset the bios. If i reset them will i lose anything or is it just like changing a setting?

Your data will be unharmed. Only thing you could lose is a custom boot image (picture) that you maybe set up earlier.

[Chaos 508]

This is strange, I believe any modern card should run this at 800x600 with no AA.


You want to look for "Manage 3D settings" and maybe switch to advanced in the view menu.


Your data will be unharmed. Only thing you could lose is a custom boot image (picture) that you maybe set up earlier.

Ok so I think I will try the 3d setting thing, if that doesnt work I will try a new video card, if that doesnt work I will try and reset bios. If that doesnt work, I will wait until .96. If that doesnt work, I will be a very very very very sad person.