Occassional slowdowns in UE3 based games.

[I)eadnerzhul]

In various UE3 based games such as Mass Effect, Bioshock, and sometimes even Unreal Tournament 3, I get this sort of "slowdown" that lasts for 10-20 seconds, which cuts down my FPS to like 1. Now my computer can easily max these games out (I get about 40-50 FPS in UT3, for example), so that isn't the problem. Any suggestions?

 

[Kercyn]

Hm, maybe it's because your computer executes another application/service/something or maybe there's an explosion or something else that requires additional graphic power? Maybe it's an engine fault, dunno :/

 

[The Reborn Devil]

Do you got some sort of anti-virus? Most anti-viruses (excluding Norton Internet Security 2009) can greatly reduce your performance for some time if they suddenly try to search something, or if they do an update.

 

[I)eadnerzhul]

That might be it, but I doubt it.

 

[BlargHonk]

Did you have PhysX turned on without a Nvidia (At least one of those games I know supports it)

 

[I)eadnerzhul]

No, I have an Nvidia 8-series card and most of those games don't have PhysX.

 

[BlargHonk]

Wait, Labtop?

Give me an exact spec sheet plox

Edit: One minute response time ftw

 

[I)eadnerzhul]

It's a desktop. Here are my specs...

CPU: AMD Anthlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5200+ 2.7 GHZ
2048 MB RAM
GPU: Nvidia 8600 GT 512 MB Direct X 9
Windows XP SP3

I can max out Unreal Tournament 3 with 1280 x 720, antialiasing, motion blur, and AF and get a stable framerate of 30-40 FPS.
I can run Crysis at mostly medium settings, with textures, lighting or whatever and particle effects on high, at 20-25 FPS. Same with Far Cry 2.

 

[BlargHonk]

Hmmmm, I have heard of problems with the Labtop 8600GT, but not the Desktop, let me do some searching

Ok, turns out the problems that the G84M chips have carry over to the G84, but not as much, basically it is a major overheating issue, you got adequate cooling on it?

 

[I)eadnerzhul]

I think so. How could I check that?

 

[The Reborn Devil]

If you got an NVidia GPU you should have gotten a program called NVidia Configuration Panel (or something) which allows you to monitor the heat of the GPU.

 

[BlargHonk]

Yep, thought there might be something like that on the drivers

But it seems every time I I get a new computer, ATI is in the lead, seriously, 9 series, X1 series, and now HD4 series......

Only Nvidia I have is in a labtop that broke because it had a NVS135M (Workstation 8400M GS) and it had the same problem I think you are having now, it applies to all G84/86 based GPUS, which range from the 8300GS to 8600GTS (Excluding 8400GS, that is G98) and their drivers didn't have it, thought it was because it was a workstation, and I was proved right

Interestingly enough, the 8300-8500's are G86, while the 8600's are G84, kinda funny when you look at it

 

[I)eadnerzhul]

Well, it turns out the problem is not with the engine- before I could run Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare without a hitch, but now I get slowdowns similar to the ones I get in other next-gen games. I thought I fixed the problem by cleaning the dust out of my graphics card's fans, but it seems to have done nothing. Any ideas?

 

[Kercyn]

Have you scanned for computer for malware? Usually, they are to blame for unexplained slowdowns.

 

[BlargHonk]

I told you, overheating caused the defective parts within the chip to degrade further, it is going to go into a cycle of decay soon.

If it is under warranty, send it in, they know all about this problem with the 8M's