Severe drop in frame rate

[pandadude]

Here's the problem, occassionally when I am playing 2142, everything will be running fine, I have a low ping and there is very little lag. Then, I will return to an CP to re-arm etc. in Gunship (although this problem does not just occur if I am in a Gunship) and suddenly my fps will drop to only 1 or 2fps. Even more strange, if I simply face the other direction without moving from where I am, the fps goes back to normal. I realise that this often happens when you are standing underneath a Titan and this causes a drop in frame rate, but often I encounter this problem when I am at an uncap re-arming and the Titan has been moved into the middle of the map. Has anybody else experienced this?

Sorry if this has been posted before, but I wasn't really sure what to search for, if someone can send me in the right direction to an existing thread, that would be fine.

[davidhye]

i think it's driver problem
sometimes i have xtrememly big lag- 1-2fps too. i have ati, and this problem occurs only with catalyst drivers, neva experienced it wit omega

[VTEC]

What's your computer hardware and which driver are you using? Have you tried dropping the graphic settings and did it solve the problem?

[pandadude]

I have all my settings on medium except I think shadows or something which is on low, no AA

I have these relatively low settings because I only have 1Gb RAM
Processor is only 2.2GHz and I have an nVidia Geforce 7300GT, which I am pretty sure has all the latest drivers.

Could it be my hardware?? That would just seem strange because the game normally runs absolutely fine, it just randomly slows right down in equally random areas of the map, and the slow down is confined to a very small portion of the map??

[davidhye]

what resolution u r using? try lowering video settings - it might help

[comfortably_numb]

This happened to me before. I wasn't having any problems before, and then all of the sudden I was down to consistent 15FPS game play. I uninstalled all my computers drivers and then reinstalled them and the problem was fixed.

The question is, have you ALWAYS had this problem or did it just start?
If you always have, it's a hardware issue (most likely, at least)
If it has just started, it's likely a driver issue.

Your hardware is a bit dated though. Not bad by any means, but you're still likely to have issues if you play on med or high settings.

[pandadude]

Yea I know my hardware is a bit dated, I can never bring myself to buy all the top of the range stuff when I know if I wait 6 months or a year it will be about half the price. What part of my hardware is most dated? The processor. I know 1Gb RAM isn't great either, but isn't the GPU at least average just for the sake of playing BF2412??

Oh well, no it hasn't just started, it's been happening since I got the game, so you must be right it's my hardware. Thanks for your feedback, I don't think I'll be upgrading though, not worth the money just t stop the game slowing down every now and then in certain spots.

[(Undecided)]

I've had this a few time but I just assumed it was my 512mb of RAM.

[pandadude]

I've had this a few time but I just assumed it was my 512mb of RAM.

From what I gather, that may be the case.

[comfortably_numb]

Hmm well both the processor and the GPU are weak...but I think 2142 is a more RAM intensive game. I wonder if adding another GB would fix your problem...You still would have to stay at low/med settings, but I think it might fix your lag issue.

I would get another stick from a store, try it out, and if it doesn't fix the problem you can just return it. Either that or you can keep it and upgrade your CPU and GPU as well. It's gotta be done at some point.

[pandadude]

Yea but I don't really want to pay for something which will be obselete in 6 months. I know that this is just the way it goes with computer hardware, but honestly I'd rather just wait until my current rig is completely incapable of playing the latest games at even low settings, and then I'll buy a whole new computer. It's just easier. Thanks for your helpful feedback on this thread though comfortably_numb, at least I now know a likely cause for this problem.

[MouseNo4]

A mate of mine had this problem. Turned out that his cpu was overheating - therefore lowering the performance to 15fps. To fix this, i had to clean the heatsink from dust as it was clogged really bad. After cleaning it fixed the problem. It needs a much better heatsink but it will have to do i guess.

[pandadude]

Ah now that could be the answer. I got my PC upgraded about 3months ago to get a new GPU and the guy who installed it said that when the computer was first built, they had not attached a heat sink properly and it had fallen off. I just never got round to getting it re-attached, apparantely it's quite difficult because of the specific screws/glue???
Maybe I should actually get this sorted out then. The fan in my PC also sounds like it's struggling at times too.

[CerberuS[TKQ]]

When playing titan I get constant 10-20 fps but on conquest usually 30-50 fps but every now and then I'll get lag spikes to 6 fps. Usually when im encountering a group of enemies.

Heres my comp specs: http://www.xfire.com/profile/cerberusitalia/
Look all the way down at the bottom at gaming rig.

[pandadude]

;186173']When playing titan I get constant 10-20 fps but on conquest usually 30-50 fps but every now and then I'll get lag spikes to 6 fps. Usually when im encountering a group of enemies.

Heres my comp specs: http://www.xfire.com/profile/cerberusitalia/
Look all the way down at the bottom at gaming rig.

Maybe its your 512Mb RAM and nVidia 5900 GPU. Even my PC Specs are slightly better than that and I get lag spikes.

With those specs, are you runnins the game on low settings, because on my hardware I struggle to run everything on Medium, no AA and 1024 x 768.

The strange thing is, I never used to get them on bf2, which is essentially the same game engine is it not?

[Fearness]

Take out that lame enhanced lighting option at the bottom of the video settings and set shadows to low (this has nearly no effect on game, as you still see shadows when people walk by just not uber-fine looking ones, but doesnt matter if you see them that's all that matters). I went from stuttering to no stuttering at all just doing that. My fps were actually fine (checked with fraps), but the game still was chugging for no reason at all. I don't know what this setting does, but it lags up world of warcraft too.

[Fearness]

Maybe its your 512Mb RAM and nVidia 5900 GPU. Even my PC Specs are slightly better than that and I get lag spikes.

With those specs, are you runnins the game on low settings, because on my hardware I struggle to run everything on Medium, no AA and 1024 x 768.

The strange thing is, I never used to get them on bf2, which is essentially the same game engine is it not?

bf2 and bf2142 are the same game internally with some improvements, but 95% the same. bf2142 is more like a mod.

[CerberuS[TKQ]]

Everything is on low.

[Col.Krust]

if you look one way and drop to a few frames and it improves when you turn another.....could either be a texture that disagrees with your system or some tough to render lighting effect or lots of polyies....