17 replies to this topic

[Bigg Robb]

Need some troubleshooting help, please. This is my laptop:

HP dv7t Quad Ed
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
3rd generation Intel® Core™ i7-3720QM Processor (2.6 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache)
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 630M Graphics with 1GB GDDR3 memory [HDMI, VGA]
12GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
750GB 5400RPM Hybrid Hard Drive
17.3-inch diagonal High Definition BrightView LED-backlit Display (1600 x 900


This game used to run pretty good when I started playing last summer. Most of the time my system ran about 50 fps. But lately my notebook runs really hot when I play and there have been a few thermal shutdowns. My video settings are on low across the board and some Maps run better than others but my normal fps on those is about 22-25. When I play Frozen City (the worst) it drops to 15-16 fps and mostly becomes an exercise in me getting killed a lot. Sniper accuracy is impossible, etc.

I opened a ticket as it didn't seem my system was the issue, and that ticket has been back and forth for about 3 weeks (messages are about 1 day turnaround, so it takes 2 days just to exchange a simple question and answer). They've had me send in logs, delete files, re-download maps, and completely re-install. It did work better for a few days after a fresh install but then slid back into crap. I've given up on PGI tech support.

Does anyone have any insight? Thanx in advance. I'm trying not to go back to CoD but I'm sick of being frustrated and getting killed because the stutter is so bad I can't tell what's where and I know I'm a better player.

[ball0fire]

not to rain on yah parade but its funny

every person that has issues has either a laptop or a a 5+ year old office computer

anyhoo having said that, cpu power dude

1st. its slow 2.6 ghz (typical laptop problems)
2nd. its in a laptop which means its gunna get hot and thus throttle itself even lower when hot
3rd. its a laptop , did i mention that ?
4th. every patch that pgi do seems to increase system load and lower fps
5th. this latest patch with dx11 even more so
6th. there is also an issue with smoke / steam from your own mech that just drops even the highest of high end systems to single digit fps (even tho they said they fixed it)

all i can offer as advice is sell the laptop and get a desktop, or play the laptop on one of those plates that have fans in it to keep the thing cool and put up with it, or reinstall windows so its a fresh install fresh installs always run smoother (tho mebbe not since its a laptop and has all that bloatware in it by default)

sorry

[Goose]

sys_budget_fps = 30
sys_MaxFPS = 30
sys_spec_physics = 1
r_UsePOM = 0
r_silhouettePOM = 0
sys_budget_soundCPU = 5
sys_budget_videomem = 1024
q_ShaderWater = 0
e_WaterOceanFFT = 0
e_WaterTessellationAmount = 1
e_WaterTessellationAmountX = 0
e_WaterTessellationAmountY = 0
e_WaterTessellationSwathWidth = 10
r_fogShadowsWater = 0
r_WaterCaustics = 0
r_WaterCausticsDeferred = 1
r_WaterGodRays = 0
r_WaterReflections = 0
r_WaterReflectionsMGPU = 2
r_WaterReflectionsMinVisiblePixelsUpdate = 0.05
r_WaterReflectionsQuality = 0
r_WaterTessellationHW = 0
r_WaterUpdateDistance = 2
r_WaterUpdateFactor = 0.9
sys_budget_streamingthroughput =X

where "X" is found by typing into a command line "winsat mem"

But mostly, you system is unsuited to game-play …

[Guchion]

If you had acceptable performance before and its got worse with thermal shut-downs, it means your machine is running too hot and is throttling either the CPU or the GPU and possibly both.
If it was fine before make sure your Fans are running okay and all heatsinks are clean and clear, its amazing the fluff and dirt that can build up on these and most laptops run on a thermal knife edge, just a little too hot and bam goes your performance.
Its also possible that the themal transfer compound is bad and has for want of a better term died but thats pretty rare.

Dont invalidate your warranty by going overboard cleaning it though, better to be safe than sorry.

Reminds me of a friends pc that stopped behaving much like yours, i took a wad of fluffy and dirt a quarter of an inch thick off the main heat sink, funnily it started working again

[Goose]

http://hardforum.com...=1796777&page=2

[Bigg Robb]

Neat. I'll try cooling it better.

I only use laptops and have for a decade- business tools too, not just for a game.

BTW it's only about 8 months old, was a custom HP build to order unit for running AutoCAD.

Edited by Bigg Robb, 26 March 2014 - 07:17 PM.

[SpikeTank]

As stated above its probablly the heat.
Ther is a program called "CPUID HWMonitor", install, run the game with the program runing and check the temps.

[Bigg Robb]

I vacuumed the vents and immediately saw a 10-15 fps improvement. Running about 30 +/- now. Still not where it was but now it's actually playable again. Thanks for the simple advice!

[Smokeyjedi]

Bigg Robb, on 26 March 2014 - 08:45 PM, said:

I vacuumed the vents and immediately saw a 10-15 fps improvement. Running about 30 +/- now. Still not where it was but now it's actually playable again. Thanks for the simple advice!

one step further for less than 20$ to help future issues, a laptop cooling pad, some of them are nowadays built half decent. no CPU and GPU ever complained about constant cold fresh air.

[Tarl Cabot]

1. Can of compressed air - I believe the cover for the battery will allow better access to the vents. Depending on dust build up, done very 6 weeks or so.

2. Power Options, set to Best performance

3. Nvidia control panel,
Setting "Power management mode" from Adaptive ... - NVIDI

Quote

Setting Power management mode from "Adaptive" to "Maximum Performance" can improve performance in certain applications when the GPU is throttling the clock speeds incorrectly. To change this setting, with your mouse, right-click over the Windows desktop and select "NVIDIA Control Panel" -> from the NVIDIA Control Panel, select the "Manage 3D settings" from the left column -> click on the Power management mode drop down box and select "Prefer Maximum Performance". Click over the "Apply" button at the bottom of the panel to apply the changes.

4. MSI Afterburner or such, to take control of CPU fans. Laptop/desktop users have noted that the fans are not kicking in soon enough.

[Flying Judgement]

hi there the same happens with my present laptop.
did you know you should change every year the processor paste as it gets cooked and you laptop cant cool down any more.
When this happens you have the signs you have now. And eventually your laptop do get cooked and MWO and games general are really good in that.
so
http://www.ebay.co.u...=item2a3970afcb

get one of this video or step by step from Google you may can find your laptop if not dont worry have a look for similar models



is a bit seems complicated for a laptop but its really not.
Just do everything slow and dont force it usually there are short cables with a clip, like the keyboard. Take a picture after u take of a panel if you not trust in your memory. And dont worry if you have one or two extra screws when you assemble it back it happens with professionals too.
just make sure all the moving pieces are stick to its place and your good to go.

i opened my laptop and the gell become rock not conducting any heat at all just gently scrape it of if thats happens and apply new gel.
read about it watch a few tutorials and do it and avoid games or prepare your wallet for a new laptop
good luck

[CeeKay Boques]

Good job, team Occam.

[Guchion]

Quote

[color=#959595]I vacuumed the vents and immediately saw a 10-15 fps improvement. Running about 30 +/- now. Still not where it was but now it's actually playable again. Thanks for the simple advice! [/color]

No problem, its quite common with laptops!

[cSand]

I will also add that in my experience HP laptops generally have dismal cooling systems. So a nice clean out and a cooling pad will do wonders for you

[Entruder]

I have a somewhat beefier system than what this thread calls for, BUT my graphics card is quite lacking, so this came quite in handy, and was able to see a noticeable 10+ frame difference than before i was able to do this. Heres a look at my current system specs. And if anyone has any ideas that might help me push my frames further? By all means I'm always open to new suggestions.

Manufacture: MSI
Main Board: MSI 760GM-P34 FX
CPU: AMD FX™-4300 Quad-Core Processor, 3800 MHz
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium Home Edition (64-bit)
DirectX 4.09.00.0904 (DirectX 9.0c)
RAM: 8191 MB
Video Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce GT 610 (2GB DDR3 Overclocked)
Sound: Nvidia High Definition Audio
Power Supply: Turbolink 500W (Planning to swap for a Corsair 750W in the very near future)
Disk Drive: TOSHIBA DT01ACA100 ATA Device (1TB with 653GB free)
Optical Drive TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-224DB ATA Device
Network Adapter: Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
All wrapped up in a Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus Mid Tower Case

With some help from a few people I was able to make my user.cfg file look like this:
sys_budget_fps = 35
sys_MaxFPS = 35
r_ShadersAsyncCompiling=0
cl_fov = 80
sys_spec_physics = 1
r_UsePOM = 0
r_silhouettePOM = 0
sys_budget_soundCPU = 5
sys_budget_videomem = 2048

That made my game run at around a solid 30-35 frames for most maps (with the exception of frozen city fog, thats still a frame dump for me and im sure many others). Again if anyone has any suggestions to add I am open to hear and test them. And I hope this might very well help someone running on a system like or close to mine.

Edited by Entruder, 10 April 2014 - 08:57 PM.

[ThatBum42]

I don't know what to say. There's not much you can do with that card. According to GPUBoss, it has about the same computational power as a 8400 GS, a 4 year old midrange card. The 610 is not really designed for gaming. HD video payback, at most.

[Entruder]

yea i know the card lacks a lot of punch, thinking about getting a gtx 760 to beef it out (just gotta get some scratch to buy one first... seeing as I'm a broke ass college student) but hey at least the game is a lot better playing now... so all in all cant complain too much

Edited by Entruder, 10 April 2014 - 09:29 PM.

[Odins Fist]

2.6ghz CPU and 5400 rpm HD are killing your MWO experience
630m video really isn't helping.