Author Topic: High FPS Drops (Windows 10 users)  (Read 7375 times)

Online Harb

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High FPS Drops (Windows 10 users)
« on: 13 06, 2020, 01:54:40 am »
High FPS drops (Windows 10 users)

In the perfect parallel universe, gamers don’t suffer from high FPS drops. This pestilence can be an awful issue and it’s not easy to determine the solution because there are so many different factors in play.


  • Windows 10 is slowly becoming the number one choice for gaming, although more because it’s the part of requirements and less by gamers choice. Nonetheless, FPS drops affect all systems, even the almighty Windows 7.
  • Sudden stutters that break your gaming experience, especially in the multiplayer games where the optimal FPS rate is a must, can be quite hard to address.
  • Especially if they occur suddenly, without any good background explanation. Luckily, we prepared an in-depth list of all solutions that crossed our minds and provided them below.

In case you have bumped into FPS issues and you’re not sure how to deal with those, make sure to check the list below.

1: Meet the system requirements

- Even though this is something a Captain Obvious would say, requirements are too often the reason why a certain game under-performs and makes your world collapse with every FPS spike.

- Nonetheless, there are two things you’ll need to know about system requirements that are hidden in a plain sight and commonly overlooked.

- Firstly, the minimum requirements are something you should take with the pinch of salt. The developer is basically informing you that this certain configuration should suffice if you want to run the game.

- Translated into the common language ”Just start it”. Now, even the medium requirements won’t bring you the playable 30 to 60 FPS.

- In order to run the game and expect a peak performance, you should concentrate on the third column — Recommended requirements.

- The second thing we overlook when it comes to system requirements concerns changes. Most of the popular games get frequent updates that can and will affect the processing power of your gaming rig.

- So, if you’re informed a certain update brought esthetical improvements, more vivid graphics etc, make sure that you can run it. Sites like ”Can You Run It” are a good starting point, but the official requirements are always the ones you should rely on.



2: Check the cooling

- Overheating. There’s not a single hardware-related problem that is a bigger threat to your PC than overheating. Since we’re today referring to FPS spikes and sudden drops, the overheating is probably the biggest suspect for the issue at hand.

- Let’s imagine a common scenario: you start the game after the PC is idle, the game works great until some time and then the FPS goes to hell. It’s due to the CPU and/or GPU overheating and thus under-performing.

- In order to self-preserve themselves under the intense heat and avoid malfunctions, main PC components start working slower. Finally, your PC should shut down forcibly if the temperatures pass the allowed limits.

- So, for starters, make sure to acquire a proper temperature monitoring software. Like SpeedFan, for example. Above 90-95 degrees Celsius are the temperatures that you’ll need to avoid in order to evade performance drops and, in the worst case scenario, critical hardware damage.

- What to do to improve the cooling system and reduce the temperatures while gaming?

- Firstly, you’ll need to get your hands dirty and clean the inside of your PC casing. The special focus should be on the exhaust and coolers.

- Also, replacing the thermal paste should be a norm for every user. It tends to lose its functionality after a few months, so make sure to apply a new layer accordingly.

- Furthermore, it doesn’t hurt to add some extra fans and improve the cooling of the unit. However, double-check the PSU capabilities before doing so.



3: Check HDD

- Another essential part that can and certainly will affect the overall gaming performance is the hard drive. A hard drive is probably the most prone to malfunctions, and it’ll, in comparison to CPU or GPU, lose its initial performance values over time.

- This, of course, applies only to physical drives, not SSDs.

- It certainly can. Games are installed on an HDD and thus the slow reading/writing speeds can cause performance drops, FPS spikes, and similar inconveniences.

- Here are some steps you can take to identify HDD problem and act accordingly if there’s an issue at hand:

1. Use the ”chkdsk” command or a third-party software to scan for HDD errors.
2. In the Windows search bar, type Command Prompt, right-click on it and run it as an administrator.
3. In the command line, type the following command and press Enter:
chkdsk /f C:
4. Replace C: with other partition letters if it’s named differently.




4: Make sure your GPU drivers are up to the task

- GPU drivers are a touchy subject, especially on Windows 10 where the Windows Update feature manages drivers.

- Most of the time, the generic driver won’t suffice, and we are all well aware that even the top-notch GPU will fail miserably without the proper software support.

- In most scenarios, you’ll need the latest drivers provided by the OEM, but that’s not the rule. Some users resolved the GPU throttling and high FPS drops by installing an older drivers version.

- So, sadly, you have to spend some time experimenting with the available drivers until you find the right driver for your GPU. These are the official support sites for major OEMs:

NVidia
AMD/ATI
Intel

- If you’re using legacy GPU, make sure to install legacy drivers. It’s not of the utmost importance for those to support Windows 10. Sometimes they’ll work regardless.

- Now, if the Windows 10 Update feature forcibly installs another version, you can roll-back drivers and disable the automatic drivers updating. Here’s how to do it:

1. In the Windows Search bar, type Control and open Control Panel.
2. From the Category view, open System and security.
3. Open System.
4. Select Advanced system settings from the left pane.
5. Open Device Installation Settings under the Hardware tab.
6. Select ”No” from the dialog box.
7. Confirm changes, right-click Start and open Device manager.
8. Expand Display adapters.
9. Right-click on your GPU and open Properties.
10. Under the Driver tab, click Roll-back driver.
11. Restart your PC and look for changes.



5: Scan for malware

- Malware is another feasible reason for the possible FPS drops and overall performance of an application as demanding as the modern game is.

- There’s a dozen of malware infections that can inflict system issues, but we need to set aside the adware and mistakenly-installed bloatware that tends to work in the background.

- Taking into consideration recent cryptocurrency tricks some sites use (they use your CPU power to mine without your consent, of course), you’ll need to step your antivirus game up and protect accordingly.

- You can use basically any third-party antivirus out there, but I'd recommend Bitdefender, with top-of-the-class detection rates and excellent real-time protection. So make sure to check it out.

- Here’s how to run it in Windows 10:

1. Open Windows Defender from the notification area on the taskbar.
2. Open Virus & threat protection.
3. Click on Advanced Scan.
4. Select Windows Defender Offline scan.
5. Click Scan now.



6: Check the connection

- In case you’re playing an online game and have issues with FPS, we advise you to check the connection, as well. In most scenarios, it’s not about your bandwidth speeds (it can be affected to some extent, though), but rather by the latency of the data package.

- This is measured in milliseconds and it indicates a delay between the user and the network itself.

- Basically, the higher the latency — the worse the game performance. You can check your latency here. You’ll need less than 50 ms in order to enjoy the online sessions in a seamless manner.

- Furthermore, it’s advised to use a wired connection rather than Wi-Fi while playing online. Also, restart your router or modem if you run into any issues and check the port forwarding preferences for that specific game.




7: Modify in-game and Power settings

- Not all graphics settings presented in modern games will work for every configuration out there. So, if you have slight issues with your FPS drops, make sure to change the graphics options.

- Disabling Shadows and Anti-aliasing is always good for starters. Also, Vsync won’t work well with certain GPUs.

- Try different variations until you find the one that optimizes performance and quality while keeping the acceptable FPS levels.

- It all depends on your configuration and the ways the game is or isn’t optimized for that configuration. And sometimes even the top-notch PCs will give you a hard time due to the badly optimized engine.

- Also, it’s important to mention the laptop’s Power management, as it can slow down CPU activity if you set Balanced or Power Saving modes. The best plan for gaming is High Performance.

- It might seem that there’s not much difference between the plans, but there are hidden perks that distinguish them. Follow these steps to enable the High-Performance plan on Windows 10:

1. Right-click on the Battery icon in the notification area and open Power options.
2. Select High Performance.
3. Close the window.




8: Don’t use the onboard sound device

- For some strange reason, some users reported the problems with an onboard sound device which was, for no apparent reason, colliding with the GPU drivers and it causes both sound issues and FPS spikes.

- Now, you can try and update or reinstall the dedicated driver, or uninstall it completely and stick with the alternative sound drivers. This can be done in a few simple steps and here’s how:

1. Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
3. Update your sound drivers or uninstall (Press LMBon "Sound video and game controllers") the onboard sound device and stick with Realtek.



9: Disable background programs

Certain background programs are known for resource-hogging, making them quite unwelcomed while gaming. Disabling their respective background processes should improve the in-game performance and reduce FPS drops.

Here’s the list of programs you should avoid while gaming:

- VoIP programs like Skype.
- Peer-2-peer applications like uTorrent.
- Download managers.
- Browsers (we’re looking at you, Chrome).
- Recording and live streaming software.

If you’re running a powerful enough PC, the majority of background applications won’t affect the frame rate. The ones we enlisted are throttling your bandwidth which can be a problem, for multiplayer, connection-dependent games.Certain background programs are known for resource-hogging, making them quite unwelcomed while gaming. Disabling their respective background processes should improve the in-game performance and reduce FPS drops.



That's all I guess, I hope this would solve your problem and make sure to let us know if your issue was not yet fixed. I've experienced this issue a while ago, managed to do a quick research and fix the problem


« Last Edit: 13 06, 2020, 01:56:50 am by Harb »

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Offline MacMan

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Re: High FPS Drops (Windows 10 users)
« Reply #1 on: 13 06, 2020, 08:25:32 pm »
Nice and detailed ones, I'll sticky this.
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Offline Stone

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Re: High FPS Drops (Windows 10 users)
« Reply #2 on: 15 06, 2020, 04:15:18 am »
I have question , so yesterday before my PC update my games working fine to me (Windows10 with that dark blue theme) but the night after when the PC Updated with Windows 10 Pro (LightBlue/Skyblue Theme) my MTA turns to be having a low fps before the updates I got 30-50 FPS on LS but now I got 5-9 fps and kicking me out from the server again and again. Is there any solution to this?
« Last Edit: 15 06, 2020, 06:28:05 am by Stone »
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Re: High FPS Drops (Windows 10 users)
« Reply #3 on: 15 06, 2020, 08:42:38 am »
I have question , so yesterday before my PC update my games working fine to me (Windows10 with that dark blue theme) but the night after when the PC Updated with Windows 10 Pro (LightBlue/Skyblue Theme) my MTA turns to be having a low fps before the updates I got 30-50 FPS on LS but now I got 5-9 fps and kicking me out from the server again and again. Is there any solution to this?
@Harb you may answer him whenever you're free.
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Online Harb

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Re: High FPS Drops (Windows 10 users)
« Reply #4 on: 15 06, 2020, 08:55:41 am »
That’s a significant drop, try to do the following:

- Make sure to delete the Theme if it’s a custom Theme.

Ingame settings:

Use /settings > Minimum FPS set it on 0 and maximum on 61
Lower blips distance ( /settings > Blip distance > Set it on 320
Disable unnecessary graphics ( /settings > Graphics section )

MTA settings:

Lower your draw distance ( Esc > Settings > Video  )
Esc > Settings > Advanced > Set streaming memory on  "Min"
Lower your FX quality and set it on Medium and for sure you should lower resolution and set it on  848x480x32.
MTA San Andreas > Mods > Deathmatch > Delete "resources" folder

GTA San Andreas:

Make sure you're not using any useless mods or you can simply get a clean install of GTA
Set gtasa.exe priority to high
Lower your GTA/MTA Graphics
Use GTA SA shrinker

Also, Scan your PC with AntiVirus or any good program.



Quote
If you get kicked often by the FPS Kicker, I have a couple very simple tips to give you that may increase your FPS. The first thing you could try is lowering your FX Quality. To do this, when you first start MTA, before going to Server Browser and logging in to CIT, go to Settings, then click on the Video Tab. You will see FX Quality about half-way down in the Settings window. If you are using Very High or Medium, try lowering it down one setting. For example, if it's on Very High, lower it to High. If you're using High, lower it to Medium. If you still get FPS Kicked, you can try lowering your Resolution in the same Settings>Video menu. If you have a newer Widescreen monitor, try changing your Resolution to 1280x720x32 or 848x480x32, and make sure you switch your Aspect Ratio to 16x9 (To all Widescreen Monitor users, be sure to switch your Aspect Ratio to 16x9 even if you don't get FPS Kicked, so your screen won't look stretched.) If you're using an old square monitor, like me, try switching your resolution to either 1024x768x32 or 800x600x32, and you can leave your Aspect Ratio on Auto. Also, some Mods may reduce FPS. You may want to try a clean install of San Andreas (if you backed up all your files before installing your mods) and see if you still have FPS problems. If you try all of these options and you still get FPS Kicked, I suggest you either upgrade your Graphics Card, or simply buy a new computer. Thanks for your time, and I hope this helps.



That’s a helpful guide created by Shanu, try following the steps in there if you’re still facing the problem.

Show content
I've noticed that a lot of players on server have the big problems with FPS. Some of them have bad PC and really low FPS. If you're looking to improve your FPS, you're on the right place, this guide will help you to increase your FPS. don't expect a major change in game, but it will probably help a lot to players who have low FPS. Players with high FPS probably won't noticed a big difference.

First of all, I'm playing MTA on my PC and I always had 30-45 FPS, depends on area where I am, but after applying some tips, I've boost my fps to 60. I've almost 60 FPS in every part of LS. So let's begin.

FPS scale
0-30 FPS - Bad
50-60 FPS – Good
60+ - Very good (In general, not accordingly to CIT/MTA)

Tip 1. PING
I really don't know what you guys are doing that you've ping over 400-500 and after that you don't understand that high ping means BIG lag for you. To decrease your ping, turn off your Youtube, torrent client and any other thing that uses your internet connection. Torrent is really big consumer of your internet connection and makes your ping high, so make sure that you turn it off. If this don't help you, look for some other tutorials how to decrease ping. My ping is always around 140-160 so I don't have problem with that.



Tip 2. Mods
Mods=lag. Uninstall every graphics mod that you have in game. Graphics mods, such as high definition roads, building are even more harder to read than all your settings on high, so make sure to remove them. Mods like crosshair, skins, wont make any changes on FPS so you can keep them. So when you are playing CIT press T type /settings>Under Graphics Section>Disable all graphic Shaders in it.



Tip 3. Optimizing PC for gaming
Windws is by default optimized to balanced power settings and performance. You can increase your FPS by changing these settings to high performance. Note, this is not overclocking and won't harm your PC.
Right click on icon my computer - properties - on the left click on Advanced system settings, this will bring up new window. On that new window by default you'll be on advanced tab so under performance click on settings, this will again bring new window. On new windows click on advanced tab and you can choose between programs and background services. Pick programs. Also on the same window you'll see part with virtual memory, there click on change. Click on custom size(marked with red) and enter in initial and maximum size(marked with red) enter value from recommended(marked with green). Click set - apply - ok. Make sure to restart later, after we're done with guide.

Locate your control panel, set category on small/large icons and find power options. In power options select ''High performance'' (marked with red). If you can't see High performance option then click on Show additional plans(marked with green) and option will show up.




Tip 4. Set processor priority
This is also really important. It boost me for around 10 FPS. When you're in game press ctrl+alt+delete - task manager and:
Windows 7
under processes find gta-sa.exe - right click on it find set priority - put on high. New window will show up, click on change priority and that's it.

Windows 8/8.1
under details find gta-sa.exe - right click on it find set priority - put on high. New window will show up, click on change priority and that's it



Tip. 5 Razer game booster
Probably most of you will say, ''ah, that thing is useless, it makes no change'', but actually yes. It does. That tool is made to turn off necessary services while you're playing and so boost your game. Download that program, install it, make FREE account there and log in. Add San Andreas, not MTA Client. When you'll open your game, booster will say, boosting your game.
http://www.razerzone.com/cortex#

And we're done. Make sure to restart your pc after all these steps. I hope that your FPS has improved.
Happy gaming with more FPS.



Credits go to Amman. (x2)



'Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast. - William Shakespeare.