Poor performance in TF2. Can't figure out if it's my GPU.

[Kibokun]

So, I'm running the rig in my sig and I've been trying to fix my terrible performance in TF2. I've been running at 1280x800 and 1440x900 in both window mode and fullscreen, but I still get incredibly choppy frame rates (10-20fps) whenever a heated fight starts. My rig should probably be handling TF2 pretty well, and the source engine believes I should be running it maxed out. It's getting to be unplayable.

Is this some sort of known GPU problem? Could my CPU be holding me back? I know when I play I use up to 1.5-1.6GB of ram for my whole system, but EQ2 uses more and runs without a hitch.

I can't put my finger on it, but this could be a known problem with 8 series GPUs so I figured I'd come here first.

(For reference: Running version 182.50 drivers. Downloading 185.85 now to see if that helps.) Thanks!

[don'tknow]

Source engine is more CPU heavy than most others. The e4300 is your bottleneck, especially if you're running at the stock 1.8 ghz speed. If you OC that CPU and run at higher res (like 1680x1050) it will help since more load is shifted to the GPU, but don't expect miracles.

[GBH]

I use to have the same card and from what I remember it ran everything smoothly but i dont remember my exact settings. My resoultion was 1024 x 768 i think

[Kibokun]

Actually, the driver update did a LOT. o_O It's solid at 40-45 fps usually, which is totally acceptable since my CPU does suck.

Thanks for the tips.

[Mr.Guvernment]

thas good, def overclock that CPU, i had an e4400 @ 3ghz and an 8800GT at one point and performance wasnt always great in tf2

[fel]

Hello!
Your CPU doesn't suck, is just a video driver issue (sure isn't good enough to give you 90fps, but 30 - 50 sure).
I used to run Source games in a Pentium D 930, 7900GS in high settings no filters 1280X1024, prety good! and there is lot from pentium D 930 to E4300.

Cheers!

[Special7]

I would say driver issue, I can run TF2 maxed with 4xaa/16xaf @ 1600x900 and still maintain 60fps.

[Badbonji]

The game uses single thread to run it, so overclocking the cpu will benefit quite a lot. Also, you can overclock that 8800gts 320mb quite easily.

[Mr.Guvernment]

Hello!
Your CPU doesn't suck, is just a video driver issue (sure isn't good enough to give you 90fps, but 30 - 50 sure).
I used to run Source games in a Pentium D 930, 7900GS in high settings no filters 1280X1024, prety good! and there is lot from pentium D 930 to E4300.

Cheers!

e4300 and e4400 are based on allendale, not the Core2 cores we have today, they can perform, but they are lacking.

with the updates and such to some games like Tf2, yes, his CPU does suck in a sense for that game.

The game uses single thread to run it, so overclocking the cpu will benefit quite a lot. Also, you can overclock that 8800gts 320mb quite easily.

TF2 is multithreaded and always has been, they improved it significantly taking some Left 4 dead code over to Tf2, Tf2 now usies all 4 of my cores when i play, i assign it to 3 and one core is always around 70-80% usage and the other 2 around %60-%70 on my Q9650 @ 4.07Ghz.

[Kibokun]

hm, so I've been tracking my performance to see if I can notice any difference. I upgraded to 4GB ram. (Windows using 3.4gb of it) I, as I figured, got no real benefit to my FPS. However, I noticed that when I literally turned all my settings to low and ran it at 1024 x 768, I got no FPS gains whatsoever.

This cannot be right for my system. My drivers are up to date. Bleh.

EDIT: Just tried again. I got 19FPS in a fight with 10 people at 800x600, all settings low. Using about 22% CPU and 650mb/3.4gb RAM

[jmdixon85]

Just out of interest I would do the following. Load up TF:2. press ctrl and esc to get back to your desktop. now right click on your taskbar to open task manger. Right click on the TF:2 application and click "go to process", this will take you to the process tab and select the games process automaticaly, now right click on the process and go to "select priority" and select high. now go back to your game and try that. It seems to me that the game should be using more than 22% of your CPU.

[Blazing fire]

I did not bother to read the above post, so what I'm about to say may have been said already.

WHile it is true valve games are more CPU dependant than others, it is hard to believe the fps would drop to ~20 at such low graphic settings.

I suggest changing some of the driver setting. Change all AA/AF settings to let application chose. This itself may solve the problem.

[Kibokun]

hm, I get about 5fps more on average and still dip down to 20 in a fight sometimes. It's using about 45-50 on the CPU now though. The freaking Windows Audio Device Graph Isolator is using 20% though! Why is that?

EDIT: This was after changing the process priority. Trying my driver settings now..

[jmdixon85]

something is seriously wrong here. Have you tried looking for driver updates for all your system? mainboard, sound and video. You don't have a Creative X-fi by any chance. I've heard of driver problems with them causing high Windows audio device graph isolater (AUDIODG.EXE) CPU usage.

[jmdixon85]

I'm not familar with TF2 but is their an option in the sounds menu to use a software decoder instead of hardware?

[Kibokun]

hm, I turned off my sound card's room correction / EQ. I'm not sure why that was on in the first place. It's down to 10% now. Which isn't bad...and my sound doesn't sound like crap like it did when I turned the DSP it does off completely. Testing it in combat now.

EDIT: So I noticed my drivers were a couple days old, surprisingly. I downloaded the absolute newest release and it's pretty much the same, if not a little worse. Using about the same amount of resources. Bleh.

[Mr.Guvernment]

format..lol

my uncle has the 8800GTS 320mb and ona Q6600 @ 3ghz it was playable fine @ 1680 x 1050, mind you with no AA or AF, but i dont ever recall such low FPS as your getting.

[don'tknow]

If you're using an X-Fi XtremeAudio, I'd suggest ditch it and get an X-Fi XtremeGamer when possible. The XAudio one is not a true X-Fi chip, it uses your CPU to process sound. The XGamer is a true X-Fi chip though, the cheapest true chip of them.

But your problem shouldn't be only from the sound card. Can't really think of anything else, other than my previous old post above (the CPU)... you were upgrading soon I thought? Or did something happen.

[jmdixon85]

I will put my vote in while your on the subject of a new sound card.

Asus Xonar

[Kibokun]

I'd love to reformat, actually. However, my Vista CD is a couple states down the coast. :) I may have to wait on that.

Also, I'm using the Realtek integrated sound chip on my mobo. I'm pretty sure I'm upgrading my CPU in a few paychecks. We'll see how that goes.

I might get a 4-series Radeon, too. I've heard the 8 series GeForce cards are still notoriously buggy with TF2. That would explain much of these crazy frame rates.

[ratbuddy]

I might get a 4-series Radeon, too. I've heard the 8 series GeForce cards are still notoriously buggy with TF2. That would explain much of these crazy frame rates.

I've had great framerates and no bugs in TF2 with an 8800GT, 9800GX2, and GTX 280.

[Kibokun]

I've had great framerates and no bugs in TF2 with an 8800GT, 9800GX2, and GTX 280.

I was specifically referring to the G80 cards, actually. I may very well be off base since correlation != cause, but just clarifying. :)

[hank123]

I have played tf2 on a 7900gt, 8600gts, 8800gt and gtx260. all ran fine.

its time to reformat your computer. Get your disk. Of if you can get your key and you have a friend... you know.

[carb0n]

It definitely can't be your GPU (the 320mb version) , I can say that. I am using the same GPU currently (soon to upgrade, actually) and TF2 runs smooth as butter for me on max settings at 1680x1050, I even used to play at 1920x1080 at one point, it was always high in the 60's. I also have an OC'ed C2D E6600.

[Froggy]

If you're using an X-Fi XtremeAudio, I'd suggest ditch it and get an X-Fi XtremeGamer when possible. The XAudio one is not a true X-Fi chip, it uses your CPU to process sound. The XGamer is a true X-Fi chip though, the cheapest true chip of them.

But your problem shouldn't be only from the sound card. Can't really think of anything else, other than my previous old post above (the CPU)... you were upgrading soon I thought? Or did something happen.

The original X-Fi extreme audio were real X-Fi cards that made them quite the bargain a few years back. If he has that, there is no upgrade.

[don'tknow]

The original X-Fi extreme audio were real X-Fi cards that made them quite the bargain a few years back. If he has that, there is no upgrade.

You sure?....

"X-Fi Xtreme Audio

The entry-level model of the X-Fi series, the Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio, does not actually have the EMU20K1 chip but is a re-branded Audigy SE, using the same family of chips (CA0106-WBTLF), and even the same drivers.[8] Thus, not only is all of the X-Fi–related processing performed in software, but it also lacks basic hardware acceleration just like the SB Live! 24-bit, the Audigy SE and other budget Soundblaster models. The X-Fi Xtreme Audio does not use the same drivers as the rest of the X-Fi family, some games do not recognize it as being "X-Fi capable hardware", and the device's hardware profile resembles that of older Live! and Audigy cards.

Furthermore, users have reported that it slows down some applications and games, and that rear sound in games (all) is muffled and of profoundly low quality.[16][17][18] Thus, even if the card is marketed as part of the X-Fi line, it does not belong to it technically, just like the Audigy SE doesn't technically belong to the Sound Blaster Audigy series. The card is not marketed as supporting the "X-Fi Gaming Mode" (but is still marketed as "X-Fi"), and there are no official implicit or explicit statements regarding its having hardware acceleration or not.

X-Fi Xtreme Audio (PCI Express version)

On top of the Xtreme Audio's rear sound problem in games, the PCI Express version of the X-Fi Xtreme Audio suffers from the inability to record from a Microphone while simultaneously recording "What U Hear", which is possible in all other cards. The reason for this is unknown, but the issue is that the Windows audio Playback Control panel doesn't allow you to view the Mic channel when looking at your Playback Control sliders (activated by double-clicking the Windows Volume Control button). In the Windows audio Playback Control panel, the Mic can only be viewed in Recording Control, and there is no Mute/Unmute checkbox associated with it. The Creative Mixer shares the problem in a different way: you can unmute the Mic, but it becomes muted again once you switch to "What U Hear" as your recording source. Thus, on the PCI Express version of the Xtreme Audio (only) it is impossible to record your Mic and "What U Hear" at the same time, because you cannot get the Mic to output to the speakers while "What U Hear" is enabled."


Maybe you're mistaking it for another card? Or mixing something up... is there any specs somewhere saying it uses an x-fi chip?

[Froggy]

I was using slightly wrong terminology. It is actually called a X-Fi Extreme Music. I own one as well.

It is PCI only FYI.

Here is a link from creative- Click Me! (http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=208&product=14066)

IIRC, they discontinued it because we all bought this instead of the $2-400 cards.