FEAR Choppy performance - Help!

[Arthalen]

Hi All,

I'm having some major 'choppy' game play issues with my X1900GT under FEAR. FEAR is set to auto-detect defaults (1024x768,4xAF, no AA, no Softshadows) and Vsync is off. Note that this is FEAR Combat with online Multiplayer.

And strangely, my missus can play on her X1300 without the same issue, so its not network related.

I'm currently using Cat 6.8s with CCC and rivatuner for Fan Control & OC'ing. I get the same choppy issue whether its at stock 575/600 or my slight OC of 600/630.

This is a list of what I've tried so far:

I've fully defragged my HD, all partitions.
I've tried with memory set to System Cache instead of Programs
I've disabled all uneccasary services.
Disabled all background proggies running, inc. AV.
PEG Root control Disabled
PEG-Link set to Normal.
Monitor set to 1024x768 85hz, CCC set to force 85hz.
Vsync Off, tried On as well.
Updated Mobo(inc SATA), Sound and Network drivers.
Tried altering my overclock on CPU up/down from 3.5Ghz to 3.8Ghz.
Ran throttlewatch in background, no throttling while playing.
Tried setting CPU Affinity to single core operation for FEAR, no help.
CPU temps nominally around 55C while playing.
GPU temps never exceed 75C now that I've increased the Fan Speed and remounted the HSF with AS5.

Plus a ton of other things. If anyone suggests something I've already tried I'll add it to this list.

Can anyone think of anything ???.....

Current Hardware setup as sig is a little out of date:
PenD 805 3.66Ghz - 188FSB
2GB (2x1) Corsair VS Memory at 752Mhz, 4-4-4-12 Cas
Asus P5WD2 Non-Deluxe Mobo.
Connect3D Radeon X1900GT @ 600/630, standard voltages
Maxtor 160GB Diamond Max10 8MB Cache, SATA2, AHCI Enabled

 

[MeatLoaf]

Have you used the test settings button in the options to see what results you get?

 

[Arthalen]

Interestingly, in FEAR Combat there is no 'Test Settings' option. Under the Original MP Demo there was, which off the top of my head gave:

Max FPS: 160
Avg FPS: 55
Min FPS: 24

But I can't remember exactly.

 

[Tetras]

Could you describe the choppiness in a little more detail?

Does it happen in other games? Do you see it in 3D Mark (are your scores what they should be?)?

 

[Arthalen]

The choppiness starts with level loading - after the lvl has been loaded and it initialises the 3D renderer, I get MASSIVE chug-chug-chug (1 frame every 5-8 seconds ?) until the game has started andand everyone has connected to the game. I then get 'stuttering', while running around the map, almost like its loading textures/models as I encounter new area's of the map.

After approxiamately 5-10 minutes it calms down a bit, but I get 'blip' stutter every 10/15/20 seconds - Even if its me alone walking inside a closed corridor, but its very pronounced when I turn sharply or look up into the sky.

Lastly, I do get some 'stutter' type slowdown in massive firefights, but that could be network related.

If I can, I'll try and get a fraps movie of the experience. If you thought the Oblivion movie posted by someone else is bad, watch this

Lastly, in other games - Nope, not really. I get a little few pauses in Oblivion, but nothing that irritates or disrupts the gameplay. Everything else that I have currently is an RPG that doesn't tax my Video Card. UT2004 didnt tax my old 6600, never mind my supposed workhorse of a X1900GT :/

 

[Tetras]

The choppiness starts with level loading - after the lvl has been loaded and it initialises the 3D renderer, I get MASSIVE chug-chug-chug (1 frame every 5-8 seconds ?) until the game has started andand everyone has connected to the game. I then get 'stuttering', while running around the map, almost like its loading textures/models as I encounter new area's of the map.

The chug chug at the start of a map is common and not anything to worry about, providing it doesn't last long (i.e. a few seconds). The stutter with new textures is also fairly common but it shouldn't be instrusive.

After approxiamately 5-10 minutes it calms down a bit, but I get 'blip' stutter every 10/15/20 seconds - Even if its me alone walking inside a closed corridor, but its very pronounced when I turn sharply or look up into the sky.

That is definately not normal, do you get hard drive access during those blips?

Lastly, I do get some 'stutter' type slowdown in massive firefights, but that could be network related.

Network lag doesn't give you performance stutters, unless the CPU was being massively bogged down. If the explosions were happening half a second after they were supposed to but were playing out ok, then that would be connection lag

Lastly, in other games - Nope, not really. I get a little few pauses in Oblivion, but nothing that irritates or disrupts the gameplay. Everything else that I have currently is an RPG that doesn't tax my Video Card. UT2004 didnt tax my old 6600, never mind my supposed workhorse of a X1900GT :/

If Oblivion runs fine says software issues to me, something to do with drivers/driver settings or the game itself. Is this a fresh install or did you have FEAR installed previously? Have you tried patching the game?

I don't know FEAR very well but if there is some kind of cache somewhere I'd delete it and the config file, preferably reinstall the entire game. It is quite a common thing for games to optimise for your graphics card and the cache isn't always rebuilt when you switch.

I'd also consider reverting to CAT 6.7.

 

[Arthalen]

Update

Well, I had a look on the Sierra forums yesterday before heading for home from work, and the two top issues were a lack of updated DirectX and EAX HD Audio being enabled causing stuttering.

So, I managed to find an updated DirectX for August 2006, updated and also dropped all my settings down to the same as missus' X1300, which is basically all settings to medium at 800x600 with no AA or AF.

Now I have no level loading stuttering, and the 'load when I first walk round the map' is minimised significantly. Barely noticeable.

Also, the noticeable stutters after this period has ended have also reduced a far amount.

The stutters are still there, but are better and manageable. But playing FEAR at 800x600 with no Eye Candy on a X1900GT ?? :/

Now that I have something that basically works, I'll see if I can raise the options one by one and see how we go.

 

[saintly]

Had similar problems in FEAR when I 1st played it. Try contacting their support - they were really helpful (unlike VALVE support who just need to sort their source engince out so it actually works!)

In my case it was something to do with sound. Support suggested adding some config changes and they worked. Could I be any more vague for you?

For me the problem was long pauses (up to 20 seconds) with constant hard disk thrashing. Who'd have thought it was sound related?

 

[Arthalen]

Don't suppose you remember what config changes they had you do ? do you still have the email they sent you ??

 

[saintly]

Don't suppose you remember what config changes they had you do ? do you still have the email they sent you ??

I'll have a search through my email tonight if I remember. It may not be the same problem as yours though. Start your support ticket now!