[78thFG_Snook]

Lately i have noticed some odd fps drops where my game play gets real slow and laggy. Both of these times it has happened its been in a server from Russia and a friends hosted server. The weird thing is that theses fps drops occur while there is virtually nothing to cause a fps drop. For example on that Russian server i first noticed it on the other day i was flying the Tarawa map and when looking out in the distance towards nothing but ocean and a few out laying islands my game would drop from solid 60 fps to being very slow and laggy. I'm trying to figure out if theres something wrong with my game or its just the long distance/ non dedicated type servers.

Specs: Core 2 duo E8400 3.0ghz, 4GB DDR2, GTX 460 1GB, Windows XP pro.

running the latest 275.33 drivers.
I'm running in 1152x864.


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Any help appreciated. thanks!

[Fireskull]

Hi, and welcome to the community


Few visible objects and sparse terrain features nearby might not have anything to do with it. This is because System Ram is effected by things which are not visible on the screen. Data packages and the acknowledgements for each one can be delayed in different possible ways.



Visible things on the screen are handled by Video RAM and System RAM only handles very rudimentary data on the things that are shown on screen. Image data is ignored by System RAM and is sent to Video RAM, for the most part.

We want the action on the screen to be in real time but the computer system can struggle to keep smooth operation of the program when System RAM becomes full.

Let me explain.


Since your system has only 4GB of RAM ( I consider it to be about the minimum required in today's modded IL-2 ), it is possible that your RAM is getting full after a while. This can happen while using the same gigantic map with or without many objects and so forth. It usually takes a little time for it to get full.

Reasonably sized maps and ones with a fair amount of objects do not have this problem. On the other hand, some maps are so large that there are freezes very early when there is small RAM capacity, sometimes freezing during the loading.

FPS can get low in other circumstances when your System RAM gets full and the system begins to send data to Page File Size ( size can be determined by you ). Low FPS and stuttering can occur at this time. Page File Size as far as IL-2 is concerned only stops a crash from occurring. A crash would happen if System RAM was full but with no more overflow ability to Page File Size, such as when both become full. Using Page File Size stops a crash, but does not make IL-2 run better. In this case, low FPS and/or stuttering is caused by the shuttling of data to RAM card -THEN... RAM is full so it next goes to Page File, digital acknowledgements must occur between all components, and the following packet of data is delayed in being handled - causing lower FPS in some cases but definately increased stuttering.


Low FPS is always caused by some kind of delay in the processing of each packet of image data. It's a delay in the processing of one frame of image. This general statement has many possible causes, but I will give you the most likely by the information that you gave us.


Though you are flying in an area with few map features and objects, you could have full RAM, because the System RAM usage has to do with the whole map and all invisible objects, vehicles, events, server/ client communications, and other data, visible or not. Video RAM only comes into usage when you actually see something on the screen. System RAM is used for the other things not visible. These things are generally true with a few minor exceptions that I will not cover here.

Since you write that there isn't much in the way of features or objects on the screen when FPS drops, then Video RAM is not the issue.

System RAM becoming full is a possiblity. Let me know about the size of the map and amount of planes and objects in the mission.



Malware or hacking can cause your system to be bogged.

Another possiblity which does not seem to apply here is that the InterNet connection is not fast enough or the data stream not broad enough. Today's modded IL-2 really needs true broad band InterNet for online play.

Another remote possibility that your branch of the InterNet system is reaching system capacity.

Check to make sure that your system is not overheating.

If you do not have this problem on other maps - especially from the same server, then that would eliminate many things and shed light on that map as being the focus of trouble.


I hope that this helps.




Fireskull

[78thFG_Snook]

thanks for the info! ok so i now know it does it offline too. and you speak of malware..well i have had some viruses and some malwar lately. but i ran every virus program i have(malwarebytes and superantispyware along with ccleaner and defraggler) removed all the stuff found. i got into a pretty nasty one last week..do you think that it could still have an affect on my computer after its been cleaned? theres also a few other games i get random bad fps drops in.

[Fireskull]

thanks for the info! ok so i now know it does it offline too. and you speak of malware..well i have had some viruses and some malwar lately. but i ran every virus program i have(malwarebytes and superantispyware along with ccleaner and defraggler) removed all the stuff found. i got into a pretty nasty one last week..do you think that it could still have an affect on my computer after its been cleaned? theres also a few other games i get random bad fps drops in.

Snook, malware is unlikely after all that.

Almost all games and simulations will have at least a few areas of FPS drop when running a computer system which is about the amount of performance which yours has.


Is the map that you use online with your Russian friend a large one?

Did you mean that you use the same map both online and offline, yet get the same FPS drop?

How long does it take for you to begin seeing an FPS drop? Is it immediately or only after a while?

Malware interference with IL-2 typically reveals itself when online. If you are getting exactly the same results in offline play as you do with online, then it probably is not malware which is causing the FPS drop. You could still have malware, maybe not the cause of FPS drop.


Millions of malware exist with thousands of characterictics, so one can never be too sure about being clean unless it is a new computer from the box or you have a system restore (complete reformatting). It is really hit and miss as to whether an antimalware program will remove the malware. I would say at this point without having enough facts that it is unlikely that malware is causing the FPS drop.

Is there ever a time in the last couple days when you have good FPS and smooth running of IL-2 and other games in areas of a map where it is crowded?


More information is needed.


Fireskull

[78thFG_Snook]

the map the russain sever was using was tarawa..i get the fps drops both offline and online. my friend also hosted a private server and i got the fps drops in it. it was one of those online summer maps with the big lake type thing. its similar to a problem i had a few years back where when i flew into clouds and it would bring my system to its knees. lol..i fixed it with diffrent drivers ifd i remeber correctly. i think my main issue right now with my pc is video drivers theres a few other games one being fsx that theres big issues with. i was having severe fps issues with fsx amnd i installed an older driver it it helpled alot. of course ever since iv got my gtx 460 iv had problems with il2 and drivers. right now im pretty sure its drivers because its been the problem with other games. and as long as i can remember iv always had fps isses with il2..im sure its a combination of many things..new drivers new hardware old old game engine.mods etc..

[{HVY-E}Jinxx]

Snook,

Check to make sure that your indexing service is turned off.
Then check to make sure that there is no 'Root Kit' installed somewhere on your system.
The latest version of that darn Fake Anti Virus program sets up a root kit and re-installs itself after a while.

S!

[78thFG_Snook]

Edit*****

i disabled indexing.. and where would i look for this root kit? and is it for avg or one of the others i listed?

[{HVY-E}Jinxx]

You'll need to use a Root Kit scanner.

Try here first Root Kit Scanners.

I'd try Sophos first and then work from there.
If you find one or more on your system, let me know and we'll work through it.

*** WARNING ***
Normally the best way to get rid of a root kit is a COMPLETE WIPE of the hard drive and re-format/re-installation of the O/S.

S!