TF2 video lag

I've noticed it for quite some time now, at first, only when on a full 32-player server with lots of sentries. But more recently (last couple of weeks), it seems my system slows down to about 0.5 frames-per-second anytime there's more than a dozen players. Network pings are fine, can usually find a server where I get 50 or lower - it definitely feels like video lag.

This being my absolute favorite game, I'm a bit disappointed to say the least.

Not sure what version of drivers (from laptopvideo2go) I had installed, they were last touched probably at least 4 or 5 months ago. I just updated with the 174.70 drivers on ltv2go, and it hasn't made any difference.

My system:
WinXP / T7300 / 3GB RAM / 8600M GT / WSXGA+ (1680x1050)

I play at 1280x800, with not too much eye-candy turned on/up. Tried an even lower resolution, but that didn't seem to make any difference.

Doesn't appear to be heat-related. Anyone else experiencing this?

 

Yeah I think it's a Valve issue. They did some weird update that causes it. I don't know of a fix

 

just tried with all the 'advanced settings' turned to LOW, zero improvement in the framerate.

update - tried a few more things:

switch to 640x480 - no improvement
run in a window - no improvement
even tried watching task-manager while running in windowed mode: one core is at 100%, the other at about 3 to 5%. 1.2GB of RAM in use...

Mentioned my woes in-game, and some guy with a 7600gt said he was experiencing NO slowdowns at all. Didn't catch what kind of cpu he had, but in the past, it's always been my impression that TF2, like MOST first-person shooters, is vid-card limited anyways.

 

followup...

I'm back to playing TF2 at 1280x800, high details on everything, no more weird tweaks, and a consistent 40 fps in the most hectic 16v16 firefights (much higher when things are not so hectic).

It was a BIOS update that seems to have done the trick, hope this info helps anyone else with same video lag problem.

 

I'm having the same problems as well. How did you update yours BIOS?

 

Geez, this was from an old thread...

For starters, the REAL problem I had was overheating. I fired up a temperature monitoring program (I forget which it was), and then ran TF2 in a window, positioned so I could see the temp-monitoring display.

After a short while on a crowded server, things started getting ridiculously slow in 'busy' areas, while they would remain fast in the spawn room, or other non-busy areas. During these times, my temps were pretty high (mid-90's, iirc), and my CPU speed had dropped from 2.0GHz to 1.2GHz, good old intel speed-step, trying to keep the cpu from burning up.

So, the real "fix" was to blow out the dust (there wasn't much), and prop the back end of the laptop up a little more, for better airflow.

As for how to update one's BIOS, it depends -- what laptop do you have? Check your manufacturers website for BIOS updates, if there is one, there should be instructions to go with it.

 

Maditude, had the same problem here. Who knew TF2 had such a propensity to overheat notebook CPUs?
Maybe I should stop playing Pyro...

 

I have an inspiron 1520, and this thing ALWAYS gets HOT. I know this by the feeling of the bottom. But there's nothing I can do, that is what Dell said. Oh, it's fairly new, I don't have dust in it. BIOS upgrade didn't help, and the lag starts at 30 fps down to 10 fps. Anything I can do?



EDIT: My CPU gets to about 59 degrees celcius after using TF2 and going on the internet. (right now)