Counter-Strike: Source choppiness

[irobot]

Hello everyone!

This is my first post so please bare with me...

Alright, I just built a custom pc:

AMD Athlon 64 x2 5600+
EVGA 7600gt
2g xms2 ddr2
windows xp pro sp2 64bit
asus m2n-sli deluxe
550w psu

and when I join a server everything is all good until about 15-25 minutes, then when I'm spec'ing and playing, the video gets all choppy and becomes a nuisance. I have all the latest 64bit drivers and its all good, but i just don't know why it would become choppy! i only have like 38 processes running in the back (nothing that my cpu cant handle). I get enough fps and everything, but when it does become choppy, it feels like im spec'ing some one thats lagging in a server, ya know?

anyways, if anyone has any solutions or ideas or whatever please feel free to respond. thank you.

ps. im sorry is this was already answered

 

[lebe0024]

OMG. I just started noticing this problem too! I noticed it when I recently upgraded my CPU from a opteron 1.8 single-threaded to a 3800+ X2.

The rest of my system is as follows:
939Dual-Sata2
7800GT
2x512 Corsair.


I would describe it as "choppy" video performance, but when it happens my FPS is fine and my loss/choke is fine. Also, it gradually starts to show up after about 20 minutes of playing. Re-starting the game doesn't seem to help, but re-booting does.

I tried some other source games. I notice it in HL Deathmatch source, but not in the new TF2.

I've been trying to figure out what's wrong - changing bioses/settings, re-installing video drivers, etc. I can't figure it out.

 

[OpticalOrange99]

I know this is sort of irrelevant but it's worth a shot. You both mentioned your AMD processors allegedly being the source of the problem so I guess you might as well see if this applies to you. I don't know much about AMD processors though. I've always had Intel.

http://support.steampowered.com/cgi-bin/steampowered.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=430

I got this link from a Valve tech support guy. I can't believe he sent me this after I sent him a msinfo32.nfo thing and it told him A) I ran Windows Vista and B) I have an Intel Core 2 Duo E6700, not any AMD CPU.
So I understand if you're pissed when you read the link and find it doesn't apply to you. So just to warn you it was written for people experiencing crashes or using Windows XP with AMD dual cores.

There is a hotfix on the page though that I think may be worth a shot.

Other than that I can only recommend two things.
Firstly this is a long shot but worth it anyway. Delete your Counter-Strike Source folder. Restart Steam and Verify your cache files like so:
http://support.steampowered.com/cgi.../std_adp.php?p_faqid=282&p_created=1101182584
Then play the game. Probably isn't CSS's fault though so it probably won't work.

Secondly, I recommend making a Steam Support Ticket from the Support thing at their website. Hopefully they will help. Be sure to attach a dxdiag.txt and an msinfo32.nfo just to save you the trouble of waiting for a response only for them to finally tell you that they need those things.

 

[lebe0024]

That makes a lot of sense.

1) I have not installed any AMD drivers.
2) CS:S is single threaded, whereas TF2 is multi-threaded. This problem is supposedly with power management causing choppiness/stuttring/crashes in single threaded apps.

I will try this tonight and post here if this doesn't work.

here are a few threads about it:

https://www.techspot.com/vb/topic87680.html

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_182_871_13118,00.html

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=983781

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=81429

 

[lebe0024]

Well, I
1) Installed the amd x2 driver.
2) Installed the optimizer.
3) Installed the hotfix.
4) The hotfix didn't add the Throttle registry entry, so I entered it manually.

Loaded up CS, and it's seems to be working good now. Thanks!

 

[pcnthuziast]

If framerate is steady and doesn't seem to fluctuate greatly or choke, then it may very well be a thermal issue... just my 2 cents!!!

 

[lebe0024]

Well, installing the amd driver, optimizer, and hotifix seemed to make it work. I'm not seeing any more "stuttering"/"choppy" behavior in single threaded games.

The framerate stays steady because the graphics card is working just fine. It's choppy because the game logic's internal timer is screwy, and it feels like it's speeding-up/slowing-down very quickly when objects in the game move (including yourself), similar to how it feels when you have low frame rates. If I stay in one place, and move the mouse around, it's smooth. but movement is based on the timing mechanisms of the game, and that is choppy.

Anyway, it's gone now. THANKS EVERYBODY! Hopefully OP will try this out too. THe hardocp forum link above was the most helpful, in my opinion.

 

[OpticalOrange99]

Hmmm I'm glad I could help you lebe0024, not that I did much, but I wonder if it worked for the original starter of the thread. Maybe he hasn't checked the replies yet.

By the way, what the hell is "Choke". Could someone explain what exactly it is and what it's gameplay implications are? I really want to know. I get a steady latency, steady 60fps (with Vsync on), steady loss of 0 packets but I keep getting this fluctuating "Choke". I googled it and found a thread that says to meddle with your rates and it'll go back down to 0 but I can't seem to get it to stop fluctuating. Maybe it's the server, I dunno since I seem to get it on all servers.

I made a thread about it on the Steam forums but no one bothered responding. http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6759548#post6759548
I searched the forums too and found absolutely nothing on "Choke". I searched Valve's Wiki for Mod Developers and found some explanation under Source Networking but it seemed to be only one line of the text and I really didn't glean any information from it.

 

[irobot]

HOLY CRAP!!!! thank you guys so much for replying! I also installed the dual core optimizer and it worked perfectly, no stutter choppiness at all. i tried to install the hotfix but it said it was for a different OS or something, but it doesnt matter seeing that the optimizer worked by itself. Now everything is running fine thanks again! and as for choke

What is choke?
Choke is a measure of how much data is being restricted on your computer. When playing games a lot of information is being sent backwards and forwards containing every detail of the game. During heavy games this information can get very high, with every bullet, movement and chat line being sent to your computer.

The game servers are on very large Internet connections capable of transfering several megabytes per second. Most computers on the other hand are restricted by how much they can receive and send. If you are on a standard 56K modem you can only receive about 5-6 kilobytes per second. This is more than is normally required.

Half-Life / Half-Life 2 has the ability to limit how much information it requests, to save clogging up your connection. If it goes over this then you will get what is known as Choke. Choke is a measure of what is missing. So if the server runs out of bandwidth everybody gets choke, if your computer runs out of bandwidth, you alone will get choke.

You can help improve this by adjusting your Half-Life / Half-Life 2's "rate" setting. This will set the correct maximum limit for your connection. For a quick guide use these settings:

If you are on a 56K modem then you want to set your rate to between 3500 and 4500, experiment with your settings and see what gives you the best results.

If you are on ISDN you want between 6000 and 8000, and Dual ISDN between 14000 and 16000. If you are on anything faster, such as ADSL or Cable then you want to set your rate to 25000 at first.

You can set your rate by typing "rate" followed by the number in your console.

copied from wireplay cs:s i dont know if the actual website is legit so i just copied it myself.

hope it helps
thank you!

 

[OpticalOrange99]

Thanks. Always wanted to know what choke was. I have an Intel Core 2 Duo E6700. Is the Dual core optimiser only for AMD?

 

[beef_jerky4104]

Thanks for the info. Earlier today my CS: Source started to act up. SUPER LAG! And my video score went from 12x.xx FPS to 9x.xx FPS.

 

[cubles]

Plz help me=(

Hey Guys.. I am new to this forum so ........The other day i bought Counter-strike Source and was very excited to play it. I installed it and i cant play cause of the 'choppiness' i am experiencing. I can even aim or walk properly lol. can you guys help me?

My comp stats: Windows vista... Intel(R) Core(TM) Duo Cpu...T2400...1.83GHz...1.0GB RAM

Mobile Intel(R) 945 chipset family.......

Can you guys give me instruction on how to solve the chopiness plz? i really want to play source=(

Is it my video card probelm or my comp or my internet.....(Not much my internet cause i dont play servers.. i usually play lan)

My internet stats: (super sh** lol) 100kb/s using wire.....56kb/s using wireless

thnx

 

[mopar man]

It has to do with the fact that you have an integrated graphics controller, and it isn't really strong enough to run CS:S. Do you have a Desktop or anything?

 

[cubles]

What to do?

Nah...i dont have a desktop.....it is a laptop..i installed into my other crappy laptop and it has less chopiness=.=....

So does anyone now how to fix this probelm? can i download something to make it better or do i have to physically change the graphics card?

 

[mopar man]

Since it is a laptop, you can't upgrade your GPU, so to be honest, you need to find a server playing ONLY on maps such as aim_texture_city and other aim maps (less lag).