Key Information: This issue has only started in the past couple days. I've been able to run STO at medium graphics flawlessly up until now.
Ok, so in the past couple days I've noticed a severe spike in FPS lag spikes (subsequently causing client to server lag). I've only ever had it happen during instanced space, never on ground or galaxy space. What happens is I will start out entering the zone just fine but after flying around for a bit all of a sudden the FPS will dramatically drop and I will be frozen in place. It lasts anywhere from 10 to 20 seconds and then I'm released from the low FPS hold.
I activated /fpsgraph in the troubleshooting and most of the time I was in the green with very few purple spikes, however when I hit the FPS lag it goes solid red for a quarter of an inch on the graph.
First: I tried lowering all visual settings to minimum and the issue persists.
Second: dxdiag
http://pastebin.com/75LELVqL
Third: As seen in the dxdiag, I have a GeForce 9400 GT. I had the 196.21 driver which when I last saw was the recommended one however I decided to try the newest driver, 197.45, to see if it was an issue fixable by upgrading. To no avail. I still get the same issue. In fact the driver crashed and recovered 3 times.
Fourth: Can't get ATITool to scan for artifacting. Gives me an error saying "The video card you selected for overclocking in ATITool does not seem to be used by Windows. Visual testing has been disabled. To fix this, go to Display Properties, Settings and enable the monitor output of the card." but after about 30 mins of messing with Windows trying to figure it out I gave up.
I've tried observing system usage while playing the game (put the Performance and Resource Monitors up on my second screen) and saw nothing abnormal. I wasn't maxed out on Physical Memory and my CPU usage wasn't hitting above 40%.
If you've read this far a little more info won't hurt. I have minimal programs running in the background (anti-virus, anti-spyware), all of my windows visual settings are minimal and I increased my virtual memory (months ago) to 4000mb
I'm at a dead end now.
So! Cryptic, or anyone else. What suggestions might you offer to assist me in getting my game play back to normal? Thanks in advance.
Comments
The 9400 is not a great gaming card. I had a 8600 years ago then bought a 9400 gt from Fry's and it actually did less than the 8600. So I took it back to Fry's the next day and got a 9800. And you are overclocking the GPU?
http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,657567/Geforce-9400-GT-reviewed/Reviews/ And read some of the comments even though they are about a different game but the setting being low to maybe medium might hold true here. You may need to go low because Cryptic patched something and now the 9400 is struggling.