Good afternoon to all readers of the site. Today I will tell you the most common causes of lags and slowdowns in computer games. It happens that brakes appear simply, seemingly out of nowhere. It wasn’t there, and then suddenly it appeared. And it happens that they are there right away, already at the first launch. There are reasons for everything, so let's figure out why games slow down and how to help?
So, you already have a computer and, I hope, you know its characteristics, since we will need them when looking for the causes of lags and slowdowns in games. If you want to buy yourself a new computer, then read the article, there you will find all the information necessary for making a choice that is relevant for 2013!
Let's divide possible reasons into software and hardware.
Software reasons for game lags
Let's start with the most obvious and simple thing that everyone is always advised to do - defragmentation hard drive. The fact is that the files on the hard drive are many small packets that are scattered across the entire surface of the disk (pancake) and in order to read the file, the reading head has to run back and forth and collect it in parts. And this takes time. When defragmenting, the operating system tries to bring all the parts of one file together next to each other so that when the file is reassembled, the process is faster.
You can start the operation like this: right-click on the Logical Drive in My Computer and select properties. Then, in the window that opens, go to the “Service” tab and select the “Run defragmentation” item. In order to find out whether you need this at all, first do a disk analysis and it is likely that the operation will not even be required, since you will see the following: 0% fragmented, this means that you do not need to defragment.
For example, I’ve already had my OS for almost 2 years, it’s quite littered with all sorts of things. unnecessary rubbish however, defragmentation is not required, since Windows 7 handles files quite skillfully and is generally smart enough, like Win8, I'm sure :)
So, we've dealt with the most obvious action, what's next? Let's clean the system!
First, let’s remove all unused programs; I’m sure you have a great many of them installed. Delete everything you don’t use, and make sure that no files remain from the programs. After that, download the CCleaner program and clean the registry.
Well, the last software reason for slowdowns in games and the computer in general is viruses. Download free antivirus from Microsoft - Security Essentials. Or any other free or paid, as you like, the main thing is to check the system. Surely there will be something. After checking your computer for viruses, I advise you to disable the antivirus, as it can consume a lot of resources even in an inactive state!
Yes, here is a small clarification, if suddenly you are using a laptop or a netbook (by the way, if you are deciding what to choose between, then I can help you). Go to the control panel - Power Options, find the performance settings item: set maximum performance, use the processor at 100%, and so on. The fact is that in order to save battery power, the hardware may not be used to its full potential.
A weak computer is the reason for slowdowns in games
If you have completely cleaned and checked the system as I described above, but there are still brakes, then you most likely have a weak computer. Let's see if this is true.
Open the task manager (ctrl + shift + esc or right-click on the taskbar at the bottom - task manager) and go to the processes tab. Here we are interested in the processes that consume the most memory and CPU time.
If you see that more than 90% of Physical memory is used, or the processor load is approaching 100%, then it is clear that there are not enough resources.
As an example, I took screenshots of my system in idle mode and under load (Performance tab), which was running Dota 2.
System idle: 
Now under load: 
Also a screenshot of the Processes tab:
As you can see, I have enough resources, with plenty to spare. But this does not mean that the game will not slow down, because not only the processor and RAM can be the problem, but also the video card! Read how to choose a good video card.
What concerns us about the parameters of the video card, what can affect the game and why it starts to slow down. First of all, due to the lack of volume for storing textures, as well as due to overheating. Download the GPU-Z utility, it will help you monitor the card parameters.
See how noticeably different video memory consumption and core temperature are between idle and under load.
During idle time: 
And now under load (Dota 2 is running): 
If you do not have enough video memory to store game textures, then you should lower the graphics settings in the game itself. You understand, if it’s not enough even at the lowest settings, then only replacing the card with a new one will help.
To lower the temperature, you can also lower the settings, but cleaning the video card cooling system from dust can also help. I myself have encountered such a situation more than once. The game is going well, nothing slows down, when suddenly the FPS drops sharply, terrible lags begin and this continues for several seconds or minutes, then everything is fine again, until the next lag. It was just a matter of dust. I took out the video card, cleaned it and the brakes went away. Later, when analyzing the core temperature graphs, I noticed that due to the dust, the Vidyakh was heating up to more than 100 degrees, which led to lags.
That seems to be all. Now you know why games slow down and how to fix it. Keep your system clean, both in terms of programs and literally, clean your computer from dust;)
The performance of an online game is affected by many different factors. The text below provides a list of the main reasons or poor gaming performance.
Connection speed
If you use a modem to connect to the Internet and play online games, you may notice a much higher ping than other players. If you have a broadband Internet connection (high-speed Internet), but games still slow down, then you should check the speed of your Internet.
Testing your internet speed will be helpful to determine if the high ping is due to your internet or the game server.
Server
The location of the server, its connection type and speed, and how many players are online on it all affect game process. Below are a few tips to consider.
- Look (ask), if all users have a high ping or latency, then most likely the server itself is slow, or the number of its players (online) exceeds what is allowed for a normal game.
- Try an alternative server. Servers can be located in any part of the world, and if the one on which you play is very far from you (for example, in another country, mainland), then the ping to it will be higher.
- Play the game in different time days. If the server is in this moment is very busy with various events, tasks, and a large flow of players, this reduces its performance and the game may slow down. It might be worth waiting and checking in later.
Updates
Make sure you have everything installed Latest updates for your game, as well as for the operating system you are using. Game updates frequently latest version, updating drivers and operating system can improve the performance of both regular and online games.
More crowded environment
When entering an area with other players, your computer's resource consumption increases due to the need to load each character and their actions. If your computer's performance decreases significantly when there are other players on the screen, then you should lower the video quality in the game settings.
How to check ping in an online game?
In many online games You can enable a function that will show you the connection delay with the game server. Unfortunately, there is no universal way to enable ping display in games. Therefore, you need to dig into the game settings (often, in the key settings), or you can ask other players how to check the ping in their game.
How can I tell if my ping is high?
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the higher the ping or latency, the worse the connection to the server. However, whether you actually have a high ping compared to other players depends on the game and the server. Some online games have colored ping/latency indicators. For example, red ping is bad (high), yellow is normal, and green is good (fast or low ping).
Is it possible to manually change the ping?
Some games allow you to manually set your ping, or you can find hacks that will change your ping. However, such a change is just for show and will in no way improve the ping. But this method makes it possible to connect to a server that requires low ping.
Insufficient video memory
With games in general, if your computer doesn't have enough video memory to properly process and display the game world, the game will stutter, run slowly, and experience lag.
In online games, a lack of video memory can lead to very low game performance and lags, since the computer will not be able to render (process) game graphics in time.
To improve video performance, reduce its quality in the game's "video settings".
Other reasons
Games can also slow down or lag due to a small amount of RAM, a weak processor, viruses, bad pirated builds of games, enabled torrent clients, downloading files and other similar reasons.
By the way, if you like to play games comfortably and don’t like to be distracted from them, then you might want to install a video intercom right next to your monitor. If so, you can find excellent models at http://neolight.in.ua/domofony/.
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Many PC users from time to time encounter the problem of their computer freezing while working, and if your computer freezes while playing, then this article will help you.
It should be understood that the technical component of many computers is not ideal, just like their software. In addition, many players use hacked pirated versions of games, which, by definition, are full of errors and shortcomings, and therefore potentially cause many problems and conflicts with the system.
If your game or your computer freezes completely, there can be quite a few reasons for this phenomenon, and we will consider the most common ones below.
Computer overheating
One of the most obvious reasons why a game freezes on a computer is overheating. The video card, which bears the main load, is the most susceptible to overheating, especially when running modern and graphically advanced games.
There are special programs that allow you to monitor the temperature of the video card, as well as the processor. With their help, you can determine critical marks, as well as highlight the optimal temperature ranges for computer operation.
In order to reduce the degree of overheating of the computer, you should thoroughly clean the system unit from dust and also replace the thermal paste.
In some cases, it will be necessary to take additional cooling measures: installing additional coolers, water cooling systems, etc.
System overload
The next most common reason is a banal overload of the computer's RAM, as well as the processor. There are many services and processes that keep Windows running smoothly and consume virtually no computer resources. But, if you are wondering why the computer freezes during the game, then the reason lies in the overload of the computer’s memory.
Obviously, the more programs are running on the computer, the less its performance becomes, and it decreases down to zero, that is, until it freezes. Programs, applications, and especially games consume a considerable share of RAM and also create a large load on the processor. If the game freezes, this means that it is better to close everything before starting it unnecessary programs or at least reduce their functionality.
This can be done manually or using the task manager.
The task manager opens by simultaneously pressing three keys CTRL + ALT + DELETE
In addition, over time, computer memory becomes clogged with fragmented files, remnants of previously deleted components, duplicates and other garbage. Periodically, using special programs or system utilities, it is necessary to clear the memory.
System requirements and hardware
Another important point is whether the computer meets the system requirements set by the game. If your computer freezes when starting a game, then most likely your computer does not meet its system requirements to one degree or another.
So, what to do if the game freezes? Of course, the most obvious solution to such a problem would be to replace your hardware. However, a simple update of PC hardware drivers, software updates, or reinstalling Windows often helps.
First of all, you need to update your video card drivers through Device Manager.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be noted that if your computer has not yet frozen in games, then such a prosperous state of the computer can be maintained by the following manipulations:
- regularly cleaning your computer from dust;
- replacing thermal paste;
- cleaning the system and computer memory;
- software and driver updates.
Following similar simple tips, you can avoid such problems as the computer freezing when starting games.
Game lovers are probably familiar with this situation when the computer freezes in games. There may be several reasons for this phenomenon.
One of the most common reasons for games freezing is overheating of the computer. To find out for sure, you need to use the Everest program, which can be easily installed by downloading from the Internet. You should check the temperature while hanging, and for different parts of the computer the critical temperature will be different meanings. If overheating is confirmed, the cooling system needs to be replaced or improved.
Any computer programs, which includes games, are imperfect and contain errors, which can lead to freezing. If only one game freezes, then the problem lies with that one: either there are errors in the program, or the game is incompatible with the hardware. If all games hang, then you need to look for the reasons in the computer or operating system.
In games, if its power is insufficient. As you know, games with complex graphics and sound are the most resource-intensive programs. To ensure high performance and not slow down, you need to choose a powerful video card and processor.
If your computer freezes, you need to turn off your workstation. To do this, go to the “Control Panel”, then to “Administration”, select the “Service” section, find “Workstation” in the list that appears, select the object and click “Stop” in the left column.
If your computer freezes when playing games, you need to improve its performance by changing the power plan. To do this, open the “Control Panel” and select “Power Options”. Typically, the default power plan is set to “Balanced,” which may not be enough for gaming. At the bottom in the right field, expand the “Additional plans” section and check the “High performance” checkbox.
Freezing during games is possible if there is insufficient RAM and a small paging file. To increase the paging file, you need to go to the “Computer” section, then select “System Properties” at the top and go to the “Advanced options” item located in the left column. A window will open in which you should find the “Performance” section, click on the “Options” button, and in the tab that appears, click on “Advanced”. A field will open asking you to change the size of the paging file. You need to enter its new value, click OK, and restart the PC.
If your computer freezes in games, it is possible that there are many “heavy” folders with music and video films on the desktop. This means that all these files take up space on system disk. It is recommended to move these folders to another location to free up the disk space.
Many users like to install and uninstall many different programs. In fact, after that, the files do not go anywhere, but remain on the computer as garbage, which must be periodically cleaned using special programs.
If your computer freezes in games, there may be too many programs added to startup that take up RAM. To remove unnecessary items from startup, you need to open the “System Configuration” window and go to the “Startup” section, where these programs are located. Next to the elements that you want to remove, you need to check the boxes and click OK. After rebooting the OS, the changes will take effect.
Another reason why games slow down can be an antivirus program, since it significantly loads the computer and takes up RAM.
If your computer freezes in games, there is a possibility of infection with viruses. To do this you need to use an antivirus program.
Typical question from a user...
Hello.
One game on my computer is slow ( Diablo III). I tried a bunch of things, but nothing helps...
The computer exceeds the minimum game specifications stated by the manufacturer several times. I reduced the graphics and performance settings in the game to a minimum - I got ~10 FPS...
Tell me why the game can slow down even on a relatively powerful PC?
Good afternoon everyone!
There is probably not a single PC user who does not play computer games! And most of them encountered brakes, lags, delays, and other incidents. So the question presented in the article is a very popular one (perhaps only the name of the game is changing).
In this article, I will look at the main reasons why games slow down and give tips on how to eliminate and fix them. By the way, I don’t claim to be the ultimate truth 😉.
And so, now closer to the topic...
IMPORTANT!
First of all, pay attention to the system requirements of the specific game that is slowing you down. If its minimum requirements (and there are also recommended ones) your computer/laptop is not satisfactory - then the reason for the brakes is obvious (that’s why I won’t dwell on system requirements in this article). True, in this case, something can be done to speed up the game (more on that below).
Eliminate lags and slowdowns in games
I will structure the article in the form of questions, to each of which I will give an answer. By going through them and checking your PC, optimizing it, you will in any case get some (at least small) performance gain.
❶ What programs are loaded on the processor? HDD, RAM and network?
The very first thing I want to start with is checking what your processor, hard drive, and RAM are loaded with. The point is that even powerful computer Brakes may appear if, in addition to the game itself, another two dozen different programs are launched on it (not to mention various conflicts).
The easiest way to find out about their loading is to use task manager . To open it, press the buttons Ctrl+Shift+Esc(or Ctrl+Alt+Del). By the way, it is highly advisable to first open the task manager, then launch the game, and when it starts to slow down, minimize it and see where the main load is going.
Note: to minimize the game, press the Alt+Tab button combination, or the Win button.
In the task manager, first pay attention to what is most loaded: CPU, memory, disk or network. In my case - the CPU was loaded (approx. : the processor, by the way, is usually loaded more often than memory or disk) .
Please note in the screenshot below - the CPU is not loaded with the Civilization IV game, but with Explorer (with five tabs open and several operations open). No wonder the computer started to slow down when starting the game...
After the work in Explorer was completed (and it was restarted), the game began to function normally, not a single lag or freeze. Here is the recipe for recovery 👍...
In addition, pay attention to HDD : often torrents (so popular lately) can put a heavy load on it.
Note: Many programs that you have already closed may remain in memory and load your PC. That is why, in cases where problems occur in games, it is advisable to always check in the task manager to see if there is any extraneous process that is heavily loading the PC.
Therefore, to summarize, I will say the following: first of all, check to see if there are any third-party programs running that are taking up the lion’s share of PC resources instead of the desired game. Having made sure that the load is created directly by the game itself, you can move on...
To help!
How to increase CPU performance through power settings (core parking, how to enable all CPU cores ✔) -
❷ Do you know about problematic graphics in some games: fire, water, shadows, etc.?
Very often the reason for the brakes lies in the game itself, for example, often the developers did not optimize the graphics, say, for a certain line of video cards. As a result, for most users everything works as it should, but for some users the game is simply unrecognizable: everything lags, slows down, the picture twitches and is distorted.
It’s quite difficult to name for each game where and what problems it has (they can tell you much more about this on some forum dedicated to a specific game).
As for Diablo III (and some other games) - in the first releases the game had a problem with NVIDIA video cards due to the parameter enabled in the driver settings AMBIENT OCLUSION (Background lighting shading). When I turned it off in the graphics settings, the game started to fly!
Pay attention to these elements like: fire, water, shadows, fog, dust, etc. If there is an option in the game to disable them (or reduce their detail) - try it! In some cases, games begin to behave completely differently.
❸ Have you used any utilities to speed up games?
No matter what anyone says about “magic buttons”, that they don’t exist, etc. - there are still utilities that can speed up your computer in a few steps, and as a result, reduce the number of errors and lags in games.
I won’t talk about them in detail here, as it will require quite a lot of space and time (especially since there is already such an article on the blog).
❹ Are your video drivers updated? Is there any conflict, are they optimal?
Very serious and significant influence Video drivers affect gaming performance.
For some video cards, choosing the optimal driver is not always easy: the newest driver may not be optimized, it may have errors, and it may not work correctly with some types of textures (but, as a rule, in new drivers, on the contrary, the number of errors tends to a minimum).
I'll give you one piece of advice: try downloading several versions of drivers for your video card. Then install one by one and check how the game works with one or another. Perhaps by installing another driver the error will disappear...
Updating Drivers in Windows 10 - 5 Review best programs(in Russian) -
How to update the driver on AMD video card, nVidia and Intel HD: from A to Z -
In addition, I also recommend going to device Manager and check whether there is a driver conflict, whether drivers have been found and installed for all equipment (if there are any yellow exclamation marks. An example of what a problematic driver looks like in the device manager is).
To open device Manager : Press a combination of buttons Win+R and enter devmgmt.msc(example below).
Pay attention to the tabs "Video adapters" And "Unknown devices" - are there any devices with yellow exclamation marks (or simply unknown devices ).
If there are any, you need to find drivers for them and install them. Then restart your PC and check how gaming performance changes.
To help!
How to find and install a driver for an unknown device -
❺ Are your video drivers set for maximum performance?
I think it’s no secret that video driver settings greatly influence game performance. Sometimes, by changing some parameters, you can increase the game by 1.5 (or more) times!
How to speed up an AMD (Radeon) video card -
How to improve NVIDIA graphics card performance in games -
How to speed up an IntelHD video card, increase performance by at least 10-15% -
❻ Does the game have low graphics settings: resolution, details, shadows, etc.?
In addition to the video card settings, there are also settings for the game itself. By the way, their influence is no less than the video card settings (and maybe more!).
Absolutely every game (99.9%) has graphics settings. When you enter them, pay attention (first of all) to the following things:
- screen resolution: has a strong impact on the quality of the picture in the game, and on the loading of your video card. By lowering the resolution a little, you can significantly increase the performance of your PC in the game. By the way, I’ll add on my own behalf that in many games the decrease in resolution will be barely noticeable, while the performance will increase significantly! So, you always need to find a balance;
- quality of graphics, visualization, video: also has a strong impact on performance. If the game is lagging, try lowering the settings from high to medium (or even low);
- landscape detail, shadows, fog, etc.: remove, or completely disable, if this is provided by the game;
- vertical sync: Try enabling/disabling. Sometimes it gives a significant increase in FPS.
What to look for when setting up game graphics // using Civilization IV as an example
❼ Does the built-in video card switch to discrete when launching games?
This question concerns computers/laptops with two video cards: built-in and discrete. The fact is that when running games, the computer must use a discrete video card for maximum performance.
But this does not always happen; often the device does not switch the video card, and you play on the built-in one. Then, even if you have a powerful gaming laptop, you may well experience lags in relatively old games!
I already have an article on my blog dedicated to this problem. I recommend checking it out.
How to run a game on a discrete video card. How to check which video card the game is running on // using NVIDIA as an example -
Game mode in Windows 10: increasing your computer's performance in games -
❽ Have you checked the temperature of the components to see if they are overheating?
Crashes and slowdowns in games may be due to overheating. The fact is that games are quite demanding programs that significantly load both the processor, the video card, and sometimes the hard drive (with intensive data loading).
Particular attention should be paid to temperature in the following cases:
- strong hum of fans/coolers;
- when the PC is unstable: reboots, brakes, freezes;
- warm body (noticeable in laptops/netbooks);
- frequent critical errors, etc.
Usually, you have to remember the temperature in warm summer when the temperature in the room rises significantly and it actually becomes hot (not only for the person, but also for the computer 😊).
To find out and monitor the temperature of the main components (CPU, video card, hard drive), I recommend using one of the utilities:.
For example, in the screenshot below I have a utility Speccy.
In general, it is difficult to say what temperature is critical (a lot depends on the specific iron). But in general, in general, if we highlight:
- processor: pay attention to the temperature if it exceeds 60 °C in games ();
- hard drive: normal hard drive temperature is considered to be in the range of 25÷43°C. If yours is higher, I recommend that you seriously worry, since leaving this zone can seriously affect the durability of your disk ();
- video card: in general, some models of video cards (for example, NVIDIA) can withstand temperatures up to 100°C (but I personally cannot call this a normal situation). When the temperature in games is above 80÷85°C, I recommend reading the recommended temperature ranges of your video card manufacturer ().
To help!
The laptop is heating up: what to do? Temperature is always high: 85°C+ -
Important!
One of the main “enemies” of computer hardware is dust. It penetrates absolutely everywhere, over time clogs the cooling system, which leads to an increase in temperature. And this, in turn, can affect the speed of the PC, as well as its service life.
To help!
Cleaning your computer from dust: monitor, system unit, keyboards -
❾ Is Windows OS optimized for maximum speed work?
It's no secret that an optimized Windows OS can work significantly faster than one that no one has worked on. Moreover, all this can also affect PC performance in games (and the number of FPS).
Just imagine: unnecessary services and programs that you never use are for some reason loaded into memory, executed, etc. All this requires spending PC resources.
Not to mention the fact that over time the system accumulates a large number of garbage: temporary files, folders, erroneous registry entries, non-working shortcuts, etc. All this needs to be cleaned and put away, and then Windows will be much more responsive, there will be fewer errors, and better performance!
Optimizing Windows 10 // to speed up your computer - (also relevant for Windows 7, 8)
❿ What power supply circuit is used for the PC? Is the power saving mode enabled?
This point applies more to laptops. The fact is that in Windows there is a power supply section where operating modes are set. There are several options among the modes: economical, optimal (or balanced), and high-performance.
By default, most often, either optimal or economical is used. The latter can generally have a very significant effect on the performance of the laptop (and not only in games).
To open the settings and select the power plan, go to Windows at: .
High performance // Power supply
If you have a laptop with Windows 10 OS, please also note that you can increase performance using the battery icon in the tray.
Also, when it comes to laptops, some manufacturers equip their devices with special software. Among this software there are modules responsible for powering the laptop: for example, some devices from LENOVO have energy saving modes.
By the way, in some cases Turbo Boost may be disabled due to power settings (resulting in the processor operating far beyond its capabilities). You can find out how to check this point and use Turbo Boost from my previous article, the link to which is given below.
To help!
What causes low performance Intel processor on a laptop. How can you speed it up (about Turbo Boost) -
I-❶ Do you have 2 hard drives? Is one of them disconnected?
If the game works and works, and then after a certain time it freezes for 0.5-1 seconds, and then works again, then this behavior is similar to turning off the hard drive. Those. Windows turned off the hard drive, and when it needed data from it and the game wanted to get it, it turned on again, and this was the time it took to get it back into operation (at the same time, if you listen closely, you can hear the disk starting to work (make noise)).
The conclusion suggests itself - you need to prohibit the hard drive from turning off during operation. By the way, this often happens when you have 2 or more hard drives in your system. Some of them are disabled when inactive.
To prevent this, Windows at: Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Power Options . Next open the link "Setting up the power plan" in the active circuit (example below)!
Next, expand the section "HDD" and put "0" in the tab "disable hard drive via" . This means that the hard drive will never turn off (which is what you want). Save your settings and try returning to the game. Will this characteristic lag disappear?
never disconnect the hard drive // Windows 10
I-❷ Is your antivirus/firewall enabled, have you tried without it?
And the last thing I wanted to dwell on in this article is viruses and antiviruses (and other security software). In some cases, antiviruses/firewalls can significantly affect performance; for example, they may be scheduled to scan your computer for viruses while you are sitting down to play. Often, in this case, the game starts to slow down.
I'll be brief here:
This is where I end the article.
ZAny additions on the topic would be greatly appreciated.