Weird lag/latency!

Details: Basically about every 5 - 10 seconds I get a lag that lasts roughly the same amount of time and I have no idea whats been causing it! Like if i'm running and the lag 'occurs' then I'll continue running in that direction and won't be able to press any other keys until the lag subsides.

Even if I'm moving the camera it will stick when the lag occurs and keeps spinning in the direction it was being move in.

My send/receive is roughly around 50 so again this only adds to the confusion. I did notice it started to happen since the last patch so I'm not sure if that might be whats causing it.

I've attempted to upgrade my drivers, reinstalling FFXIV, resetting my router and tried turning off my firewall but nothing seems to work.

Frequency: Always
Platform: Windows PC
PC Manufacturer & Model Number: Dell XPS 630i
OS: Windows Vista 32 Bit
Graphics Card: Nvidia Geforce GTS 450
ISP: Virgin Media
Type of Internet Connection:Cable

Go onto task manager in windows and see how much memory/processor is being taken up while your computer is idle, then find out what it is that's taking up so much (if there is anything). The cause of the lag may just be something else running in the background

Thanks for the suggestion! One thing I've noticed is that, idly, when I've got FFXIV running my CPU is about 20 - 30 % Usage but when this 'lag' occurs it spikes up to 40 - 70 % then drops back down when it subsides. - This was at the character select screen

While in game & running around my CPU usage goes around 50 - 60% but again when this lag occurs it shoots up to 70 - 98% then drops back down again.

As for the memory there isn't anything significant that is 'hogging' the memory.

Most common cause of stuttering in this game seems to be HDD read/write. The good news is that a good HDD, after initial loading, will minimize the issue. Bad news is, its an HDD, so there's not much to be done. Just the same, some things can be done. Good news again, its not -always- HDD, so give us more info, we might be able to help.

In the FF14 config tool, there is an option for copying your computer specs. Use that, post 'em here. Also, please give us an overview of what settings you have FF14 set to (give us all the settings!)

The fact that you're not peaking out on your proc is generally a good sign; it likely means your GPU is doing what it is supposed to be doing; the bulk of the processing.

Alrighty! Here goes ... prepare for lots of text!



-=-=-=-=-=-=- System Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

Operating System Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition Service Pack 2 32bit (build 6002)
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
Number of Processors Logical Core Count 4 Physical Core Count 4
BIOS Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Language English (Regional Setting: English)
Physical Memory 3324.570MB
Virtual Memory 2047.875MB
Page File 6867.953MB
Storage C:\ Hard Disk Drive Total Disk Space 921.442GB Free Disk Space 213.927GB
Storage D:\ Hard Disk Drive Total Disk Space 10.000GB Free Disk Space 5.092GB
DirectX Version DirectX 11
Graphic Device(s) NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
+Device \\.\DISPLAY1
+Chip GeForce GTS 450
+Maker NVIDIA
+Video Memory 993.438 MB
+Shared Video Memory 1406.688 MB
+DAC Type Integrated RAMDAC
+Display Mode 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)
+Driver nvd3dum.dll,nvwgf2um.dll,nvwgf2um.dll
+Driver Version 8.17.0012.7533
+Driver Date 25/05/2011 08:24:42
+Driver Language English
+Vertex Shader 3.0
+Pixel Shader 3.0
+Vertex Texture Supported
Sound Device(s) Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
+Device ID {E54D3F23-B26B-4AA9-B37A-9F6BE7D1A539}
+Device Name RTKVHDA.sys
+Driver Version 6.00.0001.5506
+Driver Language English
+Driver Date 15/01/2008 12:00:36
Sound Device(s) Realtek Digital Output(RCA) (Realtek High Definition Audio)
+Device ID {21885809-FC55-46A0-B6B8-C41C03B8BC8A}
+Device Name RTKVHDA.sys
+Driver Version 6.00.0001.5506
+Driver Language English
+Driver Date 15/01/2008 12:00:36
Sound Device(s) Realtek HDMI Output (Realtek High Definition Audio)
+Device ID {C9B24E83-090D-4A6E-8993-63523D6EC690}
+Device Name RTKVHDA.sys
+Driver Version 6.00.0001.5506
+Driver Language English
+Driver Date 15/01/2008 12:00:36

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-




FFXIV Settings!

-Network-
UPnP Port Mapping: Automatic

-Video Setiings-
Display Mode: Windowed
Window Size: 1600 x 1024
Multisampling: No AA
General Drawing Quality: 8
Background Drawing Quality: 5
Shadow Detail: Standard

-Graphic-
Ambient Occlusion: Off
Depth of Field: Off
Disable Cutscene effects: Off
Enable hardware mouse cursor: On
Texture Quality: High
Texture Filtering Highest

-Sound-
Disable Sound Device:Off
Play sound when application is in background: Off

Font Settings: Not being used!

Well, I see two things that are really holding ya back.

• Windows Vista {32bit}
• Only 3GB of RAM {unless you have more, and aren't using it due to Vista being run in 32bit mode, you need to be running 64bit or all you have access to is 3.2gb of RAM}

Vista was never great for gaming, its eats up a ton of resources, putting a lot of stress on your PC overall, and it takes as much as 2gb of RAM to keep it running steady. Leaving you with only 1gb for your gaming and other applications. If you can afford Win7, or can get a copy from a friend or whatever means, do so...immediately! It runs amazing well, far better optimized for gaming.

I know someone will counter me on this, and say you really don't need more RAM than what you have, but in all honesty you do, especially if you want a smoother gaming experience. If ya don't know how RAM works, in the most basic form, its mainly just temporary data storage from your HDD, where your CPU and GPU pull data from. However if you don't have enough RAM to hold all the data you currently need then this is where a majority of slowdown and lag can spawn from.

Your RAM has to constantly keep communicating with your HDD, erasing data its not using expressly at that moment and swapping it with data that it needs. Then say you run into a new zone or another player with a set of armor that isn't loaded into your RAM...once again your RAM has to make room for this new data by swapping out stuff its not using for what it needs right away.

Anyway, what I'm getting at, the more RAM you have, the more temporary data you can have stored, immediately accessible by your CPU/GPU without the need to swap data constantly. Data stored in your RAM is also always there until you reset or turn your PC off.

{yeah sorry about the not-so-proper-technical ver....all those terms get jumbled around I forget them most times, but I know how it all works...LOL}


Anywho, as I said upgrade to Win7, and get yourself some more RAM...its super cheap right now and I bet that will help solve your problem, not completely, but by a great deal. I recommend you get 6-8gb of RAM...you can never have too much.

3GB RAM on a non-trichannel mainboard is actually disastrous for the performance. You need the same type RAM-module in each channel for dual channel to work correctly. If you actually have 4GB of RAM but it only shows 3GB you can enable PAE by entering "BCDEdit /set PAE forceenable" in cmd. This is a feature originally intended for server-usage. So use at your own risk xD

More RAM would be lovely! lol but what I find odd is, I should of mentioned this earlier, I've played this since Beta/Launch + quite awhile after that, back then I never ran into this issue and my hardware hasn't changed since.

With this lag it doesn't feel like its hardware related, despite the CPU spikes, I'm probabaly compeletly wrong but the lag doesn't feel that way, the game runs smoothly when this lag occurs, its not like the screen freezes for 5 seconds or the FPS drops.

But yeah I would love a 64 bit system! :)

Hmmm. So, in my documents folder, in your games folder, there should be a folder for Final Fantasy 14. Inside that should be a bunch of stuff. Take it all out, and stick it in a folder on your desktop. Then, move ONLY the user folder back in. See if that helps.

!!

Oh wow, thank you Originalkitsune! The problems completely gone now! I wonder what it was that was causing it ... and my config has magically become Japanese! oh well, I can guess the settings :) Thank you again

i was having this chop like lag effect also and my alien ware is 6 months old. has to be game side. if its not better after 1.18 ill try moving the files like you commented.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Domina

!!

Oh wow, thank you Originalkitsune! The problems completely gone now! I wonder what it was that was causing it ... and my config has magically become Japanese! oh well, I can guess the settings :) Thank you again

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Glad to help.

I wish I had known that one day ago, Original. I had the same problem as the OP, and I just resorted to a full reinstall. It worked, but I will keep your method in mind if it occurs again!

On about a weekly basis I clean out that folder, keeping only my user settings (cause I have a highly customized play screen; I don't think anything is in its original place). If you don't customize anything and don't use macros, you don't even need to keep that much.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by origamikitsune

Hmmm. So, in my documents folder, in your games folder, there should be a folder for Final Fantasy 14. Inside that should be a bunch of stuff. Take it all out, and stick it in a folder on your desktop. Then, move ONLY the user folder back in. See if that helps.

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Didn't want to necro this thread, but you just made my day with this. Had issues even accessing the files inside that folder, and after scrapping everything but my user folder and redoing the configuration for the game, everything is right again. I've been annoyed by this problem for weeks now right after a format, so I can't thank you enough for the tip.

Just thought I'd give my thanks as well! I've been struggling with this stuttering issue for the past several weeks and that worked like a charm. :D

I'm having a strange issue with my cool down timers...they seem to finish the cool down, and then add an additional 5-15sec on after, and then a 1-2 sec cool down after...that is 3 separate cool downs! >.< I will have to try this fix and see if it helps.