Why do games lag? Why do games slow down (even on a powerful computer)? Eliminate lags and brakes.

In today's article, we will talk to you about rather controversial topics that, on the one hand, seem incredibly simple, and on the other, not so much. We will talk on such topics as lags in games, why games lag, what to do if the game lags and other issues that concern all gamers on the PC platform in one way or another.

System requirements and lags in games

So let's get started. If you are new to PC gaming or have not delved into this rather delicate process, then you have a lot to learn and a lot to learn. To begin with, we point out that absolutely every game has its own system requirements.

If your computer does not match them, then, with a high probability, the game you have chosen will lag. So how do you get rid of lag in games? Everything is quite simple - update the configuration of the hardware component of your machine, or, in other words, upgrade your computer.

Buy more RAM, a faster processor, a more powerful video card, and you won’t have time to blink an eye, as all the lags in PC games will disappear. You may have a completely logical question: “What then to buy?”. We find it difficult to answer it, since there are so many nuances.

If you play eSports games (DOTA 2 or CS S) or something casual (platformers or puzzles), then you don’t need to buy strong hardware. But if you like to play some kind of AAA project from EA or Ubisoft, then, if you please, spend money on something productive. In general, when buying hardware, there are many things to consider: the type of games, budget, etc.

If the budget does not allow you to this moment upgrade, you can always lower your graphics settings. Yes, unpleasant, but it can definitely help you get rid of lags and brakes.

Optimization

The more powerful the hardware, the better the games will run on your computer. However, this rule does not always work, especially at present. Let's say you checked that your PC meets the stated system requirements, and indeed - you have a beast, not a machine. What's the matter then? Unfortunately, games can also lag due to the fact that the developer did not bother to try to optimize his product for various systems.

For example, let's take for consideration the relatively recent representative of the "non-optimized" caste - Batman Arkham Knight. The players who bought it, even with the presence of a powerful machine, could not calmly play it without lags, which, however, continues to this day.

In general, you need to understand the following: if you are sure that the game SHOULD work fine on your PC, but the lags are still present, then this is definitely a problem with the game itself. Although in some cases, problems with your computer can become a problem, but we will talk about this a little later.

How to reduce lags in games of this kind? Unfortunately, you have to resort to the so-called "crutches" in the form of changing the values ​​​​in the game's configuration files, lowering the graphics settings, or setting special parameters in the video card program. Well, or wait for a patch from the developers.

Lags in online games

Now let's look at a slightly different topic - lags in online games and how to get rid of them. Games that are intended wholly or partly for online "battles" may lag for other reasons than single games.

For example, if you like to play MMORPGs, then the lags there may be the result of a huge number of players on the server at the same time or in one frame. Many MMO players are aware that the game can crash in crowded places, such as shopping malls. If you have this case, then there is either nothing to be done, or you can try lowering the graphics settings.

Lags can also mean high ping, which sometimes makes it impossible to play anything. Reasons for high ping may be a slow Internet connection, the location of the server for the game, problems with the developers' server, etc. Accordingly, in order to get rid of lags in online games, you need to check your Internet connection, select a server with a lower ping (if possible), use your Internet only for playing.

However, it also happens that the problem of lags in an online game lies on the shoulders of the developers themselves and this cannot be fixed. The most recent example of developer negligence is For Honor, a game from Ubisoft. Players constantly complain to this day that For Hohor suffers from huge ping, connection drops, inability to find players, and more.

PC problems and lags

Now let's look at something more problematic. Let's say you've been playing games without lags all this time, so now you don't start to slow down. If this is the situation, then you obviously have some problems with your computer.

At best, you have problems with some software in the system, and at worst, problems with hardware components. By software problems, we mean incorrectly working video card drivers, programs that prevent your PC from working normally, heavy utilities running in the background, a cluttered operating system, and the like. Solving problems of this caliber is very simple and not difficult.

However, hardware problems are a much more serious problem. If you have lag games that did not lag before or lag weak games, then the video card, central processor, RAM bar or disk may have failed in the computer.

The most common cause of game lags, and systems in general, is overheating, which can reduce system performance. Make sure your graphics card or processor is not overheating. This is especially true if you have lags in games on a laptop.

It’s hard to give advice on the topic of computer problems, since there are a lot of components in a PC, each of them may have its own problem, etc. Unfortunately, we can only recommend that you find the source of the problem, and then start from it in your search for a solution.

Results

So, let's summarize what we have been through. How to make the game not lag:

• Make sure your system meets the recommended system requirements.
• Lower the graphic settings in the desired game.
• Perform a system upgrade by replacing old system components with newer and more productive ones.

Good afternoon to all readers of the site site. Today I will tell you the most common lags and brakes in computer games. It happens that the brakes appear simply, it would seem, out of nowhere. It wasn't there, but then it suddenly appeared. And it happens that they are right away, already at the first start. There are reasons for everything, so let's figure out why games slow down and how to help it?

So, you already have a computer and, I hope, you know its characteristics, as we will need them when searching for the causes of lags and brakes in games. If you want to buy yourself a new computer, then read the article, there you will find all the information you need to choose relevant for 2013!
We divide the possible causes into software and hardware.

Software causes of brakes in games

Let's start with the most obvious and simple thing that is advised to do everything and always - defragmenting the hard drive. The fact is that the files on the hard drive are a lot of small packages that are scattered over 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 collect all the parts of one file next to each other so that when the file is assembled, the process is faster.

You can start the operation like this: right-click on the Logical Disk in My Computer and select properties. Then, in the window that opens, go to the "Tools" tab and select the "Defragment" item. In order to find out if you need it at all, do a disk analysis first and it is likely that the operation is not even required, as you will see the following: 0% fragmented, which means that you do not need to defragment.

For example, my OS has been with me for almost 2 years, it is quite littered with all sorts of unnecessary rubbish, however, defragmentation is not required, since Windows 7 manages files quite skillfully and, in general, is smart enough, like Win8, I'm sure :)

So, we figured out the most obvious action, what's next? Let's clean up the system!
To begin with, we remove all unused programs, I am sure that you have a great many of them installed. Delete everything that you do not 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 cause of brakes in games and in general the computer as a whole is viruses. Download Microsoft's free antivirus - 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 little clarification if you suddenly use a laptop or netbook (by the way, if you are deciding which to choose between, then I can help you). Go to the control panel - Power Options, find the item performance settings: set the 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.

Weak computer - the cause of brakes in games

If you have completely cleaned and checked the system, as I described above, but the brakes are still there, then you most likely have a weak computer. Let's see if this is the case.

Open the task manager (ctrl + shift + esc or right-click on the taskbar at the bottom - task manager item) 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 the physical memory is used, or the processor load tends to 100%, then it is clear that there are not enough resources.

As an example, I took screenshots of my system in idle and under load (Performance tab), which was a running Dota 2.
Idle system:

Now under load:

Also a screen of the Processes tab:

As you can see, I have enough resources, and with a margin. 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 camera.

What worries us from the parameters of the video card, what can affect the game and what makes it 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 for yourself, it will help you monitor the parameters of the card.

See how noticeable the difference between video memory consumption and core temperature is in idle and under load.

At idle:

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 there is not enough even at the lowest settings, then only replacing the card with a new one will help.

You can also lower the settings to lower the temperature, but cleaning the video card's cooling system of dust can also help. I myself have never encountered such a situation. The game is going well, nothing slows down, when suddenly the FPS sags sharply, terrible lags begin and this lasts for several seconds or minutes, then everything is normal again, until the next sag. It was just dust. I took out the video card, cleaned it and the brakes were gone. Later, when analyzing the core temperature graphs, I noticed that because of the dust, the vidyaha heated up 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 the system clean, both in terms of programs and literally, clean your computer from dust;)

So, perhaps relatively recently you started playing on the Internet to brighten up the minutes of boring waiting and noticed that these same browser games on your laptop are slowing down. Naturally, this cannot but upset, especially if you have repeatedly updated the flash player. What to do if browser games on a laptop slow down?

It is worth considering right away that changing the browser is also unlikely to help, so it is better to postpone the installation of a dozen of the most different options.

Troubleshooting options

1. Clear cache. Temporary files can weigh a lot, fill up the disk, become outdated and eventually become a problem for the browser as a whole:

• You need to find in your history cleaning or browsing data cleaning and in the window where you can choose what exactly to clear, do not forget to check the “cache” item;
• Sometimes it will be useful to clean out the "cookies", but then all sessions will be completed and you will have to enter your login and password on the sites to enter the profiles again;
• Cleaning must be done for all time - this parameter is selected in the same box.

2.Update drivers. In this paragraph, we will talk a little about video drivers and hardware acceleration:

• If you have an old card that does not support Flash HWA, then only a replacement will help;
• Drivers updated, but everything slows down as well? Start the video or game and right-click on it - in the context menu, uncheck the "Enable hardware acceleration" checkbox.

What to do if browser games slow down on a laptop

3.A little about the built-in playback module. Some browsers, such as Chrome, use built-in plugins for playback without a Flash player, and when a video or game starts, both the built-in and the third-party come into play:

• Open the settings through the "Wrench" icon;
• Scroll down the page and open advanced settings;
• In the "Personal data" section, click on the "Content settings" button;
• Find "Plug-ins" and click on "Disable individual modules";
• Click on the "Details" item and find "Shockwave Flash";
• We are looking for a module in which there is a path /…/google/chrome/…, and disable the second one;

4.And again hardware acceleration. There are options when it is the shutdown that ultimately causes the brakes, oddly enough. Here, again, you need to open any game, right-click and vice versa, check the box next to "Enable hardware acceleration."

Games started to run quickly and run smoothly? Then we invite you to visit the section on our website with a huge number, among which everyone can find something to their liking.

At the moment, these are all possible solutions to the problem that are possible - if the brakes remain, then you have three options - problems with the game itself and you need to try to start another one, problems with the hardware and you need to check the hardware, problems with the installed OS and you need to reinstall (the last least often).

Online game performance is affected by many different factors. The text below provides a list of the main reasons for or poor gaming performance.

Connection speed

If you use a modem to connect to the internet and play online games, then you may notice a much higher ping than other players. If you have a broadband Internet connection (high-speed Internet), but the games are slowing down smoothly, then you should check the speed of your Internet.

An internet speed test will be helpful to determine if the high ping is due to your internet connection or the game server.

Server

The location of the server, its connection type and speed, as well as how many players are online on it, all this affects the gameplay. Below are a few tips to keep in mind.

• Look (ask), if all users have high ping or latency, then most likely the server itself is slow, or the number of its players (online) exceeds the allowable value for a normal game.
• Try an alternate server. Servers can be located in any part of the world, and if the one you play on is very far from you (for example, in another country, mainland), then the ping to it will be higher.
• Play the game at different times of the day. If the server is currently very busy with various events, tasks, a large flow of players, then this reduces its performance and the game may slow down. Might be worth waiting and checking back later.

Updates

Make sure you have all the latest updates for your game and for the operating system you are using. Frequently updating the game to the latest version, updating drivers and the operating system can improve the performance of both regular and online games.

More populated environment

When entering a zone with other players, the resource consumption of your computer increases due to the need to load each character and their actions. If the performance of the computer is significantly reduced when other players are on the screen, then it is worth lowering the video quality in the game settings.

How to check ping in an online game?

In many online games, you can enable a feature that will show you or 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 see the ping in their game.

How do I know if my ping is high?

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the higher the ping or latency, the worse the connection with the server. However, whether or not 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, this change is just for show and will not improve ping in any way. But, this method makes it possible to connect to a server that requires low ping.

Out of video memory

With games in general, if your computer does not have enough video memory to properly process and display the game world, the game will lag, run slowly, and lag.

In online games, lack of video memory can lead to very slow game performance and lag, as the computer will not be able to render (process) game graphics during the game.

To improve video performance, lower its quality in the "video settings" of the game.

Other reasons

Also, games can slow down or lag due to a small amount of RAM, a weak processor, viruses, bad pirated game builds, included torrent clients, file downloads, and other similar reasons.

By the way, if you like to play games in comfort and don't like to break away from them, then you might want to install a video intercom right next to the monitor. If so, you can find great models at http://neolight.in.ua/domofony/.

Computer technology is not only a successful companion when performing work tasks, but also a good basis for excellent rest. A sufficiently large number of users are actively immersed in the gameplay, downloading and installing new games, as well as taking part in their online varieties.

PC games require high system performance to run

The gaming industry is developing at a rapid pace, each time significantly improving graphics, as a result of which the characters and all objects in the game look amazingly realistic. However, such brightness, saturation entails increased requirements for computer technology. There are modern games that cannot be run on outdated technology. In addition, sometimes even a modern PC can not cope with the task, seriously upsetting users who certainly want to know why their games are slowing down on a Windows 7 computer.

The reasons why games slow down are divided into two categories: hardware and software. If the game on the computer slows down, then only after the correct category of the reason is determined, it will become clear what exactly needs to be done. There are tips, based on which you can analyze problems, identify shortcomings and eliminate them so successfully, even without having practical experience in this area.

Insufficient system resources

Each game comes with certain system requirements. If the game is purchased on a disc, then these requirements will be written on the cover. If the game is downloaded from web resources, then it is there that you can familiarize yourself with the requirements.

If the technical parameters of the computer do not meet the requirements of the game, experienced users recommend not even trying to download it, but best of all, look for something else or a previous version of the game. If you ignore such advice, the game can be downloaded, installed, but it still will not work correctly.

There are technical tricks, using which you can "overclock" the video card, bringing it closer to the desired parameters. Of course, by doing this, you can start the game, but the wizards do not recommend doing this, since the “overclocking” of the video card provokes an increase in temperature, as a result of which it can simply fail.

It sometimes happens that the system requirements seem to correspond to the gaming characteristics, but despite this, you still can’t play normally - something constantly freezes or knocks out.

During the game, PC system resources are forced to work in an enhanced mode, and sometimes just at the limit. As a result of such intense work, the video card heats up significantly. The operating system, trying to prevent the failure of the video card, may cause the PC to restart or exit the game.

Confirming overheating of the video card is easy. If the game starts, but after a short period of time it starts to lag, and then it starts to slow down significantly, then the problems are related precisely to overheating of the video card. Games especially slow down when heavy scenes begin in their script.

What to do if games that used to run normally began to slow down, and the reason is related to overheating? Even an inexperienced user can guess here: the cooling system should be improved. To do this, you can clean the fans, which can be covered with a large and dense layer of dust. Only cleaning should be done very carefully and carefully so as not to damage any boards and PC components. It is best to entrust this work to craftsmen who are able not only to carry out effective cleaning, but also to apply a new layer of thermal paste.

If the problem is not dustiness, experts recommend that gamers purchase a special laptop stand with additional cooling mechanisms.

The temperature regime of the video card is easy to track with the help of special programs that you can download on your own, but only from trusted sources.

Software reasons

In addition to hardware reasons that are closely related to the components of computer equipment, there are also software reasons due to which games slow down excessively. PC owners often strive to put on their hard drive all the programs that they have ever heard positive feedback about. This is the wrong approach, since it is desirable to install on a computer only the software that is guaranteed to be used, and not “lie” on it as a dead weight.

clutter

Another reason why games slow down can be a banal lack of resources. Quite often, users overcrowd the disk space, in connection with this, the paging file is significantly reduced. Of course, it is simply impossible to work with such a shortage of free space.

If everything was fine before, and the user enjoyed the game process, and then suddenly the games for some reason began to slow down on the computer, you won’t have to do anything complicated. It is enough to view the load level of the disk on which the game is installed, and if necessary, remove unnecessary programs, freeing up disk space.

Stuttering can accompany gameplay if Windows has to perform multiple system tasks at the same time. This happens when there are a lot of programs in the "Startup" that are rarely used by the user. It is advisable to remove such programs from "Startup" in order to facilitate the work of the PC as a whole.

It does not prevent the owner of the PC from freeing disks from temporary files that accumulate constantly and sometimes occupy a fairly decent amount. You can clear computer equipment from temporary files and viewed web pages in various ways, but it is best to install special programs that will allow you to do all this easily and quickly. One such program is CCleaner. It is comfortable to work with such a program, it allows you to clean disks from temporary files, remove programs from Startup, and also uninstall unused software.

defragmentation

It is also very useful to carry out systematic (or as needed) defragmentation of disks. This process is also quite important for any PC. To run the game, the computer has to perform multiple actions, some of which is to collect game fragments. The harder the PC is to collect such fragments, the longer the game itself will start, or it will slow down in the process.

Just like that, the user, of course, will not notice how hard the reading head has to “work” and what exactly it has to do. But most PC owners manage to notice a clear increase in the time interval between the requested actions.

Disk defragmentation is easy. Personally, the user himself will not have to do anything other than calling a special request. To do this, go to "Start", go to "All Programs", then to "Standard", "Utilities", in the list that opens, you can easily find "Disk Defragmenter". By clicking on it, a window with a service task opens, it remains to select a disk and start the defragmentation process. The operating system, during the execution of such a service task, tries to collect all the individual fragments by placing them side by side. Such careful systematization improves the performance of the PC, and also contributes to an increase in performance.

Software interference

If the game process is accompanied by interference that was previously completely unknown to the user, a possible cause may be outdated drivers responsible for the correct operation of the video card and audio card.

Explaining what to do in such cases, experts recommend reinstalling the drivers if there is a clear failure. You can also simply update such drivers using the resources of the Internet.

Experts recommend updating drivers systematically, even in cases where there are no problems when working with a PC. Computer manufacturers are constantly developing updates that make important changes that fix bugs or shortcomings in previous versions.

Games can also be slowed down by "unwanted tenants" who have penetrated the PC while browsing the Internet or downloading any files. To detect viruses that prevent the correct operation of the computer, you must use anti-virus programs with fresh keys.

So, understanding why games do not “want” to work normally, why they constantly slow down, it is better to seek advice from professionals. It is they who can easily recommend what to do and how to act, what simple or cunning tricks to apply. Actions based on useful recommendations are always accompanied by high efficiency, allow the user to not only solve the problem of slowing down games, but also gain important practical experience, climb one step higher in user skill.