# Frame rate keeps dropping. >:-[



## Gollum999 (Mar 3, 2009)

Okay, so here's my problem: For some reason, when I play games on my laptop, they lag like crazy every 20-40 seconds. Not internet lag, but rather a drop in FPS. For example, I usually get about 20-30 FPS when I'm playing WoW. I'll be playing, and everything will be fine, but then it will just suddenly drop to about 3-4 FPS for about 30 seconds. Let's just say it has caused me to die more than once. :upset:

So I did a few tests. First of all, it seems to affect any games that are 3D, both single-player and online. (Although it doesn't seem to happen in any other 3D applications.) It also seems to happen much more often the longer I play; after a few hours it is basically unplayable. (So maybe it could be a heat issue... this laptop has had problems with that before.) Finally, (this is what confuses me,) it _doesn't_ lag on Ubuntu. I can play WoW using Wine, and even though there is a slight drop in FPS overall, (and the fact that sound won't play...) it doesn't have the lag spikes like Windows does.

So I'm kinda stumped. :normal: I've tried updating my video drivers, but that didn't help. I thought it could be heat, but wouldn't that affect Ubuntu as well?

This wasn't problem until about a year ago. Like I said, it had some heat problems, I ended up having to replace the graphics card. And that's when this started happening. :/

I dunno. :sigh: It's basically making my games unplayable, so any help would be awesome. Thanks. 

Dell Inspiron 1420
Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit // Ubuntu 10.04
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz
3.0 GB RAM
NVidia GeForce 8400M GS


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## Oliver1799 (May 3, 2010)

I just resurrected a thread detailing the same problem as you have. See my post in this thread:

http://www.techsupportforum.com/f59/major-intermittent-slowdown-140868.html#post2711198

It seems like we all have laptops. Maybe the cpu capacity drop has something to do with the battery...? Or some other aspect of laptops that desktops don't have...?


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## Zealex (Nov 30, 2008)

It could possibly be a head issue,

Download *SIW*(download the 'SIW Without Installer (English-Only)') and go to hardware then sensors.

Take your temperatures while idle, then while in-game for around 10 minutes, make sure to minimize the game, as closing it will decrease the temperatures by 10 degrees giving us incorrect readings.. I need your temperatures for all your components.


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## Gollum999 (Mar 3, 2009)

Here are my idle temps:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y165/Gollum999/temps1.png

And here are my temps after about 10 minutes:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y165/Gollum999/temps2.png


Yeah, I never realized how hot it was getting. Also, I think those temps are rather interesting... I _never_ got anything that high before I got my graphics card replaced... the old one peaked at maybe 85°C.

I already have a laptop cooler, though. :/ Obviously it's not helping too much. 

And again... why is Ubuntu not affected? Maybe Windows deals with the temperatures differently? (i.e. throttling the CPU speed to prevent damage, maybe?)


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## Zealex (Nov 30, 2008)

Hardware shutting down is in the hardware, not the OS. I think Ubuntu uses less system resources. Anyways, your temperatures while idle and too high and while gaming, are dangerosuly high. I recommend you dust your computer with a can of compressed air, whens the last time you cleaned your computer?


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## Gollum999 (Mar 3, 2009)

Zealex said:


> Hardware shutting down is in the hardware, not the OS. I think Ubuntu uses less system resources.


Yeah, that makes sense. 



Zealex said:


> Anyways, your temperatures while idle and too high and while gaming, are dangerosuly high. I recommend you dust your computer with a can of compressed air, whens the last time you cleaned your computer?


Umm... Last month I think. (Didn't really help the lag at all.  ) I'll do it again, though.


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## Zealex (Nov 30, 2008)

Okay, let me know how that goes and we shall proceed from there.


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## Gollum999 (Mar 3, 2009)

Okay, got all the dust out (although there wasn't much).

Idle temps
After about 10 minutes

Yeah, no difference really. Like I said, there wasn't much dust.

Also, I've found out that the lag DOES happen on Ubuntu, just _much_ less often. Happened two or three times in about an hour of gaming.


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## Zealex (Nov 30, 2008)

Wow those temperatures are really high. Maybe it isn't a dust issue, but there is something making your hardware extremely hot. What was the old GPU in the laptop? Are you running the laptop in a hot area?


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## Gollum999 (Mar 3, 2009)

My old GPU was the same as the one I have now: NVidia GeForce 8400M GS.

My laptop is in my room... one of the warmer rooms of the house, but certainly not a "hot area".


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## Zealex (Nov 30, 2008)

I'm scratching my head at this one, usually the other area I would look at is your PSU however laptop's do not have PSUs. Is there anything blocking the vents? When you dusted your laptop, did you just dust the vents or did you actually dust the inside by taking the cover off?


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## Gollum999 (Mar 3, 2009)

Nope, nothing blocking the vents...
And yeah, when I cleaned out the dust I opened up part of the cover... not the whole thing, just enough to reach most of the inside areas.


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## Elvenleader3 (Jan 1, 2010)

Have you tried using a laptop cooler?

Grrr. Missed some posts.I meant what kind.....


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## Zealex (Nov 30, 2008)

What is the temperature of the room? Again, I'm stumped. I think I have an idea, but I want to get some second thoughts. While I am absent, let us know if anything new pops up.


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## Elvenleader3 (Jan 1, 2010)

You've made sure your vents are working? This happens to me sometimes. What type of surface to you keep it on?I like to keep mine on wood or anything that won't gather heat like carpets,sheets and blankets.


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## icebelowzero (Jun 22, 2009)

The only other thing I can think of is the thermal paste needs reapplying.
Also, just to clarify you started having this problem after you got the new graphic card?


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## Elvenleader3 (Jan 1, 2010)

Yeah we were discussing that. Using that idea after we ruled everything else out.


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## Zealex (Nov 30, 2008)

icebelowzero said:


> The only other thing I can think of is the thermal paste needs reapplying.


 I can't think of any other reason besides that. He did get this issue after installing his new GPU. So I guess, I agree on that. 



Gollum999 said:


> This wasn't problem until about a year ago. Like I said, it had some heat problems, I ended up having to replace the graphics card. And that's when this started happening. :/


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