Suffering with low frame rates?

The Yeti

EGO Is My Life!
Level 4
Joined
Mar 25, 2009
Messages
4,080
By request I am posting a thread providing directions for lowering one's direct x levels. Obviously the best way to increase your frame rate is to upgrade your hardware; however, that's expensive. So, I would also recommend ensuring that your drivers are up to date. If you're still having trouble, and you really don't care about graphics, you just want to play the game, follow these instructions...

First, to check your frame rates....

While in game open console and type "net_graph 1" The "FPS" should never go lower than 25. (At the VERY least.) If you are steady at 30-40fps you may still want to follow these directions.

1>Open your main steam interface

2>Library

3>Right click the game of your choice (must be source, or a source-based mod.)

4>Properties

5>Set Launch Options

5.1>You may get a pop up window warning that this is for advanced users. Pretend you are an "advanced user." (Unless you all ready are an advanced user.)

6>Type "-dxlevel 81"

7>Launch the game

8>Close the game (when you reach the main menu)

9>Repeat steps 1-5

10>Delete "-dxlevel 81"

11>Launch Game

12>Options

13>Video

13.1>You may want to adjust your resolution, it will take some trial and error, but generally your monitor's native resolution and/or 800x600 will be the least stressful on your computer.

14>Advanced

15>Set everything to the lowest setting

Notes:
Having trouble with the grass in RnL?

Type this in console...

cl_detaildist 250 (this is a minimum value!)

.cfg files which adjust for performance help as well, but it won't do miracles.

Mr. Dude doesn't need to pretend that he is an advanced user, as he IS an advanced user.

Submitted by Cruel Device:

Another way to lower your dxlevel would be adding a line in a .cfg (autoexec.cfg or userconfig.cfg, for example)
"mat_dxlevel 81" (without the quotes)
Submitted by DrunkenFetus:

When i join a server, i always check sv_maxrate, sv_maxupdaterate and sv_maxcmdrate to know what the server's tick is.

For example,
The server you want to play in has the following settings:
CODE
sv_maxrate "30000"
sv_maxupdaterate "100"
sv_maxcmdrate "100"

Which means the server has 100 Tick
Therefore, i adjust my client settings to match server's:
CODE
rate 30000
cl_updaterate 101
cl_cmdrate 101

http://edgegamers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=139225
 
Last edited:
Nice how-to, Yeti!

however, you don't need to remove the '-dxlevel 81'.

The first time you start a game with that parameter, the game's directX level is changed, and this setting lasts until changed.
However, subsequent starts with that parameter have not effect...

Another way to lower your dxlevel would be adding a line in a .cfg (autoexec.cfg or userconfig.cfg, for example)
"mat_dxlevel 81" (without the quotes)
 
Thanks Cruel.

Yes, however, when launching with "-dxlevel 81" in your launch options your video settings will reset to their defaults. By removing this you won't have to set all your details on low every time you start up. At least, that's how it works on my laptop and desktop. If it works differently on yours please let me know, and I'll add a note regarding it.

Also, thanks for the addition to the OP.

What do you mean Ledzo? I think you're referring to the step where I say "repeat steps 1-5." By that I don't mean, open the game five times, I mean go back to your launch options.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Cruel.

Yes, however, when launching with "-dxlevel 81" in your launch options your video settings will reset to their defaults. By removing this you won't have to set all your details on low every time you start up. At least, that's how it works on my laptop and desktop. If it works differently on yours please let me know, and I'll add a note regarding it.
I gotta check this. I never changed the settings. I'll let you know how it worked out and if there's a difference config vs. startup-param.
 
When i join a server, i always check sv_maxrate, sv_maxupdaterate and sv_maxcmdrate to know what the server's tick is.

For example,
The server you want to play in has the following settings:
CODE
sv_maxrate "30000"
sv_maxupdaterate "100"
sv_maxcmdrate "100"

Which means the server has 100 Tick
Therefore, i adjust my client settings to match server's:
CODE
rate 30000
cl_updaterate 101
cl_cmdrate 101
 
Thanks for bringing it back from the dead burt! Good information for anyone who missed it.
 
:) All contributions will continue to be added to the original post for ease of access purposes. I have unstable tweeks that I will add once I get back to Colorado. These will of course have a disclaimer, they cause no lasting effects, but some of them crash some of my games back to steam while others have said they worked fine on their computers. Anyway, more info in a week from me.
 
I found this stuff for firearms

//fps savers
rope_smooth 0 // _disables antialiasing on ropes_
rope_subdiv 0
rope_wind_dist 0 // _disables wind effects on ropes_
cl_ragdoll_physics_enable 1 // _disables dead animations and bodies_
cl_show_splashes 0 // _disables splashes when in water_
cl_ejectbrass 0 // _disables shells flying out of guns_

//A|RBORNE's config

jpeg_quality 100
cl_deathicon_bg_alpha 3
cl_deathicon_height 15
cl_deathicon_width 15


//cpl rates + netcode settings

rate 50000
cl_cmdrate 80
cl_updaterate 80
cl_lagcomp_errorcheck 1
cl_lagcompensation 1
cl_interp 0.1
cl_interp_ratio 0
cl_smooth 0
cl_smoothtime 0.01
cl_interp_ratio 0
cl_interp_all 0
setinfo cl_interpolate 0
cl_cmdbackup 2
cl_interpolate 0
cl_pred_optimize 2
cl_predictweapons 1

/ _Set graphics settings_
// _adjusts graphics settings to boost framerate_

cl_downloadfilter nosounds
cl_ragdoll_collide 0
cl_ejectbrass 0 // _disables shells flying out of guns_
cl_forcepreload 1
cl_ragdoll_physics_enable 1 // _disables dead animations and bodies_
cl_muzzleflash_dlight_3rd 1 //Disables 3rd person muzzle flashes lighting up surrounding area
cl_muzzleflash_dlight_1st 0 //Disables 1st person muzzle flashes lighting up surrounding area
cl_show_splashes 0 // _disables splashes when in water_
cl_smooth 0 //Disables smoothing views after prediction errors
commentary 0 //Disables map commentary
dsp_enhance_stereo 0 //Disable stereo effect sound enhancing
dsp_slow_cpu 0 //For systems with slower CPU's: Reduces quality of dsp effects
mat_antialias 0 //Disables AA
mat_bumpmap 0 //Disables Bump Mapping
mat_bloomscale 0 //Disables bloom effect
mat_bufferprimitives 1 //Buffer primitive objects
mat_clipz 0
mat_fastnobump 1 // _faster bump mapping_
mat_fastspecular 1 // _fast specular lighting_
mat_mipmaptextures 1 // _texture quality decreases with distance_
mat_hdr_enabled 0 //Disables HDR
mat_picmip 1 // _lower texture quality--set between 0 and 2_
mat_compressedtextures 1
mat_specular 0 // _disables specular lighting_
mat_reducefillrate 1 // _reduces shader fill rate_
mat_forcemanagedtextureintohardware 1
mat_trilinear 0 // _disables trilinear filtering_
mat_wateroverlaysize 16 // _lowers water quality_
mat_vsync 0 // _disables vertical synchronization_
mat_queue_mode 2 //increase FPS with multiple core systems some ***** how.
r_avglight 0 // _disables average lighting_
r_cheapwaterend 1 // _worse water rendering_
r_cheapwaterstart 1 // _worse water rendering_
r_decal_cullsize 2 // _lower texture quality at distance_
r_drawdetailprops 1 // _disables detail props_
r_decals 0 // _disables player sprays_
r_drawmodeldecals 0 // _disables decals on models_
r_dynamic 0
r_eyes 0 // _removes eyes from player models_
r_lod 3 // _adjusts model quality--set between -5 and 5_
rope_smooth 0 //Disables Anti-Aliasing effect on ropes
r_rootlod 2 // _lower overall game detail level_
r_shadows 1 //Enable shadows
r_teeth 0 // _removes teeth from player models_
r_waterforceexpensive 0 // _disables high-quality water_
r_lightaverage 0 // _disables average lighting_
r_phong 0
props_break_max_pieces 0

// _Set processing settings_
// _transfers load from GPU to CPU to boost performance
r_mmx 1
r_3dnow 1
r_sse 1
r_sse2 1


// Violence Settings
// Increases blood to help you see hits better

violence_ablood 1
violence_agibs 1
violence_hblood 1
violence_hgibs 1



//new fps config stuff

r_eyeglintlodpixels 0
r_eyegloss 0
r_eyemove 0
r_eyeshift_x 0
r_eyeshift_y 0
r_eyeshift_z 0
r_eyesize 0
r_renderoverlayfragment 0
r_worldlightmin 0
r_worldlights 0
r_3dsky 0
sv_forcepreload 1
mp_decals 50 // _how many bullets etc will be shown_
r_occlusion 0 // _disables occlusion--lowers image quality but gains FPS_
r_drawflecks 0 // _disables bullet impacts
r_renderoverlayfragment 0
rope_averagelight 0 // _disables average lighting on ropes_
rope_smooth 0 // _disables antialiasing on ropes_
rope_subdiv 0
rope_wind_dist 0 // _disables wind effects on ropes_
hud_centerid 1 // _centers player IDs
net_graph 0
net_graphpos 0

http://www.sunlitgames.net/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=6774
 
Drunken you know you can add those to the autoexec.cfg and then everytime you run the game it does that all for you. Or maybe copy those and make a script call one rate1 and rate2 and when you want to change it go to console after making the script(easy just copy the code into notepad and save it in steamapps/accname/game/hl2 and save it as a cfg file.) go to console and type exec rate1 or exec rate2 and it would do that all for you without typing it all in.
 
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