All games lag...after a while.

[pickles]

So, since about 2 months ago I've been having this slight problem. It originally started while I was playing Minecraft. I would be playing for an amount of time (it was different) and then at some point, my frame rate would drop. It would only fix itself if I closed the game and then reopen it after about 20 minutes. It was annoying, but I lived with it until I started up CS:S for the first time in months. The same thing happened.

Does anyone know why this is happening? My case feels hot when it starts to lag so could it be overheating?

Thanks and any help would be appreciated.

 

[Asuryan]

Maybe overheating are all of your fans working properly?

 

[Ph?bus]

It could be overheating.

Can you post what your specs are? Speccy is a great program.

Also, can you get HWMonitor, and open it before you play the game. Leave it running, then when it starts to lag and you leave the game, take a screenshot.

 

[PewPewBangBang]

sounds like overheating and then throttling.......open up your PC and clean out the fans/heatsinks on your cpu/gpu? Especially if you haven't done that in a while or ever.

 

[pickles]

Yeah I've never seriously went in and cleaned everthing. I'll try the suggestions here when I get home.

EDIT:

Fired up CS:S for a bit, it wasn't lagging, but I just had a look at Speccy and from the looks of the red, I don't think my card should be at 90C. Going to do some extra good cleaning right now, see if that helps.

EDIT 2:

Cleaning it out as best I could, fired up Speccy with no games running in the background and it's still idling at ~63C. That seems kind of high to be as I am just idling. Any suggestions, or is 63C a decent idle temp?

EDIT 3:

Started up CS:S, did the same as above. Temp hit 90C, so I shut it down due to fear of breaking it.

 

[zetas]

If there is any way you can up the fan speed on your GPU (via CCC maybe?), you should do it.
ATI/AMD GPUs don't like temperatures over 80 degrees (causes choppy and glitchy gfx) and has, in general, a max temperature of 110C meaning it will most likely fry at that temperature.
Optionally you can get an aftermarket GPU cooler, though there are few of those available.
Or if you're really desperate, get a new GPU.

Also, do you have a 5750 or 5770 and is it from XFX, HIS, Sapphire or any like that?

 

[pickles]

Yeah I have a 5770. Already upped the fan speed to 50%, should I go higher?

 

[I'm your huckleberry]

Download HWMonitor as phobus suggested and make sure you are getting similar results. That program will also give you your max temperature since starting the program so you know what it was during gaming. But those temps sound high, especially for an idle. I know the 5000 series was not extremely cool though.

 

[pickles]

Download HWMonitor as phobus suggested and make sure you are getting similar results. That program will also give you your max temperature since starting the program so you know what it was during gaming. But those temps sound high, especially for an idle. I know the 5000 series was not extremely cool though.

Sorry I didn't mention anything about that, I actually did download and run HWMonitor alongside Speccy and I indeed did get the same results.

 

[I'm your huckleberry]

Are you in warranty?

 

[pickles]

Are you in warranty?

Doubt it, had this since Dec '08.

EDIT: Checked, nope. Also, a little update, got up to around 92C while playing Minecraft.

 

[Ph?bus]

What does your case's airflow look like?

(intake & exhaust fans, and what case?)

And you've cleaned the fans recently?

 

[pickles]

What does your case's airflow look like?

(intake & exhaust fans, and what case?)

And you've cleaned the fans recently?

I'm not sure what case I have, but I found that the fan on my card isn't spinning, so there the problem. Sent an email to AMD asking what I should do, but I assume that I'll have to get a replacement fan and heatsink. Thanks for everyones help, but it was just me not checking every fan.

 

[I'm your huckleberry]

lol. I assumed you could hear the jet engine of the card at 50% as those things are monstrosities when it comes to noise. I remember playing with my 5870s fan speed. May be more cost effective to upgrade to a new card depending on what you can get a new hsf for.

 

[Too Twitchy]

Future Reference check out: http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1169 . I am running two of these vantec tornado case fans and is plenty enough for any job. If you are worried about Liquid cooling maintenance or leaks these fans are inexpensive and dang well over perform for cooling all components. Worth a shot. They are really powerful, so powerful i was scared the airflow would totally inhibit my cpu fan =D .