Lag Before Sounds

bioshockbioshock Join Date: 2003-05-20 Member: 16538Members
edited January 2004 in Tech Support
Ok. I've had this problem in all Half-life mods. I don't know if this forums is for NS-only tech support, if it is, I'm sorry.

When I'm playing NS/half-life my computer will often freeze for 2-3 seconds. I've noticed that this happens a LOT before certain sounds are played, some of these sounds being: skulk bite or death sounds, "Proceed to waypoint", or "all done" after you complete building a structure. I'm not sure if it's ONLY before sounds or played or not, but it seems to play a big part in it...

My computer specs:

Dell Inspiron 4100 laptop

video card: geforce2go, 32megs vram
sound card: crystal audio, not sure of specifics
cpu: PIII 1200mhz
ram: 512megs not sure of type
also have an orinoco gold wireless PCMCIA card in it, but I don't think that has anything to do with it. The display is a 14" LCD (I think 14) that does 1600x1200.

[edit: holy crap my avatar is huge now]
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Comments

  • bioshockbioshock Join Date: 2003-05-20 Member: 16538Members
    bump?
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  • SiliconSilicon Join Date: 2003-02-18 Member: 13683Members
    try making sure all background programs are shutdown (i.e. virus stuff, etc) your resolution can't be 1600x1200 in-game with that video card because I don't think it'd be able to handle it, try 1024x768 at the most. Also wireless cards that keep trying to 'find wireless networks' by scanning channels and frequencies repeatedly WILL cause hangups, it's best to disable the wifi card if it's not being used. (mine does freeze my laptop randomly if it can't find a wifi network to connect to)
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  • bioshockbioshock Join Date: 2003-05-20 Member: 16538Members
    edited February 2004
    <!--QuoteBegin-Silicon+Feb 1 2004, 07:55 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Silicon @ Feb 1 2004, 07:55 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> try making sure all background programs are shutdown (i.e. virus stuff, etc) your resolution can't be 1600x1200 in-game with that video card because I don't think it'd be able to handle it, try 1024x768 at the most. Also wireless cards that keep trying to 'find wireless networks' by scanning channels and frequencies repeatedly WILL cause hangups, it's best to disable the wifi card if it's not being used. (mine does freeze my laptop randomly if it can't find a wifi network to connect to) <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    My desktop res is 1600x1200, I run 1024x768 ingame, background programs are off, and my wireless card isn't scanning for networks (it's just in a direct link to another about 6 feet away).

    [edt: Just tried doing "nosound 1" in game. It stopped the freezing, did nosound 0 and it started again... so this is related to sounds loading ingame. Happens in both steam and normal HL]
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  • SiliconSilicon Join Date: 2003-02-18 Member: 13683Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-bioshock+Feb 1 2004, 08:09 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (bioshock @ Feb 1 2004, 08:09 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-Silicon+Feb 1 2004, 07:55 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Silicon @ Feb 1 2004, 07:55 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> try making sure all background programs are shutdown (i.e. virus stuff, etc) your resolution can't be 1600x1200 in-game with that video card because I don't think it'd be able to handle it, try 1024x768 at the most. Also wireless cards that keep trying to 'find wireless networks' by scanning channels and frequencies repeatedly WILL cause hangups, it's best to disable the wifi card if it's not being used. (mine does freeze my laptop randomly if it can't find a wifi network to connect to) <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    My desktop res is 1600x1200, I run 1024x768 ingame, background programs are off, and my wireless card isn't scanning for networks (it's just in a direct link to another about 6 feet away).

    [edt: Just tried doing "nosound 1" in game. It stopped the freezing, did nosound 0 and it started again... so this is related to sounds loading ingame. Happens in both steam and normal HL] <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    try enabling or disabling EAX or A3D.
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  • ZiGGYZiGGY Join Date: 2003-01-19 Member: 12479Members
    I think I get the same thing and have never been able to solve the problem. Infact after spending time looking for such a thread since october (I replied to an irrelevent thread at the time) I was just about to post the same question.

    Specs:

    Win 98
    SB PCI 128
    RADEON 9000 PRO+ 128MB
    Athlon 2000+ XP
    256mb SDRAM
    K7S5A Motherboard
    USB PAckard Bell Optical Mouse (020013364)
    DirectX v9.0b
    Latest Catalysts (4.1 I believe)
    Latest SB PCI 128 drivers
    Latest Motherboard AGP drivers

    I have NO programs running in the background. My game will freeze up for 1 or 2 seconds, most of the time without any sound what-so-ever though on occasion with repeating sound. It seems significantly more noticable when attacking players (marine or skulk going towards the enemy) but is not exclusive to this situation, I have tried playing from the in game browser, console, ASE, steam and all still result in the same problem. In the few LAN games I tried I havent noticed it though this far from means it hasnt happened or wont happen.

    I have done several scans for spyware & viruses all of which are clean, I have tried reinstalling 4 times, I have briefly checked the sierra webpage for info regarding this and left empty handed. I have tried defragging, formatting, reinstalling directX, windows, drivers, changing pci slots of cards, cahnging mice. To no avail, surprisingly I havent checked for an irq conflict yet, might do that now.

    Help please!
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  • bioshockbioshock Join Date: 2003-05-20 Member: 16538Members
    Ziggy, if you do nosound 1 in console, and play for a bit and don't see any of the freezing, then it's the same exact thing as me.
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  • ZiGGYZiGGY Join Date: 2003-01-19 Member: 12479Members
    Ill give it a bash, though I doubt well get any help :/
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  • ZiGGYZiGGY Join Date: 2003-01-19 Member: 12479Members
    Ok so: my radeon and my sound blaster share the same irq, not sure of the relevence there.

    Heres the thing: I recently downloaded and ran the cache booster recommended in the fps boosting thread, setting the thing to "gaming" resulted in much more frequent lock ups than before though restoring defaults and/or uninstalling it has not alleiviated this problem. Lowering the sound quality in my multimedia options menu has produced no noticable changes other than crappier sound. This problem is so bad now that it is almost guaranteed that I will lock up whilst trying to attack someone when blinking at them, the resulting freeze (which seems to have gained a second in length) means that before I can even see a new frame on my screen I am dead.

    I NEED HELP! ARRRGH
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  • ZiGGYZiGGY Join Date: 2003-01-19 Member: 12479Members
    it almost always happens when im about to or do get digested and can last a long time (though this may just merely be the cause of me getting digested)
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  • ZiGGYZiGGY Join Date: 2003-01-19 Member: 12479Members
    Everyday I wish for a way to get someone to help me <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
    Ive asked my friensd who are much better with computers than me, I recently replaces the RAM and PSU which didnt help, Ive messed around with drivers and the bios and it doesnt help, changing resolution doesnt help. Im out of ideas that could even be vaguely related <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • SGT_MorbusSGT_Morbus Join Date: 2003-11-29 Member: 23734Members
    I also get a very similar problem on my Laptop. I've died a countless number of times as fade due to this 1-2 second lockup. When I get home from school today I will try doing nosound 1 like Bioshock suggested. The only other thing I have noticed is I get it a lot on Combat maps when a skulk pops into view really fast. I hope someone with a fix will look at this thread.
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  • SGT_MorbusSGT_Morbus Join Date: 2003-11-29 Member: 23734Members
    ^bump^
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  • kuperayekuperaye Join Date: 2003-03-14 Member: 14519Members, Constellation
    i get it too only when i comm thoug <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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