Guide to optimizing your hardware

[Skaldy]

Every PC, and the default installation of Windows, comes configured as a general purpose machine, not a gaming console. But I'm in a generous mood today, so here's my list of hardware improvements that you can try, to help your gaming experience. It's all about latency, throughout every part of your system.

DISCLAIMER: This might breathe new life into your machine, or not make any difference at all. Each item is just a suggestion and I take no responsibility for you messing up your damn machine.

Good luck!




1) Disable all unused hardware
Go into the BIOS and disable COM/LPT ports, 1394 Firewire, eSATA, and any on-board sound/network/video when a dedicated card is present.


2) Disable all unused devices
Go to Windows Device Manager, and disable USB Card readers, ATI HD Audio, as many unused USB ports as possible (e.g. all front ones), MS Kernel Debug Network Adapter.


3) Power-saving
Control Panel...Hardware&Sound...Power Options...Advanced... -> High performance
(Windows 8 only) Command Prompt ADMIN...
bcdedit /set disabledynamictick yes


4) Memory
If you have at least 4Gb memory, set swapfile to "Do not use".


5) Mouse
a) Use USB mouse capable of 500 or 1000Hz - verify rate by using freeware "mouserate" app.
b) Alter mouse sampling time in each game, to at least match that rate.

Code: Select all

.ini MouseSamplingTime=0.002

c) In Control Panel, turn off Windows mouse acceleration to get 1:1 movement. If using custom DPI for desktop display then the scaling needs fixing - google for 'MarkC_Windows_8+7_MouseFix', run the .VBS script provided and merge generated .REG file into Registry.


6) Sound
If only using an onboard sound chipset, reduce maximum sound channels in games

Code: Select all

.ini Channels=8,LowQualitySound=True

and disable effects processing, if possible.


7) Network
Go to "Control Panel...Network and Internet...Network and Sharing Center...View status...Properties..." and disable all except TCP/IPv4 and QoS.

Run "Device Manager..." (ADMIN):
Network Card properties:
Interrupt Moderation Rate -> OFF
Receive Buffers -> 2048
Transmit Buffers -> 2048
Log Link State Event -> OFF
(see http://www.intel.com/support/network/ad ... 029402.htm)

Run "Group Policy Editor..." (ADMIN):
Go to "Computer Config...Administrative...Network...QoS..."
Limit outstanding packets -> Enabled, 0
Limit reservable packets -> Enabled, 0
Set timer resolution -> Enabled, 1
Go to "Windows...Policy-based QoS"
<right-click>...Create new... -> "XXXX", 63, "XXXX.exe", TCP or UDP


8) System improvements via Registry Editor (ADMIN)
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile]
"NetworkThrottlingIndex"=dword:FFFFFFFF
"SystemResponsiveness"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile\Tasks\Games]
"Latency Sensitive"="True"
"Priority"=dword:00000002
"Scheduling Category"="High"
"SFIO Priority"="High"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Perflib]
"DisablePerformanceCounters"=dword:00000001


9) Router issues
Many standard routers are poor at wireless - they overheat, have conflicts and generally need rebooting often. To avoid this, always disable wireless on router and use network-over-power-cable devices instead (£40 a pair) to get full-speed WIRED connections between router and all local PCs.


10) Windows scheduled tasks
a) Set Windows Update to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download & install", then manually install updates on 2nd Wednesday of every month.
b) Run "dfrgui" and disable "Scheduled Optimization", then do it manually occasionally.


11) Anti-virus products
If an anti-virus product allows processes to be excluded, then exclude each game executable. Otherwise, if has special "Game Mode", use that.


12) Graphics
Check monitor's manual, and determine video mode resolution that has highest refresh rate above 60 Hz (e.g. 120 Hz) then use that resolution in each game.

Confirm monitor refresh rate while gaming with VSYNC on, via monitor's menu options. If not possible, and game has no option to show frame rate, use freeware FRAPS application to verify it instead.

If game has no way to select preferred refresh rate - either in game, or by doing

Code: Select all

.ini OverrideDesktopRefreshRate=True,DesiredRefreshRate=120

then force all DirectX apps to use highest monitor refresh rate via Registry:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectDraw]
"ForceRefreshRate"=dword:00000078 ; 120 Hz

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\DirectDraw]
"ForceRefreshRate"=dword:00000078 ; 120 Hz

If game still refuses to select preferred refresh rate, use Control Panel to set Windows desktop to that rate first, and then play game in maximized window rather than full-screen.

If game can limit frame rate itself, use that and turn VSYNC off

Code: Select all

.ini MaxClientFrameRate=120,UseVSync=False,ReduceMouseLag=False

13) Sleep mode issue
On Windows Vista, system latency appears to be worse after resuming from Sleep mode, so only play online games immediately after doing fresh PC restart. This also applies to some stupid peripherals, like my Razer Taipan mouse...

[iRobot]

4) Memory
If you have at least 4Gb memory, set swapfile to "Do not use".

This is bad idea, some programs (even in 2013) use the page file, regardless of how much physical RAM you have.

Not having one can cause crashes.

[Skaldy]

If you do end up using a refresh rate above 90 Hz, then bear in mind that UT2004 has a framerate lock issue. You have to bind a key to set the netspeed above 10000 before it will go above 90 FPS, and then press it at the start of every map.

Code: Select all

User.ini:  Insert=netspeed 10001

[Skaldy]

some programs (even in 2013) use the page file, regardless of how much physical RAM you have.

Not having one can cause crashes.

Fair enough - anything will use the page file if it tries to use more memory than physically present.

Ignore that if you're using large applications for work like Photoshop, or 3DS Max, or DevStudio, or UnrealEd

[Butcher]

I have just the concern of damaging some other program config... I assume that a 2012-2013 good laptop's hardware is better that the top end computer in 2004 as also for the game.

My situation is: With my PC I have no delays offline, even in highest resolution of everything, nonetheless, there is the few ms delay (or what I call "Lag" when it peaks and goes back) in the online game. This happens mostly in close combat situations. The response to a click is a bit delayed. Is not always, is not in every situation, but I loose often a combat for this reason. My ping is good (30-40 constantly), but I'm becoming these delays... I will try to set the network config as you mentioned...

[iRobot]

Enthusiast grade laptop in 2013 is probably circa 1998 in desktop technology.

[bOnO]

Imo there is a lot of dangerous tweaks in this guide which may cause instability on your system... Also doing all that to gain a few ms in a no competitive way of playing is a lot of trouble. Also don't you have to revert some changes after playing the game? ...

[Skaldy]

With my PC I have no delays offline, even in highest resolution of everything, nonetheless, there is the few ms delay (or what I call "Lag" when it peaks and goes back) in the online game

Try playing online for a few minutes on my old dead clan server "[FnG] Euro Server Germany" (it's on the TDM list). There are some easy bots to kill to pass the time. Watch your F6 ping.

If it felt a lot smoother and less jerky than here, then your PC is OK and you just have the same connection quality that most of us get here. So your "lag" is due to LDG's host (OVH) and nothing can be done.

[Skaldy]

Imo there is a lot of dangerous tweaks in this guide which may cause instability on your system... Also doing all that to gain a few ms in a no competitive way of playing is a lot of trouble. Also don't you have to revert some changes after playing the game?

Yes - never make any changes to your PC unless you are sure that you understand what is being done and how to revert it.

[Butcher]

With my PC I have no delays offline, even in highest resolution of everything, nonetheless, there is the few ms delay (or what I call "Lag" when it peaks and goes back) in the online game

Try playing online for a few minutes on my old dead clan server "[FnG] Euro Server Germany" (it's on the TDM list). There are some easy bots to kill to pass the time. Watch your F6 ping.

If it felt a lot smoother and less jerky than here, then your PC is OK and you just have the same connection quality that most of us get here. So your "lag" is due to LDG's host (OVH) and nothing can be done.

Thanx, I'll try it tonight... do you have an IP address... I know how to open it now