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 Posted: Sat, 23rd Jan 2010 22:09 Post subject: Mass Effect 2 - Massive Stuttering During And After Intro |
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I've posted this earlier here and there in the games section, but it might get lost among all the other posts. So here it is again, summed up nicely:
I have a strange problem when trying to run Mass Effect 2. Of course, I wouldn't normally open a topic for this. However, there are others (on other forums too) that are suffering from the same problem as I do. Let's see if we can work something out here.
First, my system specs:
CPU: AMD A64 3000+ @1800Mhz
RAM: 2GB
VGA: GF 8800GT w/512MB VRAM
OS: Windows XP SP3
All drivers and any other necessary software (C++ runtimes, DirectX, PhysX, whatnot) are updated (have tried earlier driver versions too, even with a clean OS on a separate HDD).
I know that theoretically, my CPU is unsupported; however, several people have been telling me they can get the game run fine on computers that are in par or below my system's capabilities. Also, I had no problem running ME1; in fact, I never have problems running any game. Furthermore, people with more powerful PCs have been suffering from exactly the same problem as I do. Guess we can say this is quite a widespread issue, then; and certainly not an individual one.
Now that that's settled, let's see the problem itself:
When I start the game, everything runs fine up to the point in the intro movie when the holo-consoles appear (that's quite the beginning, really). From then on, everything turns into a slideshow. It took me about 20 minutes to suffer through the video, after which I got into the game proper. However, I was unable to move around due to extreme stuttering. I pressed ESC, and even the game menu hardly responded; took me about 2 minutes to exit the game.
So next I fired up RivaTuner (thx, Mister_s!) and found out the following:
The game intro runs smoothly (58-62 FPS, HW acceleration activated) up until the point where those holo-consoles come into the picture (so the very beginning of the intro, even the "sun sequence" runs fine -- found out that this is a separate .bik file up to this point, ending here), then everything goes into a stutter: the FPS drops down to 2-3 and the CPU goes to 100% with HW acceleration still on, according to RivaTuner.
I'm totally baffled as to what could possibly cause this. Could it be that the rest of the intro is rendered by the game engine (seeing how it is partly .bik, partly must be something else, as I couldn't find the rest of the intro among the other.bik files), and hence the problems afterwards within the game as well?
Any advice or tip would be most welcome.
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| Posted: Sat, 23rd Jan 2010 23:58 Post subject: |
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I have the exact same problem here (video loads-sun scene is fine, but just as soon as dialogue starts with miranda, it begins to stutter). I don't know if it is a drivers issue or something else.
Apparently if you say this is happening with people with more powerful PCs then it is not a single core processor issue
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| Posted: Sun, 24th Jan 2010 08:22 Post subject: |
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This is definitely not a single-core CPU issue. I know it'd be easy to dismiss it as one, but it ain't the case. People with dual-core CPUs also happen to have this problem, while peeps with single-core computers report they can play absolutely fine.
What kind of VGA have you got?
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| Posted: Sun, 24th Jan 2010 14:08 Post subject: |
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Same problem here, as i already said in the other thread. I have a 8500GT 512 mb, overclocked, the game runs perfect with everything cranked up except dynamic shadows when i don't have to watch a cutscene before that lol. I thought if we just wait through the first few ones and be patient we can finally play, but every time you fly your friggin ship somewhere on the navmap, the navmap starts sluttering too...
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| Posted: Sun, 24th Jan 2010 15:45 Post subject: |
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UPDATE!
I confirm the above. I've just tried running the game using a savegame from a friend, in the middle of a level, with no cutscenes beforehand. The game ran smoothly, without any stuttering or glitches.
So, the problem is somehow related to the cutscenes.
Edit: watched a .bik video in-game and the stuttering returned.
Therefore, I think we have identified the nature of the issue: after those 720p .bik movies, for some unknown reason the system goes into overload. Perhaps downscaling the .bik files to 480p or even 360p could help? Does anyone know of a software that can downscale 720p .bik files?
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| Posted: Sun, 24th Jan 2010 17:16 Post subject: |
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| Posted: Sun, 24th Jan 2010 17:20 Post subject: |
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If you have stuttering save and reload it seems to clear it here. It stutters after playing movies (landings/ using relay) here but that works
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Leftos
Posts: 1159
Location: Patras, Greece
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| Posted: Sun, 24th Jan 2010 17:21 Post subject: |
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Core2Duo E6750 (oc/ed to 3.2GHz)
2GB DDR2 RAM
GeForce 8800 GTS 640OC (latest 196 WHQL drivers)
Same problem. "Press any key" screen gets a frame every 3 seconds, takes 30 seconds to get to the menu, and although the cursor moves fine, even leaving it on a menu selection is a 3 second difference until it's highlighted and the click sound is heard. Something is seriously wrong here.
Update: Seems on-board sound could be a culprit. I have VIA. I'll check and come back with an update.
[ i5 2500K (@4.2GHz) / GIGABYTE Z77MX-D3H / 8GB Corsair XMS / GIGABYTE GTX460 1GB OC / 640+750 GB WD Caviar Black ]
Last edited by Leftos on Sun, 24th Jan 2010 17:26; edited 1 time in total
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Leftos
Posts: 1159
Location: Patras, Greece
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| Posted: Sun, 24th Jan 2010 17:30 Post subject: |
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Forget on-board sound being a problem. Don't know what the problem is. After an OS restart, the game seems to run fine. Also, the OS restart seems to have cured the Mass Effect 2 Config Utility crashing.
WTF?
To be fair, I have disabled and re-enabled both the sound devices on my system, with a restart of Windows XP inbetween. But still, what did it?
[ i5 2500K (@4.2GHz) / GIGABYTE Z77MX-D3H / 8GB Corsair XMS / GIGABYTE GTX460 1GB OC / 640+750 GB WD Caviar Black ]
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Leftos
Posts: 1159
Location: Patras, Greece
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| Posted: Sun, 24th Jan 2010 19:45 Post subject: |
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| Leftos wrote: | | To be fair, I have disabled and re-enabled both the sound devices on my system, with a restart of Windows XP inbetween. But still, what did it? |
I've also tried the above, but it's not working for me. What else did you do? And what do you mean by disabling both sound devices? Which two?
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Leftos
Posts: 1159
Location: Patras, Greece
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| Posted: Sun, 24th Jan 2010 19:57 Post subject: |
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Both on-board and a Creative SB Audigy 4 I have on just for the higher input volume it has on the microphone.
Nothing else I did. Just a restart of Windows, and magically both the Config utility and the game were working.
[ i5 2500K (@4.2GHz) / GIGABYTE Z77MX-D3H / 8GB Corsair XMS / GIGABYTE GTX460 1GB OC / 640+750 GB WD Caviar Black ]
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| Posted: Sun, 24th Jan 2010 22:01 Post subject: |
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I have 8600 gt & 4 gb ram. I thought it might be because of single cpu processor (since it is technically not supported) but good to know that it works regardless. Just this damn issue.
I've tried defragging, disabling audio and reenabling as Leftos has suggested; no dice, not working.
Will have to wait and see what people say upon retail release.
Leftos, were you able to actually play the game (getting past the intro with Miranda and illusive man or just the menu not lagging.)
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| Posted: Mon, 25th Jan 2010 03:13 Post subject: |
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I looked around, and it might be a problem with the binkw32.dll. It seems that when we use the crack something with bink fucks up or god knows what, the same issue goes with Red Faction Guerilla, so they use the new wolfenstein games bink file and it works. Tried it and it didn't do the job for ME2, at least for me. I hope at least it's at the right direction.
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| Posted: Mon, 25th Jan 2010 09:56 Post subject: |
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I also tried replacing the binkw32.dll with the one from MW2 a few days back, but to no avail.
| Frant wrote: | | Shitass games are ruining piracy. |
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| Posted: Mon, 25th Jan 2010 23:25 Post subject: |
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I tried compressing the the sun video file to a lower bit rate and replacing it; thinking it has to do with the 720 p movie scene. But it doesn't work.
Furthermore, I tried using the no-intro fix file and replacing the sun video file and that also has no effect unfortunately, just skips the movie and goes to the dialogue (where it stutters).
So I'm pretty sure it it doesn't have anything to do with the movie scenes. Maybe dialogue cutscenes cause it to stutter, whereas gameplay is smooth.
Who knows...I guess its better to wait and see.
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| Posted: Mon, 25th Jan 2010 23:41 Post subject: |
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It's not the sun video. Unfortunately, it's the engine. I waited out until the dialogue with Ashley/Kaiden started and it still stutters. And yeah, it's probably the single-core, despite the fact that some multi-core people got it as well.
Hopefully, Bioware will fix it instead of just going "eh, upgrade".
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HIz
Posts: 2187
Location: Wrong_Timeline
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| Posted: Tue, 26th Jan 2010 00:22 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | # tdavethomast // 1/25/2010 02:38:00 PM
Update
Well i spoke to soon the blank .bik fix did enable me to start a new game but the fps is like sub zero,
its unlike any kind of fps lag i have ever seen. To describe it, i'd compare it to clicking play then pause every 3 seconds on a vcr. I'm fully updated, should be able to run it fine. More as it develops Anyone else with this problem?
# as // 1/25/2010 09:34:00 PM
@tdavethomast
I have the same problem , :/
now Im gonna play mass effect 2 in win vista, to see if it work
# as // 1/25/2010 09:53:00 PM
USE win vista sp2 it is works OMFG
T.T |
http://filenetworks.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-fix-mass-effect-2-crashes-import.html
Are you guys all on WIN XP ?
because i am and i also have those lags after a cgi video plays.
I deleted a bik file to see if it doesn't play.It doesn't, but the lag still comes up!
So...anyone on other than WIN XP has lag/stuttering?
Yeah, well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.  |
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| Posted: Tue, 26th Jan 2010 01:00 Post subject: |
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I indeed have XP, but I've read about people playing on XP with a single-core CPU and having no problems at all. Regardless, I'm considering installing the game on a separate HDD with Win7 just to see whether the theory above stands its ground.
Anyway, it seems that you only need to suffer through the very beginning of the game. Once you are finished with the first level, things start to go smoothly, like they should. At least they are smooth for me. Played at least 4 hours tonight, had some .bik videos and LOTS of conversations in the meantime, but luckily, no more stuttering. I hope I can keep enjoying the game.
| Frant wrote: | | Shitass games are ruining piracy. |
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| Posted: Tue, 26th Jan 2010 01:08 Post subject: |
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Define 'beginning'? I got to the first conversation with Ashley and the stuttering was insufferable.
EDIT: Confirming, once you're off Normandy and the game proper starts the stuttering seems to stop. So far.
EDIT 2: And once you've boarded the shuttle it starts again. Goddammit.
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| Posted: Tue, 26th Jan 2010 10:19 Post subject: |
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The stuttering will go once you've left the shuttle. Just save your game, exit game, fire it up again, load your save and the stuttering will be gone. It's a clumsy method but a least it works. And last night I didn't have to save/reload even once, although I played 4 hours in a single sitting.
| Frant wrote: | | Shitass games are ruining piracy. |
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| Posted: Tue, 26th Jan 2010 21:14 Post subject: |
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So yeah, it's triggered whenever there's a bik video before the gameplay proper. At the beginning: the video with the sun, followed by the Illusive Man. Then, a video of Normandy's crew running around, followed by the engine cutscene. Et cetera, et cetera.
I tried replacing the sun bik file with the 60kb one, and the Illusive Man still stutters like crazy, so it's probably not any particular strain on the computer. I'm convinced this should be fairly easily fixed by a patch on Bioware's end.
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| Posted: Tue, 26th Jan 2010 21:52 Post subject: |
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Let's hope so. And also: here's hoping they actually give a damn. It's fairly obvious that this is a game (engine?)-related issue.
| Frant wrote: | | Shitass games are ruining piracy. |
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| Posted: Wed, 27th Jan 2010 00:48 Post subject: |
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I'm on Xp but as r3dshift stated others are also playing on xp, no problems.
I'll just wait for the patch, or it could be a driver issue with nvidia. For mass effect 1, it was a driver issue for me (game was completely glitched) and had to wait for a freaking year before it was actually playable.
Hopefully not so long for this one. Otherwise I'll just use the beginning save file instead and hope it doesn't stutter as many have posted here.
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I tried removing all videos, but that didnt work. I don't think it's the videos themselves that lag the game, just the game running them makes something fuck up. Bleh, things are gona get bad at the bioware forums.
