Computer gets MASSIVE lag spikes

xeno156

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Aug 23, 2013
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As there are many different things people can mean when they say "lag spike" i'm going to specify my "lag" using an example. A few months ago I bought, built and installed windows on a new PC, with all custom parts, which put together myself one afternoon. absolutely everything worked the first time ( to my surprise, things always seem to break for me) No problems with led's buttons ram or cpu stuff, I checked in the Bios that everything i had was listed and working fine, installing windows was quick and easy, and nothing went wrong in the installation process. I began to install all my games and programs on it. This was back in September, and as i am posting this in December because it has finally gotten the better of me. (here is where the example comes in) I have been playing Battlefield 3, Battlefield 4, and various other online games, all of which produce lag spikes where, if playing battlefield, all the vehicles, people running, sound effects, etc are stopped for about 2-4 seconds, my character can still move, but when everything catches up, i am pulled back to where i was when the spike started. This makes it incredibly hard to play because when the spikes finish i am usually dead or getting shot at because i cannot move. This provlem also occurs in skype calls, with the people i am talking to's voices being cut off, then skype tries to catch up by repeating what they said, only really fast, this happens in time with the spikes that happen in game, the blue square around a persons skype avatar, that appears whenever they are talking, still stays solid, then flashes rapidly when the spike finishes.

Things i have already done are checking my internet connection (this doesn't happen when browsing the web or downloading anything) I have confirmed that no such thing happens when i am in a single player game, I dont think it is a hardware issue because my computer works fine in every way shape and form, and in fact does not happen when i play Dayz, a mod for Arma II, and i recently bought the Dayz Standalone game, of which the spikes do not occur in it either.

PLEASE HELP, any suggestions are welcome. (besides telling me to get a new PC, because that is what i've seen on every other post about issues like this)

Thank You in Advance :D
 

xeno156

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Aug 23, 2013
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Why did it not happen on my old laptop, nothing like this ever happened with any device in my house, could it be my connection to the modem or something?

 

Anub1s

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May 27, 2012
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Could be. Are you directly connected to the modem, or are you running through routers and switches of a sort? Are your NIC drivers up to date? Is there something on your computer that is downloading things in the background, like torrents?
 

xeno156

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Aug 23, 2013
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I know there is definitely nothing downloading in the background, and i am connected to my router through a belkin wireless usb connector. And i'm not sure what NIC drivers are, or how to check if hey are outdated?

 

Anub1s

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May 27, 2012
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How's the reception on the wireless adapter? Wireless gaming is always going to have more latency than any hard wired connection. Is there any way you can run a cable straight to your router? Just for testing purposes, because if the lag spikes go away when you're connected via ethernet cable, it's a problem with your wirless connection, or the adapter itself. You could also try moving the computer closer to the router, but that isn't always easy to do with a desktop.

NIC stands for Network Interface Controller (or Card), in this case it would be your Belkin USB adapter, so you'd want to make sure you have the latest drivers and software for that.
 

xeno156

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Aug 23, 2013
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Unfortunately it would be extremely difficult to connect my PC to the router, as it is in another room, and my PC is connected up to multiple things and it seems since i have been adding to it, it's overall mobility is very limited. The Network signal, at least what shows in the icon bar in the bottom right says i have 5 bars and excellent connection (i'm not all that far from the router) The only way to connect my PC with a hard connection would be to buy a 10-15 meter Ethernet cable and hook it up that way (which i have been thinking about in the future, problem is we would have to drill holes in the wall and floor for it to travel under the house.) I just checked using windows update whether or not my drivers are up to date for the Belkin adapter, and they say everything is good, but i would assume there is a more efficient way to check this. If you know anything better, feel free to say so.