Brand new PC Build, COD Advanced Warfare Lags on High

magepker

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Oct 2, 2012
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Heres my current rig:

CPU: i5 - 4690k
GPU: GTX 970
Ram: 16GB (4 x 4 1333mhz)
Mobo: MSI z97 gaming 5

I have to play advanced warfare on medium settings and it STILL lags during loading screens... any suggestions? Is it the game or is my rig really unable to run COD AW?
 
Solution
It's definitely not your spec, it's the game, but make sure you use the latest Nvidia drivers, and try betas too. Also make sure your audio driver is updated too.

First off, the game is a RAM hog, so disable any background programs you can and reboot before playing to free up RAM. Also disable desktop composition and themes via the game's shortcut (right click shortcut, properties, compatibility).

Try running in Windowed Borderless mode vs Fullscreen, and try it with and without VSync. For some this has greatly decreased or eliminated cutscene stutter. It may only stop or minimize the audio part of it though, as the out of sync video on load scenes seems to be specifically a memory leak problem with the game.

If you continue to get...

magepker

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Oct 2, 2012
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i already have an ssd, i just noticed that my CPU is at 100% when running the game could that be the cause?...

by lag i mean, theres choppy sound and the video stutters and becomes out of sync with the sound.
 

magepker

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Oct 2, 2012
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just built this rig 3 weeks ago, theres no dust yet >_<

Nothing running in the background, task manager shows AW using 99% during cut scenes and 60% during gameplay....

Didn't OC because i thought i didn't have to.... now i think i should, any suggestions?
 

barto

Expert
Ambassador
Considering the hardware you have and you don't have a problem with any other game, then the answer is..... it's the game. It was just released. There will most likely be a patch soon. That's how software is released these days.
 

Daddystoybox

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Nov 8, 2014
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I have the same issue i5 4690k OC @ 4.5 and GPU r9 270x (2x) crossfire, 8 gb ram @ 1600 and still lag at high settings. Funny i can run BF4 at max settings all eye candy on and getting 80-110 fps. wish i can say same about AW...... AW is for AWFUL... it sux

 
It's definitely not your spec, it's the game, but make sure you use the latest Nvidia drivers, and try betas too. Also make sure your audio driver is updated too.

First off, the game is a RAM hog, so disable any background programs you can and reboot before playing to free up RAM. Also disable desktop composition and themes via the game's shortcut (right click shortcut, properties, compatibility).

Try running in Windowed Borderless mode vs Fullscreen, and try it with and without VSync. For some this has greatly decreased or eliminated cutscene stutter. It may only stop or minimize the audio part of it though, as the out of sync video on load scenes seems to be specifically a memory leak problem with the game.

If you continue to get out of sync video on load scenes, save and quit after the mission starts, then relaunch the game. The first load scene always plays in sync due to refreshed RAM. Restarting the game can go a LOT quicker if you disable the intro cutscene where the commander is first talking to all his troops at the start of the game.

You can disable the intro cutscene by making a blank text file and renaming it. First copy and relocate the original seoul_load.bik file in the main game directory. Give the text file the same name with the bik vs txt extension, then place it in the main directory.

Alternatively you can download Bink Player, minimize the game, search for the game's bik file for the mission you just started, and play that file straight through Bink Player to see it without the sync problems. This may or may not exacerbate the memory leak problem in game, but most with 16GB RAM and that powerful a GPU don't experience problems in game.

Sorry, but these seem to be the best and only workarounds until the game gets a much needed optimization patch. As far as I know though Nvidia may be ahead of AMD on drivers for this game, assuming you've tried the latest one.
 
Solution

mr91

Distinguished
I just spoke to one of my friends and he is having similar issue's however he is playing the game at max settings @ 1080p.

I'm not having these issue's with my gtx 980 and overclocked 4970k, Perhaps this a game that improves with an I7 in some parts...
 
I'm sure high spec helps, esp 16GB RAM, but many have tested and verified that this specific problem does not exist on the first load screen, only subsequent ones. That and monitoring RAM usage to be very high and erratic strongly suggests memory leaks causing the problem.

We need a performance patch, and those of us on AMD need a driver specifically for this game. Hopefully one or both will be announced soon.

 

mr91

Distinguished
A performance patch is certainly needed because had to disable Cache spot shadow maps and Cache sun shadows to get rid of occasional hitching...
I think this is due to the fact that all 4gb of ram is being used with the above enabled. I'm running a 1440p monitor @ 1080p i'm sure I would have no problems...

I noticed that during the load screen all 8 threads are being used however not maxed out like the i5's...
 
Well I have my HT disabled on my i7 950. Can't imagine enabling it would help, as rarely does HT help game performance, but I may try it.

I have to think the out of sync load screens is mostly my having only 8GB RAM, because when restarting the game, the first load screen always plays fine.

It's gotta be primarily a memory leak problem.

 

mr91

Distinguished
I'm not 100% sure the HT is helping much but the processor & cpu cache running at 4.7 Ghz seems to help when loading because my CPU is never maxed out... You should try the HT and let us know if you get any improvements.

This is a next Gen console port and today's consoles use 8 threads...

The memory doesn't explain why the CPU usage is 100% when loading...

 
Feb 14, 2014
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The next gen consoles are pathetic in specs compared to OP's computer. I've heard the game is a decent port too (better than what its been like in the past) so this is quite surprising (and yet not surprising at the same time. Call of duty has had plenty of PC issues at launch before)

It really sounds like you have an issue that needs patching, its got nothing to do with your rig not being good enough

EDIT: also you're kidding that CoD would use up all the vram right? it uses about 1.5gb...
 
I checked and didn't realize I'd left HT on from using it for video encoding. I tried disabling it though and even with a reboot the first load screen and even the initial startup logo screens played with not just out of sync audio, but lots of audio stutter and hitching. Turned it back on and suddenly they played fine, and the first load screen always has with HT on, even if I don't reboot.

So it appears this is a combination of memory leaks and poor CPU optimization. If it happens just playing a video intro while preloading shaders though, I have to think the engine is doing a piss poor job of loading them.

 

mr91

Distinguished


I suggest you try the game first before making misleading assumptions...