[Solved] Assassin's Creed Lag

Hi! First post.
I can't count the times I've been sent here through Google and always get satisfactory answers.

Anyhow, I thought you people would help. I was checking FPS with FRAPS with Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and Revelations. I just bought this PC 2 months ago. Waiting for it since forever! And the first game I would play would be my favorite Assassin's Creed!

OK first, my specifications are:
Core i3 - 2100 (Sandy Bridge 3.10 GHz)
2 GB RAM
XFX Geforce 9600 GT 512 GDDR3 (Now 1256 MB) with 256-bits bus.
500 GB HDD
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
400 Watt Power Supply
Resolution: 1024x768/1152x864 CRT ( Now I don't want comments on how old that is and stuff)

Now these are obviously over the recommended specs for AC games (except for Revelations but still, ACR should run like others).

But even with the small resolution, when I stand on top a building and there are other buildings in view, the frame rate drops like 24-25 in ACB and 20 or as low as 15 in AC:Revelations. More weird thing though, Even if I turn the resolution higher or lower, still the same frame rate. Graphics lower? Still almost the same frame rate. (At least I think so)

Now the game runs at about 30-32-35-36 FPS on floor or sometimes 26 when a lot of people are around. But WHY does the frame rate drop so bad on rooftops and why is the frame rate so low even on ground. Why doesn't it go up at least 40, even on this low resolution?

I run Crysis 2 on advanced settings on 38-42 fps. On 1152x864 res, the lowest fps is 32 but I play on 1024x768 for more stable frame rate.

Similarly in Assassin's Creed 1, the game plays smooth everywhere on 40+ fps but drops to at least 32 on rooftops with great views but still smooth. And this on EVERYTHING high and max crowd.

Now, how do I fix this lag? What's the problem? Should I try to overclock the GPU to squeeze out a few more frames.

Oh and I also play Skyrim at min. 38 fps and about 50 fps on 4x AA, 12x Anisotropic filtering and FXAA, Shadows, decals, object details at high.

SO WHY NOT ASSASSIN'S CREED? ACR is still playable, but why brotherhood, why AC1, why does the frame drop like that?

Thanks in advance for any help. I expect good answers from this site, like always.

Oh and something like this in ACB when frame rate drops to 25 fps:

I need to know what graphical settings you're using, AA and shadows will really bog a card down.

You might need to nerf or turn off shadows and no AA, and then crank up the textures with the model detail turned down and all the FX up really high to hide the ugly bits to run on hardware that is that old.

What's interesting to notice here's the fact that you're trying to force that hardware when you know as well as we do that it's old and it's not handling these newer games as well as you'd want to. Of course you don't wanna hear how old that stuff as you say, but again, who does?

Your CPU is not gaming material, your GPU is old and weak by today's standards and what's perhaps most important fact that you're forgetting, your RAM; 2GB RAM when Windows 7 memory usage is around 1.30 to 1.50GB? And you're not happy your games don't work well? On what's left of your memory usage? Like 0.5GB RAM? Think about it. And with that setup you're "forcing" your machine to run Skyrim with 4xAA and 12xAF?

I believe you'll have to re-think your machine's gaming ability to run those games that well, even at those resolutions.

assassin's creed revelations is slow


i have
i5 proccesor
nividia gs 8400 1 gb graphics
4gb ram

I would definitly turn down your draw distance and AA. It will really help an older card like yours.

Also assassins creed is a great game but honestly its not optimized good enough. I have a gtx 580, and have recently been going though each assassins creed in order since i got them all for 30 bucks. I have moments even with an i5 2500k and a gtx 580sc that my frame rate just craps out for no reason. But its always at the same spots. If i leave the area i was in it runs at 60fps but if i go back its drops right back down. Ive come to the conclusion its just the game, since every other game i own runs great.

If I'm not mistaken, Assassins' Creed has got DX10 and DX9. Correct?
Are you running DX10 or DX9 for AC1? I don't think it's going to have much of an impact, but still.

Yeah, it's multisampling.
@OP
Make sure you don't have AA turned on in NVIDIA Control Panel like casual said.