Gaming issues with new build

[squoosh989]

Hello!

I have just assembled a new system for my little brother, a former Mac user. He is a troglodyte about PCs, so I assembled it for him and have been helping him troubleshoot some teething issues over the phone.

The system build is as follows:

Asus P5q Pro Mainboard
E8400 @ 3.6ghz (stock voltage 9x 400fsb)
2gb adata ddr800
2x Radeon 4850
610 "continuous @ 40c" Watt PC Power and Cooling PSU (yes this is plenty sufficient for this system)
640gb WD HD
Samsung 20x DVDrw
gigabit Wireless 802g pci

I forget the case, but it is very well ventillated with 3 120mm fans. CPU runs in the 30's under load with stock cooler. System has yet to crash under any circumstance with these specifications over the past month.


My brother has been able to play all of his games fine from a stability and performance standpoint, but has been having packet loss issues with online games. Warhammer Online is playable, but he states he is experiencing some packet loss like symptoms where some targets may jump about on the screen from time to time.

In World of Warcraft he is having unplayable packet loss like symptoms where characters blip all over around him, run into walls for extended periods of time, etc. He did not have these problems with his previous system.

Before you jump in and respond:

I configured his wireless router "a Netgear wireless N of some sort" specifically for Warcraft, leaving the suggested ports open (more for the patcher than anything).

These problems are experienced regardless if the computer is hooked via ethernet directly to the modem, router, or running wirelessly.

A tech from Comcast came out and did a diagnostic test on his line and found some issues, replaced his modem, splitter, and entire line.

He is experiencing no difference in performance due to this. Comcast states there are no issues in the Santa Monica area. Other players have not posted anything to this effect for his particular Warcraft server.

This problem is independent of Crossfirex. It happens enabled or disabled. Catalyst 8.10 are installed.

Latest motherboard drivers for p5q pro was downloaded and installed from the Asus site.

Cheap Gigabit wireless card's drivers have been updated to the most recent (I thought this was the culprit at first).

Offline gameplay (crysis and farcry2) is flawless.

Could anything cause this which is non-network related? Faulty mainboard controllers? Mainboard bios needs updating (scared to have a mac user do this via phone instructions)? HD issues? Ram? I really can't think of any reason other than his ISP.

Any advice would be great as my brother is inept at solving this himself due to living in Macinsloth world so long. I am 400 miles away from him and I really don't have time to fly to LA to do this hands on.

Thank you!

 

[Proximon]

It's a simple enough test. Just have him run a hard line to the router. If that fixes the problem then you have your solution.

 

[squoosh989]

Thanks Proximon,

However; running a hard line directly from the modem or router results in the same complications.

 

[Proximon]

I love this freeware. When the tech comes again from Comcast and sees the problem in 3D, he'll get it fixed. They like this thing:

http://www.d3tr.de/

This should isolate where the packets are dropped nicely.

Just run it while playing WAR or WOW and look at the results after. If they are dropping at your router or cable modem you'll see that as well. If there are no issues spotted....

Well, I think that unlikely. It's likely a networking problem, either locally or between your house and the local switch.

You'll need to get URLs to ping that are as close to the actual game server as you can get... visit the game forums for those.

 

[antiacid]

My first guess would be the line in between your house and the WoW servers.

My second guess would be a reinstall of windows. A couple of years ago, I had an install of winXP go corrupt on me and for some reason, FTP transfers would not complete properly. No amount of driver reinstalling or changing of parts would change anything. The connections would just not close cleanly. Reinstalled windows, problem disapeared.

Good luck!

 

[squoosh989]

I might want to try a reinstall of windows then.

I have really exhausted every software setting/update and had him isolate every piece of hardware for the most part. He recently took his computer to his workplace across town and got the same exact results he gets at home, plugging directly into the LAN there or using the wireless card.

Maybe we should do a windows reinstall before I consider swapping the mainboard out..

 

[antiacid]

Reinstall windows then.

There's so many things that can be fixed that way, it's not even funny.