Is my PC really not up to spec? Game crashing while loading into tutorial/new world

[TheMightyDuckling]

I have a gaming laptop, a Lenovo Y700 purchased in 2016 (Yes, i know we're talking near-dinosaur age for this thing at the moment..). Here are the specifications on it:

OS: Win 10, 64 bit
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700HQ CPU @ 2.60GHz
16GB RAM (15,8 available)
Video: Intel HD Graphics 530 and Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M

I realise the processor is a 2.60GHz Quad-core, not a 2.77. Is it really THAT damning with my processor?
The game won't even load beyond the first "These are the end times", but I'm just so in disbelief that the game completely summersaults the PC into oblivion with this one spec.

All my drivers are up-to-date, I've verified game files, reinstalled, restarted the PC. Lowered all settings, heck I even reduced the resolution to comical numbers - yet the same thing happens every time.

[Khan Boyzitbig of Mercia]

A too slow CPU won't cause a crash (not when the difference between minimum and your CPU is so small). More likely it is the GPU drivers being too old/not functional (intel GPUs don't do well with OpenGL).

[Beard]

Can you share your logs.zip file found in C:\Users\YourUserName\Zomboid?
You can use any file-sharing website of your choice or a temporary one like filetransfer.io for example.

[TheMightyDuckling]

Originally posted by Beard:

Can you share your logs.zip file found in C:\Users\YourUserName\Zomboid?
You can use any file-sharing website of your choice or a temporary one like filetransfer.io for example.

I can get that sorted in a moment. Should I be worried about sharing any of the information in the file when I send it over?

[DoktorFar]

One thing to check is that your laptop isn't using the integrated gpu for the game. Laptops with integrated gpu (your intel 530) and a dedicated gpu (your Nvidia 960) will sometimes, for whatever reason, decides to use the integrated instead of the dedicated. It's usually slower and sometimes not compatible with some games. Check that it isn't using the integrated and if it is try changing to use the nvidia gpu, either in nvidia control panel or in your windows settings (depending on your windows version).

[TheMightyDuckling]

Originally posted by DoktorFar:

One thing to check is that your laptop isn't using the integrated gpu for the game. Laptops with integrated gpu (your intel 530) and a dedicated gpu (your Nvidia 960) will sometimes, for whatever reason, decides to use the integrated instead of the dedicated. It's usually slower and sometimes not compatible with some games. Check that it isn't using the integrated and if it is try changing to use the nvidia gpu, either in nvidia control panel or in your windows settings (depending on your windows version).

Oh man, you got my hopes up for a moment there!
I double checked, and forced the game to utilise my dedicated GPU in the Nvidia Control Panel, but to no avail. The game still absolutely tanks halfway into the "These are the end times" screen. At least I get to become real intimate with that intro music......

I don't know; I'm clearly missing something - and sadly I'm not savvy enough to spot the culprit in the logs myself. I'll find myself a little disappointed if it really comes down to a hardware issue, since I've been able to play near most games with mostly no issues. I'll remain hopeful that there might be a fix to this, though.

[DoktorFar]

Originally posted by TheMightyDuckling:

Originally posted by DoktorFar:

One thing to check is that your laptop isn't using the integrated gpu for the game. Laptops with integrated gpu (your intel 530) and a dedicated gpu (your Nvidia 960) will sometimes, for whatever reason, decides to use the integrated instead of the dedicated. It's usually slower and sometimes not compatible with some games. Check that it isn't using the integrated and if it is try changing to use the nvidia gpu, either in nvidia control panel or in your windows settings (depending on your windows version).

Oh man, you got my hopes up for a moment there!
I double checked, and forced the game to utilise my dedicated GPU in the Nvidia Control Panel, but to no avail. The game still absolutely tanks halfway into the "These are the end times" screen. At least I get to become real intimate with that intro music......

I don't know; I'm clearly missing something - and sadly I'm not savvy enough to spot the culprit in the logs myself. I'll find myself a little disappointed if it really comes down to a hardware issue, since I've been able to play near most games with mostly no issues. I'll remain hopeful that there might be a fix to this, though.

Im sorry it wasn't the solution :( How long do you wait to let it load?

Also btw, when it is tanking on that loading screen, have you checked task manager to see what resources the ProjectZomboid64.exe process is using? This not always super accurate, but it can often tell you something. Like what GPU engine is being used for the process? 0 or 1? And how many percentage GPU usage? And how many CPU percentage usage? Disk usage percentage or MB/s?

[TheMightyDuckling]

Originally posted by DoktorFar:

Im sorry it wasn't the solution :( How long do you wait to let it load?

Also btw, when it is tanking on that loading screen, have you checked task manager to see what resources the ProjectZomboid64.exe process is using? This not always super accurate, but it can often tell you something. Like what GPU engine is being used for the process? 0 or 1? And how many percentage GPU usage? And how many CPU percentage usage? Disk usage percentage or MB/s?

It doesn't take an awful amount of time before it stops, perhaps 10-15 seconds before it freezes. Its roughly around the point where the first line of text starts to fade away.

I've been trying to monitor the numbers in TM several times, and it really does seem like the CPU is the one that tanks every time. I've seen it spike at 100% with the crash screen open.

Oddly enough, I've just noticed after a few attempts at verifying the files and restarting the PC, that the game is able to run when I boot the game with the "Alternate launcher". It loads in within relatively reasonable time (considering my PC specs) and the game runs at the max FPS (55) that I allocated, with a few vexy stutters down to maybe 35-40 FPS if I zoom out and run around.

Now I surely perplexed, since the game clearly wants to let me run it with this aged-like-fine-milk laptop. It just refuses to do so with the "normal" launch of the game?

[DoktorFar]

Originally posted by TheMightyDuckling:

Originally posted by DoktorFar:

Im sorry it wasn't the solution :( How long do you wait to let it load?

Also btw, when it is tanking on that loading screen, have you checked task manager to see what resources the ProjectZomboid64.exe process is using? This not always super accurate, but it can often tell you something. Like what GPU engine is being used for the process? 0 or 1? And how many percentage GPU usage? And how many CPU percentage usage? Disk usage percentage or MB/s?

It doesn't take an awful amount of time before it stops, perhaps 10-15 seconds before it freezes. Its roughly around the point where the first line of text starts to fade away.

I've been trying to monitor the numbers in TM several times, and it really does seem like the CPU is the one that tanks every time. I've seen it spike at 100% with the crash screen open.

Oddly enough, I've just noticed after a few attempts at verifying the files and restarting the PC, that the game is able to run when I boot the game with the "Alternate launcher". It loads in within relatively reasonable time (considering my PC specs) and the game runs at the max FPS (55) that I allocated, with a few vexy stutters down to maybe 35-40 FPS if I zoom out and run around.

Now I surely perplexed, since the game clearly wants to let me run it with this aged-like-fine-milk laptop. It just refuses to do so with the "normal" launch of the game?

The alternate launcher does mention that it may work if the normal method fails. I tried starting the alternate launcher just because I was curious and I noticed that it used significantly less GPU, than when I ran it on the normal launch method. The difference was like 10-17% on the normal one, but around 3-7% on the alternate one.

Maybe the alternate one uses a lot less of your gpu or cpu, maybe uses less features. Perhaps some of those features are not supported on your pc/gpu/cpu?

Or maybe your CPU overheats? And if the alternate method of running the game stresses your pc a lot less maybe that results in your CPU not getting so stressed? You mentioned it went to 100% and so I know from experience on some of my own laptops that they have a tendency to overheat, when used for some games that utilize their cpu a lot; if I don't blow out dust like every 4 months, especially above 6 months they start to significantly get hotter due to dust. This using them several hours every day mind you, which eventually causes that dust build up.

Checking your CPU temps may be a good idea given it's not a new laptop and that the CPU seems to go to 100%.

[Nordil(Hun)]

Originally posted by TheMightyDuckling:

Originally posted by DoktorFar:

Im sorry it wasn't the solution :( How long do you wait to let it load?

Also btw, when it is tanking on that loading screen, have you checked task manager to see what resources the ProjectZomboid64.exe process is using? This not always super accurate, but it can often tell you something. Like what GPU engine is being used for the process? 0 or 1? And how many percentage GPU usage? And how many CPU percentage usage? Disk usage percentage or MB/s?

It doesn't take an awful amount of time before it stops, perhaps 10-15 seconds before it freezes. Its roughly around the point where the first line of text starts to fade away.

I've been trying to monitor the numbers in TM several times, and it really does seem like the CPU is the one that tanks every time. I've seen it spike at 100% with the crash screen open.

Oddly enough, I've just noticed after a few attempts at verifying the files and restarting the PC, that the game is able to run when I boot the game with the "Alternate launcher". It loads in within relatively reasonable time (considering my PC specs) and the game runs at the max FPS (55) that I allocated, with a few vexy stutters down to maybe 35-40 FPS if I zoom out and run around.

Now I surely perplexed, since the game clearly wants to let me run it with this aged-like-fine-milk laptop. It just refuses to do so with the "normal" launch of the game?

It seems likely to be a steam+win10 issue if alternate launcher works.
These days nearly half the games that get an update get likely corrupted and i am either unable to run them or get stuck at a certain point(loading screen, hard crash whatever you can think on). Verifying and repairing has never solved these issues only complete reinstalls. The sad thing that it is not just happening with steam but also with GOG too.

Interestingly though only on my new computer, so my guess is that Win10 + Steam/GOG make updates/hotfixes basicly corrupt everything:S Or just win 10 on its own.
I have an even older computer than the one you have, and i am able to run PZ and a number of other games without issues, even after updating them. But whenever i use the win 10 computer to update it basicly makes me need to reinstall like 80% of the time.
With steam i cannot even stop the updates, at least that is an option possible in GOG.
(This kind of behaviour i noticed after a win 10 update in the spring.)

It is not just games though, some of the developer tools i use, also need...reinstall, as certain parts of the tools are unavailable. (Hard crashes, just like with games.)

edit: clarify my old computer still uses win 7! (yes i know all about the things you want to throw at my head:P)