Sudden lag, fps drop -SOLVED-

[Peter]

I was playing the game about an hour ago with 40-50 fps. Without doing anything to my computer, I just got on and now i dont even get 20 fps. My PC has an i7-6700HQ, Nvidia 960M, 16gb ddr4, 128gb ssd and 1tb hdd. The game is installed on the hdd. I have no mods installed. Please help, thanks.

[Snooples]

this happens to me somtimes, if i restart my pc it seems to fix the problem.

[Nadeox1]

Sounds like overheating issues.

To check, open the Windows Task Manager and go to the Performance tab.
Keep an eye on your CPU Speed.
When the lag happens, check your CPU Speed.

If it is much lower than normal, then your PC is going in Thermal Throttling.
In short, it gets too hot, and cuts your CPU speed in order to cool down. It will cause performance drop.

[Los.Injurus.Bob.Blunderton]

You can buy a laptop cooling pad, with fans in it, that's roughly the size of your laptop.
These are usually no more than 30~35$ US-Dollar price. Look on Amazon for a big selection.
You may also find one around that price at a big-box electronics store, or small PC shop.
If it's winter, and dry outside (not snowing or raining), you can always play outside :)
If it works when you play outside, then you know it's a heat issue. Just don't get frostbite.
DO NOT USE YOUR LAPTOP ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN A HARD SURFACE.
Using your laptop on a bed comforter, will trap heat, and murder it slowly and painfully.

Being plugged into a wall-outlet will make sure your PC is in full power mode. Though, if you are having an overheat condition, this could make it more noticable. Consider looking under the laptop, and seeing if setting it where you usually would use it, is blocking a crucial under-side vent, etc. Sometimes they have the vents on the bottom, stupidly put there only to get blocked.

A laptop, even when sold as a gaming machine, isn't the most ideal of solutions when compared to a cheaper, more powerful, and also more power-hungry desktop PC, especially when running Beamng.drive, but your PC is more than capable. That Laptop should run Beamng.drive like a dream, not slow and laggy.
If you press j and leave physics paused for a few minutes (2+ minutes), and then un-pause it and it's smooth again for a SHORT while, it's likely an overheat on the CPU.

Basically what I am telling you, is there should be NO reason why Beamng.drive should run ANYTHING but *BUTTERY SMOOTH* on that laptop. Does the bottom get super-mega hot to the touch? Warm is okay, if it's on your lap and it's roasting your legs and cooking them like chicken thighs, then you have an issue.
Try running it outside on a 40~50F day as stated above. That's just-above-freezing, see if it does it or not.

[Peter]

My laptop is not that warm, in fact it gets much warmer playing other games. Speaking of other games, I have BF1, Star Wars Battlefront (the new one), GTA V, JC3, and COD:Infinite Warfare installed and it runs those games just fine, and it gets hotter. Seems its game specific.

[Nadeox1]

Please, actually check. Don't just see if it's warm or not.

Open the Windows Task Manager and go to the Performance tab.
Keep an eye on your CPU Speed.
When the lag happens, check your CPU Speed.
Report back then.

[Peter]

Originally posted by Nadeox1:

Please, actually check. Don't just see if it's warm or not.

Open the Windows Task Manager and go to the Performance tab.
Keep an eye on your CPU Speed.
When the lag happens, check your CPU Speed.
Report back then.

The lag is constant, 20fps tops.
Anyway, checking my CPU, speed is around 3.20GHz and utilization is at 8-9%.

[Peter]

Originally posted by Beamng.drive Tennessee USA v5:

You can buy a laptop cooling pad, with fans in it, that's roughly the size of your laptop.
These are usually no more than 30~35$ US-Dollar price. Look on Amazon for a big selection.
You may also find one around that price at a big-box electronics store, or small PC shop.
If it's winter, and dry outside (not snowing or raining), you can always play outside :)
If it works when you play outside, then you know it's a heat issue. Just don't get frostbite.
DO NOT USE YOUR LAPTOP ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN A HARD SURFACE.
Using your laptop on a bed comforter, will trap heat, and murder it slowly and painfully.

Being plugged into a wall-outlet will make sure your PC is in full power mode. Though, if you are having an overheat condition, this could make it more noticable. Consider looking under the laptop, and seeing if setting it where you usually would use it, is blocking a crucial under-side vent, etc. Sometimes they have the vents on the bottom, stupidly put there only to get blocked.

A laptop, even when sold as a gaming machine, isn't the most ideal of solutions when compared to a cheaper, more powerful, and also more power-hungry desktop PC, especially when running Beamng.drive, but your PC is more than capable. That Laptop should run Beamng.drive like a dream, not slow and laggy.
If you press j and leave physics paused for a few minutes (2+ minutes), and then un-pause it and it's smooth again for a SHORT while, it's likely an overheat on the CPU.

Basically what I am telling you, is there should be NO reason why Beamng.drive should run ANYTHING but *BUTTERY SMOOTH* on that laptop. Does the bottom get super-mega hot to the touch? Warm is okay, if it's on your lap and it's roasting your legs and cooking them like chicken thighs, then you have an issue.
Try running it outside on a 40~50F day as stated above. That's just-above-freezing, see if it does it or not.

There is a vent on the bottom, but moving my laptop our a bit so the fan isnt covered makes no difference. As I said, it runs other games just fine, so it appears to be game specific. Laptop doesnt get hot while playing.

[Peter]

I appreciate your help, but i fixed this myself.
BeamNG was using my integrated graphics card instead of my 960m. I fixed it in the Nvidia Control Panel.

[Nadeox1]

There should be a very visible warning if the game uses the Integrated Card. It doesn't show if you dismissed it in the past already though.

Glad you figured it out.