How I fix Borderlands 2 "Detected Negative Delta Time" error / crash (Windows 7 64-bit with AMD FX Processor)

[C:\Bisto\Flava.exe]

Hi guys,

I've been suffering a lot with my installation(s) of BL2. It worked flawlessly for ages and ages, then all of a sudden I would start getting the seemingly infamous NDT error.

As I am using Windows 7 64-bit with an FX-6300 processor, I couldn't use the suggested AMD processor package.

Looking into it, someone on another forum said the fault is when "the game thinks your processor is faster/slower than it actually is" - so basically, if you've tried uninstalling and reinstalling or fixing all the VC++ redists that BL2 needs, AND your game cache verifies succesfully, and you're pulling your hair out like I have been (even reinstalled my entire windows partition to fix this before) then your problem could be that Windows has gone askew on your processor timings. There's a lot of mentions of fixes via a BIOS/UEFI update for your motherboard, but mine is already up to date, and I think that's largely to do with the pre-FX AMD motherboards. Check anyway!

I have found that:
- Allowing the PC to enter 'sleep' mode will 9/10 times cause me this issue. So I no longer allow sleep, just fully power off. Boot times with an SSD are not -that- much longer than resuming from standby ;)
- Overclocking AMD is a VERY sketchy and problematic process with BL2. Using multiplier to overclock is the only way to go for least chance of NDT error! I was overclocked using the FSB as well as multiplier, and that's where a lot of the 'timing' issues arise. If you check your system properties and the processor speed isn't matching what is set in the BIOS/UEFI or reported in CPU-Z then windows isn't seeing your overclock correctly... To avoid this ALWAYS manually set your FSB / base clock (BCLK) to 200MHz, and use multipliers to up the CPU speed. Non 'Black Edition' processors will likely not be able to overclock without FSB/BCLK as your CPU multiplier is locked from within the processor.
- I get no additional FPS using all 6 cores of my processor, so I've dropped down to 4 cores only, which makes less heat, causes less Vdroop, uses less power, and makes it easier to overclock your FX processor. This might have something to do with running my cores at 4.6GHz. I can drop down to 2 cores and run 5GHz, but sometimes get game loading lags, so I stick to quad core. YMMV!

So, basically the fix for me is (in order)
- Make sure VC redists in the game folder all pass verification
- Make sure DirectX in the game folder passes verification
- Verify the local game data
- Enter BIOS/UEFI and manually set FSB/BLCK to 200MHz, also if the option is there then DISABLE 'spread spectrum'
- Boot into windows, try BL2 again..
- If it still crashes then go to Start > Run and type in "devmgmt.msc"
- Under processors, right click the first one and select 'uninstall'
- Click OK when it warns you that you are "about to uninstall this device"
- It will tell you it needs a reboot to finish uninstalling. DO NOT REBOOT YET
- Select the next processor and repeat this process until you've done all your cores, and on the last one allow it to reboot.
- If it still doesn't work, then clear your BIOS/UEFI settings. Put your motherboard back to factory settings completely, leave everything on 'AUTO' then (in windows) uninstall processors again.

That should be enough to get you going! I don't know quite what the issue with my PC going into standby is, it royally mucks it up though. Could be my motherboard, which is a mixed bag to be honest (GA-970A-UD3P)

My personal clock settings are as follows:
FSB: 200
CPU-NB: 2400
HT LINK: 2600
CPU Multi: x23
Core boost: DISABLED
Cool'n'Quiet: ON
Core contro:l 4 PER PROCESSOR [1 per Compute Unit allows for 3 cores on the FX6300]
HPC mode: ON [high performance computing, holds higher clock speeds for longer]
RAM multi: x8 [My 1.5V corsair XMS3 runs at 7-8-7-19 @ 1.65V]

VCORE: 1.431
VCPU-NB: 1.332
I also like to disable load line calibration (LLC) for the CPU as I had difficulty with temperatures & stability at higher clock speeds whilst it was enabled. On my Gigabyte motherboard the setting called 'NORMAL' is LLC disabled.

Well, I hope someone else can make use of what I've learned since owning BL2 and an FX processor! I imagine this will affect most Vishera and Piledriver cores...
GOOD LUCK!

[Diogenes49]

Nice, very thorough study thanks.