Steam games on a new computer using external Hdd.

[daniel12342016]

Hi all. I've changed my computer, from laptop to a desktop. I had installed several games with the old computer in a secondary Hdd.
I've connected the secondary HDD with the new computer and the games starts directly from this HDD but withouth they have been installed on the new computer.
Can it cause some problems issue.. and i need to uninstall and install with the new hardware?

I'm trying and i've notices some strange things, for example: Bannerlord 2 starts on the new computer withouth being installed.. but has some "jerkily" but with really high Frame rate (but in general go better) and when i change the resolution from 1080p to the maximum.. fps increases instead going down... i found it really strange. Thanks in advance.

[nullable]

Originally posted by daniel12342016:

Can it cause some problems issue.. and i need to uninstall and install with the new hardware?

Not really. It's a game, not some arcane spell where if you deviate from the ritual a dark power will infest and consume your PC and then your soul...

If you have any concerns or have issues, reinstalling the game and/or resetting the config to default and making tweaks specific for your new PC is always an option at any time. It's just not a necessary option in most circumstances.

Originally posted by daniel12342016:

I'm trying and i've notices some strange things, for example: Bannerlord starts on the new computer withouth being installed.. but has some "jerkily" but with really high Frame rate (but in general go better) and when i change the resolution from 1080p to the maximum.. fps increases instead going down... i found it really strange. Thanks in advance.

Well could be external HDD performance. FPS increase at higher resolutions would suggest a bottleneck, but how much increase are we talking about? 60 frames to 65 frames? Or 60 frames to 100 frames?

[daniel12342016]

Example, Mount and Blade 2, Bannerlord: 1080p i have 180 FPS
I change resolution to 3840 x 2160 and i have 200 FPS
Seem to me really strange...

[rawWwRrr]

Shouldn't be an issue from an "install" standpoint. I've moved my Steam library files between several PCs over the years with no issue. As long Steam can see the files, Steam will show them as installed. Windows doesn't necessarily need to know that they are installed as well.

For the performance, it could be because the files are on the external. If you have the space, use Steam to transfer the game to an internal drive and see if performance improves. Transfer rates from storage devices are slower when they are external vs internal. If the game is dependent on loading data from the drive during gameplay, you get sluggish performance when transfer rates are slower.

[daniel12342016]

Originally posted by nullable:

Originally posted by daniel12342016:

Can it cause some problems issue.. and i need to uninstall and install with the new hardware?

Not really. It's a game, not some arcane spell where if you deviate from the ritual a dark power will infest and consume your PC and then your soul...

Obvioulsly didn't mean soimething so ridicule.. just i didn't know if the installation was necessary to change computer.. with some new hardware settings.

[nullable]

Originally posted by daniel12342016:

Example, Mount and Blade, Bannerlord: 1080p i have 180 FPS
I change resolution to 3840 x 2160 and i have 200 FPS
Seem to me really strange...

It's unfamiliar to you, but it's not that strange. At any rate it sounds like your system is highend enough that you can run the game near equally on either resolution. Getting a few extra frames at 4K isn't really a problem. But if you're curious as to why it's something you can research around. FPS actually increasing at higher resolution is a bit of an edge case though, even if the difference is relatively small.

Generally you'd expect the performance to be flip-flopped with 4K getting 180 and 1080p getting 200. It's not absolutely true in all possible cases, but most of the time.

[daniel12342016]

Originally posted by rawWwRrr:

Shouldn't be an issue from an "install" standpoint. I've moved my Steam library files between several PCs over the years with no issue. As long Steam can see the files, Steam will show them as installed. Windows doesn't necessarily need to know that they are installed as well.

For the performance, it could be because the files are on the external. If you have the space, use Steam to transfer the game to an internal drive and see if performance improves. Transfer rates from storage devices are slower when they are external vs internal. If the game is dependent on loading data from the drive during gameplay, you get sluggish performance when transfer rates are slower.

Yes, i can try. Anyway FPS are really high.

[xarvn]

You don't need to uninstall and reinstall games--you can easily move games. Go to Steam -> Settings -> Storage, select the external drive, click on the grey boxes to the right of each game listed and click "move." For old games, such as Mount & Blade, modern hardware will cause the symptoms you describe. Try turning V-Sync on for such games.

[daniel12342016]

Originally posted by xarvn:

You don't need to uninstall an reinstall games--you can easily move games. Go to Steam -> Settings -> Storage, select the external drive, click on the grey boxes to the right of each game listed and click "move." For old games, such as Mount & Blade, modern hardware will cause the symptoms you describe. Try turning V-Sync on for such games.

Force V-Sync in menu was selected. V-sync was none. I can put it on half or full.

[xarvn]

Select full V-Sync. Please note that you may have to force V-Sync on in the GPU driver settings if the option is unavailable or not working correctly for a particular game.

[xarvn]

I left out something important. If you are using a high-refresh-rate monitor you should restrict it to 60 Hz. If this is not acceptable, then you can instead set V-sync to half but this will only reduce the FPS to half that of the monitor refresh rate. Depending on what the refresh rate is set to, half v-sync may or may not be adequate by itself.

[nullable]

Originally posted by xarvn:

I left out something important. If you are using a high-refresh-rate monitor you should restrict it to 60 Hz.

Would you care to explain? Why is it important, and why should you do it? Why 60hz, why not 72hz or a 120?hz

[xarvn]

60 Hz was the most common refresh rate of CRT monitors and thus old games were designed with that in mind. I did not mean to imply that there is something special about 60 Hz. It is just most likely to solve the problem. Higher refresh rates will likely work but may not be as effective. 75 Hz, 80 Hz are most likely okay. Don't know about 120 Hz, as I have not tested that.

[daniel12342016]

Originally posted by xarvn:

Select full V-Sync. Please note that you may have to force V-Sync on in the GPU driver settings if the option is unavailable or not working correctly for a particular game.

I've tried V sync, the fps go too down... 30 fps, from 200! anyway the game has got some issues..
Fortunately i can use the saved game and this is the most important thing.
When i change resolution i have to reload game.. different time sometimes.. to have the effective resolution changing.
but it's not really important.
Now i don't have anymore the fps higher in 4k than in 1080p. And it's becoming different.
Another issue is that i'm on army.. i have to exit from army.. and enter again.. to make all move.. anyway it stay blocked.
Little issues.. i think this last.. are caused also from mods installed before.

Anyway... the game now it's not bad. FPS are really high in fight, like 160 - 180 FPS during the action at it is really important. It's the heavier part of the game. The little "pause" were only during the less "heavy" part of the game..when i move on the map.. and it seemed to me also a bit strange.
Now seem work better with 1080p .. and Vsync none.

[xarvn]

Setting V-Sync on should not bring the FPS down to 30 unless your monitor refresh rate is set to 30 Hz. TVs will generally default to 24 Hz or 30 Hz because this is optimal for Blu-ray players and similar devices. Usually the TV has a dedicated connector or a "game" setting that allows for 60 Hz. Go into Windows and "advanced display settings" and adjust the refresh rate to 60 Hz. Then set V-Sync on. Your FPS should be constantly at or near the 60 Hz. All V-Sync does is it caps the maximum FPS to the refresh rate you set for your display in Windows. Another possibility is that your cable, display, or video card is limiting the data. HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.1 are insufficient for 4K resolution at 60 Hz. You will need at lest HDMI 2.0/DisplayPort 1.2 compatibility for display, cable, and video card otherwise the display will not allow 60 Hz at 4K. In the Windows "advanced display settings" 4k 60 Hz will not be available in this situation. Since your PC is new I would expect this not to be a problem for your GPU which still leaves the cable or display as a possible weakness. Since DisplayPort 1.2 was standardized a few years earlier than HDMI 2.0, you might have DisplayPort 1.2 but not HDMI 2.0. If this is the case--and you should verify if this is so before considering this suggestion--you could try a DisplayPort cable. You could also also try a lower resolution such as 1080p or 1440p which have no problem running at 60 Hz.

If V-Sync with 60 Hz is too slow then try bumping up the Windows display refresh rate.

[daniel12342016]

Originally posted by xarvn:

Setting V-Sync on should not bring the FPS down to 30 unless your monitor refresh rate is set to 30 Hz. .

Thanks for informations. Checked.
Screen resolution in windows/settings/advanced .. was:
1080p
1920 x 1080 60 Hz. 60 Hz is the maximum. Today i'm out of home but i have the computer. In this moment i'm using a quite old screen, where i am i have only this. At home i have another screen, newer to try but a bit smaller. My actual screen is set to 125% . Windows reccomend 150% but i find it terrible, too big and i can't use some software. I can't see some commands with 150. 125 % looks ok.

Some limitations could be due to the screen..


I will check all the cables that i use.

Important: there was a "misprint" "typo". The game isd Bannerlord 2. It's not the original Bannerlord ...that it's much older
Anyway i've "corrected" this point in my post, to not be misanderstood.
I usually use 1080p to play.