Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit - Random stuttering definitive fix 🛃

Definitive and permanent solution (game exe will be patched) to fix random stuttering with modern multicore CPUs

Permanent fix

You know the story of NFS:HP... this game doesn't work well on modern multicore CPUs and ends up using only CPU core 0 thread 0 at 100% taking no advantage of the other threads. This may result (depending on your HW) in annoying random stuttering while playing.

To make a long story short, here finally is a permanent fix forcing the game exe to use the other CPU cores, ignoring CPU 0 and distributing CPU power to the other threads for the smoothest experience!

Example of how to for a 4 CPU cores/8 threads (mine is i7-4710HQ):

• go to https://robpol86.com/imagecfg.html and download ImageCfg
  
• backup your NFS11.exe
  
• from DOS prompt* use the following command
  

  ...\ImageCfg.exe -a 0xE NFS11.exe (for 4 cores CPU)
  ...\ImageCfg.exe -a 0xFE NFS11.exe (for 8 cores CPU)
  

  using first command it will force the exe to use CPU 1-2-3, skipping CPU 0.
  The exe will be permanently patched.

Now you can launch the game from Steam as usual and check with Task Manager if it finally uses properly the multicore (skipping CPU 0). NFS:HP should NEVER stutter again from now on. No need anymore to manually switch to Task Manager and change affinity or launch the game from a custom shortcut using "...cmd.exe /c start "NFS11.exe" /affinity FE" or the like...

Enjoy this great game running smoothly!
(Small donations 💰 to buy and fix some more games are welcome from my profile page)



P.S.
Of course if you verify Steam cache or reinstall the game you'll have to re-patch the exe.

*
you may need to adjust the "...-a 0x<hex-num>..." according to your specific CPU.
Just experiment yourself:

0x01 = 1 = CPU0
0x02 = 2 = CPU1
0x04 = 4 = CPU2
0x08 = 8 = CPU3
0x10 = 16 = CPU4
0x20 = 32 = CPU5
0x40 = 64 = CPU6
0x80 = 128 = CPU7

E.g.
0xF = 15 = CPU0, CPU1, CPU2, and CPU3 (1+2+4+8 = 15)
0xE = 14 = CPU1, CPU2, CPU3 (I use this on i7-4710HQ)
0xFE.... (I use this on i7-840QM, 8 cores settings)

You can also convert binary value for your CPU to hex with Windows Calculator, e.g.:




Reading from the right...
Binary: 10001000 = Hex: 0x88 = cores 4 and 8 enabled (numbering cores from 1 to 8, 3 and 7 in the pic above assuming you start from core 0)

NVIDIA

For improved smoothness you can also try to force from nVidia driver panel (or better Nvidia Profile Inspector):

• power management: max performance
  
• max-prerendered frames: 3
  
• g-sync application state: disallow (yes, disable it if you see cyclic micro-lags)
  
• threaded optimization: on
  
• v-sync: on

[source-guilherme]

the fix for: "IMAGECFG: unable to map and load NFS11.exe" is by placing the ImageCfg inside the NFSHP folder and running the cmd from that folder in case your game is in another drive.

[hexaae]

Open a specific thread so you can discuss the issue and find some more help...

[Cyberstorm64]

I’m having the issues. I’ve tried to make recordings of it but game DVR dies every time I try to record and doesn’t save.

[hexaae]

Uh? Never read about those issues... Links?

[Cyberstorm64]

is there a fix for super short draw distances and reflections not working fully?

[Metal ϟThunderϟ]

Sounds logic. Thanks for the help m8!

[hexaae]

To roll back just verify Steam cache for this game and it will replace modified EXE with the original. Original game has no affinity set.

[Metal ϟThunderϟ]

GOD. It works perfectly. What command should i use if i want to set the affinity to default values?

[(づ◔◞ ◔)づ PRO_MaestroD]

also try using Win + G and enable the cpu graph thing. (disable being able to click for cpu graph.)

[lucasrem]

This is not how you support multi Multithreaded in x86 or x64 Windows.