What is causing my lag / slow frame rate

[MeepTicoMeep]

So I have a decent computer but there is still a slow frame rate. I have 64 bit , 8 GB DDR3 Ram, Windows 10, Intel i5-2400, but no GPU or Video Card (pretty sure that is the problem). So can anyone tell my what is causing the slow frame rate and/or how to fix it?

[Gargamel]

Build ships with less parts.  KSP has to calculate the interactions between all the parts on the ship as they fly, so it takes a lot of CPU power to get through all that.  AFAIK, KSP does not use a GPU for processing, so that is not the issue. 

Maybe if you provided a few more details we could help out.  Examples, screenshots, etc. 

[Geonovast]

Just now, Gargamel said:

AFAIK, KSP does not use a GPU for processing, so that is not the issue. 

External GPUs can help, just generally not the focus for performance.  It's usually not what GPU you have just that you take that load off of the CPU.

 

We really will need more information though.  What is your framerate when slow?  Does it slow down during certain points of the game?  How big are the ships?  Is this a laptop?  Does it get overly hot?

 

 

[Piatzin]

16 hours ago, MeepTicoMeep said:

how to fix it?

-Go to settings and lower the quality of the graphics

-Clean up unnecessary debris/parts that are inactive and are just floating around clogging the tracking station

Should help overall performance, unless your game is lagging because of a bug or something

 

[Geonovast]

1 hour ago, Earthlinger said:

-Go to settings and lower the quality of the graphics

-Clean up unnecessary debris/parts that are inactive and are just floating around clogging the tracking station

Should help overall performance, unless your game is lagging because of a bug or something

 

Turning down the graphics settings should definitely help with a struggling older PC (basing that off of the CPU from 2011 and DDR3).

You can also set max debris in the settings.  IIRC default is 250, but turning it down to, say, 10 should help and you won't need to manually clean up every so often.  Just make sure you have a command pod or probe core on anything you want to keep.

[MeepTicoMeep]

I have no debris because I have not exploded anything yet. I use a desktop, it does not get hot. And how do you check frame rate?

Edited February 27, 2018 by MeepTicoMeep

[Geonovast]

2 hours ago, MeepTicoMeep said:

I have no debris because I have not exploded anything yet. I use a desktop, it does not get hot. And how do you check frame rate?

Well, debris really has nothing to do with explosions.  It's usually spent stages.

Not sure on the frame rate.  Assuming you need to install some kind of tool to monitor it... I really do need to get one of those.

[qzgy]

3 hours ago, Geonovast said:

Assuming you need to install some kind of tool to monitor it... I really do need to get one of those.

Nope. ALT-F12 (or similar), Console, Performance. Graph is framerate. Not exactly clear on the numbers, but it looks like Max, min, and current.

Edited February 28, 2018 by qzgy

[Geonovast]

8 hours ago, qzgy said:

Nope. ALT-F12 (or similar), Console, Performance. Graph is framerate. Not exactly clear on the numbers, but it looks like Max, min, and current.

I thought that might be what that is.  Would be nice if it was actually labeled.

[qzgy]

48 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

I thought that might be what that is.  Would be nice if it was actually labeled.

Honestly should be.

[MeepTicoMeep]

Sorry for not responding for so long. I opened the console and it doesn't even show the frame rate on the graph when I am launching a rocket. It only says 25. I am using the pre-made  AeroEquus.

[Hardcard]

On 2/24/2018 at 12:26 AM, MeepTicoMeep said:

So I have a decent computer but there is still a slow frame rate. I have 64 bit , 8 GB DDR3 Ram, Windows 10, Intel i5-2400, but no GPU or Video Card (pretty sure that is the problem). So can anyone tell my what is causing the slow frame rate and/or how to fix it?

You might want to change your definition of  "decent computer". 

An old i5 with just 8GB of DDR3 RAM and NO dedicated graphics card is simply not a "decent" gaming rig by today's standards.  

I wouldn't expect decent performance from any modern game (sure, you'll be able to run them at 10fps...if you're lucky) . 

KSP is memory intensive, you are only giving it 8GB RAM and, on top of it, you also expect to use that as a vRAM substitute (since no dedicated graphics card is present).

It's pretty obvious to me that you'll run out of memory, also your i5-2400 will have to deal with extra processing loads (graphics processing, that is, since its integrated Intel HD Graphics 2000 will use up precious CPU resources, which are already limited).

 

On 2/24/2018 at 4:38 PM, Gargamel said:

 AFAIK, KSP does not use a GPU for processing, so that is not the issue. 

 I guess you don't know that much about KSP, then.  

 Do you think KSP graphics are handled by magic or something? 

If a gpu is present, KSP will use it to lighten the processing load of the cpu.

My gpu howls when I play KSP, do you know why? Because it suddenly gets hot... do you know why? Because it's helping my cpu process stuff in KSP. 

 

Edited August 20, 2018 by Hardcard

[Gargamel]

16 hours ago, Hardcard said:

I guess you don't know that much about KSP, then.  

 Do you think KSP graphics are handled by magic or something? 

If a gpu is present, KSP will use it to lighten the processing load of the cpu.

My gpu howls when I play KSP, do you know why? Because it suddenly gets hot... do you know why? Because it's helping my cpu process stuff in KSP. 

Well done, quote two members from 6 months ago just to post a snotty answer to a comment that was already corrected. 

That sir, is how one ends up on an ignore list. 

[MeepTicoMeep]

On 8/20/2018 at 7:25 PM, Gargamel said:

Well done, quote two members from 6 months ago just to post a snotty answer to a comment that was already corrected. 

That sir, is how one ends up on an ignore list. 

Exactly.

I resolved this a long time ago and I Guess I never pressed enter. oof. But now I just got a GT 710 and getting for some reason 80-100 fps. Turns out there was a dedicated GPU but it didn't want to show up it was a Quardo NVS 300 with only 512MB.

Edited August 22, 2018 by MeepTicoMeep