Game gets suddenly unplayable slow
Product: F1 22
Platform:Steam-PC
Summarize your bug At some point the game gets suddenly unplayable slow. It can happen in any game mode, even in the menu. There is no specific pattern, when it occurs. I also experienced that in F1 2020 and F1 2021, but not as frequently as I do now. I cannot finish a 100% race any more. The response is very laggy, but I can save the game and after 1-2 minutes I can leave the session. If I want to secure the XP for the laps for podium pass, it takes more then 10 minutes until I am able to skip to the reward screen and then quit the game. It seems to totally crash steam client. After exiting and restarting the game, it stays that slow until I reboot the PC. Task manager only shows the F122 process at 100%, all other systems are normal, I have 64GB RAM, which is not the bottle neck either. I cannot provide Report code, in most of the cases ego dumper crashes, if it is able to send it, I can`t re enter the game to get the code.
What is your 16 digit Report Code?
Which area is the bug/glitch in? My Team
How often does the bug occur? Often (50% - 99%)
Did you have cross-play enabled? No
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? Should happen after some time, don`t know.
What happens when the bug occurs? Game is unplayable slow
What do you expect to see? Game stays stable
At some point the game gets suddenly unplayable slow. It can happen in any game mode, even in the menu.
There is no specific pattern, when it occurs. I also experienced that in F1 2020 and F1 2021, but not as frequently as I do now.
Think there may be many reasons why the performance is dipping, but here goes. Stuff that can't hurt before the stuff that probably will.
- As per my memory question, the laptop board has 4 slots - assuming 4x16GB modules?
Things to consider - all 4 modules should be *identical* - even minor differences can mean that the memory ICs are different layout or make (timings can then be different).
Suggest trying 1 matched pair (32GB) or even a single (tested - use Memtest) module rotated around all the slots. Reseating can help. Test individual modules, once you have a good module, test slots, once you know the slots are good, test the other modules, then pair them, then use two pairs. Time consuming, but RAM errors can be a pain and can appear the more modules you have, also harder to troubleshoot as you can see from my methodology.
i7-7700HQ is a 2400 RAM part. If you use higher rated modules then depending on how the laptop 'sees' the RAM it may try to run it faster - had this on a Toshiba and it died within 14 months because it was running RAM at 933 instead of 800. There was no way to tell the CPU to turn the FSB 'clock' down. If you can verify the RAM speed is 2400 (1200 DDR) then that's useful.
I use HWiNFO as it can show the RAM SPD data as well as the slot banking. Gives a 'live' RAM clock too. Export the report as .txt and post here if you can.
But partly I feel if you give the machine a RAM config that most other users have (either 16 or 32GB) then it rules out those issues more easily anyway.
- Honestly, I see you are running the game at 4K resolution. That kit isn't comfortable at that res. Try 1080 (better) or 1440.
Also, it must be an external monitor. Consider the amount of pixels you are pushing and ensure you are external display only (not mirroring). An easy way to use 1080 is to use the built in display on the P71. Either of these solve the issue then it could be throttling. Do you have a temperature monitor? If the CPU is north of 80C it's too hot.
Hybrid graphics setups are problematic with these games, here is the latest Intel DCH Driver. Your 7th Gen iGPU will use build 2114 but it's now legacy. It may complain that it's not Lenovo OEM but just install anyway (overwrite). I do feel these drivers are better suited to W11, but your CPU will also be officially unsupported (at this time).
- USB devices can also be an issue - please ensure you update the Razor software and check firmware. Do you use a controller that was disconnected when you ran the dxdiag?
- Also check the Jabra device or troubleshoot without. Bluetooth audio can cause issues with this game.
- Audio drivers are non-DCH - device manager should show 'Realtek (R) Audio' not 'Realtek High Definition Audio' - would really rather you attempt a clean OS install with UDA (DCH) drivers. Audio devices on this game can be picky - look for audio update rate settings.
And that could be a thing. If you have upgraded W10 in-situ for sometime, a clean install really can fix issues. I would go with 22H2 (19045 builds) from the MCT. I know, but it cures a load of ills. The drive order and description on your dxdiag - DVD-RW as B: and a Samsung 512GB NVMe that appears to be the named drive with a 2TB capacity. Do you have Microsoft Storage Spaces enabled? Do not recommend, it's like a fake RAID.
Finally, game specific fixes - verify Steam files. Delete the hardware_settings_config, even when doing the RAM, driver or display changes. DDU is sometimes an option if updating leaves issues. It may work with removing those HDA audio drivers and finding a UDA build. I have a Thinkpad of the same era and it uses UDA, so Lenovo are not helping here. Their Vantage utility or Service Bridge isn't infallible and the support page is not always updated methodically.
As mentioned, framerates. Aim to hit 60FPS minimum but don't exceed the monitor capabilities, game can be locked to 60 in the menu, if it doesn't dip horribly it's good. I would expect the GPU to be set to Medium preset at 1080. For 4K, displays may sync to 30, certainly would not recommend this game at that framerate.
Do you use 3rd party AV? Windows Defender is enough.