My Laptop Is A Better Host Than My Desktop.

[akaSM]

Ok so, I got a beefy PC:

 

Intel Core i5 2500k @ 3.5 GHz

GeForce GTX670 2GB

8GB RAM

Windows 7

 

Which (as of 9.61) hosts fine with 1 client, somewhat laggy with 2 and unplayable with 3 (used to host fine before 9.5). A lot of people have lag issues, right? But, during the last Catalyst alert (at 4am my time, BTW) I logged into my friend's account using my laptop and, to get him the potato.

 

I hosted the game on my laptop because, for some reason I couldn't join with it if my PC hosted (my PC has the ports forwarded to it, my laptop doesn't, I enabled DMZ before this on my laptop). Played an online game, 2 more people eventually joined. Here's the interesting part.

 

My laptop, using my home's WiFi, the exact same connection I use in my PC was able to host a game with 3 clients. I asked about the lag and, here's (more or less) what one person said:

 

"It's enough to mess the AI but, not enough to bother me; in other words, perfect"

 

Here are my laptop specs:

 

Intel Core i7 3632QM  2.2 GHz

AMD Radeon HD 7670M 2GB

8GB RAM

Windows 8

 

How could my laptop host a game in a way (after update 9.5, maybe 9) my PC can only dream of? When:

 

a) it has lower specs (the CPU is debatable)

b) it runs the game well but, not like my desktop does (stuff has to be turned off, toned down, etc)

c) it's using a wireless connection instead of a wired one

d) it didn't have the ports forwarded, only DMZ (the warning about the ports still appeared)

e) it was using the exact same connection my PC uses

f) it was using the same connection my PC was using to play Warframe AT THE SAME TIME (one a host, the other a client)

 

Both computers have a pretty recent Windows installation, not older than a month in my PC, and maybe about 2 for my laptop.

Edited August 28, 2013 by akaSM

[Arkfall]

"It's enough to mess the AI but, not enough to bother me; in other words, perfect"

 

That is still not a good connection for a host...

 

That said, there are a host of variables that you and DE simply can't control. Now I hear the Net code is being beaten, slapped, kissed, abused and handled which means DE knows there are problems and they are working to address them.

 

Also, I see no information about the kinda of Net card you are using, which is also a vital component to being a good host.

[Saenol]

Your laptop's CPU is at least as fast. It can turbo up to 3.2GHz and is a generation newer.

 

I wouldn't expect them to host much differently, however.

 

Arkfall's point about other, client, variables makes sense.

[akaSM]

That is still not a good connection for a host...

 

That said, there are a host of variables that you and DE simply can't control. Now I hear the Net code is being beaten, slapped, kissed, abused and handled which means DE knows there are problems and they are working to address them.

 

Also, I see no information about the kinda of Net card you are using, which is also a vital component to being a good host.

 

I saw no signs of lag (enemies doing weird stuff, things teleporting like crazy, things running at walls, etc), just like it used to be in my PC.

 

Here's what my computers were using to connect to to the modem:

 

My PC has a Realtek RTL8111E chip.

My laptop was using a Qualcomm Atheros AR9485WB-EG Wireless Network Adapter.

 

Both were connected to a Huawei Echolie HG8245, one wired, the other wireless. My connection has 3MB down and 660kb up; I know it's not that great but, I used to host 4-man cells fine on my desktop and, hosted a nice game in my laptop.

 

I'll try again later, not on Phobos (my PC hosts Phobos well, it's the older worlds that lag), maybe Xini (lots of things, including pickups and enemies) and see what happens.

Edited August 28, 2013 by akaSM

[akaSM]

After a couple weeks of playing with both computers, I've seen that my laptop will ALWAYS host games with nice and tolerable lag, in every level. My PC OTOH, sometimes hosts well and, most of the times it's a lagfest.

 

Is there anything I could look for to see what's causing the terrible lag in my desktop? The biggest difference between both computers is that, my PC has a Nvidia GTX 670, my laptop a Mobility Radeon HD 7670.

Edited September 13, 2013 by akaSM

[Saenol]

Kind of a stretch here, but have you looked at DPC latency on each system?

 

NVIDIA drivers can be really hit or miss as far as adding unacceptable levels of DPC latency goes, while AMD's rarely do so.

 

It's also possible that the more powerful GPU on your desktop allows the CPU to strech it's legs more, while the GPU limited laptop has more spare CPU cycles on hand to give clients a good experience.

[akaSM]

The problem isn't lag for me but, for the clients playing with me as a host. I can play just fine as as client, even as a client to my laptop but, when it comes to hosting, my desktop is TERRIBLE.

[akaSM]

Ok, I just formatted my desktop. Fresh Win7 install, only the drivers, Steam, CoolNovo (Chromium based browser) Desura, Winamp and Avast are installed. My desktop still sucks at hosting.

 

My ethernet cable is fine (I changed it to a newer one anyway) and, everything works fine, except when I host Warframe.

 

Any ideas?

Edited September 19, 2013 by akaSM

[ShelbyTrooper]

Turn on the Multi-thread option in the game launcher.

 

tell to us the difference it made.

 

for me was a lot.

[BenYeeHua]

Windows 8, I think this help as I getting some people found out windows 8 increase their gaming FPS which is CPU bound.(I am one of them, getting 30FPS for Planetside 2 and 50-60FPS for World of Tanks)

I think you can try windows 8 on your desktop and see how's going.

 

And you can also testing the local or intranet, transfer file from your desktop to your laptop, or reverse, and using lan for you laptop, you might find out the lan is broken or the router has some issues.

[akaSM]

 

Turn on the Multi-thread option in the game launcher.

 

tell to us the difference it made.

 

for me was a lot.

 

 

Regarding the client lag issue, none at all, unfortunately.

 

Windows 8, I think this help as I getting some people found out windows 8 increase their gaming FPS which is CPU bound.(I am one of them, getting 30FPS for Planetside 2 and 50-60FPS for World of Tanks)

I think you can try windows 8 on your desktop and see how's going.

 

And you can also testing the local or intranet, transfer file from your desktop to your laptop, or reverse, and using lan for you laptop, you might find out the lan is broken or the router has some issues.

 

The problem isn't with my PC and, how's the gameplay in it but, with how laggy it's for the clients. I'll try hosting with an ethernet cable in my laptop later on, just in case.

 

However, I don't think anything will happen as the hosting issues began sometime after U9, before that, I was the best host among my friends because I got the better PC and connection out of our group.

 

I also tried overclocking my CPU and running at stock clock speeds, to see if something changed but, again, nothing happened.

 

I mean, seriously, it's silly how can my laptop host better; yesterday, I hosted an Orokin Derelict assassination on my laptop, I had a framerate between 11-78 fps (around 30 during normal gameplay, below 25 against the boss) and, the clients NEVER complained about lag. Then, I hosted a regular mission on my desktop, it was nice and all for me but, the clients were lagging. It was the same people, in case you're wondering.

 

The only other thing I can think of is turning all the effects off in my desktop...then again, a friend hosts with everything on, with a lower spec'd setup and worse connection than mine...

 

Here are the parts of his setup that I can remember

 

Intel Core i3 3220 @ stock speed

GeForce GTX650 Ti Boost 2GB

8GB RAM

Windows 7

 

So, I don't think it's my CPU, GPU, OS or amount of RAM. I'd be inclined to say it's a hardware issue somewhere else in my setup but, I can host other games client/host just fine.

[Knife70]

Try to disable 'graphical_options'->'character shadows' on desktop PC.

 

I don't know why, on my laptop, this seems to cause heavy network lag.

[Xaiux]

well, my laptop has very similar specs to yours except for an Nvidia GPU:

Intel i7-3610QM @2.3 GHz

Nvidia GTX 660M (slightly OC'ed) 2GB

8GB

Windows 7

 

My laptop hosts fine, on a wireless connection with about 5MB down, and 0.7 up. I can tell you for sure it isn't Nvidia drivers, at least. I'm using the latest one.

[akaSM]

I tried hosting again with my desktop but, using my phone as a wireless card. Nothing changed, at all, the lag is still there. I guess I'll just play with my laptop whenever I need to host .-.