Halo 1 & 2 for PC
This topic has moved here: Subject: The Guide to Lag
  • Subject: The Guide to Lag
Subject: The Guide to Lag
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We all sufer from lag to some extent. I always see topics about people asking about lag, so I'm gonna try to help them all out with a few pointers:

1. Make your network cable shorter (the one that connects you to the internet); by getting the shortest cable possible you can decrease lag (the difference is not noticable, but it's there. Trust me)
2. Defragment your computer ever time you turn it on.
3. Run Msconfig and disable all the extra programs that you do not need to run your computer.
4. Get DSL if you have dial-up. (DUH!!!!)
5. Don't ever use AOL to connect you to the internet to play.
6. Run disk cleanup every now and then.
7. Delete your temporary internet files that you don't need.
8. Under the video settings in the game, turn everything off and turn the graphics at the bottom to LOW.

If you have any others suggestions or questions, send me a message. Or I guess you could just post it here.


[Edited on 4/7/2006]

  • 04.07.2006 9:06 AM PDT
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8. Under the video settings in the game, turn everything off and turn the graphics at the bottom to LOW.That doesn't help you improve your connection in anyway. It's a useful tip if your game if there's a drop in fps but it won't help you if you've got a ping of 1238 in a game of Rocket Slayer.

  • 04.07.2006 12:14 PM PDT
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2. Defragment your computer ever time you turn it on.
3. Run Msconfig and disable all the extra programs that you do not need to run your computer.
What do those mean?

  • 04.07.2006 1:06 PM PDT
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around how much RAM do you need to have a farly smooth game.

  • 04.07.2006 1:09 PM PDT
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EDIT: You'll need at least 512 for a decent game with low to midrange computer specs. But I recommend 1gig. Besides, that'll be the standard for games in the future.

Might also want to explain exactly what Lag IS. That helps.

For the rest of us, lag is the time it takes for a computer to send and receive information about the game, measured in Ping numbers. The higher the ping, the longer it takes for information to be sent/received by the computers, the slower and choppier the game.

Think of it this way: you're sitting in a circle with one guy in the center (the host). While you can talk to the host, you can't talk directly with any other people around you. When playing the game, you're describing your actions to the host, who then tells everyone else what you're doing and tells you what everyone else is doing. That's how internet games work. Likewise, it's easier for you to describe Chief walking than it is for you to describe Chief fighting an opponent. Which causes some hardware lag as well as clog up bandwidth.

[Edited on 4/7/2006]

  • 04.07.2006 1:10 PM PDT
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Posted by: Gladiator1064
We all sufer from lag to some extent. I always see topics about people asking about lag, so I'm gonna try to help them all out with a few pointers:

1. Make your network cable shorter (the one that connects you to the internet); by getting the shortest cable possible you can decrease lag (the difference is not noticable, but it's there. Trust me)
2. Defragment your computer ever time you turn it on.
3. Run Msconfig and disable all the extra programs that you do not need to run your computer.
6. Run disk cleanup every now and then.
8. Under the video settings in the game, turn everything off and turn the graphics at the bottom to LOW.

-If you have any others suggestions or questions, send me a message. Or I guess you could just post it here.


1-Basically all of those have no determination on your connection. That shortest cable bit is the only thing that will make a difference, but since its traveling nearly at the speed of light it will be like 1/1,000,000 of a second difference if it were like 2 feet longer.

2- Defragmenting your computer (hard drive) has nothing to do with your connection either. All that does is compress the spaces from deleted files. It has nothing to do with the speed that you are receiving the interenet connection. And also, defragmenting your computer every time you turn it on is overkill. Thats ridiculous. Its like saying every time you drive your car change your oil.

3-Disabling other programs wont effect your connection either. The only way it would is if they are internet depended. For example running aim, internet exporer, and other programs like that will affect your speed somewhat, but if your using programs not connected ot the internet it will have no effect.

6- running disk cleanup just deletes programs you dont use, or files. Its pointless and wont bother your connection either.

8 - Your videocard has absolutely 100% no effect on your connection at all. What you call "lag" is a low framerate, which means that you have a crappy videocard. Your videocard receievs no information at all about your internet connection, other than what to display. Low framerate appears to be the same thing as lag. Play on campaign with everything set as high and you'll see the low fps, and it appears to be lag.

  • 04.07.2006 1:18 PM PDT
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My advice for no lag is

-have at least DSL
-have at least DSL
-have at least DSL
-have at least DSL
-dont use a wireless connection
-dont use a wireless connection
-dont use a wireless connection
-dont use a wireless connection

thats really all you can do to eliminate/lower lag

  • 04.07.2006 1:21 PM PDT

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TMH1988 wrote:
8 - Your videocard has absolutely 100% no effect on your connection at all. What you call "lag" is a low framerate, which means that you have a crappy videocard. Your videocard receievs no information at all about your internet connection, other than what to display. Low framerate appears to be the same thing as lag. Play on campaign with everything set as high and you'll see the low fps, and it appears to be lag.

I used to think this was true, but a few nights ago I changed some of the video settings in the game. I did not notice much difference, but people I was playing with said I was warping all over. It did not seem that way to me, and my ping was low. They said it might be my video settings, I changed them back and then the warping went away.

  • 04.07.2006 1:48 PM PDT