BTTF - Limiting Framerate

[AlteredTomorrow]

I need to know if there's a way in-game to turn on vertical sync, or more importantly, use some kind of console command to limit the framerate.

The game runs spectacularly on my computer, but after a short time it overheats and crashes so I need to find some way to limit the framerate.

Thanks!

[ForumPoster]

Depends. If you're using Windows and a multicore processor and it's the CPU that's overheating you can always alt+tab out of the game, hit CTRL + ALT + DEL and start the task manager. Locate the game on the process list, right-click on it and choose 'Set Affinity'. You'll get a list of the cores assigned to the task and you can disable all but one and see how that goes. You'll have to do this every time you run the game however.

If it's a GPU overheating issue you can set the resolution and/or detail down to try and reduce the demand.

[AlteredTomorrow]

Originally Posted by ForumPoster

Depends. If you're using Windows and a multicore processor and it's the CPU that's overheating you can always alt+tab out of the game, hit CTRL + ALT + DEL and start the task manager. Locate the game on the process list, right-click on it and choose 'Set Affinity'. You'll get a list of the cores assigned to the task and you can disable all but one and see how that goes. You'll have to do this every time you run the game however.

If it's a GPU overheating issue you can set the resolution and/or detail down to try and reduce the demand.

Thanks for your post.

I'm almost positive it's a GPU overheat. I'd rather not reduce the quality as some way to reduce the framerate would produce the desired effect without sacrificing quality, but it may come to that.

[Kleetus]

Use real-time monitoring programs like GPU-Z and CPU-Z, have them log temps in the background and run the game till it crashes.

Then check your CPU and GPU temps at the crash time, as well as checking Event Viewer.

If you want to try Vsync, you can enable it via your graphics card driver.

[DjNDB]

Once you identified what overheats, you could as well just improve your cooling solution.

[AlteredTomorrow]

Originally Posted by DjNDB

Once you identified what overheats, you could as well just improve your cooling solution.

Right, I'm playing on a laptop and there's not much I can do to improve the cooling besides what I've already done such as elevate it and clean it. It just generally overheats on games with uncapped and/or high-end capped framerates.

Forcing V-sync through my video card options seems to have fixed the problem for now. Though 60 frames is still too much in some cases.

[hatless sam]

Google for fps limiter 0.2

run FPS_Limiter_GUI (requires java)

Search executable and find the BackToTheFuture101.exe in your install directory and put in about 32 on maximum fps, then create bat. Run the bat file that it creates in the fps limiter folder for now on to play the game. I did this with S&M TDP because the frame rate in that game is too all over the place. Fortunately Telltale seemed to do a very good job on getting BttF optimized.

edit: and keep it on D3D9

[AlteredTomorrow]

Originally Posted by hatless sam

Google for fps limiter 0.2

run FPS_Limiter_GUI (requires java)

Search executable and find the BackToTheFuture101.exe in your install directory and put in about 32 on maximum fps, then create bat. Run the bat file that it creates in the fps limiter folder for now on to play the game. I did this with S&M TDP because the frame rate in that game is too all over the place. Fortunately Telltale seemed to do a very good job on getting BttF optimized.

edit: and keep it on D3D9

Thanks for your post and for including instructions.

I tried what you said and I get an error when running the bat, could it be because I'm running the game on Steam?

Also enabling v-sync didn't fix the problem, but it allows a little more time before overheating occurs.

[Kleetus]

Normally Steam doesn't allow any changes or proxies for it's game exe, but FPS Limiter does work with Steam games.

Anyway, you really need to sort out this overheating, though, it shouldn't be happening with any game and especially not when you're forcing VSync.

In the meantime, if you want to lower the frame-rate try enabling VSync, AA and AF through your video card driver.

You could also try other video card driver versions, as that may help your temps.

[AlteredTomorrow]

Originally Posted by Kleetus

Normally Steam doesn't allow any changes or proxies for it's game exe, but FPS Limiter does work with Steam games.

Anyway, you really need to sort out this overheating, though, it shouldn't be happening with any game and especially not when you're forcing VSync.

In the meantime, if you want to lower the frame-rate try enabling VSync, AA and AF through your video card driver.

You could also try other video card driver versions, as that may help your temps.

How do you suggest I sort it out? I'm open to any suggestions.

I have the latest drivers which give me the best heat management that I've experienced so far with the drivers I've had throughout time.

I have my laptop elevated and I keep it clean as I mentioned before.

[DjNDB]

Originally Posted by Kleetus

In the meantime, if you want to lower the frame-rate try enabling VSync, AA and AF through your video card driver.

That would increase the load on the graphics chip of course, and in turn produce more heat in the GPU.

I would start with measuring the temperatues as kleetus said. Once you definitely know whether it's the GPU or CPU measures can be taken.

Either way, you could try reducing it's speed and especially voltage.

[AlteredTomorrow]

Originally Posted by DjNDB

Either way, you could try reducing it's speed and especially voltage.

Could you tell me how I might go about doing that?

[DjNDB]

Originally Posted by AlteredTomorrow

Could you tell me how I might go about doing that?

If and how it's possible depends on the hardware and operating system. I am not an expert on this though.
Using windows power plans is one way to limit the CPU performance. I herard about special tools too, such as RMClock, some years ago, but i don't know if there are any compatible with todays CPUs.

For the graphics card ATITool might be an option.

You'll have to do some research yourself though to find a good solution for your system.

[Kleetus]

Originally Posted by DjNDB

That would increase the load on the graphics chip of course, and in turn produce more heat in the GPU.

Not necessarily, his problem is not stress on the GPU, but the frame-rate.

It may help it may not, there's only one way to find out.

Originally Posted by AlteredTomorrow

How do you suggest I sort it out? I'm open to any suggestions.

As I posted earlier, use real-time monitoring programs and find out exactly what's happening.

Once you know that, then you can decide on what to do.

[AlteredTomorrow]

I've used a benchmarking tool once and I believe that as soon as my card temp hits 100 degrees my computer will just shut down to prevent damage, no matter what.

[Cyphox]

how do clean your laptop? just surface and stuff or are you really cleaning the fan(s) and the colling ribs with compressed air??

if you are technically gifted i also say: open that f*cker up and put new heatsink (edit: i mean heatsink paste, sorry) on the graphics chip.

about checking the heat and reducing the clock speed:

try rivatuner, its free and not THAT hard to use. you can also regulate the fanspeed with it. and monitoring the temperature.

reducing voltage is a different thing, i think thats not possible without flashing the graphic cards bios...

[AlteredTomorrow]

Originally Posted by Cyphox

how do clean your laptop? just surface and stuff or are you really cleaning the fan(s) and the colling ribs with compressed air??

if you are technically gifted i also say: open that f*cker up and put new heatsink on the graphics chip.

about checking the heat and reducing the clock speed:

try rivatuner, its free and not THAT hard to use. you can also regulate the fanspeed with it. and monitoring the temperature.

reducing voltage is a different thing, i think thats not possible without flashing the graphic cards bios...

Thank you very much for your suggestions.

I clean all visible areas with compressed air including any exhaust and intake fans I can find.

I've tried to use Rivatuner before but apparently my system doesn't allow manipulation of the fan controls because I was unable to change anything.

[Cyphox]

is your laptop still covered by warranty? i'd just call the manufacturer saying its getting to hot when it has to show performance and send it in for repairs. maybe they can change the cooling solution for a better one or something like that.

imho thats really a serious issue for desceming the warranty service. they cant sell you a laptop that crashes when gpu performance is claimed. for what reason they're building a laptop with a good performing gpu when its not working when it comes to performance??

about tools:
i really cant say for sure (because i never fiddled around that much with this special program) but another tool for regulating the fan-speed is "speedfan". just google it and give it a try

and about riva tuner: you should at least be able to reduce the mhz of gpu and ram. does this work at least??

[ForumPoster]

Originally Posted by Kleetus

Not necessarily, his problem is not stress on the GPU, but the frame-rate.

Not really, the issue is almost certainly that the GPU is producing more heat than the system can clear, thus stress is exactly the issue as 'frame rate' can't cause the GPU to heat up magically. Reducing frame rate when a game has a fixed detail level reduces the amount of work the GPU is doing, that's why it's a viable solution.

[Kleetus]

Originally Posted by ForumPoster

Not really, the issue is almost certainly that the GPU is producing more heat than the system can clear

Until a real-time montoring program is run in the background with the game, no one knows exactly what the issue is.

It could very well be the CPU, or something else entirely.

@ Altered, find out exactly what the issue is, then you can decide what action to take.