Why does viewer freeze?

[Eric Eisenberg]

Every time I go to a place, my AV freezes and I have to restart. This happens about 2 - 3 times on average. Although, there are place I just can't visit because it happens every single time I try to visit.

The info found under About SL is:

 

Second Life 3.4.5 (270263) Feb 12 2013 04:36:12 (Second Life Release)
Release Notes

CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3720QM CPU @ 2.60GHz (2600 MHz)
Memory: 8192 MB
OS Version: Mac OS X 10.8.3 Darwin 12.3.0 Darwin Kernel Version 12.3.0: Sun Jan 6 22:37:10 PST 2013; root:xnu-2050.22.13~1/RELEASE_X86_64 x86_64
Graphics Card Vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M OpenGL Engine

OpenGL Version: 2.1 NVIDIA-8.10.44 304.10.65f03

libcurl Version: libcurl/7.21.1 OpenSSL/0.9.8q zlib/1.2.5 c-ares/1.7.1
J2C Decoder Version: KDU v7.0
Audio Driver Version: FMOD version 3.750000
Qt Webkit Version: 4.7.1 (version number hard-coded)
Voice Server Version: Not Connected
Built with GCC version 40201

 

These specs should be just fine, or?

 

Thanks for any help.

[Thinkerer Melville]

Check your attachments.  This problem is often caused by a heavy load on the avatar.  To test that, put on one of the basic avatars and add nothing.  See if that reduces the problem.  If so, try adding things cautiously

TKr

[Freya Mokusei]

The issue is likely to be your network infrastructure. Old routers and poorly-built interface cards can get overwhelmed by the huge amount of traffic that SL pulls during TPs. Rezzing the scene around you (including nearby avatars) can create a massive amount of throughput and will test any kind of complex network connnection to its limit.

Tips:

• Use wired LAN, not wi-fi.
• Ensure your firewall(s) aren't blocking/losing traffic.
• Test your connection speed using http://speedtest.net (greater than 5Mbit/s is recommended)
• Avoid other network activities (filesharing, youtubes, shared connections with other people)
• Lower your maximum network bandwidth in viewer Preferences.
• Lower your draw distance
• Ensure your NIC is built for gigabit ethernet, and that you're getting 1000Mbit/s within your LAN (if possible)
• Improve your network arcitecture (router, connection speed)

[Orca Flotta]

Your hardware looks quite ok, so the problem isn't in your home (as long as you are following the hints of the others). Often the problem is also not with LL but much closer to home and starts already at your local DSLAM. Conduct a tracert to lindenlab.com and see where the problems are. In any way, you have a data throughput problem.

See for example what I just did from my location in Cape Town/RSA:

It's every internet user's nightmare.

Hops 3,4 are to the local exchange. Everything ok there, no congestion.

So we send or signal on the way ...uh oh, MTN mucks it up on the way to Amsterdam. No,  they don't. Undersea cables are awesome but they can't beat the speed of light. The real problems are starting when migrating to the US. From there on it's all going downhill. Lots of timed out messages, nothing you wanna see.

I'm not saying you're on a  particularly bad line (like me) but it's always a good way to find out where the problems are. In any way better than the rigged results you get from speedtest.net and pingtest.net.

[Nalates Urriah]

Your hardware is good. So far the information here is good too.

You can check your connection using these steps: Troubleshoot Your #SL Connection. This article will show you how to use the viewer and other tools to tell if the problem is your connection and if so, whether it is you, the ISP, someone in between, or the Lab.

It will also show you how to test whether it is the viewer or server that is having problems. It explains which readings in the viewer are real and which are not what we think, like the viewer's PING reading - which is highly subject to distortion and not measuring the same thing as your OS's ping.

A test to tell if it is the viewer freezing or slow data arrival lagging the viewer, turn your avatar using the arrow keys. If the viewer is freezing, the arrow keeys will NOT turn your avatar. If the avatar turns, the viewer isn't freezing. Use the arrow keys to move the avatar forward and backward. If that works, the viewer is communicating with the server. If it is not working you see the avatar stay in place or rubberband, move some distance then snap back. Communications lag can make the viewer feel sluggish. It won't freeze the viewer. You can always move your camera no matter how slow or bad the connection. Jerky camera movement is a viewer side problem.

Right now there is a problem with viewers using CHUI, Chat Hub User Interface. The Beta and Dev viewers have CHUI. But I have seen similar problems, such what you are apparently having, in the main viewer. So, while it may be worse in the Beta, there is something going on.

There is a known problem where the viewer has a number of mini-freezes right after login. The Lab is looking for the cause of that problem. 

There is another problem where we see mini-freezes or short periods of low viewer FPS in mesh areas. The blogger Penny Patton has tracked that down to creators building with mesh using lots of large textures (1024x1024 - 3.1mb). In such areas turning the avatar in a 360 degree sweep of the area will kill FPS rates. I suspect what is happening is there are so many textures being swapped in and out of video memory it even brings 650 cards down. It certainly brings my 560 down.

AFAIK, there are no tools for measuring video card swap rates. However, GPU-Z will tell you a lot about what your video card is doing. (Free program).

You can follow BUG-2082, CHUIBUG-132, and CHUIBUG-171. Possibly VWR-28521. I think anyone can follow the CHUI items.

If you want to know more about what your viewer is doing, use Fast Timers, Ctrl-Shift-9.

Also, the current nVidia driver is: 314.07 or in long form: 9.18.13.1407

[Orca Flotta]

Also, the current nVidia driver is: 314.07 or in long form: 9.18.13.1407

 

Me gotz 314.22 just yesterday or day before.