My framerate suddenly randomly drops extremely low for a while, then recovers.

[Toybasher]

Hello. I am using viewer 2 on windows XP.

My specs

CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual  CPU  E2200  @ 2.20GHz (2200.01 MHz)
Memory: 3072 MB
OS Version: Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3 (Build 2600) compatibility mode. real ver: 6.0 (Build 2900)
Graphics Card Vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
Graphics Card: GeForce 8600 GT/PCI/SSE2

I get a decent FPS ususally. But for some reason, after a little while (I havn't measured the time exactly, but its around 10 minutes, or maybe 5, i cant keep track) My fps drops like a rock, around 3 FPS max. After a little while longer (about ten more minutes) it goes back to normal, only to happen later again, and the cycle continues.

This is extremely frustrating, and i can't seem to figure out the problem. I tried clearing the cache, restarting pc, restarting SL, reinstalling SL completely, disabling multithread, monitoring heat levels, lowering scripts, moving to a less busy area, lowering CPU usage. Nothing seems to work!

I remember when i first used SL, back in 2011, this didn't happen, almost as if a SL update broke it or something. Now its been happening for months, and its driving me insane!

Help would be appreicated.

Thanks!

 

I am also using a wired connection.

[Peggy Paperdoll]

A couple things come to mind.  If you are using a wireless connection it's common that something will interfere with your connection.........your cell phone checking in with the cell tower, maybe your next door neighbor (or the kid down the street) is piggybacking on your wireless connection to your router,  your cordless phone gets a call, your cordless keyboard and/or mouse readdresses itself to the transciever, almost anything that is transmitted through the air can cause interference.  The other thing is that your computer is running some scan in the background  such as an anti-malware scan, or maybe you have auto-backup for files setup for you computer....anything that is "auto" can cause a problem for you.

 

Speaking of routers another common (and somewhat dangerous for your personal identity) is if you are using a router, even connected via an Ethernet cable (hardwired), if your router is not secured or "locked down" someone within about a half mile can connect to the Internet through your router.  That can gobble up quite a bit of bandwidth but also it can get you in trouble if they are doing anything illegal..........downloading kiddie porn would show you the one doing it (and you'll have to answer for it even if innocent should the police or FBI find it necessary to investigate).  Your friendly neighbor could get you in trouble and it's almost impossible for them to be caught.........or just some random jerk with a smart phone walking down the street.  Secure your router even if you are connected by a Cat 5 cable.

[Marigold Devin]

Welcome to Second Life Answers, Toybasher.

My first thought was internet connection - which Peggy has magnificently covered.  I have a similar problem; over the years more and more people have joined the same broadband company as me, so certain times of the day I can get sudden drops in FPS, even on totally empty sims. 

And it could be windows putting automatic updates on.  You can check this by opening Windows Updates and checking the history whenever you have a brief spell of reduced FPS.  I get this also.

But I really do think it is more than likely down to other people sharing your broadband.

The good news is, if you are in the UK and on Virgin, they are intending to double the speed of all broadband customers in the near future, and I do expect that other internet providers will follow suit.

[Ansariel Hiller]

The only reliable way to find out where all the time is lost that's causing such a massive performance drop is by checking the Fast Timers. Fast Timers are in the Develop menu (activate the Develop menu with CTRL-ALT-Q, you might need to enable the Advanced menu first (CTRL-ALT-D)) in the Consoles sub menu. If your performance drops, open the Fast Timers and click on the stop button so you can navigate through the timers tree and inspect what exactly is causing the slowdown (the bigger the bar, the slower the viewer).

[Faubio Alter]

Fluctuation in frame rate are normal depending on activity on the sim. Unless it is a problem and really doing something, do not worry about it. If your walking in jelly while that is happening or some other issue then check your connection for performance issues. You may need to contact your ISP for assistance.