Computer completely slows down when I launch ESO.

Commandment

I can't Alt Tab, everything is slow, all my browsers, anything running in the background, and even trying to scroll up and down. It also makes my computer make weird noises on launch.

Strange thing, is when I actually play the game after selecting my character, I can finally alt tab, and the run things in the background, but starting up the game, and just sitting in the character select screen seems to hurt my computer. I've tried it in all overclocks types to see if it would fix the issue

I know my specs is not at fault as I can play any other game with full graphics without having everything stutter or have my computer make weird noises.. (Even all the latest games, with the fans not running to hard)

My specs

Alienware area51m R2

Intel core 10thgen 10700K(desktop)
Nvdia Rtx 2070 super (mobile)
32gb ram 3200hz
storage unit i have ESO on is Samsung - 970 EVO Plus 1TB Internal PCI Express 3.0 x4 (NVMe) Solid State Drive with V-NAND Technology

All my drivers are up to date.

My problem, and concern is what is causing my computer to act this way, because as much I love ESO, I don't want it to tear my computer apart slowly every time I launch it.

SirAndy

This is a old bug that somehow has come back.

ESO will peg your CPU and/or GPU at 100% when at the login/character select screen, but *not* when you are actually in the game.

The underlying reason is that ZOS forgot to give CPU/GPU slices back to the OS while basically doing nothing (showing a pretty much static login/select screen).

We went through this exact same issue some years ago and it was eventually fixed. But it's back now...
ZOS has a habit of bringing back bugs that were fixed at some previous point in time.


@ZOS_GinaBruno

Commandment

SirAndy wrote: »

This is a old bug that somehow has come back.

ESO will peg your CPU and/or GPU at 100% when at the login/character select screen, but *not* when you are actually in the game.

The underlying reason is that ZOS forgot to give CPU/GPU slices back to the OS while basically doing nothing (showing a pretty much static login/select screen).

We went through this exact same issue some years ago and it was eventually fixed. But it's back now...
ZOS has a habit of bringing back bugs that were fixed at some previous point in time.


@ZOS_GinaBruno

Edit: Also thank you for the information!

Ouch, well I don't want to endanger my new laptop, it's scary hearing the screeching noises it makes because of it. (Doesn't do it for other games even at ultra graphics).

I hope ZOS fixes it soon, or have a work around for it. I really love ESO, but the ware and tear this can cause on my system isn't worth it. Please fix it soon ZOS, looking forward to play again.

ThorianB

100% processor usage( CPU/GPU) won't hurt the processors or other components. They are load tested to run safely and without failure at that level( and actually above that level). It will just cause lag until some of the processor is freed up which should be after you login.

SirAndy

ThorianB wrote: »

100% processor usage( CPU/GPU) won't hurt the processors or other components

There's theory and there's actual real world experience.

While you can theoretically run all your CPU cores at 100% for hours your CPU and case fans will let you know rather quickly that you are stressing your system to its max. Same goes for running the GPU at 100% for longer periods of time.
The OP mentions using a laptop, where heat is even more of an issue than on a desktop.


But the real issue here is that there is absolutely no reason what-so-ever that an app should use 100% of either your CPUs or GPU while basically being idle (login / character select screen).

The problem is sloppy programming where you are running everything in a tight loop without monitoring your fps and giving slices of CPU back to the OS. A simple call to usleep() with a time value derived from the current fps and a target fps would do the trick.

ThorianB

SirAndy wrote: »

ThorianB wrote: »

100% processor usage( CPU/GPU) won't hurt the processors or other components

There's theory and there's actual real world experience.

While you can theoretically run all your CPU cores at 100% for hours your CPU and case fans will let you know rather quickly that you are stressing your system to its max. Same goes for running the GPU at 100% for longer periods of time.
The OP mentions using a laptop, where heat is even more of an issue than on a desktop.


But the real issue here is that there is absolutely no reason what-so-ever that an app should use 100% of either your CPUs or GPU while basically being idle (login / character select screen).

The problem is sloppy programming where you are running everything in a tight loop without monitoring your fps and giving slices of CPU back to the OS. A simple call to usleep() with a time value derived from the current fps and a target fps would do the trick.

You are focusing more on the problem( a bug or client side issue) and less on the OPs main concern. The OP cannot do anything about the client issue. However, running your CPU/GPU or any components at 100% will not hurt, damage, or in anyway shorten their lifespan. They are designed to run at 100% and often at above 100%( Overclocking anyone).

As for overheating, the computer will have multiple failsafes to make sure that it never gets hot enough to damage the components. It is also an Alienware, which is designed for gaming. The cooling system will be designed to run cool under heavy workloads even though it is a laptop as long as ventilation around the laptop is adequate.

@Commandment You are fine to play ESO even with it running at 100%. Computer components were designed to run at and even beyond 100% of their capacity. You can reduce load on your system by reducing graphics settings, resolution , and/or refresh rate.

Reducing your refresh rate can reduce load on the graphics card and improve performance. Your FPS and monitor hz should be pretty close to each other. If you take your resolution down a notch from 4k to 2k, it will reduce load on your GPU significantly as well.

But you are fine running your PC at 100% usage. You may just get some lag and brief FPS drops in places.

SirAndy

ThorianB wrote: »

You are focusing more on the problem( a bug or client side issue)

Well yes, of course i am, since that *IS* the main issue ...

Commandment

\

ThorianB wrote: »

SirAndy wrote: »

ThorianB wrote: »

100% processor usage( CPU/GPU) won't hurt the processors or other components

There's theory and there's actual real world experience.

While you can theoretically run all your CPU cores at 100% for hours your CPU and case fans will let you know rather quickly that you are stressing your system to its max. Same goes for running the GPU at 100% for longer periods of time.
The OP mentions using a laptop, where heat is even more of an issue than on a desktop.


But the real issue here is that there is absolutely no reason what-so-ever that an app should use 100% of either your CPUs or GPU while basically being idle (login / character select screen).

The problem is sloppy programming where you are running everything in a tight loop without monitoring your fps and giving slices of CPU back to the OS. A simple call to usleep() with a time value derived from the current fps and a target fps would do the trick.

You are focusing more on the problem( a bug or client side issue) and less on the OPs main concern. The OP cannot do anything about the client issue. However, running your CPU/GPU or any components at 100% will not hurt, damage, or in anyway shorten their lifespan. They are designed to run at 100% and often at above 100%( Overclocking anyone).

As for overheating, the computer will have multiple failsafes to make sure that it never gets hot enough to damage the components. It is also an Alienware, which is designed for gaming. The cooling system will be designed to run cool under heavy workloads even though it is a laptop as long as ventilation around the laptop is adequate.

@Commandment You are fine to play ESO even with it running at 100%. Computer components were designed to run at and even beyond 100% of their capacity. You can reduce load on your system by reducing graphics settings, resolution , and/or refresh rate.

Reducing your refresh rate can reduce load on the graphics card and improve performance. Your FPS and monitor hz should be pretty close to each other. If you take your resolution down a notch from 4k to 2k, it will reduce load on your GPU significantly as well.

But you are fine running your PC at 100% usage. You may just get some lag and brief FPS drops in places.

My laptops problem isn't really overheating, it's actually pretty good at managing heat, but when ever I play ESO specifically, my laptop makes a weird noise that it doesn't do with any other games. When I launch ESO, or even just stay on the main selection screen it would have the same symptoms force my computer to run to maximum where it shouldnt.. I've tried lowering my graphics to the lowest setting and removing all my addons with the same effects happening. It's even more frustrating that I can't use any app's in the background as everything else just shuts down completely unable to be controlled.

To describe it more, it even lags in the ZENIMAX logo.. I can only assume, its forcing the fan to go beyond it's limits where it shouldn't be (even though I'm just on the character select screen). I'm more concerned about my fan burning out.

From what I'm understanding from what you guys are talking about is ESO is forcing my GPU/CPU to run at max when it shouldn't for a game of its caliber. Because of this, my fan is also going to go on blast even when it shouldn't, forcing it to make a weird screeching sound. (I do not experience this with any other game with full ultra graphics). This could lead my fan to burnout which has happened with previous laptops, although I do have warranty for my computer. I rather not go through the hassle of calling in for parts. As @SirAndy was saying my main concern is the glitch, my computer specs as posted is well above ESO's requirements. Forcing my laptop into overdrive for no reason does cause damage.

As for graphics wise, my computer is well strong enough to handle ESO in full settings with my FPS going from 100-250.
That start up is the thing killing me, every time I turn on the game. I can play games like Outrider in full settings, and my laptop is running 60c and below on temperature. Note that I haven't even repasted the it's parts with coolant, which would make it go down 5-10 more degrees C.

ThorianB

Commandment wrote: »

\

ThorianB wrote: »

SirAndy wrote: »

ThorianB wrote: »

100% processor usage( CPU/GPU) won't hurt the processors or other components

There's theory and there's actual real world experience.

While you can theoretically run all your CPU cores at 100% for hours your CPU and case fans will let you know rather quickly that you are stressing your system to its max. Same goes for running the GPU at 100% for longer periods of time.
The OP mentions using a laptop, where heat is even more of an issue than on a desktop.


But the real issue here is that there is absolutely no reason what-so-ever that an app should use 100% of either your CPUs or GPU while basically being idle (login / character select screen).

The problem is sloppy programming where you are running everything in a tight loop without monitoring your fps and giving slices of CPU back to the OS. A simple call to usleep() with a time value derived from the current fps and a target fps would do the trick.

You are focusing more on the problem( a bug or client side issue) and less on the OPs main concern. The OP cannot do anything about the client issue. However, running your CPU/GPU or any components at 100% will not hurt, damage, or in anyway shorten their lifespan. They are designed to run at 100% and often at above 100%( Overclocking anyone).

As for overheating, the computer will have multiple failsafes to make sure that it never gets hot enough to damage the components. It is also an Alienware, which is designed for gaming. The cooling system will be designed to run cool under heavy workloads even though it is a laptop as long as ventilation around the laptop is adequate.

@Commandment You are fine to play ESO even with it running at 100%. Computer components were designed to run at and even beyond 100% of their capacity. You can reduce load on your system by reducing graphics settings, resolution , and/or refresh rate.

Reducing your refresh rate can reduce load on the graphics card and improve performance. Your FPS and monitor hz should be pretty close to each other. If you take your resolution down a notch from 4k to 2k, it will reduce load on your GPU significantly as well.

But you are fine running your PC at 100% usage. You may just get some lag and brief FPS drops in places.

My laptops problem isn't really overheating, it's actually pretty good at managing heat, but when ever I play ESO specifically, my laptop makes a weird noise that it doesn't do with any other games. When I launch ESO, or even just stay on the main selection screen it would have the same symptoms force my computer to run to maximum where it shouldnt.. I've tried lowering my graphics to the lowest setting and removing all my addons with the same effects happening. It's even more frustrating that I can't use any app's in the background as everything else just shuts down completely unable to be controlled.

To describe it more, it even lags in the ZENIMAX logo.. I can only assume, its forcing the fan to go beyond it's limits where it shouldn't be (even though I'm just on the character select screen). I'm more concerned about my fan burning out.

From what I'm understanding from what you guys are talking about is ESO is forcing my GPU/CPU to run at max when it shouldn't for a game of its caliber. Because of this, my fan is also going to go on blast even when it shouldn't, forcing it to make a weird screeching sound. (I do not experience this with any other game with full ultra graphics). This could lead my fan to burnout which has happened with previous laptops, although I do have warranty for my computer. I rather not go through the hassle of calling in for parts. As @SirAndy was saying my main concern is the glitch, my computer specs as posted is well above ESO's requirements. Forcing my laptop into overdrive for no reason does cause damage.

As for graphics wise, my computer is well strong enough to handle ESO in full settings with my FPS going from 100-250.
That start up is the thing killing me, every time I turn on the game. I can play games like Outrider in full settings, and my laptop is running 60c and below on temperature. Note that I haven't even repasted the it's parts with coolant, which would make it go down 5-10 more degrees C.

Except it doesn't. I am a former PC tech. Your PC running at 100% of capacity doesn't cause damage. They are designed to be able to run at full capacity. The noise you hear is most likely increased fan speed or additional fans. All PCs get much louder when put under a heavy load.

If there was a chance that the client bug was going to cause damage to your PC, ZOS would have hot fixed it immediately before they got a lot of angry customers with broken computers demanding they pay for PC repairs.

I have an older PC that my wife plays ESO on and it runs pegged at 100% GPU the entire time the game is running and 75-100% CPU usage almost the entire time. It sounds like a jet engine taking off after about 15 minutes of play. But it has ran ESO at full capacity for well over 1500 hours and is still chugging along. Plus i wont even get to the other dozens of hardware challenging games it has ran in its 12 year lifespan. And yet i have only had to replace the case fan once in 12 years. This PC also never gets shut off unless my power goes out which is about twice a year so it has 99% uptime for 12 years.

Computer's have failsafes to keep software from causing hardware damage( Blue screen and other such "crashes" are actually the PC protecting itself in many cases).

You are 100% fine to play the game normally at 100% usage. However, if you lower your resolution or your graphics settings it will reduce the load on your card. If you are going to wait on ZOS to fix the issue, it could be a while.

etchedpixels

ThorianB wrote: »

[However, running your CPU/GPU or any components at 100% will not hurt, damage, or in anyway shorten their lifespan.

It will shorten the lifespan. However the quoted lifespan of components is usually the worst case scenario for heat, altitude and the like. Silicon components may have no moving parts but even they age through migration. Fans and the like age much faster but are also cheap to replace, caps, regulators and buck convertors also age and are not something the average person can replace on a motherboard.

Usually it's not a problem but people have been burned hard in the extreme cases - like buying ex bitcoin mining rigs that are desktop parts that have run hot 24x7 for some years before being sold on. What it does to your power bill is probably far more of a concern!

Part of the problem is that the frames/second settings for ESO are not in the UI (god knows why not). If you are willing to go edit UserSettings.txt, make a backup and change MinFrameTime to something like

SET MinFrameTime.2 "0.03333000"

you'll clamp the max fps at 30 (and you can other values - the number is 1/maxfs) and an a lower end machine or older GPU (or just on 4K sometimes) you'll probably see a much quieter and happier system, whilst 30fps v higher is really irrelevant for a game that runs 1 attack and 1 skill per second with several frames worth of lag even on the best day with fast internet.

My main system (4K display, RX580 GPU) sounds rather like a hovercraft with the defaults, and almost silent with this change.

It really ought to be in the UI.

colossusx

FXAA is not supported for ESO with NVIDIA. If you have that on try turing it off and see if that makes a difference. Some other folks were complaining about that and I checked the 3d settings and what do you know... Not supported for this application. Seems strange.