Bioware, your game runs too hot. My solution.

[Kashaan]

What's your CPU? Core i5 2500K at stock.

What's your GPU? Geforce GTX 580 at stock.

What's your PSU? Corsair AX 750.

What resolution do you run at? 1920x1080.

What do you have for cooling? Stock CPU cooler, stock dual-fan GPU cooler.

What programs do you run in the background? Origin and Steam only.

Do you overclock? Usually, but I have not overclocked any of these components since buying them due to a lack of after-market cooling and free time.

 

 

What do you have for case cooling?

 

Origin is a rather large process hog. You might want to turn it off while playing TOR.

 

In your case, I am honestly stumped as to why your GPU runs so much hotter while playing TOR than Culveren or myself (which is why I believe you got a defective GPU). ME:

 

i7 930

560 Ti

700W

1920 x 1080

Stock GPU fan, Mugen CPU after-market fan

Run Skype, Avast, and EVGA precision in the background

Don't overclock

 

Could TOR use some optimization? Of course. However, it cannot be the sole cause of your GPU being "worked to the bone".

Edited January 10, 2012 by Kashaan

[Syrellaris]

Also if you want a simple solution to your overheating problem, remove the beta client you are still using, that alone causes a ghost application to run. Making your computer think its running 2 instances of SWTOR at the same time. THis was fixed in the original client version.

[Chaffery]

Why mother board? Try reduce GPU fan speed, then load any game, like Crysis, see how much it jump up. Load burn it test, look at spinning speed and finally load Swtor and verify spinning speed with burn in test.

[Kashaan]

Also if you want a simple solution to your overheating problem, remove the beta client you are still using, that alone causes a ghost application to run. Making your computer think its running 2 instances of SWTOR at the same time. THis was fixed in the original client version.

 

 

Whoa, I didn't even think of that. Good point!

[lollie]

 

Could TOR use some optimization? Of course. However, it cannot be the sole cause of your GPU being "worked to the bone".

 

How do you figure this, given the issue only started after the Jan 6th patch, and only occurs while in SWTOR maxed/fullscreened.

 

Nothing else has changed, but the 6th Jan patch.

[PJEBarlow]

What do you have for case cooling?

 

Origin is a rather large process hog. You might want to turn it off while playing TOR.

 

In your case, I am honestly stumped as to why your GPU runs so much hotter while playing TOR than Culveren or myself (which is why I believe you got a defective GPU). ME:

 

i7 930

560 Ti

700W

1920 x 1080

Stock GPU fan, Mugen CPU after-market fan

Run Skype, Avast, and EVGA precision in the background

Don't overclock

 

Could TOR use some optimization? Of course. However, it cannot be the sole cause of your GPU being "worked to the bone".

 

I use a Lian Li PC-8 case with plentiful 12mm Noctua cooling, for the purposes of diagnosing this problem I have even tried playing with the side panel off but the problem unfortunately persisted.

 

I don't feel Origin is a large process hog, it uses less system resources than my browser and I have the resources to spare with an i5 and 8GB of RipjawsX in my system.

 

I just ran a test again with CPUID Hardware Monitor and GPU-Z monitoring simultaneously, the report for peak usage is as follows: -

 

Maximum Temperature: 83ºC (181ºF)

Maximum Fan Speed: 77% (3240 RPM)

Maximum GPU Load: 99%.

 

It didn't get up to 100% this time as I wasn't playing long enough, but it eventually does, and it is very loud even at around 80%. It tends to hit near-100% after about 45 minutes, this result was after a mere 5 minutes or so.

 

I know the GPU isn't defective because the only software that abuses my GTX 580 this hard is Furmark, and I can run that for hours without signs of instability or artefacts.

 

Also if you want a simple solution to your overheating problem, remove the beta client you are still using, that alone causes a ghost application to run. Making your computer think its running 2 instances of SWTOR at the same time. THis was fixed in the original client version.

 

I'm afraid I un-installed the beta client before early access.

Edited January 10, 2012 by PJEBarlow

[CarverX]

Also if you want a simple solution to your overheating problem, remove the beta client you are still using, that alone causes a ghost application to run. Making your computer think its running 2 instances of SWTOR at the same time. THis was fixed in the original client version.

 

 

Hmm, any way to check on that or where it's running?

[Syrellaris]

Hmm, any way to check on that or where it's running?

 

if you are using the beta client for longer then the last wave, then the folder has to be over 20gb large, this is your first indication as it has extra files it no longer needs. However when you boot it up, you can check taskmanager and you should have 2x swtor.exe running in it. Both hugging the same type of resources and the same amount.

 

This is what caused my laptop to overheat within 15 minutes as my cooler could not handle it, not even with a cooling mat. Now that I use the original client from the discs, my laptop does not go over 60-75 degrees Celcius.

 

I am not saying this is a solution for everyone but it might help some.

[Kayvault]

Just a thought, if your hardware cant handle the game then upgrade or don't play. Why should they alter there game to better suit people who have out dated systems? Random analogy but buying a new car knowing you cant make the payments, dealers fault or yours? (Regardless Car dealerships probably do not care about you but you get my drift lol)

[PJEBarlow]

Just a thought, if your hardware cant handle the game then upgrade or don't play. Why should they alter there game to better suit people who have out dated systems?

 

Do you have any idea what you sound like? Especially considering the thread is full of people with high-end cards, my own being a GTX 580.

[Kayvault]

Do you have any idea what you sound like? Especially considering the thread is full of people with high-end cards, my own being a GTX 580.

 

 

Cool story bro I run a GTX 580 TI, point?

[lollie]

I've left my character parked up in a hangar for past while, so not changing textures just staring at same spot whole time, and my memory usage is creeping up constantly, actually increasing quite fast now. Memory leak?

 

It's now at 5gigs out of the 8gigs I have.

Edited January 10, 2012 by lollie

[Chaffery]

Just a thought, if your hardware cant handle the game then upgrade or don't play. Why should they alter there game to better suit people who have out dated systems? Random analogy but buying a new car knowing you cant make the payments, dealers fault or yours? (Regardless Car dealerships probably do not care about you but you get my drift lol)

LOL... You ever hear anything about minimum and maximum specks for game. If minimum is announced buy Bioware that means game MUST run on minimum speck.

[PJEBarlow]

Cool story bro I run a GTX 580 TI, point?

 

So you're not here to discuss the issue, okay. Why are you here?

 

I've left my character parked up in a hangar for past while, so not changing textures just staring at same spot whole time, and my memory usage is creeping up constantly, actually increasing quite fast now. Memory leak?

 

I was standing in the same spot for quite a while too, nothing going on, but the fan speed just kept ramping up and up with my GPU core working at 99%.

 

I hate to keep bringing up Starcraft II, but if I recall the problem in that was the game constantly sending duplicate graphics data to the graphics card non-stop until it just overheated. Sounds eerily familiar.

Edited January 10, 2012 by PJEBarlow

[Rimbaldo]

Odd. I monitor my temperatures fairly closely and I haven't seen the CPU get hotter than 63c or so and the GPU 67c, even playing for hours at a time. Those are fairly normal load readings for my rig, but I've noticed SWTOR doesn't go much higher than 60% utilization of my GPU so maybe it would get hotter than that if it was optimized to take better advantage of a 580.

 

The game DOES have a bad memory leak, I run with the FPS monitor toggled on and the number will slowly drop over time until I restart the game.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Rimbaldo

[Ekopy]

I run SLI 560 Ti's factory overclocked and they average about 75C on full load with this game. These chips are rated to tap out at about 99C. And even if the graphics engine was coded bad, the game would just crash from memory leaks... not cause overheating.

[Kayvault]

So you're not here to discuss the issue, okay. Why are you here?

 

I am here to state to the OP that the issues is most likely on his end not Swtor. Why start a thread to bash the game before you 100% deduce the issue on your end? I am tired of so many people today wanting there hand held. Maybe start a thread asking for advice on the subject other than " Bash"

[PJEBarlow]

Odd. I monitor my temperatures fairly closely and I haven't seen the CPU get hotter than 63c or so and the GPU 67c, even playing for hours at a time. Those are fairly normal load readings for my rig, but I've noticed SWTOR doesn't go much higher than 60% utilization of my GPU so maybe it would get hotter than that if it was optimized to take better advantage of a 580.

 

So your GTX 580 is getting 60% utilisation and my GTX 580 is getting 99% utilisation. There doesn't seem to be any consistent links between people having this problem and people who aren't, it's a mystery.

 

I am here to state to the OP that the issues is most likely on his end not Swtor. Why start a thread to bash the game before you 100% deduce the issue on your end? I am tired of so many people today wanting there hand held. Maybe start a thread asking for advice on the subject other than " Bash"

 

So just like I've been saying in many posts tonight, people like you seem to be here because you think we have nothing better to do than "bash the game" and give it a bad reputation, and all you really want to do is troll us instead of discussing the technical issue many of us are having because you don't like what we're saying. Bioware is a big company, you know, they don't need you to be their internet bodyguard.

 

As for your nonsense assumptions: I have personally spent days performing diagnoses on my system to try to find out if it's at fault, I wouldn't have wasted my time if I all I wanted to do was blame it on Bioware and bash the game. In fact I am here because I enjoy the game and plan to play it for a long time, and I wish Bioware would look in to (or at least acknowledge) this issue because I can't find a cause on my end.

Edited January 10, 2012 by PJEBarlow

[Chaffery]

Totally forgot, running game in XP SP3 compatibility mode reduces GPU load a lot.

[lollie]

if the graphics engine was coded bad, the game would just crash from memory leaks... not cause overheating.

 

Unless it's causing your CPU/GPU to process something over and over as fast as it can, for no reason at all (causing heat issues).

[Ekopy]

Unless it's causing your CPU/GPU to process something over and over as fast as it can, for no reason at all (causing heat issues).

 

But then I would look at your cooling system being clogged or inadequate. These cards are designed to handle the heat as is, its what people do to them afterwards that causes the issues.

[lollie]

I hate to keep bringing up Starcraft II, but if I recall the problem in that was the game constantly sending duplicate graphics data to the graphics card non-stop until it just overheated. Sounds eerily familiar.

 

Snap! This is what I'm thinking might be going on too.

[Rimbaldo]

So your GTX 580 is getting 60% utilisation and my GTX 580 is getting 99% utilisation. There doesn't seem to be any consistent links between people having this problem and people who aren't, it's a mystery.

 

My GPU usage is actually all over the place while playing, but it's most definitely not grinding away at 99-100% for extended periods of time. I checked just now after running around for a few minutes and it was bouncing around from 45-88% and holding steady at around ~800MB of memory used.

[lollie]

But then I would look at your cooling system being clogged or inadequate. These cards are designed to handle the heat as is, its what people do to them afterwards that causes the issues.

 

At least one of us posting here is 100% certain he has no cooling issue at all, so clearly it's something else if we're looking for a common factor.

Edited January 10, 2012 by lollie

[CarverX]

if you are using the beta client for longer then the last wave, then the folder has to be over 20gb large, this is your first indication as it has extra files it no longer needs. However when you boot it up, you can check taskmanager and you should have 2x swtor.exe running in it. Both hugging the same type of resources and the same amount.

 

This is what caused my laptop to overheat within 15 minutes as my cooler could not handle it, not even with a cooling mat. Now that I use the original client from the discs, my laptop does not go over 60-75 degrees Celcius.

 

I am not saying this is a solution for everyone but it might help some.

 

Yes I found it in task manager already, both running simultaneously. Pretty disturbing and although I haven't had too many issues I'm sure this did not help. Glad I bought the disks. Buh-bye Beta Client. Thanks for the info.