Basic Ways to Improve your Computer's Performance [Version 3.5]

Join Date: 2008-05-22
Post Count: 21835

#26053567Friday, May 21, 2010 10:15 PM GMT

Version 3.5 Much of the content is the same. I've expanded 2.4 and added 2.7 to the list. Fixed some formatting issues. Post any more threads that may help or suggestions that you've found that worked. [1.0] Abstract Many users have fallen victim to this thing called 'lag' or playing on a slow game. A commonly heard question is 'How can I fix this problem to help ROBLOX perform up to its potential?' There are actually quite a few ways to achieve this. I would recommend all of the following. Contents -[1.0] Abstract -[2.0] Improving performance ----[2.1] Upgrade your equipment ----[2.2] Minimize CPU usage ----[2.3] Focus CPU usage ----[2.4] Cleaning up your hard drive ----[2.5] Lowering your settings ----[2.6] Your internet connection ----[2.7] Scan your computer for viruses -[3.0] Summery ----[3.1] Main points ----[3.2] Feedback ----[3.3] You may also like... **Please reference this list when needed. [2.0] Improving performance There are many ways to improve the performance of your computer for any game. I have conveniently categorized all these methods. You do not need to use all the methods, but each method helps. [2.1] Upgrade your equipment Older computers run ROBLOX and other games slower than newer computers. You may need to upgrade your hard drive, your graphics card, your RAM, or even your entire computer. You do not need to buy anything to improve your performance but I would say that this method may help the most. It may also be the simplest. [2.2] Minimize CPU usage Running many programs at once will eventually cause your computer to slow down. To prevent this, only run programs and applications that are needed at the time. If you open up Windows Task Manager, you can see all the processes that are running at the moment. I would highly recommend only deleting processes under your username and you shouldn't delete explorer.exe, as that is the desktop and without it, you cannot run anything without rebooting your computer. You can also resize your ROBLOX window. This tends to help most of the time, but it may not work with really slow games. If your computer is fast enough, it should run most games perfectly fine with a larger window. [2.3] Focus CPU usage This may be a better way to improve performance, but I wouldn't recommend it with a lot of programs or applications running. To do this method, you need to open up Windows Task Manager (ctr+alt+del). Then click on the 'Processes' tab. You will then see all the processes currently running on your machine. Look for 'ROBLOXApp.exe' and right-click it. Move your mouse down to 'Set Priority' and increase it. I would only recommend increasing it to 'AboveNormal.' After you increase it, a warning screen should pop up. Read it if you wish and select 'ok.' Your computer will focus on the process more than other processes. This means that ROBLOX may run quicker, but Internet Explorer or Firefox may not run as fast while ROBLOX is running. Keep this in mind and avoid setting multiple priorities at once. [2.4] Cleaning up your hard drive You may be experiencing a slow game because you have too much unnecessary junk on your computer. To fix this, simply delete any unnecessary files or programs you may have installed on your computer. This may solve your problem a little bit. Another way to clean your hard drive is to defragment your disk drive. To do this, open up the 'Start' menu and scroll over to 'All Programs.' Then highlight 'Accessories' and then find 'System Tools.' You should see the 'Disk Defragmenter' in this list. Alternately, you can run the Disk Defragmenter by opening up 'My Computer' and then right-clicking your hard drive in the list. (Usually your C drive) Then click 'Properties' in the menu that appears. A window should appear. Click the 'Tools' tab at the top and then look for a defragment option. (These methods to defrag your disk drive are true for Windows XP. I am not entirely sure how to open the defragmenter on Vista or Windows 7 but it should be the same. I apologize if it isn't) Another way to clean up your hard drive is by un-installing any programs you no longer use or need. Simply run the uninstaller of the program or go to Add/Remove Programs, found in the Control Panel. You may also want to consider running a Disk Cleanup. (Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Cleanup) This will 'clean up' your hard drive. (Self explanatory) [2.5] Lowering your settings You may need to lower your ROBLOX settings. To do this, open up ROBLOX Studio, and find 'Settings...' under 'Tools' at the top of the screen. Reduce some of these options to help improve performance. You may also want to try tinkering with some options on your computer. These may vary from different computers so I can't really write a good guide for this part. [2.6] Your internet connection Another reason why you may experience a slow game is because your internet connection may not be strong enough. Check to see if you have a good signal strength if you are using a wireless connection. You may also want to see if your connection speed is fast. 100 Mbps is pretty good, but 54 Mbps isn't too bad. You may also experiencing poor performance because the ROBLOX server you are using may be acting up or just slow. [2.7] Scan your computer for viruses Viruses may be slowing down your computer. Obviously, the best way to scan and destroy viruses from your computer is to run an anti-virus program or software. There are many types of anti-virus software out there. If you currently do not have anti-virus software, I would strongly recommend doing so. Not only will viruses slow down your computer, they can also retrieve precious data from your computer, such as websites you have visited, documents you have typed, or even stealing your credit card pin. A good free anti-virus is AVG Anti-virus or Spybot. You can get these products for free by running a simple internet search and downloading the program. [3.0] Summary After reading a few or all of these ways to improve your performance, you may or may not see results. Below is a quick summary of what I have covered. [3.1] Main points There are many reasons why you may be experiencing a slow game. Your computer may be outdated, your hard drive may be cluttered, your computer can not run all of the processes currently running, or your internet connection may not be the greatest. Fixing some of these issues should help in improving performance. [3.2] Feedback After experimenting or trying a few of these suggestions, you may have thought of a few of your own. Post anything you would like to add or any other ideas that may help improve performance. [3.3] You may also like... A small list of threads that may or may not help you: A good guide created by Beta2 telling you how to change ROBLOX settings. http://www.roblox.com/Forum/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=23238523 An extensive guide written by tofwap depicting how to optimize your computer. http://www.roblox.com/Forum/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22825488 Another helpful thread brought to you by tofwap showing you how to change ROBLOX settings. http://www.roblox.com/Forum/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=22788926 [3.4] After words Thanks for reading this guide. I hope that it might help you improve the performance of your computer to play ROBLOX games more efficiently. I may or may not update this guide in the future. If you believe this guide is too long to read, then just skip to section 3.1 and read it from there. Ciao, GollyGreg