When i start up Oblivion (Everything maxed out: Large Textures, 8x AA etc) I get a constant 60fps for a minute or so, however shortly after this it slowly drops until it hits around 12 fps, and whenever im fighing an NPC this drops to 4/6.

Now i know this is not hardware issues, as i am able to run Crysis completely maxed out (Max quality, max aa, max rendering distance) and i get 16-20fps! How can oblivion be running worse than crysis?!

Here are my specs anyway.

Gtx 460 1gb
AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4Ghz
4gb ddr3 ram
Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit

I've tried searching for similar issues, and people seem to be having constant fps drops, mine seems to start of fine and then slowly drop.

I've even tried putting all settings on the the lowest they can go, and im averaging around 20 fps still http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/2316/oblivion201012312131542.jpg

I have been searching for an answer for an hour or so now, and tried so many methods - none seem to work, my drivers are up-to date, i've tried various non-official patches, tried running in various resolutions and i've given up. I'm dying to play this game, but finding it impossible as soon as 3 or more NPC's appear, my fps drops to around 2!

Thanks


EDIT: Discovered something very strange... when i record the game and watch it back, it runs perfectly at max, yet when i was playing its like a slideshow.

*It wont let me edit first post :/*

I seem to have found the problem: Audio. When i disable both music and sound my fps is perfect and doesn't drop below 60, Enable just one (Either only just sound or music) i suffer no FPS drops and still keep around 60. However as soon as i put both on my fps drops to horrible levels.

I have Realtek High Definition Audio, and this is the only game where audio has caused my FPS to drop, and whilst i can play without music, it loses alot of atmosphere. Is there anyway around this? My drivers are up-to date.

Get yourself a dedicated sound card that will allow for hardware acceleration of your audio. You're current sound "chip" is sharing resources with the rest of your game, you need to have something where the audio can run independently. Though personally I don't see the point in playing music in a game, especially one like Oblivion. It's much more immersive having it turned off.

IMO, it's worth it just for the sound, anyway. I go back and forth, with regards to music in Oblivion. But yes, some of my most immersive play has been sans music. :shrug:

Make sure, if you do get a sound card, that you get one worthy of that title. Many aren't, at the very low end (price-wise). IOW, with those, you might be better off sticking with onboard sound.

One of the big issues is feet, by the way. And hooves, etc. So, you could also/instead try a mod such as "Quiet Feet MAX" (just search for it, and it'll come up). Many recommend using it, regardless, and you can choose how you want it to modify your settings.

Keep in mind though, whatever you do, Oblivion's engine is both rather old and seriously suboptimal. And there's absolutely nothing you (or anyone else) can do about that. So yeah, it might seem bizarre/wrong/unfair that it should run more clunkily or even slowly at times, than Crysis, of all things. But yep, that's par for the course. Mind you, I'd also look at updates, patches, drivers, DirectX, Windows Update, and so forth, just to make completely sure it's not something more fundamental. Because, I must admit, the FPS you psoted in your OP are *very* low.

Even so, try one or more of these suggestions, if you're so inclined - you might strike lucky.


edit: If you're ever getting medium or better FPS (or even not great, but playable) and yet, it's choppy/stuttery, grab OSR (Oblivion Stutter Remover). It's an OBSE plugin, and worth its weight. I wouldn't play without it, but YMMV. Anyway, just while I remember to mention it...

I'm trying quiet feet max now, and i'll take a look at other patches. If not looks like i'm running it without music Don't really want to buy an audio card for 1 specific game (Out of the 60 or so i've played, including Fallout 3 and New Vegas (Same Engine) i've never run accross this problem) Just hope Skyrim's engine is much better

Understood, re: sound cards. I got one mainly for listening to music, and it's amazing for that. Also helps a bit with various games, mostly for sound quality, but hey. Not everyone wants or needs one - I totally get that.

Agreed, about Skyrim. Here's hoping. I reckon it's a safe bet it'll make much better use of modern hardware, at the very least. Pentium 4s were still hot stuff, when Oblivion first came out, I believe. :yucky:

edit: I'm sure there's something else I wanted to add... but I think my hangover ate it. :huh: Uh, so yeah, if I remember, I'll post it. Whatever it was.

Quiet Feet Max gave me a slight boost, about 10 more. However i think i'll just play with sound of Ah well, finally time to start modding this beast