Frame rate drop every minute or so?

[cantthink278]

So im not sure where else to go with this, I found this forum maybe you guys can help.

I have built desktops in the past, I feel I know most of the technical stuff when it comes to desktops...but laptops are a whole different story.

I stupidly purchased a dell. I never realized how bad of an idea that would be. WORST COMPANY EVER...or at least from what I have experienced. This laptop has been replaced 3 times, and has had over 25 repairs in the past year and a half. Its absolutely horrible. This is a $2000 Dell XPS L502x. 16gb DDR5 ram, i7 3rd gen quad processor @ 2.20ghz, nvidia gt 640m 1tb hdd etc...basically its a good laptop. I should be able to run games on medium settings at least right?

Well my laptop was just replaced, I literally just recieved it a couple days ago. Let me give an example of what happens.

The game Borderlands 2. If I put the graphics on medium and cap the FPS at 30...it runs fine. If I put the graphics on medium and let the FPS option be Smooth 20-60fps or just straight up cap at 50 or 60fps...the game runs absolutely beautiful. Smooth and just awesome...for about a minute. It runs great...than out of nowhere the frame rate drops drastically. Like to 5fps maybe. It does this every minute. It runs amazing, than frame rate drops. It does this in everything. The problem doesnt happen when I cap it at 30fps, but when I put it at anything else but that I get the same problem. In other games (skyrim, rift) the same thing happens except neither of them have a frame rate cap option so it just constantly does that every minute.

Is this a setting? Is there anything I can do to fix this? I will give any and all information about the laptop but this is just frustrating at this point. Its a $2000 laptop. The games run fine but its like every minute the frame rate just drops drastically. If you have any suggestions or anything let me know. I just wnat this problem fixed.

Never buy a dell product.

 

[Yevrag35]

This is a $2000 Dell XPS L502x. 16gb DDR5 ram, i7 3rd gen quad processor @ 2.20ghz, nvidia gt 640m

$2000!?! and that's all you got?!? You got ripped off somewhere along the line. For 2 grand, you at least should have got a laptop with a nvidia gtx card. A gt-640m is not a laptop gaming graphics card.

Borderlands 2 will not perform very well with that GPU. You'll struggle to get an average 60fps even at low. But you could try to turn v-sync on, if it isn't already.

 

[RichM499]

It could be a heat problem causing the CPU or GPU to throttle under the extra stress an unlimited or uncapped framerate option could create. Try running the game with these programs running:
HWMonitor CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting

Core Temp
(click more downloads and get the standalone version of CoreTemp)

When the fps drops to 5 like you said it was doing take a look at the temperatures reported in HWmonitor and CoreTemp and make note of the GPU and CPU temperatures. I'd recommend trying to get a screenshot of the program when this happens.

How dusty is your house? Do you have a lot of pets or live with anyone that smokes a lot? These kind of things can easily and quickly clog up fans and create problems. Have you tried using compressed air?

 

[cantthink278]

It could be a heat problem causing the CPU or GPU to throttle under the extra stress an unlimited or uncapped framerate option could create. Try running the game with these programs running:
HWMonitor CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting

Core Temp
(click more downloads and get the standalone version of CoreTemp)

When the fps drops to 5 like you said it was doing take a look at the temperatures reported in HWmonitor and CoreTemp and make note of the GPU and CPU temperatures. I'd recommend trying to get a screenshot of the program when this happens.

How dusty is your house? Do you have a lot of pets or live with anyone that smokes a lot? These kind of things can easily and quickly clog up fans and create problems. Have you tried using compressed air?

It is kind of dusty, but this laptop was only recieved a couple days ago it wouldnt have accumulated that much dust that fast. In response to the other guy....yeah its worth 2000 I only payed 1000 for the original laptop i recieved...this is just the replacement they gave me. After talking it over with the dell tech that was just at my house to replace the network card we came to the conclusion that I should just sell this laptop on ebay, and build myself a desktop or buy a custom built one. If you guys know any good websites besides for like tigerdirect or newegg that sell custom gaming desktops thatd be cool...if not ill just build my own. Im just not dealing with this laptop anymore. Tired of having the problems I am having.

 

[Yevrag35]

If you guys know any good websites besides for like tigerdirect or newegg that sell custom gaming desktops thatd be cool...if not ill just build my own.

I highly suggest building your own. It'd be either cheaper or you'd get higher quality parts for the same price. And we'd be more than happy to help you pick out parts and such.