Games in windowed mode feels laggy/clunky on primary monitor. (Using 2 monitors)

[herecomestheking]

Hey. First post here. 

 

I've rewritten this post 3 times now, so I'm just going to describe the problem.

If I run games in windowed mode (1600x900) it feels laggy and clunky. If I run games in 1920x1080 windowed borderless it runs fine. 

 

I'm an osu player and I prefer to have my game in 1600x900, but if I have the window on my primary monitor it feels laggy/clunky. If I however move it to my secondary monitor it runs just fine.

If I have osu in 1920x1080 borderless it runs just fine on my primary monitor as well. League of Legends works perfect with these settings as well. Constant 120 fps and feels normal. 

 

So: If I run games in windowed mode on my primary monitor it feels laggy/clunky. If I move them to my secondary monitor they run just fine.

If I run games in 1920x1080 borderless the games run just fine on my primary monitor. 

 

I hope the text made any sense whatsoever, I really need help. 

 

Specs:

• CPU
  i5 3570K @ 4.5GHz
• Motherboard
  MSI Z77-A G45
• RAM
  Corsair Vengeance 8GB
• GPU
  Asus DC2 GTX GeForce 780

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

It's just an issue with windowed, and Windows. I don't know the exact reason for things, but that's the cause.

[Faruko]

 

Hey. First post here. 

 

I've rewritten this post 3 times now, so I'm just going to describe the problem.

If I run games in windowed mode (1600x900) it feels laggy and clunky. If I run games in 1920x1080 windowed borderless it runs fine. 

 

I'm an osu player and I prefer to have my game in 1600x900, but if I have the window on my primary monitor it feels laggy/clunky. If I however move it to my secondary monitor it runs just fine.

If I have osu in 1920x1080 borderless it runs just fine on my primary monitor as well. League of Legends works perfect with these settings as well. Constant 120 fps and feels normal. 

 

So: If I run games in windowed mode on my primary monitor it feels laggy/clunky. If I move them to my secondary monitor they run just fine.

If I run games in 1920x1080 borderless the games run just fine on my primary monitor. 

 

I hope the text made any sense whatsoever, I really need help. 

 

Specs:

• CPU
  i5 3570K @ 4.5GHz
• Motherboard
  MSI Z77-A G45
• RAM
  Corsair Vengeance 8GB
• GPU
  Asus DC2 GTX GeForce 780

 

 

It should be noted that games run slower in windowed mode as opposed to fullscreen but that doesn't really answer your question. Can you post the models of your monitors as well as the PSU you use and if you are running in SLI (you didn't specify a x2 under the GPU so I'm assuming you didn't rig it for SLI?)

[Faruko]

It's just an issue with windowed, and Windows. I don't know the exact reason for things, but that's the cause.

 

The "issue" you are talking about is how Windows prioritizes things when they are focused. Basically, if a window is not focused Windows won't use as much resources to keep that window performing at max potential cause why would you want something that you aren't looking at to be running at 100% when the resources can be used for something else? It's not an issue, it's just how Windows works

[Killer_Klownz]

Do your monitors have different refresh rates?

 

I have 1 monitor thats 144hz and another thats 60hz. When playing borderless on the 144 it feels clunky.

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

The "issue" you are talking about is how Windows prioritizes things when they are focused. Basically, if a window is not focused Windows won't use as much resources to keep that window performing at max potential cause why would you want something that you aren't looking at to be running at 100% when the resources can be used for something else? It's not an issue, it's just how Windows works

I actually talked to a friend of a streamer I mod for who works at Windows, and it turns out, you're half right. It's that, in combination with force V-Sync on the aero theme. On a 60Hz monitor, you shouldn't notice as much of an impact as a 120Hz, or 144Hz, but it will be there. The limited resources due to Windows processing window focus, and then the V-Sync forced by Aero combine on a 144Hz to give you just terrible lag/ low FPS. Disabling Aero would certainly help, but you'll still have some lag.

[herecomestheking]

Do your monitors have different refresh rates?

 

I have 1 monitor thats 144hz and another thats 60hz. When playing borderless on the 144 it feels clunky.

Both of them has the same refresh rate. 

[herecomestheking]

 Disabling Aero would certainly help, but you'll still have some lag.

Thanks! Disabling Aero helped a lot.

 

sorry for the double post. 

[Faruko]

I actually talked to a friend of a streamer I mod for who works at Windows, and it turns out, you're half right. It's that, in combination with force V-Sync on the aero theme. On a 60Hz monitor, you shouldn't notice as much of an impact as a 120Hz, or 144Hz, but it will be there. The limited resources due to Windows processing window focus, and then the V-Sync forced by Aero combine on a 144Hz to give you just terrible lag/ low FPS. Disabling Aero would certainly help, but you'll still have some lag.

 

Yes I completely forgot to mention the Aero force V-Sync. Although in Windows 8 you can't disable Aero so...

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

Yes I completely forgot to mention the Aero force V-Sync. Although in Windows 8 you can't disable Aero so...

Well, not technically. you can disable all the bull that forces the V-sync though.

[Faruko]

Well, not technically. you can disable all the bull that forces the V-sync though.

 

Well it is more troublesome compared to Windows 7 so yeah

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

Well it is more troublesome compared to Windows 7 so yeah

Much. That being said, with all the changes Win 8 brought, I'm ok with not being able to disable Aero

[Faruko]

Much. That being said, with all the changes Win 8 brought, I'm ok with not being able to disable Aero

 

I actually like Windows 8 since I've gotten reports that their multi-threading is much better for the Vishera cores compared to Windows 7. The only thing stopping me is that I don't have a touch screen and Windows 9 is on its way

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

I actually like Windows 8 since I've gotten reports that their multi-threading is much better for the Vishera cores compared to Windows 7. The only thing stopping me is that I don't have a touch screen and Windows 9 is on its way

Personally, I wouldn't expect Win 9 any time soon. I'd love if my laptop was touch screen, it does make doing certain things easier, and faster, however, Win 8 is fine without.

I'm going to school to be a System Administrator, and just recently finished reading a text for Win 8 for IT professionals, and all the changes they made under the hood that most people don't know about, are just amazing.

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

Thanks! Disabling Aero helped a lot.

 

sorry for the double post. 

Btw, if you think this is "solved", please mark the post as such! Thank you

[Faruko]

Personally, I wouldn't expect Win 9 any time soon. I'd love if my laptop was touch screen, it does make doing certain things easier, and faster, however, Win 8 is fine without.

I'm going to school to be a System Administrator, and just recently finished reading a text for Win 8 for IT professionals, and all the changes they made under the hood that most people don't know about, are just amazing.

 

True that Windows 8 is fine without but if you are paying that much money for the OS you might as well get the touch screen capabilities

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

True that Windows 8 is fine without but if you are paying that much money for the OS you might as well get the touch screen capabilities

Cheaper than Win 7 versions were. Besides, going with any device where it's OEM, you're only paying $40 for 8 Pro, or in my case, I payed $20, essentially, for 8, and got a free upgrade via my college to 8 pro

[herecomestheking]

Btw, if you think this is "solved", please mark the post as such! Thank you

Like this? I don't usually visit forums, sorry.

[Faruko]

Cheaper than Win 7 versions were. Besides, going with any device where it's OEM, you're only paying $40 for 8 Pro, or in my case, I payed $20, essentially, for 8, and got a free upgrade via my college to 8 pro

 

Well since my build is custom, I'm going to have to go to a retailer to get Windows 8 so... it's expensive for me

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

Like this? I don't usually visit forums, sorry.

Yessir

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

Well since my build is custom, I'm going to have to go to a retailer to get Windows 8 so... it's expensive for me

Looking around $120-150 if you look elsewhere from MS store, otherwise it's still $200 for the time being.

[Faruko]

Looking around $120-150 if you look elsewhere from MS store, otherwise it's still $200 for the time being.

 

Don't forget that I live in Malaysia. It's going to be over MYR 600 by the time conversion's done

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

Don't forget that I live in Malaysia. It's going to be over MYR 600 by the time conversion's done

Did a quick conversion, and that's MS store retail price. Meh, Win 7 was more expensive for Pro and Ultimate.

[Faruko]

Did a quick conversion, and that's MS store retail price. Meh, Win 7 was more expensive for Pro and Ultimate.

 

True but mine came with the PC I bought last time so

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

True but mine came with the PC I bought last time so

Yeah, so you're used to a much lower OEM cost, and having that factored into the PC price. If you want it cheaper, just buy an OEM copy. The only real difference is you only get a single use with OEM, and it's tied to the Motherboard it's activated on.