sorry for 2 things;
1.Might not be in the correct forum, but I don't really know what the problme is to be honest
2. The nature of this post as I am in a hurry on a public computer


Skype is a Voice over IP program, I have a headset which I use to speak through, but I make the sound come out of my speakers rather than the headset.

CS:S is an online multiplayer First Person Shooter.


(Video Stress Test)Logged on to Skype, in a call== Average fps= 23.83
(Video Stress Test)Logged on to Skype, no call=== Average fps= 38.28
(Video Stress Test)Logged off Skype=========== Average fps= 38.55

(Gameplay on emtpy server)Logged on to Skype, in a call== Average fps= 17
(Gameplay on emtpy server)Logged on to Skype, no call=== Average fps= 30
(Gameplay on emtpy server)Logged off Skype=========== Average fps= 34

As you can probably tell from those average fps', I experience significant slow-down when in a call on skype.

My internet connection is 576kps.

When playing CSS, my ping/latency(the time, in milliseconds, it takes for information to be sent from my PC to the host server, and back to my PC again) is generally 40-70, and I find anything below 100 is acceptable.
When on a call in skype my ping rises (roughly) to about 40-90, so it doesn't seem to be my bandwidth being clogged up by a large data flow.


Only othe thing I can think of is RAM.
I have 512mb(509) DDR RAM (unsure what speed).(1.5Gb pagefile set as default)

However, looking at the processes in the TaskManager, I seem not be using all of this at all:
(NOTE: these were taken from a screenshot after I had minimized CSS-known here as hl2.exe)

IMAGE NAME[center]CPU[/center][right]MEM.USAGE[/right]
taskmgr.exe[center]02[/center][right]3508K[/right]
Skype.exe[center]19[/center] [right]21948K[/right]
firefox.exe[center]00[/center] [right]1708K[/right]
aim.exe[center]00[/center] [right]2316K[/right]
hl2.exe[center]24[/center][right]103904[/right]
steam.exe[center]00[/center] [right]12844K[/right]
qttask.exe[center]00[/center] [right]168K[/right]
iTunesHelper.exe[center]00[/center] [right]180K[/right]
jusched.exe[center]00[/center] [right]52K[/right]
dslagent.exe[center]00[/center] [right]144K[/right]
dslstat.exe[center]00[/center] [right]688K[/right]
mHotkey.exe[center]00[/center] [right]992K[/right]
msnmsgr.exe[center]00[/center] [right]8516K[/right]
wanmpsvc.exe[center]00[/center] [right]52K[/right]
nvsvc32.exe[center]00[/center] [right]1692K[/right]
alg.exe[center]00[/center] [right]576K[/right]
spoolsv.exe[center]00[/center] [right]432K[/right]
explorer.exe[center]00[/center] [right]7628K[/right]
svchost.exe[center]00[/center] [right]440K[/right]
svchost.exe[center]00[/center] [right]736K[/right]
svchost.exe[center]00[/center] [right]8392K[/right]
svchost.exe[center]00[/center] [right]1260K[/right]
lsass.exe[center]00[/center] [right]1000K[/right]
services.exe[center]00[/center] [right]1388K[/right]
winlogon.exe[center]00[/center] [right]412K[/right]
csrss.exe[center]00[/center] [right]2176K[/right]
smss.exe[center]00[/center] [right]44K[/right]
iPodService.exe[center]00[/center] [right]644K[/right]
System[center]02[/center] [right]40K[/right]
System Idle Process[center]53[/center] [right]16K[/right]

I have closed down the following processes to see if there is any effect, and noticed little or no improvement;

taskmgr.exe
firefox.exe
aim.exe
qttask.exe
iTunesHelper.exe
jusched.exe
mHotkey.exe
msnmsgr.exe
explorer.exe
iPodService.exe

I have also used EVERY performance related command variable of the 1800 cvars available in Half Life 2, with perhaps the rise of 3-5 fps when in a call on skype. I have done multple tweaking aswell, but these seem to have little effect, but even then only when I am not in a call on skype.

btw, sound from hl2.exe and skype.exe come through the SAME pair of speakers.

Whilst it isn't necessary for me to be in a call while playing CSS, it does help a lot as communicating with my clan members is key.

Really at an end here about what to do, it might be something simple that I am overlooking such as using the changing I/O devices used for sound, or there might not even be a 'fix', but my clan members run skype and CSS at the same time with little or no effects on gameplay.

Any help or advice is much appreciated as always.


EDIT: sorry about the spacing of my task manager readings, I tried to make it clearer to read, without much success

OK, first things first:

Originally posted by Waffler:

vs
Originally posted by Alec§taar:


I'm assuming you're on ADSL, not dialup?

Anyway, I think the problem is not so much one of network capacity, because your ping doesn't really change that much - I think it's more that Skype is also eating up CPU cycles. I think Skype, being a true VoIP solution has more work to do than a simple gaming type "voice chat" solution.

You might want to take a look at one of these other voice chat solutions (I forget the name of them, there are several that online FPSers and MMORPGers use) and see whether this helps.

I may be wrong (it did happen, once, about 20 years ago ), but I think it's Skype that's causing the problem, not your connection.

Rgds
AndyF

LOL Yeh I read that Janet/Jean Reno thing.

Yes it IS 576kps as in 1/2mb dsl, not 56k dial up (sorry for any confusion)

What annoys me is the fact that my friend has the same speed internet cionnection, same ram, lower processor speed.

Obviously there could be a million and 1 things affecting this, but his works fine and he doesn't experience any slowdown.


I would try re-routing the sound from skype to my headset, so it doesn't conflict with sound from counter strike however, my headset has 2 jacks- 1 mic. and 1 headphones.

Since it is literally plug in and use it, it doesn't have any drivers so I can't 'select' it for sound output as far as I know.

Basically I can choose 'Windows Default Sound Device' or 'Avance AV97 Audio' (or something like that)

Should I choose Windows Default device to see if it routes it to my headset, or will it 'think' my soundcard is the default device.

8) I seem to say this everytime, but this isn't really my 'area of 'expertise' shall we say( I do have one, honestly!!)

Inserted the headphone jack from my headset, re-routes ALL sound to my headset.

This probably won't even effect how my game plays, but now I've got it into my head, I NEED to sort it out!