Okay, so, I am seeing this issue as far back as a year ago on this forum with no clear fix.
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...k-at-25hz-since-1.06b.&highlight=refresh+rate
I will say it right now. The refresh rate is not the problem is you are getting lag. It is just like the mod says in every thread I've seen him answer, the game is running at the Hz level you chose. Below is proof. However, I am seeing this problem+lag enough that I think there is a problem that needs to be identified and dealt with. The culprit just quite simply is not the refresh rate.
I just tested the game on several different resolutions, Hz, and multisampling levels with fraps on to try to figure out exactly what is going on. I tried it changing the values in game for some tests and out of game for others, just to make sure if indeed changing the settings in game or out of game are indeed working.
Now ideally, I should be able to run the game at 1920x1080, 60 Hz, and 8 for multisampling without lag. My system is far above the minimum requirements in every respect. However, the game still lags. In fact, the game lags no matter what settings I put it on (even the lowest resolution). Oddly enough, it lags LESS when I have some level of multisampling on rather than at 0. For me, I am getting the best results at 1360x768, which can only support 60 Hz, and then I set multisampling at 4. It is still lagging a little, but not much.
I did verify that the game is definitely running at whatever Hz you choose, though not through FPS (because even at 29 or 30 Hz, the FPS climbs above 40). Rather, the game looks noticeably different. The text is blurrier and it almost looks like there is a film grain effect. Anyone with the same problem should select the lower and higher Hz settings to see what I am talking about. So, the only problem as far as the refresh rate is concerned is that the game is showing by default the lowest possible Hz setting you can choose for that resolution, not the actual Hz the game is using. So I have verified, absolutely, that the game is running at the settings you choose, whether you choose them in game or change them in the settings document outside of the game.
However, this does not mean there is no problem at all. Even a year ago, people are reporting the lag on systems that should be able to handle it, blaming it incorrectly on the Hz resetting to the lowest value (which is quite simply is not doing). This leads me to three theories.
One is that the game is more graphics intensive than people may think. I have only seen minimum system requirements posted for it, never recommended system requirements. I can assure you Paradox wasn't running this game on a Pentium IV+8800 GTX system when they were making it. They had to have run it on a system like that at least once to determine minimum specs though.
My second theory is that everyone who is getting lag in this game is not maintaining their computer properly, which actually still lends credence to the first theory. I haven't been able to open up my computer to clean the dust out of it ever since my multihead screwdriver was stolen (the screws on the back of my computer require a six pointed star shaped head of very specific size). Hence, it is not running as well as it could. And I know most people do not do a good job of cleaning the inside of their computer (many people never even open it at all).
My third theory is that there really is something wrong with the game making it lag after a certain patch. Given how much and how long this problem has been reported, I find this somewhat unlikely as I think it would have been fixed by now, but it is still possible and should not be discounted.
Just remember, just because you don't have the issue doesn't mean it isn't there. Plenty enough people have it, and it would be nice to know the real cause, since we know it is not the Hz.
If you have this problem, as far as it is lagging (if you are just seeing the Hz is low and it is not lagging, then you have no problem), then I suggest you buy some dust cleaner, open up your computer, and clean it out. More than likely you needed to do this anyways. Then come back and tell us if there is any improvement in performance.
However, I do think this matter needs to be further investigated in case it is a bug that is coming up on certain types of system. I have an i3 processor and a 550 Ti card. Perhaps the processor just isn't good enough, or perhaps the game has some incompatibility with it, my card, or some other hardware or software on my computer. Perhaps I need to tweak some settings on my graphics card or update it to the newest driver (which it has been refusing do. So annoying. My driver is 311.06, not older, but still older than the latest CKII patch.). Also, FYI, I installed the game like a week ago, and it is just the base game, on Steam. I am certain a reinstall would not help (I certainly don't want to redownload a GB of data when we can only get 60 GB a month.). I verified the game cache just to be sure. It's all there. In any case, there is a problem that more than one person has been having and I would like to get to the bottom of it.
All that said, the game is perfectly playable. I don't mind some lag when moving across the map and bits of lag here and there. This isn't an FPS where such lag can be crippling, nor is it a typical modern RTS where is a shame when you have to turn down the graphics (my system CANNOT run, for example, Shogun 2 without lag on the highest graphics. It has to be tweaked to be just right.).
Anyways, I hope this puts the refresh rate issue to rest once and for all, and gives people some suggestions as to what they might do to improve their performance. Clean those computers, people!
tl;dr The refresh rate is what you chose. If you have lag, the problem is something else.
EDIT: Fixed my lag. Set all of my cards settings to the highest quality, which is the opposite of what you might normally do. But I think the game changer was making sure it forced V-sync off. I always turn it off in all of my games, but for CKII, there is no such setting, so I bet it is on unless you force it off with your card. I think I saw the mod in one of the threads suggest changing v-sync to the opposite of what you have. Anyways, I am certain it was v-sync given how the game looks when I scroll around. Now my question would be, why did Paradox make the game have v-sync on by default with no option to turn it off? But that is purely a question of curiosity with no relevance here.
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...k-at-25hz-since-1.06b.&highlight=refresh+rate
I will say it right now. The refresh rate is not the problem is you are getting lag. It is just like the mod says in every thread I've seen him answer, the game is running at the Hz level you chose. Below is proof. However, I am seeing this problem+lag enough that I think there is a problem that needs to be identified and dealt with. The culprit just quite simply is not the refresh rate.
I just tested the game on several different resolutions, Hz, and multisampling levels with fraps on to try to figure out exactly what is going on. I tried it changing the values in game for some tests and out of game for others, just to make sure if indeed changing the settings in game or out of game are indeed working.
Now ideally, I should be able to run the game at 1920x1080, 60 Hz, and 8 for multisampling without lag. My system is far above the minimum requirements in every respect. However, the game still lags. In fact, the game lags no matter what settings I put it on (even the lowest resolution). Oddly enough, it lags LESS when I have some level of multisampling on rather than at 0. For me, I am getting the best results at 1360x768, which can only support 60 Hz, and then I set multisampling at 4. It is still lagging a little, but not much.
I did verify that the game is definitely running at whatever Hz you choose, though not through FPS (because even at 29 or 30 Hz, the FPS climbs above 40). Rather, the game looks noticeably different. The text is blurrier and it almost looks like there is a film grain effect. Anyone with the same problem should select the lower and higher Hz settings to see what I am talking about. So, the only problem as far as the refresh rate is concerned is that the game is showing by default the lowest possible Hz setting you can choose for that resolution, not the actual Hz the game is using. So I have verified, absolutely, that the game is running at the settings you choose, whether you choose them in game or change them in the settings document outside of the game.
However, this does not mean there is no problem at all. Even a year ago, people are reporting the lag on systems that should be able to handle it, blaming it incorrectly on the Hz resetting to the lowest value (which is quite simply is not doing). This leads me to three theories.
One is that the game is more graphics intensive than people may think. I have only seen minimum system requirements posted for it, never recommended system requirements. I can assure you Paradox wasn't running this game on a Pentium IV+8800 GTX system when they were making it. They had to have run it on a system like that at least once to determine minimum specs though.
My second theory is that everyone who is getting lag in this game is not maintaining their computer properly, which actually still lends credence to the first theory. I haven't been able to open up my computer to clean the dust out of it ever since my multihead screwdriver was stolen (the screws on the back of my computer require a six pointed star shaped head of very specific size). Hence, it is not running as well as it could. And I know most people do not do a good job of cleaning the inside of their computer (many people never even open it at all).
My third theory is that there really is something wrong with the game making it lag after a certain patch. Given how much and how long this problem has been reported, I find this somewhat unlikely as I think it would have been fixed by now, but it is still possible and should not be discounted.
Just remember, just because you don't have the issue doesn't mean it isn't there. Plenty enough people have it, and it would be nice to know the real cause, since we know it is not the Hz.
If you have this problem, as far as it is lagging (if you are just seeing the Hz is low and it is not lagging, then you have no problem), then I suggest you buy some dust cleaner, open up your computer, and clean it out. More than likely you needed to do this anyways. Then come back and tell us if there is any improvement in performance.
However, I do think this matter needs to be further investigated in case it is a bug that is coming up on certain types of system. I have an i3 processor and a 550 Ti card. Perhaps the processor just isn't good enough, or perhaps the game has some incompatibility with it, my card, or some other hardware or software on my computer. Perhaps I need to tweak some settings on my graphics card or update it to the newest driver (which it has been refusing do. So annoying. My driver is 311.06, not older, but still older than the latest CKII patch.). Also, FYI, I installed the game like a week ago, and it is just the base game, on Steam. I am certain a reinstall would not help (I certainly don't want to redownload a GB of data when we can only get 60 GB a month.). I verified the game cache just to be sure. It's all there. In any case, there is a problem that more than one person has been having and I would like to get to the bottom of it.
All that said, the game is perfectly playable. I don't mind some lag when moving across the map and bits of lag here and there. This isn't an FPS where such lag can be crippling, nor is it a typical modern RTS where is a shame when you have to turn down the graphics (my system CANNOT run, for example, Shogun 2 without lag on the highest graphics. It has to be tweaked to be just right.).
Anyways, I hope this puts the refresh rate issue to rest once and for all, and gives people some suggestions as to what they might do to improve their performance. Clean those computers, people!
tl;dr The refresh rate is what you chose. If you have lag, the problem is something else.
EDIT: Fixed my lag. Set all of my cards settings to the highest quality, which is the opposite of what you might normally do. But I think the game changer was making sure it forced V-sync off. I always turn it off in all of my games, but for CKII, there is no such setting, so I bet it is on unless you force it off with your card. I think I saw the mod in one of the threads suggest changing v-sync to the opposite of what you have. Anyways, I am certain it was v-sync given how the game looks when I scroll around. Now my question would be, why did Paradox make the game have v-sync on by default with no option to turn it off? But that is purely a question of curiosity with no relevance here.
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