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Casey's Source Config & Tweak Guide

Last Updated: 6/26/06

Below is my expanded tweak guide for getting the best performance out of CS: Source.

Drivers

First and foremost, drivers are key to performance; but not all drivers are created equal, and no one driver is right for every card. It is up to you to research and test to find the best driver for your specific card. However, below are some generally recommended 3rd-party drivers for your brand of card. One thing to keep in mind: Just because a driver is newer doesn't mean it's better. You'll need to test different versions to find out which one best suits your card.

ATi Recommended Drivers:

OmegaDrivers
DNA-Drivers

nVidia Recommended Drivers:

DNA-Drivers
NGO Drivers

When removing previous driver installations, it's very important to make sure all files and registry entries have been removed before installing your new driver. Following these directions should help ensure your old drivers are properly uninstalled and new ones installed:

* Download, install, and update Driver Cleaner
* Download new driver
* Uninstall previous driver via Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel
* Reboot in Safe Mode (F8)
* Run Driver Cleaner
* Reboot
* Install new driver


Note: If you have discovered an optimal driver for a specific model of card, feel free to PM me and I'll compile a list of recommended drivers for different card models.

Launch Options

Source has many performance-friendly launch options built-in that you may find give you a significant performance gain.

Launch properties can be added by right-clicking Counter-Strike: Source in Steam's My Games menu, clicking Properties, then Launch Options.

-dxlevel: Sets the DirectX level Source runs in.

You may find that setting this value lower than what your card can actually support to yield a performance increase. For example, a DirectX 9 card may run significantly faster in DirectX 8. Below is the recommended usage:

* -dxlevel 90 for DirectX 9
* -dxlevel 81 for DirectX 8.1
* -dxlevel 80 for DirectX 8
* -dxlevel 70 for DirectX 7


-heapsize: Dedicates a specific amount of memory to Source.

Increasing the allotted memory can yield substantial performance gains. However, it is important that you dedicate the right amount of memory. Dedicating too much or too little could actually cause a performance decrease.

It is recommended you dedicate half of your system memory. Below is the recommended usage:

* 512MB System Memory: -heapsize 262144
* 1GB System Memory: -heapsize 524288
* 2GB System Memory: -heapsize 1048576


(I'll add more later.)

CVARs

The following is a thorough performance config I've compiled through experimenting and various research. It does not include preferential settings such as sensitivity, crosshair color, buy scripts, etc. My sole intention in creating this config is to help players strike an appropriate balance between quality and performance. Keep in mind, a really long config does not constitute a really good config! You can find other CFGs that basically destroy the look of the game or include countless unnecessary CVARs; this isn't one of them. I've tried to maintain the appeal of Source whil increasing performance. These commands are CAL / CSP compliant.

Simply paste the following into Notepad, and save the file as autoexec.cfg in your Steam\SteamApps\[email protected]\counter-strike source\cstrike\cfg folder.

Note: The comments will not interfere with the commands.

Code: Select all

// Casey's Source Config
// Updated 6/26/06

// _Set netcode settings_
// _adjusts hitboxes and netcode settings for optimal registration_

cl_cmdbackup 2
cl_cmdrate 101
cl_interp 0.01
cl_interpolate 1
cl_lagcomp_errorcheck 1
cl_lagcompensation 1
cl_updaterate 101
cl_smooth 1
rate 25000

// _Set graphics settings_
// _adjusts graphics settings to boost framerate_

cl_ejectbrass 0             // _disables shells flying out of guns_
cl_forcepreload 1           // _forces preload to help increase performance_
cl_phys_props_enable 0      // _disables trash and cans etc_
cl_phys_props_max 0         // _disables trash and cans etc_
cl_ragdoll_physics_enable 0 // _disables dead animations and bodies_
cl_show_splashes 0          // _disables splashes when in water_
fps_max 101                 // _caps FPS_
mat_forceaniso 0            // _disables anisotropic filtering_
mat_antialias 0             // _disables antialiasing_
mat_bloomscale 0
mat_bumpmap 0               // _disables bumpmapping_
mat_clipz 1                 // _disabled non visible object rendering_
mat_fastnobump 1            // _faster bump mapping_
mat_fastspecular 1          // _fast specular lighting_
mat_mipmaptextures 1        // _texture quality decreases with distance_
mat_hdr_enabled 0           // _disables high dynamic range lighting_
mat_picmip 1                // _lower texture quality--set between 0 and 4_
mat_reducefillrate 1        // _reduces shader fill rate_
mat_specular 0              // _disables specular lighting_
mat_trilinear 0             // _disables trilinear filtering_
mat_wateroverlaysize 16     // _lowers water quality_
mat_vsync 0                 // _disables vertical synchronization_
mp_decals 50                // _how many bullets etc will be shown_
muzzleflash_light 0         // _disables muzzleflash_
r_avglight 0                // _disables average lighting_
r_cheapwaterend 1           // _worse water rendering_
r_cheapwaterstart 1         // _worse water rendering_
r_decal_cullsize 2          // _lower texture quality at distance_
r_decals 0                  // _disables player sprays_
r_drawdetailprops 0         // _disables detail props_
r_drawflecks 0              // _disables bullet impacts_
r_drawmodeldecals 0         // _disables decals on models_
r_dynamic 0                 // _disables dynamic lighting_
r_eyes 0                    // _removes eyes from player models_
r_lightaverage 0            // _disables average lighting_
r_lightinterp 0             // _disables light interpolation_
r_lod 0                     // _adjusts model quality--set between -5 and 5_
r_occlusion 0               // _disables occlusion--lowers image quality but gains FPS_
r_propsmaxdist 100          // _lower object fading distance_
r_renderoverlayfragment 0
r_rootlod 2                 // _lower overall game detail level_
r_shadows 1                 // _set to 0 to disable shadows (not recommended)_
r_teeth 0                   // _removes teeth from player models_
r_waterforceexpensive 0     // _disables high-quality water_
rope_averagelight 0         // _disables average lighting on ropes_
rope_smooth 0               // _disables antialiasing on ropes_
rope_subdiv 0
rope_wind_dist 0            // _disables wind effects on ropes_

// _Set instruction sets_
// _note: verify processor support before enabling_

//r_3dnow 1 // _enables 3DNow! instruction set_
//r_mmx 1   // _enables MMX instruction set_
//r_sse 1   // _enables SSE instruction set_
//r_sse2 1  // _enables SSE2 instruction set_

// _Set violence settings_
// _increases blood to help you see hits better_

violence_ablood 1
violence_agibs 1
violence_hblood 1
violence_hgibs 1

// _Set HUD and xhair settings_
// _adjusts HUD and xhair for easy viewing_

cl_crosshaircolor 0    // _green crosshair_
cl_crosshairalpha 999  // _bright crosshair_
cl_crosshairusealpha 1 // _enables adjustable crosshair brightness_
cl_c4progressbar 1     // _enables C4 progress bar_
cl_radaralpha 255      // _maximum radar brightness_
cl_radartype 1         // _enables solid radar_
hud_centerid 1         // _centers player IDs_
net_graph 3            // _enables net_graph 3--CAL required!_
net_graphpos 2         // _adjusts netgraph position-set between 1 and 3_

// _Set various settings_

budget_show_history 0        // _disables history graph_
cl_downloadfilter "nosounds" // _disables annoying sound downloads_
jpeg_quality 100             // _high quality screenshots_
mat_monitorgamma 1.6         // _maximum ingame brightness_
net_graph 3                  // _enables net_graph 3--CAL required!_
net_graphpos 2               // _adjusts netgraph position-set between 1 and 3_
sv_forcepreload 1            // _forces preload to help increase performance_

clear
echo "_casey's config loaded_"

manikcs wrote:perfekt net settings is:

rate 25000
cl_cmdrate 101
cl_updaterate 101

manikcs wrote:perfekt net settings is:

rate 25000
cl_cmdrate 101
cl_updaterate 101