Game lagging in higher level areas

I just recently upgraded my free trial. I am playing a level 16 villain on the Protector server. My game runs smoothly in all areas meant for players up to level 14, but when I try to take the Ferry to higher level areas my game begins to lag pretty badly. I am running windows 7 on an hp mini with 1 gig of ram. I can't think of any other information to include, so here is my CoH helper log:


---System information gathered by CoH Helper version 0.2.0.2---

DxDiag gathered at December 14, 2010 18:01 (-05:00)
Operating System: Windows 7 Starter 32-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.100618-1621)
System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
System Model: HP Mini 210-1100
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Central Processor: Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU N455 @ 1.66GHz (2 CPUs), ~1.7GHz
Memory: 1024MB
.Net Memory Report: 70MB out of 1012MB available
Page File: 1180MB (1850MB currently in use)
C Drive: (Hitachi HTS725025A9A364) 172126MB out of 222971MB (77%) free
D Drive: (Hitachi HTS725025A9A364) 2185MB out of 15198MB (14%) free
E Drive: (Hitachi HTS725025A9A364) 94MB out of 99MB (95%) free
Q Drive: () zero-size drive
Windows directory location: C:\Windows
DirectX: DirectX 11
DirectX Diag version: 6.01.7600.16385 (32-bit version)

Display Notes: No problems found.
Sound Notes: No problems found.

No problems found.
Input Notes: No problems found.

Monitor:
Monitor's Max Resolution: (blank)
Video Device Name: Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
Manufacturer / Chip: Intel Corporation / Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
Video Memory: 250 MB
Driver Version: 8.14.10.2117
Driver Date: 4/20/2010 3:09:10 AM
Driver Language: English

Sound Device Description: Speakers and Headphones (IDT High Definition Audio CODEC)
Driver File: stwrt.sys
Driver Version: 6.10.6272.0000
Driver Date: 2/26/2010 5:03:00 AM

Sound Device Description: Independent*Headphones (IDT High Definition Audio CODEC)
Driver File: stwrt.sys
Driver Version: 6.10.6272.0000
Driver Date: 2/26/2010 5:03:00 AM


WMI Information
Motherboard Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
Motherboard Model: (empty)
Motherboard Product: 3660
Motherboard Version: 48.26
BIOS Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
BIOS Name: Default System BIOS
BIOS Version: HPQOEM - 1
BIOS Release: 20100618000000.000000+000


Registry Information for Current User
Resolution: 1024x600
3D Resolution: 1024x600 (Not using renderscale)
Full Screen: Yes
Maximized: No
Screen Position: 0, 0
Refresh Rate: 0Hz
Vertical Sync Enabled: No


Physics Quality: None
Maximum Particles: 100
Max Particle Fill? 10.000
Physics Card Enabled: No


Anti-aliasing: Off
Anisotropic Filtering: None
Texture LOD Bias: Crisp
Water Effects: None
Bloom: 1.000 (turned off)
Depth of Field Enabled: No
Desaturation Effects (Sepia) Enabled: No
Shader Detail: Unknown (4)


World Texture Level: Unknown (3)
Character Texture Level: Low
World Detail Level (Vis_Scale): 0.500
Entity Detail Level: 0.300
Shadows Enabled: No
Shadow Mode: Disabled
Shadow Map Shader: Unknown (0)
Environmental Reflections: Disabled
Advanced Occlusion Settings: No
Ambient Occlusion: Off
Occlusion Strength: Off
Blur: Bilateral
Ambient Resolution: Performance


Gamma Correction: 1.000
Geometry Buffers (VBOs) Enabled: Yes
Suppression of FX When Camera Close Enabled: Yes
Close Suppression Range: 3.000
Show Advertisements: Yes

Audio Mode: Performance
3D Audio: No
FX Sound Volume: 1.000
Music Sound Volume: 0.600

Show Advanced Graphics Options: No
Overall Graphics Quality: 0.000
Reverse Mouse Buttons: No
Save Login Username: Yes
Transfer Rate: Unknown bytes/second
Current Game Version: 1900.201011102104.11
Installation Directory: C:\Program Files\City of Heroes

Mod files in the Data directory
No modifications found

And here is my hijackthis log:


Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.4
Scan saved at 6:07:00 PM, on 12/14/2010
Platform: Windows 7 (WinNT 6.00.3504)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v8.00 (8.00.7600.16671)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\Windows\system32\taskhost.exe
C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Engine\17.8.0.5\ccSvcHst.exe
C:\Windows\system32\Dwm.exe
C:\Program Files\Oceanis\SystemSetting\WallPaperAgent.exe
C:\Windows\Explorer.exe
C:\Windows\System32\igfxtray.exe
C:\Windows\System32\hkcmd.exe
C:\Windows\System32\igfxpers.exe
C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe
C:\Windows\system32\igfxsrvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager\IAAnotif.exe
C:\Program Files\IDT\WDM\sttray.exe
C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Quick Launch\HPMSGSVC.exe
C:\Program Files\Hp\HP Software Update\hpwuschd2.exe
C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPHelper.exe
C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Wireless Assistant\HPWA_Main.exe
C:\Windows\system32\taskhost.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Virtualization Handler\CVH.EXE
C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\virtualization handler\OfficeVirt.exe
C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware\AAWTray.exe
C:\Windows\explorer.exe
C:\Windows\explorer.exe
C:\Windows\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\Atomic Email Hunter\emh3.exe
C:\Users\Robert\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Applic ation\chrome.exe
C:\Users\Robert\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Applic ation\chrome.exe
C:\Users\Robert\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Applic ation\chrome.exe
C:\Users\Robert\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Applic ation\chrome.exe
C:\Windows\system32\notepad.exe
C:\Windows\system32\NOTEPAD.EXE
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HiJackThis\HiJackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://g.msn.com/HPNOT/1
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://g.msn.com/HPNOT/1
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://g.msn.com/HPNOT/1
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://g.msn.com/HPNOT/1
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant =
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch =
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Int ernet Settings,ProxyOverride = *.local
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar,LinksFolderName =
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHelperStub - {18DF081C-E8AD-4283-A596-FA578C2EBDC3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelperShim.dll
O2 - BHO: Symantec NCO BHO - {602ADB0E-4AFF-4217-8AA1-95DAC4DFA408} - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Engine\17.8.0.5\coIEPlg.dll
O2 - BHO: Symantec Intrusion Prevention - {6D53EC84-6AAE-4787-AEEE-F4628F01010C} - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Engine\17.8.0.5\IPSBHO.DLL
O2 - BHO: Search Helper - {6EBF7485-159F-4bff-A14F-B9E3AAC4465B} - C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Search Enhancement Pack\Search Helper\SEPsearchhelperie.dll
O2 - BHO: Windows Live ID Sign-in Helper - {9030D464-4C02-4ABF-8ECC-5164760863C6} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live\WindowsLiveLogin.dll
O2 - BHO: MSN Toolbar BHO - {d2ce3e00-f94a-4740-988e-03dc2f38c34f} - C:\Program Files\MSN Toolbar\Platform\4.0.0369.0\npwinext.dll
O2 - BHO: Windows 7 Starter Helper - {D381FF29-7CFB-4D4E-B92A-C4EDDC696614} - C:\Program Files\Oceanis\SystemSetting\StarterHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O3 - Toolbar: MSN Toolbar - {8dcb7100-df86-4384-8842-8fa844297b3f} - C:\Program Files\MSN Toolbar\Platform\4.0.0369.0\npwinext.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Norton Toolbar - {7FEBEFE3-6B19-4349-98D2-FFB09D4B49CA} - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Engine\17.8.0.5\coIEPlg.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IgfxTray] C:\Windows\system32\igfxtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKeysCmds] C:\Windows\system32\hkcmd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Persistence] C:\Windows\system32\igfxpers.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SynTPEnh] %ProgramFiles%\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IAAnotif] C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager\iaanotif.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SysTrayApp] C:\Program Files\IDT\WDM\sttray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [MSN Toolbar] "C:\Program Files\MSN Toolbar\Platform\4.0.0369.0\mswinext.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Microsoft Default Manager] "C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Search Enhancement Pack\Default Manager\DefMgr.exe" -resume
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HP Quick Launch] C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Quick Launch\HPMSGSVC.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe ARM] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\ARM\1.0\AdobeARM.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe Reader Speed Launcher] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\Reader_sl.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HP Software Update] C:\Program Files\Hp\HP Software Update\HPWuSchd2.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ZumoDrive] "C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP CloudDrive\ZumoLauncher.lnk"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HPWirelessAssistant] C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Wireless Assistant\DelayedAppStarter.exe 120 C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Wireless Assistant\HPWA_Main.exe /hidden
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\QTTask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [iTunesHelper] "C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AdobeAAMUpdater-1.0] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\OOBE\PDApp\UWA\UpdaterStartupUtility.e xe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SwitchBoard] C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\SwitchBoard\SwitchBoard.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AdobeCS5ServiceManager] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\CS5ServiceManager\CS5ServiceManager.ex e" -launchedbylogin
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Google Update] "C:\Users\Robert\AppData\Local\Google\Update\Googl eUpdate.exe" /c
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [cacaoweb] "C:\Users\Robert\Desktop\cacaoweb.exe" -noplayer
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [Sidebar] %ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\Sidebar.exe /autoRun (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\RunOnce: [mctadmin] C:\Windows\System32\mctadmin.exe (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-20\..\Run: [Sidebar] %ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\Sidebar.exe /autoRun (User 'NETWORK SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-20\..\RunOnce: [mctadmin] C:\Windows\System32\mctadmin.exe (User 'NETWORK SERVICE')
O4 - Global Startup: HP Media Suite.lnk = C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Media Suite\Home\ArcStart.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MIF5BA~1\Office12\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: @C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Writer\WindowsLiveWriterShortcuts.dll,-1004 - {219C3416-8CB2-491a-A3C7-D9FCDDC9D600} - C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Writer\WriterBrowserExtension.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Writer\WindowsLiveWriterShortcuts.dll,-1003 - {219C3416-8CB2-491a-A3C7-D9FCDDC9D600} - C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Writer\WriterBrowserExtension.dll
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\program files\common files\microsoft shared\windows live\wlidnsp.dll
O10 - Unknown file in Winsock LSP: c:\program files\common files\microsoft shared\windows live\wlidnsp.dll
O16 - DPF: {C345E174-3E87-4F41-A01C-B066A90A49B4} (WRC Class) - http://trial.trymicrosoftoffice.com/...soft/wrc32.ocx
O18 - Protocol: wlpg - {E43EF6CD-A37A-4A9B-9E6F-83F89B8E6324} - C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Photo Gallery\AlbumDownloadProtocolHandler.dll
O23 - Service: ArcSoft Connect Daemon (ACDaemon) - ArcSoft Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\ArcSoft\Connection Service\Bin\ACService.exe
O23 - Service: Adobe LM Service - Adobe Systems - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe Systems Shared\Service\Adobelmsvc.exe
O23 - Service: Andrea ST Filters Service (AESTFilters) - Andrea Electronics Corporation - C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\stw rt.inf_x86_neutral_0cefa6767c6211ec\aestsrv.exe
O23 - Service: Apple Mobile Device - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\AppleMobileDeviceService.exe
O23 - Service: Bonjour Service - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe
O23 - Service: DeviceVM Meta Data Export Service (DvmMDES) - DeviceVM, Inc. - C:\SwSetup\QuickWeb\QW.SYS\config\DVMExportService .exe
O23 - Service: HP Health Check Service - Hewlett-Packard - C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Health Check\hphc_service.exe
O23 - Service: HP Wireless Assistant Service - Hewlett-Packard - C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Wireless Assistant\HPWA_Service.exe
O23 - Service: hpqwmiex - Hewlett-Packard Company - C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Shared\hpqwmiex.exe
O23 - Service: HPWMISVC - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Quick Launch\HPWMISVC.exe
O23 - Service: Intel(R) Matrix Storage Event Monitor (IAANTMON) - Intel Corporation - C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager\IAANTMon.exe
O23 - Service: iPod Service - Apple Inc. - C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe
O23 - Service: Lavasoft Ad-Aware Service - Lavasoft - C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware\AAWService.exe
O23 - Service: Norton Internet Security (NIS) - Symantec Corporation - C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Engine\17.8.0.5\ccSvcHst.exe
O23 - Service: Audio Service (STacSV) - IDT, Inc. - C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\stw rt.inf_x86_neutral_0cefa6767c6211ec\STacSV.exe
O23 - Service: Adobe SwitchBoard (SwitchBoard) - Adobe Systems Incorporated - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\SwitchBoard\SwitchBoard.exe

--
End of file - 9919 bytes

Look everybody, it's a netbook! A single core (with HT) Atom with Intel integrated graphics running Windows 7 Starter!

Sorry about that, it's just that rig is very underpowered for gaming. The Intel graphics is poor, you are stuck with 1GB (limited in BIOS, thanks of HP) of shared memory and a single core Atom is pretty low end on the CPU side of things. At least the hard drive is 7200RPM.

Turn on "Advance Graphics Settings" and turn them all down to their lowest settings or off. I still think the basic game shader isn't at it's minimum (not sure how much that would help).

The game also chews up a lot of memory while playing so I would suggest that you kill any "helper" apps you may have loaded. Ad-aware for instance is a pig. 1GB isn't a lot with shared memory for the graphics. Outdoors will be worse than in mission. You still will be paging the game on and off the disk as you roam around outside as the game itself can easily use 1 to 1.5 GB of memory while playing. CoV areas are a lot more complex than most of the CoH side so it tends to be very laggy traveling around outdoors.

You can also try and defrag the game directory with a utility like Piriform's Defraggler or Auslogics Disk Defrag. Both give you an option to defrag just a folder so it won't take all day. The game gets awful fragmented after a patch and every little bit of time saved counts.

Sorry. So exit as many things as you can before starting the game to conserve system memory, go into the Advance Graphics Settings and and make sure everything is turned all the way down and defrag the game folder.

Can't really say why, I can only speculate.

Maybe because the later areas have a greater number of different objects and those objects have considerably more polygons than what you find in Mercy.

Maybe certain areas are more player rich. Player characters have to be created as you first encounter them. And since player characters rarely look alike every one takes a chunk of memory to represent each of them. Way back when CoV first came out, I noticed (didn't have a lot of memory back on that system) that when I approached areas that had a lot of players, the game would stutter badly as the system needed memory to represent them. Areas like region around the Arena/Hospital/Quartermaster in Port Oakes was particularly bad, it was like hitting a wall as I approached there when returning from a mission.

The difference between outdoors and in instanced missions is easy to understand. In a mission the game only needs to have the mission map and interiors loaded in memory and usually only one NPC group. If all of that can be kept in memory, the game doesn't need to hit the juggle memory to disk. Outdoors there is so much data, and at higher levels you are likely traveling faster than when you were simply jogging everywhere, so you are encountering more objects faster and with not enough system memory you start beating on the swap file and the game stutters.

As for the HP Mini 210-1100, everything I found on that model says it's stuck at 1GB. Maybe certain models can go to 2GB but I would try to find out if your exact model can be upgraded before ordering memory.

Edit: Further reading of this thread seems to indicate that it's just very picky about the memory it needs. It appears that Crucial sells compatible memory, use their adviser tool with your exact model to find the exact module that will work.

Great! I wish I was more tech-savvy and apologize if my questions are a bit elementary. I appreciate your help, I will certainly use that link when I am ready to upgrade.

My game seems to be running wonderfully today (I've been running in safe mode for the last two days.) Alas, I have another silly inquiry- My character is on the Protector server- I've noticed that when I first click the server, it will either have red or green dots next to it. I wonder what that represents, and the effect it will have on how efficiently my game runs?

That's the server load. It may or may not, there are debates about it, analogous to the current population of players. Green light load, yellow medium, red heavy load. I've never noticed load affecting my play other than starting a mission, when it may take longer.

Also you may notice the server list order changes. The server you were on last is always first, but then the rest is ordered by load. Freedom and Virtue tend to be the most active and have the heaviest load.

A great source of information, general as well as minutia, is ParagonWiki.