Weird Mouse Lag

[A_Fulcrum_Agent]

I'm not sure what changed, but for the past month or so, I've had progressively worse mouse lag whenever Sims4 is open. While it's absolutely horrific when in the game window, it's extending to the general desktop/other windows.

I've done everything possible in Windows to fix the issue (uninstalled/reinstalled drivers, rolled back drivers, turned off enhanced pointer precision, updating my Razer software), and I've tried running the game in offline mode as well as uninstalling and reinstalling. And it's still happening. It also happens with mods on or off, so I don't think it's a mod causing it (though it doesn't freeze for quite as long with mods off). I'm rather at a loss as to what's going on.

I did notice that Origin is soaking up a tonne more CPU resource than it has in the past. Unfortunately, one can't run the Sims4 without Origin being open. It got a little better after the last origin update, but not much.

I've attached my DXDIAG. Hopefully, we can figure this out.

[puzzlezaddict]

@A_Fulcrum_Agent  Try playing in a clean boot.  If it helps, you can start reenabling services and testing.

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-clean-boot-windows-10

Some services won't be disabled in a clean boot, for whatever reason, even though they should be.  So be sure to go through the Task Manager's background tasks list and end anything that doesn't absolutely need ot be running, for example ROG software or an outside fps limiter.

If this doesn't help, do you have another mouse you could try, just as a test?  It would be helpful to rule out the mouse itself.

[A_Fulcrum_Agent]

@puzzlezaddict I do have another mouse, I'll have to get help finding it though. I'm really sick right now, so digging through the spare parts box is gonna require assistance.

I'll try the clean boot, though I've found that having Razer's software disabled just generally causes problems with the mouse and keyboard. I might leave those two on.

[A_Fulcrum_Agent]

@puzzlezaddict

Oh, man. That's a first. The clean boot caused the mouse issue to happen without Sims4 running. Prior to this, it was only when Sims4 was up, or if Origin remained up after being in the Sims4.

I even restarted the Razer processes, and it's still being super janky.

I have 0 ideas about what's going on at this point.

UPDATE: It chilled out after a bit of having the Razer service on, at least in Windows/other applications. It did kick in after I opened the Sims4, though. =/

[puzzlezaddict]

@A_Fulcrum_Agent  When you open Origin but don't launch Sims 4, do you see the same problem?  Or is it only after the game loads and before you close Origin again that you see the issue?  You mentioned the problem showing up before Sims 4 was open in the clean boot, but was Origin open or was this right after you rebooted?

If you can find that other mouse, it would be a useful test.  The way you describe the issue, it could be due to Origin overloading the system, or it could still be something about the mouse you're using.  In the meantime, you can experiment a bit.

Try using a different surface (mousepad, gaming mat, whatever) under the mouse.  Also try disconnecting and reconnecting the mouse at some point after your computer boots, and separately after you open Origin.

There are two Origin tools that run alongside Origin proper: the Client Service and the Web Helper Service.  Try disabling those in the Task Manager before you play.  And put Origin in offline mode afterwards, but before you launch the game.  Disable Origin in-game as well: hover over your username, select Application Settings, then the Origin in-game header, and disable the option at the top.

[A_Fulcrum_Agent]

@puzzlezaddict
It seems things are fine with Origin when it's just open. It isn't until I open Sims4 that there's an issue. It seems pretty Sims specific because I was in SWBF2 a couple of nights ago, and didn't have the issue there but had it when Sims was up earlier. It's only after the game loads that I've gotta close down Origin to get my mouse back to normal.

Origin was not open at all during the clean boot. It seems part of it was having the Razer software closed because once it was restored, the problems outside of Origin/Sims4 gradually stopped.

I don't really have a whole lot I can stick under my mouse ATM that's a level surface. I got the JFO CE pack, and it came with one of those massive gaming mats. I've stuck a piece of paper under it, for the moment, because it was all I could think of.

Those two services were already stopped even after I opened Origin. I think that might be due to having done the clean boot.

I've been disconnecting and reconnecting my mouse every time it acts up. That helps for a minute or two when Sims4 is up, but not really for long.

I had Origin in-game disabled initially but turned it on for SWBF2, so it was happening with it off before. I've tried it in offline mode a few times, and previously it didn't help much.

I'm still getting the mouse lag when Sims4 gets loaded. I noticed this time that it starts right when the in-game cursor activates. It does, however, seem to be significantly less janky with all these things turned off together, and the paper under the mouse.

I'll be getting the other mouse out later today to see if it still happens with it. It's still a Razer mouse, but it's a corded one where the JFO one is wireless. To note on the wireless, this happens whether the 2.4 gigahertz dongle is used, or the Bluetooth setting is used.

UPDATE: I moved it from being a borderless window to straight windowed, and the lagging mouse seems to have vanished almost entirely. O.o

[puzzlezaddict]

@A_Fulcrum_Agent  That update is quite the plot twist.  I have a Razer (wired) mouse and use borderless almost exclusively, and I've never had this issue, although I've barely run the game since the last patch.  It would still be interesting to know whether your wired mouse has the same issue.

[A_Fulcrum_Agent]

@puzzlezaddict
As near as I can tell, the wired mouse doesn't have it as severely in borderless windowed, though it does start to kick in anywhere from 30 minutes to 60 minutes of gameplay. It's just not nearly as severe.

And it's completely gone in straight Windowed mode.

I'm pretty confused at this point.

[puzzlezaddict]

@A_Fulcrum_Agent  Alright, to be completely thorough, please do all of these together, even if you've tried all of them separately:

• Clear Origin's cache, then repair the game in Origin: open your game library, right-click on the Sims 4 icon, and select Repair
• Move your entire Sims 4 folder out of Documents\Electronic Arts and onto your desktop, and don't add anything to the new folder that spawns the next time you play
• If you have GeForce Experience set to optimize Sims 4 settings, please disable that option (before the next time you launch the game)
• Restart your computer
• Go through the Task Manager and end any background tasks that don't absolutely need to be running: RGB software, MSI Afterburner, Discord, whatever
• Don't open any apps at all other than Origin

When you launch the game, you'll have all new graphics settings (due to the new options.ini), and it'll be in fullscreen mode.  Please test in fullscreen, borderless, and windowed modes, just to see whether there's any difference among them.

If you're still getting lag, please let me know how much CPU and RAM Origin and Sims 4 are using; you can just take a screenshot of the Task Manager if you want.

[A_Fulcrum_Agent]

@puzzlezaddict
Just popping a quick note to say I won't get a chance to do all that till tomorrow. I've done each of those things except the last at different points, but never all together.

I should clarify that the difference between the wireless mouse and the wired mouse is that the first freezes while the second is more like stuttering rather than outright locking up.

I'll let you know how it goes with the whole process sometime tomorrow. Thanks for working on this with me!