Input lag, PC vs. Console

[Keylimesoda]

Does anyone have insight into the difference between input lag on a PC vs. console?

I recently upgraded my HTPC to be a solid gaming machine, so now there's a bunch of games where I can play on either PC or Xbox. I know the graphics are better on the PC, but it feels like the PC has higher input lag.

This is a big question for high-action games like sports (NBA2k) and fighting games (SSFIV).

FWIW, I'm using wireless Xbox controller for both Xbox and PC--I've yet to find a great keyboard/mouse/couch setup.

 

[MiataNC]

Are you running the HTPC through a receiver? More often than not this is where the lag is coming from. Try running HDMI (assuming your HTPC has HDMI out) directly to your TV and see if you still have lag.

 

[Keylimesoda]

Good call, both PC and Xbox are running through a receiver.

Any way to turn off the lag introduced by a receiver? How much lag do they usually introduce? It'd be a pain to have to physically switch the cables every time I wanted to play a PC game...

 

[DaveSimmons]

See above. Try a direct connection and/or setting "game mode" for the input in the TV's menu.

A PC will typically have less lag since the console goal is 30 fps while a decent PC will be a steady 60 fps on your 1080p TV with v-sync on. (That's in the lag between action and new frame, vs. the processing lag in the receiver and in the TV)

 

[WojtekGee]

Just bow to the PC master race and don't look back.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Often times tvs will add a lot of lag. Are you running the pc at a non native resolution? Scalers can add lag. Also make sure there isn't any motion processing features on the tv running.

 

[Keylimesoda]

The issue is the lag difference between the PC and Xbox.

Both are plugged into same TV, receiver, etc.

But, for example, NBA 2k feels quick on Xbox and laggy on PC...

 

[Pray To Jesus]

vsync issue perhaps

 

[Dankk]

Turn off Vsync on your PC, make sure it's directly connected to your TV via HDMI, and set your TV to "Game Mode" if it has one.

Consoles have always had more input-lag than PCs in my experience. If yours is the other way around, then something's wrong with either your graphics settings, or your TV.

Keep in mind that a TV typically isn't as responsive as a computer monitor, so you're going to have some amount of input lag regardless.

 

[DaveSimmons]

> Both are plugged into same TV, receiver, etc.

But they are different inputs on the receiver. Have you checked the receiver's manual to see if it does any processing for different inputs?

If you have the xbox plugged into "game" and the PC into "cable/sat" or are not using HDMI for both then it could mean the receiver treats them differently.

What is your CPU and graphics card? I wonder if this "lag" is really just a low framerate from hardware that can't run smoothly at 1080p. Switching the display resolution on the PC to 720p would be a good way to test that.

 

[CVSiN]

yeh sounds like his hardware may be struggling to push that res.

need a pretty beefy card to drive a big TV like that.

no lag for me at all but I am running 2x 6950s and an i7 with 16gigs of ram.

 

[Clinkster]

Post your specs.

 

[Keylimesoda]

i5-2500k, Radeon 6870, SSD, 4GB RAM

 

[fastamdman]

Make sure you have the latest video card drivers.

 

[Durvelle27]

the games you posted aren't very graphic intense... just plug the hdmi straight to the tv might be the problem ?

edit: i run both of those games maxed with a HD 4870

 

[Pr0d1gy]

That's a shallow pool of memory to swim in this day and age. The rest looks stout.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Video memory and TV size have no bearing on input lag (1080p is 1080p whether on 20" or 70").

One reason the Xbox may seem faster is that it's locked at 30fps while the PC can do 60fps (typically). It may have about the same lag but just feel different.

Your best bet is to try hooking it up direct. Receivers tend to have their own video processing they do. I had the same issue with slight lag on some games. Your TV may have a return that will still allow your sound to go through your receiver.

 

[Keylimesoda]

Vsync was the key.

It's surprising, considering how badly vsync impacts games like Street Fighter, that it's even an option.

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

Vsync was the key.

It's surprising, considering how badly vsync impacts games like Street Fighter, that it's even an option.

In some games, it makes them almost unplayabale. Portal 2 with vsync there is about a half second delay. BF3 i can hardly notice that its on.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

"Input lag" really just means latency between input and display, but it depends on a great many factors, some hardware and some software.

Input - Generally speaking there isn't a lot of latency here unless you have a bad wireless mouse and keyboard or a bad gamepad, for the least latency possible you want a wired hardware which uses USB and has the polling rate set to 1000hz, most "gaming mice" will have this already.

Processing - Generally speaking the frame rate is what next effects the latency, the longer the frames take to render the longer the latency, you want a high frame rate for best latency. Vsync which is a graphical setting to stop image tearing can cause a lot additional latency because it delays frames in order to sync them with the monitor, turn this off for best latency.

Output - Monitors and especially TVs have varying degrees of latency associated with them, usually due to the advanced image processing they can do, educate yourself on your displays functions and which if any incur additional latency, it's usually stuff like scaling non-native resolutions, functions to dynamically control brightness and contrast. With TV's specifically you tend to get gaming modes which simply disable as much processing as possible to reduce latency.

True 120Hz displays are way better in general, be careful with TVs they can often be up to 600hz but this is not there true refresh rate, don't be fooled by high refresh rates on TVs, make sure if you're going for something above 60hz that it's a true 60hz+ panel and not just duplicating frames.

Because you can manage a lot of this stuff on the PC it's makes it a superior platform for reducing input lag, but you need to spend some time learning what you're doing.

 

[Pia]

I think gamepad makes input lag appear less because it is, in itself, a much slower method of control than mouse. So if PC seems to have more input lag, and using the exact same input / settings on the exact same display doesn't deal with it, I'd test a game using a gamepad on the PC.

 

[wuliheron]

I have to agree with PrincessFrosty, input lag concerns everything from the controls you use up to software and the circuitry in your monitor or TV. I recommend the tweakguides for information on how to tweak windows xp and 7 and graphics settings. Sometimes its just best to start with tweaking the software before moving on to the hardware.

 

[PrayForDeath]

Try direct connection and see if it's just in your head