How to fix the lag problem in Dota 2?

From time to time, any player has a lag in Dota 2 and there are many reasons for that: from temporary Internet interruptions to problems with performance, cooling, etc. Another common problem is incorrect updates. After some updates, Dota 2 freezes during the game for a significant part of the players. The reason may be the use of an integrated video card instead of a discrete one, clogged Steam cache, incorrect fps settings, inappropriate laptop operating mode, and much more. We will help you fix all the sources of problems that lead to freezing, lags, braking, dulling, twitching of the picture in Dota 2.

CONTENT

• How to fix the lag problem in Dota 2?
  • Method 1: check the integrity of files
  • Method 2: reinstall the game client
  • Method 3: roll back drivers
  • Method 4: clear Steam cache
  • Method 5: turn VPN on or off
  • Method 6: remove problematic intro videos
  • Method 7: change the power scheme
  • Method 8: adjust fps
  • Method 9: change the involved video card
  • Method 10: monitor the temperature of the computer and accessories

How to fix the lag problem in Dota 2?

First of all, you need to compare the system requirements of Dota 2 and the real characteristics of the computer. A minimum of 4 GB of RAM, a 2-core processor with a frequency of 2.8 GHz and a GeForce 8600 or better graphics card. If you want to run the game with better graphics settings, you need more productive components.

Method 1: check the integrity of files

Often the cause of lags is the breakage of game files, perhaps some of them were improperly modified, deleted or damaged. Such a failure can be easily fixed with a special Steam tool.

How to scan files:

1. Launch Steam and go to your “Library”.
2. Right click on Dota 2 and select Properties.
3. Go to the “Local files” tab and select “Check the integrity of game files”.
4. We are waiting for the completion of the procedure.

Method 2: reinstall the game client

If performance problems appeared after the next update, most likely it was somehow installed incorrectly or does not work well together with other files on the system. Reinstalling the game should work most of the time. The procedure is extremely simple and is performed within the Steam client.

Method 3: roll back drivers

Some of those who encountered freezes in Dota 2 reported that rolling back their drivers helped them. Most likely it is a bad optimization of the latest version. Fortunately, it is possible to carry out the procedure quickly and painlessly.

Management:

1. Using Win + X, open the Start properties and go to the “Device Manager”.
2. Expand the “Video adapters” list and double-click to open the active video card (usually it is a discrete one).
3. Go to the “Driver” tab and click on the “Roll back driver” button.
4. We choose the reason and start the procedure.

If the process is unsuccessful (it may freeze, not respond, or complete without result), uninstall the current drivers and reinstall them using the file from the official website of the developers.

Method 4: clear Steam cache

Steam cache and cookies do not always work correctly in the game. Although the built-in web browser is usually not used by the player, it is involved in some internal processes. If it freezes, collides with some kind of looped function, performance drops sharply and lags appear.

Here’s what to do:

1. In the Steam client, click on the Steam button on the top left and select “Settings”.
2. Go to the “Browser” tab and click on the “Clear browser cache” option.
3. Click on the “Delete all browser cookies” button.

Method 5: turn VPN on or off

If a picture freezes in the game, freezes appear, long delays and at the same time you have an active VPN, most likely the problem is in it. Like proxies, they increase ping and do not always work stably. There is also the opposite situation, when enabling VPN improves the stability of the game. Apparently, this is due to too heavy load on the servers in your region.

Method 6: remove problematic intro videos

In situations where Steam is stuck in the main menu, it is worth trying this method. Users with low fps also responded positively about it, for some reason they had an increase in the number of files after deleting the introductory videos.

What should be done:

1. Go to the folder where the game is installed. If the path has not been changed, then it is C: \ Program Files (x86) \ Steam \ steamapps \ common \ dota 2 beta.
2. We follow to the inner section along the path game \ dota \ panorama \ videos.
3. Delete inside 2 files intro_movie and ti10_background. We can also just move them to another folder.

Method 7: change the power scheme

In Energy Saver or Balanced Power Scheme, the system does not use all of the computer’s resources. To play at high fps, you need maximum performance, and here’s how you can add it:

1. We press RMB on Start and go to the “Control Panel”.
2. We open one of the last items “Power supply” and set the option “High performance”.

Method 8: adjust fps

In the settings of the game or the “Nvidia Control Panel” there may be a ban on exceeding fps. If the maximum is set to 30 fps, Dota 2 will not be very smooth, twitching will appear. In such a situation, it makes sense to remove this limit.

Instructions for setting up graphics:

1. Launch Dota 2 and go to Settings.
2. Go to the “Video” tab and look for the “Maximum frames per second” parameter.
3. Set fps to match the monitor refresh rate. It is also pointless to put more.

Method 9: change the involved video card

Dota 2 requires a discrete graphics card to play stable, but many laptops may not switch to it by default. You need to manually set it so that the game uses this graphics chip, and not the integrated graphics.

Step by step guide:

1. On the desktop, right-click and select “Nvidia Control Panel”.
2. On the “Manage 3D Settings” tab, go to “Program Settings”.
3. Click on the “CUDA – Graphics Processors” option in the “Parameter” line.
4. We select the option “Use these GPUs” and click on that more powerful video card.

Method 10: monitor the temperature of the computer and accessories

Lags in Dota 2 are often the result of throttling – this is the process of skipping clock cycles when it gets too hot. Thus, the computer tries not to overheat. Changing the settings of such a protection tool is usually not required, it is enough just to reduce the temperature of the chip. However, first you need to determine whether the problem is really overheating. There are 2 simple utilities CPU-Z and GPU-Z that do their job perfectly. Install and, run and just play. When Dota 2 starts to slow down, go to programs and watch the temperature. More than 80 ° С is already bad, and under 90 ° С it is already a critical temperature for most processors and video cards.

To get rid of overheating, we recommend cleaning the inside of the laptop or system unit, replacing the thermal paste and checking the result. If there is still a lot of heat, we can add a cooler to the system unit or buy a laptop cooling pad.

The above measures should fix all the causes of freezes and lags in Dota 2: from system failures to problems with the Internet and even the physical condition of the computer. This gives us confidence that this guide should work for you as well. However, it is of interest what kind of problem you had and how you managed to fix it. Please write your report in the comments.