Faster Source Frame Rates - Up to 50% faster

[Schlup]

Below are some simple settings which can massively improve your source FPS without noticeably removing any quality (eg, 1% quality change for 40% performance improvement).

First, test your starting FPS using the in game video performance test inside source. Write down the score.

Now do these things:

1. Set your autoexec.cfg to the following (Counter-Strike Source/cstrike/cfg/autoexec.cfg). Save an a copy of anything you had before in case you need it.

mat_bumpmap 0
mat_clipz 0
mat_specular 0
mp_decals 300
r_decal_cullsize 1
r_lod -5
r_propsmaxdist 1000
r_sse 0
r_mmx 0
r_3dnow 1
cl_crosshairscale 1600
cl_smooth to 1
fps_max 500

2. Either change your desktop shortcut icon for SOURCE or do "Play games" then right click and choose "Properties" then choose "Launch Options". Add to the launch line "-dxlevel 81". This instructs the game to use DirectX 8.1 which was much faster than ever 9 with no noticeable difference to Source graphics. Note, once you run the game with this once, to change it back if you wish, you MUST specify -dxlevel 9 to restore it. As it saves the settings and needs it explicitly set back.

Now run the FPS test again and see the difference.

[Schlup]

Well after I did these things above I realized that it kept resetting my resolutions in game everytime I exited.  So he's how to fix that.

1/. Open dxsupport.cfg with note pad ( it can be found in C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\your steam account name\counter-strike source\bin )

2/. Use the search or scroll to your graphichs model number ( NVidia GeForce FX 5950 Ultra would be mine )

3/. This is the most important ONLY EDIT THESE TWO LINES...
"DefaultRes" "1024"
"MaxDxLevel" "90"
First change the defaultres to the screen res you use ( i changed mine to 1280 because i use a screen res of 1280x1024 )
and change the maxdxlevel to 81 or 80. and save.

now start up css and set your graphics quality options and then restart css and chack to make sure the quality settings hold.

4/. ATI users will need to add these two lines if they are having problems running in dx 8.1

"MaxDxLevel" "90"
"DxLevel" "81"

WARNING WARNING WARNING

If you change any of the other settings css might not run!  And if u do some thing wrong delete dxsupport.cfg and run css and it will create a new dxsupport.cfg.

[Sir-diealot]

Sounds very complicated.

[Schlup]

It's not that bad but you need to know what you're doing a little bit otherwise the chance comes to screw up your settings if you don't do something right.

[Dark Insomniac]

I don't think I will try it cause I don't know what yall doing and I am fine with the test saying frame rates at 174.67

[Sir-diealot]

It's not that bad but you need to know what you're doing a little bit otherwise the chance comes to screw up your settings if you don't do something right.

Guess I won't be doing it then lol

[Schlup]

I went from 86 fps to 296 fps by doing this.

[DtraiN]

I might try it but my fps are at 135 right now.....Thats pretty good considering when I first started playing CS during 1.3 patch and getting like 18fps on a voodoo3 lol