Last Updated: 12/18/05
Below is my expanded tweak guide for getting the best performance out of CS: Source.
Drivers
First and foremost, drivers are key to performance; but not all drivers are created equal, and no one driver is right for every card. It is up to you to research and test to find the best driver for your specific card. However, below are some generally recommended 3rd-party drivers for your brand of card. One thing to keep in mind: Just because a driver is newer doesn't mean it's better. You'll need to test different versions to find out which one best suits your card.
ATi Recommended Drivers:
OmegaDrivers
DNA-Drivers
nVidia Recommended Drivers:
DNA-Drivers
NGO Drivers
When removing previous driver installations, it's very important to make sure all files and registry entries have been removed before installing your new driver. Following these directions should help ensure your old drivers are properly uninstalled and new ones installed:
Download, install, and update Driver Cleaner
Download new driver
Uninstall previous driver via Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel
Reboot in Safe Mode (F8)
Run Driver Cleaner
Reboot
Install new driver
Note: If you have discovered an optimal driver for a specific model of card, feel free to PM me and I'll compile a list of recommended drivers for different card models.
Launch Options
Source has many performance-friendly launch options built-in that you may find give you a significant performance gain.
Launch properties can be added by right-clicking Counter-Strike: Source in Steam's My Games menu, clicking Properties, then Launch Options.
-dxlevel: Sets the DirectX level Source runs in.
You may find that setting this value lower than what your card can actually support to yield a performance increase. For example, a DirectX 9 card may run significantly faster in DirectX 8. Below is the recommended usage:
-dxlevel 90 for DirectX 9
-dxlevel 81 for DirectX 8.1
-dxlevel 80 for DirectX 8
-dxlevel 70 for DirectX 7
-heapsize: Dedicates a specific amount of memory to Source.
Increasing the allotted memory can yield substantial performance gains. However, it is important that you dedicate the right amount of memory. Dedicating too much or too little could actually cause a performance decrease.
It is recommended you dedicate half of your system memory. Below is the recommended usage:
512MB System Memory: -heapsize 262144
1GB System Memory: -heapsize 524288
2GB System Memory: -heapsize 1048576
(I'll add more later.)
CVARs
The following is a list of CVAR tweaks I've compiled through experimenting and various research. These commands help to strike an appropriate balance between quality and performance. You can find other CFGs that basically destroy the look of the game. I tried to maintain the appeal of Source while making it playable. These commands are CAL / CSP compliant.
Simply paste the following into Notepad, and save the file as autoexec.cfg in your Steam\SteamApps\your@email.com\counter-strike source\cstrike\cfg folder.
Note: The comments will not interfere with the commands.
//Casey's Source Config
//Updated 12/18/05
// _Set netcode settings_
// _adjusts hitboxes and netcode settings for optimal registration_
cl_cmdrate 101
cl_interp 0.01
cl_interpolate 1
cl_lagcomp_errorcheck 1
cl_lagcompensation 1
cl_updaterate 101
cl_smooth 1
rate 25000
// _Set graphics settings_
// _adjusts graphics settings to boost framerate_
cl_ejectbrass 0 // _disables shells flying out of guns_
cl_forcepreload 1
cl_phys_props_enable 0 // _disables trash and cans etc_
cl_phys_props_max 0 // _disables trash and cans etc_
cl_radartype 1 // _solid radar_
cl_ragdoll_physics_enable 0 // _disables dead bodies_
cl_show_splashes 0 // _disables splashes when in water_
fps_max 101 // _caps FPS_
mat_bloomscale 0
mat_bumpmap 0 // _disables bumpmapping_
mat_clipz 0 // _lowers water quality_
mat_fastnobump 1 // _faster bump mapping_
mat_fastspecular 1 // _fast specular lighting_
mat_mipmaptextures 1 // _texture quality decreases with distance_
mat_hdr_enabled 0 // _disables high dynamic range lighting_
mat_hdr_level 0 // _disables high dynamic range lighting_
mat_picmip 2 // _lower texture quality--set between 0 and 2_
mat_specular 0 // _disables specular lighting_
mat_trilinear 0 // _disables trilinear filtering_
mat_wateroverlaysize 16 // _lowers water quality_
mat_vsync 0 // _disables vertical synchronization_
mp_decals 50 // _how many bullets etc will be shown_
muzzleflash_light 0 // _disables muzzleflash_
r_avglight 0 // _disables average lighting_
r_cheapwaterend 1 // _worse water rendering_
r_cheapwaterstart 1 // _worse water rendering_
r_decal_cullsize 2 // _lower texture quality at distance_
r_decals 0 // _disables player sprays_
r_drawdetailprops 0
r_drawflecks 0// _disables bullet impacts_
r_drawmodeldecals 0 // _disables decals on models_
r_dynamic 0
r_eyes 0 // _removes eyes from player models_
r_lightaverage 0 // _disables average lighting_
r_lightinterp 0
r_lod 3 // _adjusts model quality--set between -5 and 5_
r_occlusion 0 // _disables occlusion--lowers image quality but gains FPS_
r_propsmaxdist 100 // _lower object fading distance_
r_renderoverlayfragment 0
r_rootlod 2 // _lower overall game detail level_
r_shadows 1 // _set to 0 to disable shadows (not recommended)_
r_teeth 0 // _removes teeth from player models_
r_waterforceexpensive 0 // _disables high-quality water_
rope_averagelight 0 // _disables average lighting on ropes_
rope_smooth 0 // _disables antialiasing on ropes_
rope_subdiv 0
rope_wind_dist 0 // _disables wind effects on ropes_
// _Set processing settings_
// _transfers load from GPU to CPU to boost performance_
r_3dnow 1
r_mmx 1
r_sse 1
r_sse2 1
// _Set audio settings_
// _corrects audio synchronization_
snd_mixahead // _adjust in intervals of .1 to reduce stuttering_
// _Set violence settings_
// _increases blood to help you see hits better_
violence_ablood 1
violence_agibs 1
violence_hblood 1
violence_hgibs 1
// _Other settings_
budget_show_history 0
cl_crosshairalpha 999
cl_crosshairusealpha 1
jpeg_quality 100
sv_forcepreload 1
clear
echo "_casey's config loaded_"
Update notes: New HDR and other commands added. Thanks to Marlin for his contribution
