WTF
Smooth gameplay or choppy gameplay?
seriously, you tested in an empty stadium and convinced yourself that was the answer, sorry, if you need to find a fix for dodgy graphics or input lag or other laggy performance in any way you find it with the graphics on a basic max.
IE;- max res no aa or af, v-sync off and all background programs and services turned off.
that is a basic max.
I have an old cpu with old gpu and 4gb ram, i suffer no input lag play at 1920 on a 42" tv, not bragging or gloating, but im gonna say the folks that are complaining are the guys that have little or no pc experience, didnt suffer the indignity of win3.1 or win 98 or getting a grip on win xp where optimizing your system actually counted for something.
Ok, some suggestions, go to blackvipers website and set the minimum services for your required use.
more than one hard drive? do the right thing with your swapfile.
Disable/uninstall all un used/unneeded windows programs or services.
Turn off any av or additional firewall software.
Basically get your computer to be running the bare bones, then try it, im pretty sure an optimized system will deliver a 100% game that will be enjoyed by all and there will be no complaints about input lag or crappy performance, im sure it isnt the game moreover it is peoples systems that is the real problem.
Old systems shouldnt and wouldnt be able to run the game smooth and fluid if it was the game that was a fault, yet i have seen many posts of people with old systems saying they have no lag or the game works fine for them.
Guys, seriously, a little effort, a little search on win optimization and you will find answers, something as simple as a windows startup tweak, you may think nothing of it, then you search it an find it, then find in a couple of mouse clicks can save 25 seconds on windows boot, it all counts, the changes made that improve the boot may also have a little influence on the piss poor graphics or the laggy game you are playing!
As an add on, i used to race online a lot, gtr evo mostly, the biggest cause of lag in that game was the adservers, they were served up to steam by a seperate company to steam, if you blocked their ip in your firewall it was like playing a different game, the lag totally disappeared, as in the game ran perfect and smooth even with old hardware.
Check it out, look up who is serving the ingame adds, block their ip block.
Ok that is a long post, there is a lot to think about, but to outright blame the game just doesnt make sense especially when more that one person is saying the game is running smooth for them, there has to be more to it, a poorly configured or just a system left to default install settings can be the be all and end all, it will ruin what should be a fun and entertaining experience.
Edit:- that is a long, patronising post, but it is born from years of experience and lots of trial and error over the years, from dune, to quake to unreal and their siblings, you know when it was a pc pricebomb, you had to get the best out of your system as you possibly could, a 2 year old system then was dead in the water, today it could swim comfortably with the latest and greatest.
Be sure your system is performing the best it can before you jump on the game and slate it like the game is fucked up when it obviously isnt.
AND YES THAT GOES FOR THE SO CALLED EXPERTS.
the pros that condone editing the game cause the left back wont go forward like he should or they expect, so it must be a game fault, nope, that is a formation fault not the games.
Sorry for the long post and edit!