n a previous EndLagNow Blog Entry, we looked at how Counterstrike Source and Team Fortress 2 use Lag Compensation and other techniques to hide Lag from users and make the game 'work' over high latencies and a variety of network conditions.  The Killer Gaming Network Card has been my passion, my life for 3 years now... and i thought it would be good to explain how Killer works in context of how CSS and TF2 compensate for Lag, Latency, and how all that relates to framerates (FPS).  The short answer is, Killer not only helps yourself in the game, it helps the server and the other players too...  AND... less Lag Compensation makes for a BETTER experience, and if this matters to you, More Killing, more winning, and to some that means more fun.

So, how does Killer work in this context?  First, understand Killer Bypasses the Windows Network Stack.  At the game logic level, the game still thinks it is talking to WINDOWS, but in reality, it is talking to Killer directly.  By Bypassing windows, the "MAIN GAME LOOP" runs faster... since networking calls take less time to process (really a fraction of the time), the game runs faster.  Yes, HIGHER FPS is one result... but also, YOUR CLICKS are registered sooner (at a higher frequency sample), and the packet that contains your "CLICK" goes out, onto the real "wires" faster as well....

1.) Your Clicks get registered sooner. (and higher FPS)
2.) Your Packets hit the wire faster.  (lower latency)

Lower Latencies (according to the calculation in the CSS developers wiki (see below), means LESS NEED for LAG COMPENSATION.  In short, your "hit box" is more "TRUE TO WHAT YOU ARE SHOOTING AT"... and less prone to Error.

Killer also tends to "smooth out" network flow.. and take away "system" Latency variance (like, Windows was busy).... this is even MORE IMPORTANT in the Lag Compensation calculation, because variance means what the server "thinks" your latency is, is not the 'real latency' causing you to shoot in front of and behind your target, simply because of latency Variance.... THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM WHEN THE GAME GETS INTENSE... that's why, Killer owners say "wow, my hit registration went way up" and "I'm tons more accurate" and "it is a LOT smoother during intense gameplay scenes..." e.g. Less Variance is VITAL to a smooth gaming experience.

The packets also flow to the Server and back faster, and the results are delivered "VIA A DIRECT GAME HARDWARE INTERRUPT (Killer -> Game)" as soon as the next server packet arrives... This speed is vital since the RESULT of your action is seen faster as well.  Since the results get back... those games (like CSS and TF2, and really all modern games), that do CLIENT PREDICTION, can get the 'true answer' from the server back faster, and make CLIENT CORRECTIONS much faster.  This means a Smoother more 'normal' gameplay experience.  As in, less jerky, less artifacts, and simply faster, funner gameplay.

I could go on... but you may be getting the idea already!  You may ask, well how does that make it better for people on the same server who Don't have a Killer?   It won't much... but the less correction, and the less latency that the server has to adapt for, the faster it can run generally... Remember, the Server has a 'main game loop as well'... and burdening it burdens everyone.

Killer, bypassing the stack, running in it's own Linux computer on a card, inside Windows....  Bandwidth Control (to dedicate BW to the game), and Higher FPS.  Its why Killer owners are happy, and non-Killer owners have no fraggin idea what they are missing!

Tytus