I'm trying to play a bunch of old Source-based games (Half-Life 2, CSS, etc.) but my integrated graphics card doesn't cut it. Is there any way to reduce the graphics quality further or modify config files to make it run smoother?
The most straightforward way is to jump into the game console (with the ~ or ` key depending on your keyboard) and lower values like "mat_picmip" to 2 or 3, "r_drawspecificstaticprop 0" to disable static props, and "cl_ejectbrass 0" so it doesn't generate shell casings. You can also mess with the "config.cfg" file in the game folder and change the resolution to something lower, set "fps_max" to whatever you want (like 30 or 60), and reduce render distance with "r_worldlights 0". If your integrated graphics card is still giving you trouble, just play in windowed mode at 800x600 resolution or lower - a lot of old Source games run decently that way and you'll get a decent performance boost.
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