Ubicom Inc. has launched a free testing tool to help online gamers beat game lag. Using this tool, gamers can determine their OPScore, or \"Online Playability Score\", which is a benchmark that measures game lag under different network conditions. Using this score as a guide, gamers can fine tune their network for optimum online game performance. The OPScore test can be run from any Windows PC with an internet connection using the ActiveX control provided on the test website,
gamer.ubicom.com.
Based on a scale of 0.0 to 5.0, the value of the OPScore relates directly to the quality of the user\'s online gaming experience. Best of all, the test takes only a few seconds to run so changes can be seen immediately. There are two stages to the test, first is the Internet Connection OPScore; this measures game lag without any background transfers putting a load on the network. Second is the QoS, or \"Quality of Service\", OPScore which measures game lag with other traffic present on the network. Without getting too complicated, the tool measures three different contributions to game lag (one-way delay, jitter, and packet loss) then combines them to estimate the playability of games over the network.
This is a useful tool for both hardcore gamers who want maximum performance out of their network, as well as for casual online gamers who are just curious as to what their score might be. Again, for more detailed information and to get your OPScore just go to
gamer.ubicom.com and click on \"Benchmarks\" at the top of the screen. It is fast, simple, and above all, free.