So I just thought the lag was, well, coz of the new models.
Turns out my nvidia card did by default NOT activate for WC3: Reforged. Neither in menus nor in-game.
For menu I used the “solution”/hack from here:
aka forcing blizzardbrowser.exe from the wow retail path to use the nvidia GPU via the nvidia control panel (getting that to start was fun by itself, kek)
And then I was like… wait a second, maybe that’s why it lags in-game, too?
Again via nvidia control panel, but this time I added warcraft iii.exe and forced it to use the GPU…
It runs smoothly. (despite the regular lag spike interval that I have no clue where it comes from. maybe some looping game decision (played with bots), but idk.)
I am SO baffled. This is beyond ridiculous, because there’s no in-game option to choose the graphics card & Nvidia “official” solution to making the control panel re-appear after it’s disappeared also didn’t work for me. Imagine how many less computer savvy people are affected by this LOL. No wonder the WC3: Refunded meme was going around.
Anyway, I am sharing this “solution” or more like Hack so other people can find it, and hopefully use it.