Guide to optimize you graphic settings in DCS 1.5

[slundal]

The other day I was tweaking my graphics settings in DCS using the cold start scene for the F-86. For some reason there is a specific angle in that scene when you're on the ground that I always see a huge FPS drop. I use that scene since it is static and easily accessible.

 

While DCS looking nice is important to me, the biggest immersion breaker for me is low FPS.

 

Anyway a couple of minutes in to it I decided to record it and share my process in case it would be useful for someone.

 

Please note that these are just the settings that I found works best for me on my computer.

 

 

My PC Spec: i7 4790k @ 4.5ghz, 16GB DDR3 RAM and GTX 1080 8GB GDDR5X.

[FalconPlot16]

buying a 1080 and you lowering stuff..

[fitness88]

I really enjoyed your video. Much of your step by step testing I've done on my far older system, however, the findings are much the same.

One thing I would add, there is a bit of an inaccuracy from your testing because I found it necessary to be in different graphic scenarios to test the different graphic settings. Which means you need to be flying to test, as one example, the pre-load radius.

All in all your video does help in the overall understanding of the impact the settings can have.

What I don't understand is why a simulator would be designed that very few could run with full settings.

[Art-J]

In the pre-1.5.3 presets, visibility range set to medium was causing buildings being rendered only very close - i.e. while standing on the treshold of Sochi runway, You did not see most of the buildings in the city behind the opposite end of the runway. Needles to say, buildings popping up so close were even worse than trees doing the same. I think this might have changed with a major rework of .luas post 1.5.3, but I'd still recommend having visibility range on high, while dropping shadows to medium, for this very reason.

 

Resolution of cockpit displays affects only the modern planes that have such displays I presume, so If You're like me (not owning any of these), this option can probably be set to whatever.

 

Also not sure about high preload radius, as from my experiences, it might cause serious fps drop in combination with high trees/visibility, when flying around. More tests are required on my end.

 

All and all, I'm surprised about relatively medium performance You get with this rig. Inspired by Your observations, I started modifying my settings a little and I get similar low-end-fps on even slightly higher settings while running on a much older gfx card and slightly weaker CPU. Either there's some bottleneck somewhere in Your system, or 1440p puts so much strain even on GTX1080 (!?). I play at 1200p.

 

Edit: on a second thought - I do use Mustang's "no tree shadows" mod, while You probably don't.

Edited September 4, 2016 by Art-J

[Marky3254]

You've got a GTX 1080 8GB and bothering about a few FPS going below 130? I doubt many can detect any change in FPS above 50 (between 25 - 30 FPS is usual for film). Thanks for the video though, I had another go at my settings and found another 8 FPS and a have one or two things like AA set higher and HDR on. Mad...

Edited September 4, 2016 by Marky3254

[fitness88]

The other day I was tweaking my graphics settings in DCS using the cold start scene for the F-86. For some reason there is a specific angle in that scene when you're on the ground that I always see a huge FPS drop. I use that scene since it is static and easily accessible.

 

While DCS looking nice is important to me, the biggest immersion breaker for me is low FPS.

 

Anyway a couple of minutes in to it I decided to record it and share my process in case it would be useful for someone.

 

Please note that these are just the settings that I found works best for me on my computer.

 

 

My PC Spec: i7 4790k @ 4.5ghz, 16GB DDR3 RAM and GTX 1080 8GB GDDR5X.

 

I find the biggest issue not FPS loss, but instead I find multi-player game lag the biggest negative. Multi-player lag really takes away from the enjoyment. In off-line play there is no lag.

[AtaliaA1]

What I don't understand is why a simulator would be designed that very few could run with full settings.

 

Please keep in mind DCS was developed when DX9 was the highest tech. used for gaming development.

[fitness88]

Please keep in mind DCS was developed when DX9 was the highest tech. used for gaming development.

 

So are you saying DCS is technologically outdated?

[slundal]

You've got a GTX 1080 8GB and bothering about a few FPS going below 130? I doubt many can detect any change in FPS above 50 (between 25 - 30 FPS is usual for film). Thanks for the video though, I had another go at my settings and found another 8 FPS and a have one or two things like AA set higher and HDR on. Mad...

 

 

Actually my biggest peeve is when I'm flying in the KA-50 and I get sudden frame drops. Since I usually just run with VSYNC (locked at 60fps) the high frames doesn't matter. :) But a drop from 60 to 30 FPS is very noticeable. :joystick:

 

With these setting I'm finally rid of these framedrops.

[msalama]

Please keep in mind DCS was developed when DX9 was the highest tech. used for gaming development.

 

Please keep in mind DCS v1.5/2.0/2.5 was developed to get rid of DX9 functionality.

[Jacks]

Welcome to the world of poor DCS performance

[fitness88]

Welcome to the world of poor DCS performance

 

Since I've not tried other modern sims like Microsoft Flight Simulator I was wondering how their performance compares to DCS?

Edited September 11, 2016 by fitness88

[AtaliaA1]

Remember this Sim. was started by a group of programmer gamers. Not a large big box company. No marketing budget, no large programming group. just a couple of guys with an

idea to provide a great "Combat Simulator'. They have grown sense.

 

Comparing a "Combat Sim." to a "Flight Sim." isn't really good. Think about all of the radars and

targeting software running, along with the defense systems. And you will see the combat sim. is much more active and taxing on a PC. along with the big budget of Microsoft. This would not

a fare comparison. One is comparatively in its infancy the other is long in the tooth. (In tech. terms anyway).

[hansangb]

Welcome to the world of poor DCS performance

 

I've experienced zero issues. With 3 monitors plus 2 MFDs, I got very high FPS. But haven't tried MP, it was all in single player mode. Even with CV1, I'm getting very nice FPS. I fly mostly A10C and Huey.

 

 

Since I've not tried other modern sims like Microsoft Flight Simulator I was wondering how their performance compares to DCS?

 

FCS has the same issue. It's CPU bound more than GPU as the limiting factor.

 

Now, Lockheed Martin took over and they sell it as Prepar3D. It works well enough.

Edited September 13, 2016 by hansangb

[Sierra99]

The majority of posts I see are from people who fall into two categories...

 

People who have zero idea what some of the setting are for and how they affect performance...

 

People who expect "Real Life" from a simulator...

 

Anyone here remember Falcon AT.