2.5 - Some initial performance findings (VR)

[Mr_sukebe]

Currently using an i5 2500@4ghz, 1080, 24GB DDR3, SSD drive, Rift. I use Process Lasso to assist and MSI Afterburner (not to overclock, but to keep an eye on my GPU).

 

Have been playing around with settings for the last couple of hours. Some interesting findings:

- 2.5 appears to have gone multi-core for the CPU! Both task manager and Afterburner are showing CPU loadings to be well spread across all 4 cores. AWESOME. It was also not 100% maxed at any time, though clearly well used. The rough mean was around 65% for each core.

That's a seriously good win.

- Total system usage was 9GB of ram (for everything, i.e. Windows, DCS, Afterburner, Process Lasso, Voiceattack etc, whilst running a mission on Cauc).

- Deferred shading still doesn't really like MSAA. When I turned on MSAA, resulted in a hit on my frame rates that was resulting in too much time below 45hz for my Rift. I disabled MSAA and that helped

- With DS and MSAA enabled, I was getting a LOT of stutters. From investigation, it was NOT my CPU or GPU being maxed out on workload. Both were running circa 60-70%. I did however find that my GPU Memory usage was absolutely maxed out at just under 8GB. by disabling MSAA, that GPU Ram usage dropped to circa 7.6GB and it ran MUCH better, with very few frame drops

- Reduced pre-load radius also seemed to help, but I need to investigate and test that further

- I maxed out my "trees" setting and in Cauc, I could see no frame rate impact. Very nice

 

Overall, and GOOD improvement, once I'd fiddled with my settings a bit.

More importantly, that's identified the key bottleneck for me, i.e. my GPU RAM. Hopefully ED can offload a little of that to the system ram without too much impact.

[boedha68]

Currently using an i5 2500@4ghz, 1080, 24GB DDR3, SSD drive, Rift. I use Process Lasso to assist and MSI Afterburner (not to overclock, but to keep an eye on my GPU).

 

Have been playing around with settings for the last couple of hours. Some interesting findings:

- 2.5 appears to have gone multi-core for the CPU! Both task manager and Afterburner are showing CPU loadings to be well spread across all 4 cores. AWESOME. It was also not 100% maxed at any time, though clearly well used. The rough mean was around 65% for each core.

That's a seriously good win.

- Total system usage was 9GB of ram (for everything, i.e. Windows, DCS, Afterburner, Process Lasso, Voiceattack etc, whilst running a mission on Cauc).

- Deferred shading still doesn't really like MSAA. When I turned on MSAA, resulted in a hit on my frame rates that was resulting in too much time below 45hz for my Rift. I disabled MSAA and that helped

- With DS and MSAA enabled, I was getting a LOT of stutters. From investigation, it was NOT my CPU or GPU being maxed out on workload. Both were running circa 60-70%. I did however find that my GPU Memory usage was absolutely maxed out at just under 8GB. by disabling MSAA, that GPU Ram usage dropped to circa 7.6GB and it ran MUCH better, with very few frame drops

- Reduced pre-load radius also seemed to help, but I need to investigate and test that further

- I maxed out my "trees" setting and in Cauc, I could see no frame rate impact. Very nice

 

Overall, and GOOD improvement, once I'd fiddled with my settings a bit.

More importantly, that's identified the key bottleneck for me, i.e. my GPU RAM. Hopefully ED can offload a little of that to the system ram without too much impact.

 

 

 

Thank you. I will test tonight.

 

 

My tips:

 

 

* use only flat shadows

* use Alt-Enter when you dropped in the airplane beginning mission

* Arisotropic filtering to off

:D

[Mr_sukebe]

Thanks.

Flat shadows already enabled. I always use Alt-Enter when starting a mission, as otherwise, I end up selecting other applications with my mouse whilst in VR.

 

I'll try disabling AA. Worked find before in 2.2, but there's no harm in trying.

[ram0506]

* Arisotropic filtering to off

:D

 

AF has nearly no effect on performance for me. I always set it to 16X as optics suffer with lower settings.

 

Agree with OP. Enabling MSAA with DS is still a catastrophe. We need a solution for this! Still heavy flickering at buildings, fences power poles etc. without MSAA.

[Dav IRL]

To be honest I am not a fan of deferred shading versus smoother gameplay and visuals.

[spike2450]

Hi, not heard of that before, what does Alt-Ent do ?

[schurem]

And that why you get to click a button. Its pretty as all get out, no way in hades am I ever turning that off again.

[Dav IRL]

And that why you get to click a button. Its pretty as all get out, no way in hades am I ever turning that off again.

 

It is pretty but iwithout MSAA it looks off.

[Mr_sukebe]

In another thread, someone's suggesting that settings in the Nvidia control panel are now working (previously, in game settings overrode them). Just tried adding MFAA, and that appears to be adding some value, but without frame rate impact. Give it a try.

 

Update: tried this, no obvious change. Looks like placebo fooled me first time when checking

Edited February 4, 2018 by Mr_sukebe

[lemoen]

Nvidia anti-aliasing doesn't to anything for me. Is there a trick I'm missing? I'm suspecting a good dose of placebo around here. Graphs and screenshots or it didn't happen!

[Mr_sukebe]

Looks like I was mistaken ref Nvidia control panel, apples for that. Does appear to do naff all.

[Balzarog]

Hi, not heard of that before, what does Alt-Ent do ?

 

Alt+enter is the key command used to ensure your monitor is actually at "full screen" and not just in "borderless windowed mode" as it sometimes is, even though you have selected full screen in the GUI. Your FPS will be lower in "borderless window mode." Also even if you have full screen selected, when you use VR, you're desktop isn't in full screen and you can have issues with using your mouse outside the VR window if necessary. The best thing to do, is after you start your mission and you're in the cockpit is to use the Alt+enter to force full screen. It won't change the FPS in VR, but it might in TIR or regular mode.