Bad CPU utilization in VR

[gorzasty]

Hello

 

After many months I decided to check how is DCS doing with its performance. Is it any better? Got new hardware so I gave it a shot. 

 

Run my favourite module - Mi-8. Instant action - cold start. Mission start and... reprojection comes in... 30fps. Sh!t

 

Run FPSVR and see what is going on, and... I don't understand this. GPU is OK. CPU is in trouble, but utilization doesn't hit 30%!

 

Can anybody tell me what is going on here???

 

My specs: i5 8600k @4.5GHz, 32GB RAM 3200MHz, GTX 3080, HP Reverb G2 (SS 50%, 60Hz mode)  Last Open beta.

 

Here is the pic: https://ibb.co/1snLs15  

 

 

 

Edited December 22, 2020 by gorzasty

[Flappie]

Hi. Please read these recent threads:

 

If you can't solve your issue, please attach your a dcs.log file showing a game session ( C:\Users\your-name\Saved Games\DCS...\Logs\dcs.log ).

[gorzasty]

Ok, I've read all the linked threads. No Oculus software, my soft is up to date, the newest Steam VR beta is ON.

 

Here is my log: https://files.fm/u/wrd2swyg3

 

My DxDiag: https://files.fm/u/wz8cvk6p3

 

Anyone could help me, or is it just bad optimization of DCS?

Edited December 22, 2020 by gorzasty

[Glide]

@gorzasty 30% is normal on my rig, but I don't have VR.  I have noticed a sharp improvement with shader cache disabled in the NCP.  The load times increase considerably, but smoothness is worth it.  YMMV.   Also, turn OFF all vsync and let that card go as fast as it can.

Edited December 22, 2020 by glide
more advice

[Flappie]

@gorzastyYou have the newest W10 and a recent NVIDIA graphics driver. Please ensure Windows GPU scheduling is turned OFF.

 

I see you have 2 HDDs in your PC. Ensure Windows isn't using one of them to store its pagefile. Open "cmd" program, and launch the following command:

wmic pagefile list /format:list

[gorzasty]

Ok, thank you for advice. I have all sync off. What is NCP?
 
I made more tests and this problem with CPU is almost always near airports. Especially with AI on it. In the mission I described there is a civil plane that is going to land where we are starting. If I switch camera to this plane CPU occupation is lowering but when distant to landing is less then 8km than it starts to grow and fps drops. So I think this is some kind of bad optimization. It is hard to believe that a few AI (doing nothing, not fighting) can eat i5 8600k at 4.5GHz... 
 

@gorzastyYou have the newest W10 and a recent NVIDIA graphics driver. Please ensure Windows GPU scheduling is turned OFF.
 
I see you have 2 HDDs in your PC. Ensure Windows isn't using one of them to store its pagefile. Open "cmd" program, and launch the following command:

wmic pagefile list /format:list

thank you, I've checked this and it's off on my computer.
 
I have 4 HDD, but two SDD. System is installed on the different SDD than DCS. Page file is off. Have the newest Nvidia Drivers, and my system is quite new (two months maybe) with every update installed.   

[Flappie]

According to your log, your pagefile is ON (and it's a good thing for DCS, trust me):

 

2020-12-22 09:17:05.236 INFO    DCS: CPU cores: 6, threads: 6, System RAM: 32697 MB, Pagefile: 4864 MB

 

Please run the wmic command (it's a read-only command, nothing to be afraid of) and post the result.

[Hoirtel]

15 minutes ago, Flappie said:

@gorzastyYou have the newest W10 and a recent NVIDIA graphics driver. Please ensure Windows GPU scheduling is turned OFF.

 

I see you have 2 HDDs in your PC. Ensure Windows isn't using one of them to store its pagefile. Open "cmd" program, and launch the following command:

wmic pagefile list /format:list

Is it best to just have one large pagefile on system disk? I thought two was better.

[Glide]

18 minutes ago, gorzasty said:

What is NCP?

Nvidia Control Panel.  Under Manage 3d Settings> Program Settings Tab, select Black Shark dcs.exe

[Flappie]

14 minutes ago, Hoirtel said:

Is it best to just have one large pagefile on system disk? I thought two was better.

Windows usually creates only one pagefile and stores it on your fastest drive.

I'm not sure if having several pagefiles on one system is any better.

[Dangerzone]

12 hours ago, glide said:

Nvidia Control Panel.  Under Manage 3d Settings> Program Settings Tab, select Black Shark dcs.exe

 

Curious to why you are using Optimal Power there? Wouldn't it be better for Maximum Performance?

[Flappie]

I agree.

[gorzasty]

Thx guys but non of your ideas help. Can somebady confitm that is bad optimization that needs to be fixed or can I do something more tobhave this game playable in VR?

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[Glide]

10 hours ago, Dangerzone said:

Curious to why you are using Optimal Power there? Wouldn't it be better for Maximum Performance?

My 1080Ti howls a bit.  I keep the sides off the case to keep it cool.  I'll give it a go.

Update: thx for the suggestion.  My 1080Ti fans did not howl on Maximum Performance.

Edited December 23, 2020 by glide
update

[Dangerzone]

Interesting - I thought it would be the other way around.

 

ie: - Max performance means give it all the juice that it can handle (not economical on power cost, but uses the most grunt), where optimum power means use the power sparingly - just what is needed. (Better for the electricity bill, but not as grunty).

 

As a result I would have thought that max performance would have caused more heat, not less...

 

Gorzasty -I'm sorry - I have no idea at all of suggestions to try. Hopefully someone else will come up with something else.

[Glide]

So, disabling Shader Cache doesn't solve the performance problem; it just moves it from disk to memory.  My understanding is that DCS uses deferred shading, and I was wondering if there was a way to reduce the shader calls via settings.  Turning off MSAA which is expensive with deferred shading gives another boost.  If you can't stand not having MSAA, FXAA is very efficient and works very well with deferred shading.  At 4k, it looked just fine to me.  I managed to get the highest framerates at 4k with these settings.  I am curious to see if this might get the VR users past their issues until the graphics engine gets upgraded.

 

Update: with Shadows off and FXAA on I could get 120 fps on Syria at 4k.  Give it a try.

 

 

Edited December 25, 2020 by glide

[Glide]

I think I broke my last post, so I will summarize again.  My apologies for the duplicates. 

 

I turned off Shader Cache even though I have zippy SSD's, and this cleared up some major stuttering.  Did some research on deferred shading which is used in DCS, and then I decided to test performance without any MSAA or Anisotripic filtering (anything that touches textures).  I got extremely good frame rates and no stuttering at 4k.  I highly recommend you try these settings. 

 

BTW, can someone tell me how to screenshot the entire NCP in one go?

 

 

Edited December 25, 2020 by glide
typo

[gorzasty]

Sorry Glide, but can you create your own threat? I really try to have some help with my case and your last posts are not helping.

 

Can I post something more that help anyone to solve the issue? Is anybody I can tag to take a look here?

Edited December 25, 2020 by gorzasty

[Glide]

Sorry, bro.  Thought I was helping.

[gorzasty]

Please don't take it personally but your posts are rather well suited for monitors and problems with GPU. There is problem with CPU and VR or maybe not only VR...

And I really like to thank you for your help.

Wysłane z mojego SM-G960F przy użyciu Tapatalka

[Glide]

No worries, bro!  I've been writing software for over 30 years, and I specialize in performance testing.  There is definitely an issue with too many shader calls, and I have shown how to eliminate those from the picture as you troubleshoot your VR setup.  There are a LOT of ways to set up DCS wrong, and only a few ways to get it right.  I'm going to keep lurking around these VR issues because someday I will get a VR headset.  I have high hopes the solution is around the corner.

Edited December 25, 2020 by glide
typo

[Flappie]

@gorzastyHi, I'm still willing to help you. I'm proceeding step by step, and for now I still don't know where your Windows pagefile is stored. Please run "cmd" program, launch this line and tell us what you get:

wmic pagefile list /format:list

 

 

[gorzasty]

Thank you Flappie:

 

C:\Users\gorza>wmic pagefile list /format:list

AllocatedBaseSize=4864
CurrentUsage=0
Description=C:\pagefile.sys
InstallDate=20200929200028.281394+120
Name=C:\pagefile.sys
PeakUsage=1
Status=
TempPageFile=FALSE

 

 

In my Windows settings I have this:

 

 

 

[silverdevil]

1 hour ago, gorzasty said:

Thank you Flappie:

 

C:\Users\gorza>wmic pagefile list /format:list

AllocatedBaseSize=4864
CurrentUsage=0
Description=C:\pagefile.sys
InstallDate=20200929200028.281394+120
Name=C:\pagefile.sys
PeakUsage=1
Status=
TempPageFile=FALSE

 

 

In my Windows settings I have this:

 

 

 

just to interject. your pagefile is low. even with 16 GB of RAM you have it set higher and on an SSD. or buy more RAM. dynamic pagefile can be problematic. windows needs to know when resources are low and sometimes it just doesn't keep up.

 

[gorzasty]

I have 32GB of RAM. I guess DCS is ok with this. How about with my page file then? Do I need to set it manually? If yes what value do you recommend @silverdevil?

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Edited December 26, 2020 by gorzasty