Long standing VR CPU frametime spike issue

[laertesson]

Hi everyone. First my specs:

i7-9700K 

2080 Ti

32GB DDR4 3200MHz

DCS and Windows installed on separate SSDs (have tried on the same SSD)

HP Reverb G1

 

My issue is with CPU frametimes. On my current settings (VR preset + flat shadows, forest and scenery detail sliders bottomed out, textures on low, preload distance 50,000, visible range low, grass 0, 50% SteamVR SS), I get 10-15MS frametimes on the CPU and even less on the GPU. However, every 2-5 seconds, there is a MASSIVE CPU spike up to ~70MS frametime. This lasts one frame on FPSVr each time it happens.

 

I feel like I have done everything to solve this. I first upgraded to the 2080Ti and 32GB RAM, issue was better but not solved. Tried every NVidia control panel setting under the sun, didn't do anything. Went scorched earth and reinstalled Windows AND DCS, no dice. Overclocked the CPU to 5GHz all cores, didn't help, took it off, same result. Tried disconnecting from the network while playing, didn't help. I tried the VR Shaders mod and FSR, no improvement. Tried every suggested autoexec.cfg setting (plus all of them at once), same issue. Fullscreen optimizations disabled, running as administrator, game bar and HAGS disabled, I feel like I've tried it all and this issue just laughs in my face every single time I try to play.

 

Mind you, this issue mainly happens in populated areas, low down, such as the Syrian coast, Cyprus, or Marianas. Or a populated MP server on any map. So I am inclined to believe it is a performance issue, but the sim runs perfectly fine until the spike happens, it's butter smooth. 

 

I'm extremely frustrated by this and my last hope is Vulkan, but I figured maybe one of you might be able to help. My running theory is that it is loading in new scenery as I fly and my storage isn't fast enough. I would happily invest an in NVMe SSD if I felt it would help, but I'm at wit's end and I've already spent almost $2000 trying to fix this issue.

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by laertesson

[The_Nephilim]

You are right nothing I have done fixes it either and I feel it is just the way DCS Runs. I notice the Red spikes in fpsVR and nothing I have done seems to cure that issue. It is not having a nvme Drive that will cure it either so that is out I have a M.2 drive with speeds in the thousands and it still spikes the Frametimes in the red.

 

So unsure if there is a golden BB here  to be found. Maybe Vulcan will fix this I sure hope it does. but who knows for sure. Wish I had better news for you but maybe there is hope somehow..

 

Best thing to do is just turn some settings down. I have spent countless hours tweaking this game with just about every known trick nothing fixed it. I may have gotten the Frametimes down to an acceptable level but I always get the inevitible red spike sometimes get a stutter. 

[laertesson]

3 minutes ago, The_Nephilim said:

You are right nothing I have done fixes it either and I feel it is just the way DCS Runs. I notice the Red spikes in fpsVR and nothing I have done seems to cure that issue. It is not having a nvme Drive that will cure it either so that is out I have a M.2 drive with speeds in the thousands and it still spikes the Frametimes in the red.

 

So unsure if there is a golden BB here  to be found. Maybe Vulcan will fix this I sure hope it does. but who knows for sure. Wish I had better news for you but maybe there is hope somehow..

 

Best thing to do is just turn some settings down. I have spent countless hours tweaking this game with just about every known trick nothing fixed it. I may have gotten the Frametimes down to an acceptable level but I always get the inevitible red spike sometimes get a stutter. 

Thank you for making me feel a bit less crazy. I have people on the discord running rigs way less than mine saying “mine runs fine”, but VR is very subjective.

[The_Nephilim]

Ahh they old mine runs fine.. Seems what people say is fine is very subjective.. I also seen people with way more beefier rigs then mine say it runs like crap. I did try toturn the clouds up to ultra and I had a steady frametime nightmare in a MP session.

 

My settings are pretty low I have not tried the VR Presets but maybe I will give them a shot but not holding much hope. I always thought if I had a better video card that would help but seeing what I have seen and read that does not look like the answer too much either.

 

I wait for Vulcan as it seemed to have done wonders with the other sim maybe we will have good luck when it comes too..

[Dangerzone]

I've seen that same CPU spike before. Royal PITA. However I don't have a problem at the moment (Running on a 2080 Super). I'm not 100% sure what I did to fix it, but as I recall the problem you're indicating which I had too was CPU based more than graphic related - so my suggestion is to start looking for things 'outside' of the graphics setting areas.

 

Some things I recall doing included disabling Tacview, disabled track saving (for multiplayer servers) in the autoexec.cfg file. Turned on DEP for essential programs and services only. Excluded DCS from 'Exploit Protection', and overclocked to 4.9Ghz. Disabled device_hotplug too in autoexec. Disabled Windows Game Manager (To name a few things).

 

The spike now is managable in VR as opposed to being completely immersive breaking previously. I'm running a 2080Super on a 10700K, so I don't know if that makes much difference - but as mentioned - I think this spike is more outside of the Graphics area - just that it impacts the graphics because everything 'locks' while it's waiting for DCS to finish that function in the dcs thread. I hope this helps.

[laertesson]

1 hour ago, Dangerzone said:

I've seen that same CPU spike before. Royal PITA. However I don't have a problem at the moment (Running on a 2080 Super). I'm not 100% sure what I did to fix it, but as I recall the problem you're indicating which I had too was CPU based more than graphic related - so my suggestion is to start looking for things 'outside' of the graphics setting areas.

 

Some things I recall doing included disabling Tacview, disabled track saving (for multiplayer servers) in the autoexec.cfg file. Turned on DEP for essential programs and services only. Excluded DCS from 'Exploit Protection', and overclocked to 4.9Ghz. Disabled device_hotplug too in autoexec. Disabled Windows Game Manager (To name a few things).

 

The spike now is managable in VR as opposed to being completely immersive breaking previously. I'm running a 2080Super on a 10700K, so I don't know if that makes much difference - but as mentioned - I think this spike is more outside of the Graphics area - just that it impacts the graphics because everything 'locks' while it's waiting for DCS to finish that function in the dcs thread. I hope this helps.

Hi Dangerzone! Thanks for the suggestions. I have now excluded DCS from all exploit protection functions (wow, there were a lot)... 

I already have game bar, game mode, and HAGS off. I also have hotplug disabled (like I said, I have done a LOT of research)

 

Hopefully the windows defender settings will help. One method I found from another user is to host my .miz files on a dedicated server on another machine. It must offload something, because in a quick trial I noticed it runs better.

[The_Nephilim]

Well my CPU Frametimes are usually in the green it is my GPU Frametimes that are either in the orange or red spikes, I monitor ingame with fpsVR. so for me my GPU is the weaklink but I do get Spikes in both CPU,GPU when there is a missile fired by the AI or some explosions.

 

When running DCS I use ASW with the Rift S, that seems to be best for me. I tried all the other settings and they seem to have either little to no effect ie, Disable Hot Plug.

I was hoping a better GPU would have helped but in todays market and they way that has been I am unable to get a new card. So I have tried numerous tricks and tips even had a look at VR4DCS which had little to no effect for me.

 

I am just hoping Vulcan will use yhardware to a better degree then DX11 does.. I know DX12 works well too but ED went with Vulkan. I am just living with what I got and am happy I even have a VR solution that works..

[speed-of-heat]

Try monitoring cpu usage, without dcs or steam running, any spikes then?

[laertesson]

54 minutes ago, speed-of-heat said:

Try monitoring cpu usage, without dcs or steam running, any spikes then?

Not that I have noticed from my normal usage. Every other VR or non-VR game or task is perfectly normal, even if I'm watching FPSvr or task manager.

 

I just had my first (mostly) stutter-free flight with a combination of your shaders IC mod, FSR, low settings, and what I think to be the key for me of running the miz on a dedicated server. Pain to do, but absolutely worth it if it continues to yield results like this for me.

Edited August 9, 2021 by laertesson

[Dangerzone]

1 hour ago, laertesson said:

Hi Dangerzone! Thanks for the suggestions. I have now excluded DCS from all exploit protection functions (wow, there were a lot)... 

I already have game bar, game mode, and HAGS off. I also have hotplug disabled (like I said, I have done a LOT of research)

 

Hopefully the windows defender settings will help. One method I found from another user is to host my .miz files on a dedicated server on another machine. It must offload something, because in a quick trial I noticed it runs better.

 

You're welcome. In my case, I was already connecting to a multi-player server, so I had already 'offloaded' the server side of CPU but was still getting the spike.

 

The only other thing might be the mission that you're running. I know that some missions are extremely CPU hungry (number of active units, plus scheduled tasks that run, etc) - where others run much better. Do you get the same problem when playing an 'instant action' mission, or just on your missions?

[speed-of-heat]

1 hour ago, laertesson said:

Not that I have noticed from my normal usage. Every other VR or non-VR game or task is perfectly normal, even if I'm watching FPSvr or task manager.

 

I just had my first (mostly) stutter-free flight with a combination of your shaders IC mod, FSR, low settings, and what I think to be the key for me of running the miz on a dedicated server. Pain to do, but absolutely worth it if it continues to yield results like this for me.

 

whatever works, from my own experience, i found that very low utilisation things like iCue (LED management), lighting service and so forth can have a disproportionate impact on in game experience, because of the way task manager measures stuff, and like you the only game i noticed it in was DCS, everything else didn't give a damn... i suspect its an artefact of a couple of things mostly to do with how windows measures CPU usage and and how the motion smooth algorithm works... so for example my idle CPU utilisation with noting other tan task manager is between 1-3% ... before i start DCS...

[freehand]

My cpu reading in task manager is %0 when idle so I use realtemp for more detail which shows 0.2 % to 0.3 % usage when idle.

 

 

[freehand]

15 hours ago, laertesson said:

I just had my first (mostly) stutter-free flight with a combination of your shaders IC mod, FSR, low settings, and what I think to be the key for me of running the miz on a dedicated server. Pain to do, but absolutely worth it if it continues to yield results like this for me.

 

That is the way to go for sure a dedicated server not tried myself but must pull my finger out as I run a older clocked CPU but have hardware laying around.

 

I create my own missions as most others are large so worth it for me.

 

Edited August 9, 2021 by freehand

[laertesson]

Tried a few more missions on Marianas today, didn’t notice a single 70ms CPU spike. 
 

I’m very cautious to call this extremely elusive problem fixed, but I’m very happy at the moment, and absolutely willing to run a dedicated server every single time if I have to!

Edited August 10, 2021 by laertesson

[Dangerzone]

1 hour ago, laertesson said:

Tried a few more missions on Marianas today, didn’t notice a single 70ms CPU spike. 
 

I’m very cautious to call this extremely elusive problem fixed, but I’m very happy at the moment, and absolutely willing to run a dedicated server every single time if I have to!

 

 

Nice. Do you know what changes you made since before and after?

[laertesson]

1 hour ago, Dangerzone said:

 

Nice. Do you know what changes you made since before and after?

Literally the only change i made was running SP missions on my dedicated server before and after.

 

I also changed my windows defender exploit protection settings, but that was after my first stutter-free trials.