Is it worth upgrading the CPU.

[RackMonkey]

I finally got a 6900 XT so my old 2070 is no longer the problem. But now I wonder about the CPU. You can see I have a I5-10600K. It's OC'd to 5.1. The GPU is OC'd to 2580 and will normally put 300 watts or more. 

 

My question is, with DCS being coded for single core, is it worth it to get a I9-10900? With any CPU topping out at around the 5GHz mark, is it really worth the money to upgrade. The I9 won't OC any higher than my I5. Sure there's a little more L3 memory. That might help a little. The extra cores won't do me any good the way that DCS is coded currently. Even when I use Process Lasso I don't see any signs that DCS is bottle necked by the CPU. 

 

Right now I have to run SteamVR up at a 6000x6000 super sample range in order to get rid of the aliasing but then my FPS is at the mid 20's and frame time bounces in the 40's and 50's. If I reduce the SS down to where the stuttering stops and I get usable FPS and FT the aliasing is so bad I can' even read the fin flash on the plane setting next to me. It gets even worse if I flying low level and looking any where but straight ahead.

 

I'm interested in seeing the opinions of those that have a better handle on the way DCS is coded and the hardware it runs on.   

[Bearskin]

This might help you a bit RackMonkey, a previous thread, similar to your question which might give you some answers.

 

Is it useful to go from 8600k to 5600x or more for DCS VR ? - Virtual Reality - ED Forums (eagle.ru)

 

[RackMonkey]

That hit it right on the head. Until ED catches up with the rest of the world and implements multicore only a MAJOR CPU upgrade would be worth the money. 

 

I really think ED is doing the VR community a dis-service by not keeping their core code up to date. It seems like they want to keep putting band aids on instead of fixing the core problem. How long have we had multicore processors? It not like it's a new idea and it has proven itself to be the best solution since we seem to be topping out the speeds that we can get out of the CPU. 

 

Usually have a leap frog affair. New hardware comes out then software catches up and uses all that it can give and jumps ahead. Hardware then jumps again and the cycle continues. ED seems to be a couple of steps behind and unable or unwilling to catch up. I think the complaints will continue until an Elon Musk comes along and puts ED in the position that Jeff Bezos finds himself in now. Behind and looking to die.

[FETUS]

I went from a 2080 Super to 3090 and 6900XT. I also upgraded my CPU from a 9900k to a 5800x and 5900X.

 

I am currently running the 5800X and 6900XT and getting frames in 70s-80s on SP. Multiplayer its in 45-50s. Settings in high, MSAA OFF, motion smoothing off. Steam VR 100%/Game 100%

 

Did you force DX11 in your Windows MR settings?

[LucShep]

On 8/18/2021 at 4:54 PM, RackMonkey said:

 I finally got a 6900 XT so my old 2070 is no longer the problem. But now I wonder about the CPU. You can see I have a I5-10600K. It's OC'd to 5.1. The GPU is OC'd to 2580 and will normally put 300 watts or more. 

 

My question is, with DCS being coded for single core, is it worth it to get a I9-10900? With any CPU topping out at around the 5GHz mark, is it really worth the money to upgrade. The I9 won't OC any higher than my I5. Sure there's a little more L3 memory. That might help a little. The extra cores won't do me any good the way that DCS is coded currently. Even when I use Process Lasso I don't see any signs that DCS is bottle necked by the CPU. 

 

Right now I have to run SteamVR up at a 6000x6000 super sample range in order to get rid of the aliasing but then my FPS is at the mid 20's and frame time bounces in the 40's and 50's. If I reduce the SS down to where the stuttering stops and I get usable FPS and FT the aliasing is so bad I can' even read the fin flash on the plane setting next to me. It gets even worse if I flying low level and looking any where but straight ahead.

 

I'm interested in seeing the opinions of those that have a better handle on the way DCS is coded and the hardware it runs on.   

 

No, it is not worth upgrading. Your system is pretty darn good already!

It won't really matter if you decide to go instead for an Intel i9 10900K, an AMD R9 5950X, or a NASA Space Shuttle CPU.

And while higher CPU cache is an interesting factor with Intel processors (see here), I don't think it will help you there. Simply because DCS has become far more GPU bounded.

 

Something to note is that users have been mentioning DCS running slightly better with Nvidia GPUs than with AMD GPUs, meaning that, today and for DCS, an RTX 3080/3080Ti/3090 seems to make for a better choice than an RX6800/6800XT/6900XT.

 

Regardless, and as you suspect already, the problem isn't really the hardware.

The problem is DCS and its engine in very dire need of optimization (for which I think E.D. is working on already, with Vulkan engine).

Users with brand new (expensive) top hardware seem to be hitting a wall, where performance is no longer scalling as it once did (i.e, improvements get smaller and smaller).

 

I don't run VR so can't help ya there but, if you're running 6000x6000 pixels res (wow that's a friggin lot!?), the GPU will be the very first (and likely the only) thing bottlenecking, kinda easy to see once you go near (and over) 4K resolutions, or equivalent pixel count. And hence VR, as well as triple-screens, can be problematic in DCS.

 

Maybe asking for assistance and suggestions on the VR dedicated forums here may help you: Virtual Reality - ED Forums (eagle.ru)

 

Not sure if this other thread can help, but I'd strongly suggest a look at the replies there: 

 

Edited August 21, 2021 by LucShep

[RackMonkey]

I turned on "Force DX11". I'll see if it changes anything in a few minutes.

 

The 6000x6000 is the upscaled super sampling done with an FSR mod. The log shows it's final produce at about 3400x3400. Great clarity and very little aliasing but a whole lot of stutters while setting still watching an acft taxi by. All my setting are low or off except for textures...I need to be able to read the switch and instruments.

 

It to bad it's not like 2D where if you can't run 4K you can just drop your resolution to 1440 or 1920, but at least you still have a clear display. Maybe not as much in the way of eye candy but it's no where as bad as 3D if your trying to get a display that doesn't look like it's doing the stutter step. 

[FETUS]

I'm using this VR Mod : https://github.com/fholger/openvr_fsr

 

I would try running it at 100% Steam and 100% DCS. Once you get a more acceptable FPS, start upping your settings.

 

I also had some success undervolting and slight overclock on my 6900XT.

 

I had some micro stutters before but have smoothed out my VR experience.

[RackMonkey]

That's my procedure when ever I try something new. Although in this case instead of the default setting in DCS I took them all down to low or off. I started FSR at the recommended .77 and increase the DCS setting. I found a really smooth setting but aliasing was so horrible it was unusable. When I tried correcting the aliasing and got that under control the FPS and frame rate tanked to an unusable level. 

 

I think I found a "useable" setting today. Not perfectly clear and some aliasing so it's a little hard to see the icon's in the MFD correctly. Hopefully I wont have a blue on blue shootdown.