solved stuttering and pauses after 2.8 update

[linebacker]

Hi Flappie

I have attached the DCS.log file and the Dxdiag file. 

since updating to 2.8 the game is pretty much unplayable. I get lots of stuttering and the game pauses for a few seconds every now and then. after a few minutes I give up playing.

before the update, DCS ran perfectly on my Acer Nitro 5 even on battery. after the update, on AC is ok but not on battery. It makes no difference which power plan I select.  I have tried Disable hot plug devices and deleting the shader cache, but it has made no difference. if you require further information, just ask.

any help is appreciated.

 

DxDiag.txt dcs.log

[Flappie]

Thank you. I see two possible reasons for stuttering here. We need to check them out before going further down the road:

1. You have a HDD in your PC (E:\drive). We must ensure your pagefile is not stored in it. Please run this commùand in a "CMD" windows and paste the result here: wmic pagefile list /format:list
2. Your internal GPU is enabled. Try this procedure to ensure your PC does not interfere between DCS and your RTX 3070: select DCS.exe and your RTX 3070.

By the way, there is a clear sign of stutters in your log:

2022-12-11 21:01:04.957 INFO    Dispatcher (Main): loadMission Done: Сontrol passed to the player
2022-12-11 21:01:05.007 INFO    GRAPHICSVISTA (Main): Creating Resource "Unicode" of type 1
2022-12-11 21:01:20.118 ERROR   ED_SOUND (12200): render time = 0.002024s exceeded allowed slice of 0.002000s
2022-12-11 21:01:45.857 ERROR   ED_SOUND (12200): render time = 0.002220s exceeded allowed slice of 0.002000s
2022-12-11 21:01:55.467 INFO    LUA (Main): Lua CPU usage: metric: average mission execution: 0.5991 %
2022-12-11 21:02:31.975 INFO    LUA (Main): Lua CPU usage: metric: average mission execution: 0.6880 %
2022-12-11 21:03:13.088 ERROR   ED_SOUND (12200): render time = 0.002239s exceeded allowed slice of 0.002000s

The "render time ... exceeded allowed slice" messages appear when the sim is struggling. Usually, it's about the CPU. If steps 1 and 2 don't help, we'll see what happens with the CPU.

[linebacker]

With step 2, I checked that a while ago and also just before sending this reply. DCS.exe is set to the RTX3070 and not the integrated GPU

here is the result of step 1.

AllocatedBaseSize=20480
CurrentUsage=67
Description=C:\pagefile.sys
InstallDate=20220312024325.571037+660
Name=C:\pagefile.sys
PeakUsage=964
Status=
TempPageFile=FALSE 

[Flappie]

Thanks. The pagefile is rather small considering your graphic settings but let's try the simplest things first. See if the following steps help you find what causes the stutters:

1. Try enabling the sim Fullscreen mode. Is it any better?
2. Try upgrading your NVIDIA driver.
3. Try lowering ingame Preload radius to 30 000.
4. Try disabling SSAO and SSLR.
5. Try a mission with no clouds (open the Mission Editor, and select "No Preset" in the weather options). Does the sim keep stuttering?

[linebacker]

i tried the steps above without any luck, there is still stuttering. may as well try increasing the pagefile. do you think X3 like Microsoft recommends?

[Flappie]

Since you only have 16GB or RAM, I'd recommend a pagefile of 32 GB, no more.

One thing you need to try as well: unplug your mouse right after your hit Fly, and see if stutters remain. Some high-polling mouse can cause stutters in DCS.

Edited December 13, 2022 by Flappie

[Flappie]

If you have GeForce Experience installed, uninstall it:

 

[linebacker]

Ok i will get rid of the Geforce Experience. As for the mouse. There is no mouse plugged in, the only device plugged in is the X52 controller.

 

one thing before increasing the virtual ram, how can the virtual ram be different when running the laptop on battery compared to AC? On AC it runs fine but not on battery.

[Flappie]

1 hour ago, linebacker said:

one thing before increasing the virtual ram, how can the virtual ram be different when running the laptop on battery compared to AC? On AC it runs fine but not on battery.

You're right. Well maybe you should first remove GeForce Experience and see if you get any result.

[linebacker]

Ill be away from my laptop till the weekend so ill try it then. BTW more virtual memory isnt such a bad thing, more the better. I will also increase the virtual memory on the weekend. Ill get back to you and let you know how it goes with GeForce and the Pagefile.

[Caldero]

Hi Flapie / DCS team

i will follow on this thread because I'm in the same situation that the OP, my 2.8 open beta is full of heavy stuttering and it makes DCS unplayable, really a no go. I open the FPS counter and the graphic shows high peaks every few seconds. I don't have that problem in 2.7 last open beta unless i play a mp liberation mission from Incirlick AB with many humans!

The stuttering in 2.8 is so severe that I have to quit from two missions because I couldn't AAR  and now I can't fly mp

My setup is: W10 + intel i5 7600 + 32 RAM + nvidia Geforce 1080ti + quest 2 VR + hotas warthog + ch pro pedals + Thrustmaster 2 x MFD + gametrix jetpad. I know it is a bit outdated but it performed well in the last open beta before 2.8

Things that I tried before with no results: update nvidia drivers, delete metashaders & fxo, lower DCS settings, dxdiag (all is OK), Vsync on/off, full screen on/off, changed Oculus from 72 to 90, Oculus try tool with the lowest DCS & desktop resolution, lower the pixel density, I also watched a few tutorials... but nothind avoided the stuttering!

I only fly VR. I copy-paste the dcs log.txt in case it helps: It is a simple mission with an AV-8B taxiing on the Tarawa deck

Thank you for your help & best regards 

 

dcs.log

[linebacker]

Hi Flappie and Caldero

I have solved the problem. This is what I did.

I went into the Nvidia Control Panel-> Manage 3D Settings->Program Settings and selected DCS

i noticed that DCS was set to integrated graphics which is not what I set in the Graphics Settings app (Windows 11)

so I set it to the Nvidia card. 

I then set the Max Frame Rate to match my screen refresh rate (165hz in my case)

Then clicked Apply

 

In the DCS Shortcut in the Capability tab

I Disabled Full Screen Optimization

Checked Run as Administrator

Then clicked the Change High DPI Settings 

Then I selected High Scaling Override so its set to Application.

and thats it. it runs absolutely beautiful now just like on AC. 

 

Caldero, give it a try see how you go. 

[Flappie]

Nice job! I thought Windows had priority over the NVCP, but I guess not. Many thanks for your feedback!

From my point of view, the best way to ensure your internal GPU is never used by DCS is to disable it in the BIOS. But on a laptop, it may not be the best thing to do: I guess a dedicated GPU eats battery faster than an internal GPU.

@Caldero If what linebacker reported does not work for you, please open a new thread and attach both your dcs.log and your dxdiag log.

[linebacker]

Its funny because a while ago when I was setting up all my games after I bought the laptop, I read somewhere that in Windows 11 you can no longer setup the GPU to run for games in the NVCP it must be done in the Graphics Settings app within Windows 11. So when I went into the NVCP I noticed DCS was using the intergrated graphics, So I changed it just in case, but I didnt expect it to do anything.
 

I had a funny feeling that for some reason DCS was using the Nvidia when on AC and the intergrated graphics when on battery. I may be wrong though. 
 

Thanks for your help Flappie, I how this solution can help others in the DCS community.

[Flappie]

50 minutes ago, linebacker said:

I hope this solution can help others in the DCS community.

Oh, I'm sure it will!

[Rav3nX]

Oh my god guys!

I have been struggling with this for over a year; I have built a pit, played for years, and this stuttering has been driving me nuts; I'd spent 3k on new hardware; done everything and one of those settings (think the DPI override one) just fixed it!

 

I had given up on this hobby completely because of this crap but now it's all cranked back up and looks beautiful and runs perfectly smooth! 

Dude; thankyou. You have no idea how much I mean that. I have just spent 10 minutes running around the house like a little girl screaming with excitement. 

 

Thankyou