Future DCS Modules to use multi-cores?

[mR.Waffles]

Hi guys I'm sure this has been beaten to death, but I just wanted to make a quick post before going to bed. I'm an frame rate whore breed by first person shooters and a love for hardware. Currently my setup is

 

Core2Duo E6600 OCed @3.3 Ghz

4 Gigs DDR21066 PC8500 Ram

Nvidia 680i SLI Motherboard

1 Nvidia GTX 280

Vista x64

 

and I've noticed that the frame rate in Black Shark isn't running as fast as I'd like. I was reading that it doesn't support dual cores, and so I tried the affinity trick on Vista 64 but it still doesn't look as smooth as I'd like (I don't know how to bring up an FPS count and currently my machine is broken till I can get new thermal paste come Wednesday). Anyway, my Tracker IR is in the mail, and so is my new thermal paste, so I'm looking forward to getting my machine back to full speed and learn to play this crazy sim.

 

In the future will new modules allow higher frames with dual core systems?

 

Should I save up to buy the new Corei7? Anyone with these noticed a performance difference?

 

Thanks, you guys have a good night.

[connos]

The better your processor the better performance

[ruprecht]

You didn't mention your resolution or detail settings. With that rig you should be able to run at 30+FPS with most settings up full at 1680x1050.

 

But yes: faster CPU = better FPS. Almost a 1:1 correlation.

[sobek]

[...]

 

The plan is to upgrade to a new engine that will natively support multi-core in the not so near future, the most recent upgrade will be to move to full 64bit. Since there has been no real in-depth info on the new engine i'd say it's development has not yet started or it is in early stages of development.

[airea]

Will moving to 64-bit bring any better graphics then the current engine?

The current engine is kinda outdated, no?

Demanding crysis or mirrors edge type of graphics can be a little too much but expecting a little more bumps, vegetation, buildings, living environment must not be too much:)

 

(By the way, think of flying BS in mirrors edge kind of a city:) Nice...)

[Der Moloch]

Remember, that you have to activate the second core manually inside the windows task manager, or Black Shark will ony use one core. The menu uses both, but when your are actually flying it doesn't.

 

If your are loading a mission or are already sitting in the chopper, open the task manager with ctrl+alt+del. The click on the processes tab. Look for DCS and right click on it. In the context menu click on affinity. Make sure all your cores are checked.

 

[ZeeDD]

Remember, that you have to activate the second core manually inside the windows task manager, or Black Shark will ony use one core. The menu uses both, but when your are actually flying it doesn't.

 

If your are loading a mission or are already sitting in the chopper, open the task manager with ctrl+alt+del. The click on the processes tab. Look for DCS and right click on it. In the context menu click on affinity. Make sure all your cores are checked.

 

Or simply use that little tool for BS: http://code.google.com/p/dcsbsaffinitytool/

 

Franck.

[mR.Waffles]

Yeah I did the affinity trick. I'm running at 1024x768 with all effects maxed. I don't think those graphic settings really affect my FPS (GTX 280 FTW). 30 FPS just isn't smooth enough for me. I need 60.

[sobek]

Remember, that you have to activate the second core manually inside the windows task manager, or Black Shark will ony use one core. The menu uses both, but when your are actually flying it doesn't.

 

If your are loading a mission or are already sitting in the chopper, open the task manager with ctrl+alt+del. The click on the processes tab. Look for DCS and right click on it. In the context menu click on affinity. Make sure all your cores are checked.

 

The affinity fiddling still doesn't make BS a truly multithreaded application, as the fps boost would most likely be more than just 10 frames. The first thing i'd like to see is more of the code actually running on the GPU, as this would bring the most gain in fps for all users. The 64-bit enhancement is just a memory thing, most likely to be able to create bigger missions and will, AFAIK, not bring any grafic changes.

 

Will moving to 64-bit bring any better graphics then the current engine?

The current engine is kinda outdated, no?

Demanding crysis or mirrors edge type of graphics can be a little too much but expecting a little more bumps, vegetation, buildings, living environment must not be too much:)

 

You can't compare the TFCSE engine to a shooter engine. An aircraft simulator engine has to cope with draw distances where any shooter engine would start begging to god in binary for a supercomputer. Seriously, comparing the engines of such different genres is like comparing the engine of a leopard 2 tank to a formula 1 engine and saying the tank engine is superior because it delivers twice the horsepower. Well, try outfitting a F1 car with a tank engine and see how it suits you. There's many different factors that apply to simulator engines and so they tend to be far more compromising in certain areas.

Edited February 9, 2009 by sobek

[Boberro]

It will. Simple it a must for game. How long 1 core will be good for? Not long and we're close to "dead" line.

[Der Moloch]

The affinity fiddling still doesn't make BS a truly multithreaded application, as the fps boost would most likely be more than just 10 frames. The first thing i'd like to see is more of the code actually running on the GPU, as this would bring the most gain in fps for all users. The 64-bit enhancement is just a memory thing, most likely to be able to create bigger missions and will, AFAIK, not bring any grafic changes.

 

I concur, though I never said in any way that affinity would make it a multithreaded application. Yet I must stress that affinity made the game run smoothly on my system, without it it was unplayable. 10 FPS may not be much but the observed difference between 20 and 30 fps is huge.

 

I also agree with you on the gpu and the 64bit question, because BS neither uses current gpus at their full capacity nor does it require so much memory that it would profit from a 64bit architecture.

 

Thus I further conclude it will not run faster on an i7 system, because the i7 is actually slower at the same clock settings, if its new architecture is not fully supported due to the architecture's higher administration effort.

[sobek]

I concur, though I never said in any way that affinity would make it a multithreaded application.

 

I didn't want to insinuate that, just point it out. :beer:

[AlphaInfinity]

The game plays pretty well on a corei7 system with the resolution at 1920X1280 and AA at 8 and AF at 8 in the nvidia control panel. I have everything on high except:

 

water-normal

Cockpit res 512

 

 

 

I normally see 50 fps in MP games with it occasionally at 60(my refresh rate is 60). It will drop down to 30 in the city and at a very very busy FARP with multiple helos. I don't suffer any framerate penalties for smoke from flares, ground units or buildings.

 

If I were to drop AA and AF I would probably see a more consistent framerate. I would also like to see a multi-threaded app that can take advantage of all the cores but ED has stated many times that this type of improvement will be in the next engine, not this one.

[mR.Waffles]

Will the next engine be able to play this module?

[sobek]

Will the next engine be able to play this module?

 

All modules will be portable to the newest version of the DCS engine.

[RichardG]

Yeah, but will the next engine/module be multithreaded?

 

I don't think it will, because I don't think they know HOW to write a multithreaded engine/code.

[GGTharos]

Maybe you should apply for the team so you can show them how ;)

 

If you haven't slipped in the pool of sarcasm yet, now is a good time.

[strannick]

Is it correct, that if i dont have Vista, I cant use affinity?

[815TooCooL]

Is it correct, that if i dont have Vista, I cant use affinity?

 

NO VISTA, NO AFFINITY BENEFIT.

Like it or not, BS needs vista. :(

[slug88]

NO VISTA, NO AFFINITY BENEFIT.

Like it or not, BS needs vista. :(

 

Or Windows 7 :)

[lion737]

I get the following FPS:

 

VISTA 64: 21

WinXP: 25

VISTA 64 with affinity: 29

 

So it is no good idea to run Vista without affinity, but it is just 14% faster

than XP.

Perhaps I will upgrade to Win7, but this 4 frames don´t justify to get crazy

with VISTA the whole day, as I don´t use the PC only for BS.

[71st_Mastiff]

I get 38 to 45 FPS in MP and Single with the Skypat Affinity tool.:thumbup:

 

my rig is decent so I can't wait to see what the patch will bring. :smartass:

 

Also upgrading the CPU to a E8600 3.33 ghz will see what that will bring I also Have 2 CPUS if any one is interested E6600 I will sell. PM me

and of course the E7200 thats in use right now. let me now if your interested.