Steam: 2.9.8.1214 FPS performance issue

[MAXsenna]

35 minutes ago, jackd said:

Tip: clean your shader cache files with Windows Disk Cleanup.

Why not just use File Explorer? Does this app actually seek out shaders? I'm curious. 

Cheers 

[jackd]

Now where's that cache folder? BTW i am just having stutters again after several perfect game starts ...

Disk Cleaner showed me a direct x shader cache on my game drive.

Edited October 14 by jackd

[MAXsenna]

29 minutes ago, jackd said:

Now where's that cache folder? BTW i am just having stutters again after several perfect game starts ...

Disk Cleaner showed me a direct x shader cache on my game drive.

 

Check your FXO and Metashaders folders in Saved Games. 

[scommander2]

1 hour ago, MAXsenna said:

FXO and Metashaders folders

I had deleted two folders, and it did not help in my case.  Thanks.

[scommander2]

I am starting to look at the CPU affinity and priority based on the video made by SP:

Windows 10/11 can set both options through Task Manager and I would like to play around to find out any improvement to my DCS.

 

 

[BIGNEWY]

I would be interested to know if you see any difference with windows game bar enabled and disabled.

Long shot I know but I think worth testing for some processors.

[scommander2]

Based on the ED FAQ tech site:

Steam (digitalcombatsimulator.com)

for the subject "How do I add command line arguments to a Steam shortcut?"

The value "7F" is an example if I would like to make CPU affinity for the first 6 CPUs.

EDIT1: sharing the CPU affinity calculator @ CPU Affinity Mask Calculator (bitsum.com)

EDIT2: Steam launch options @ Steam Support :: Setting Game Launch Options (steampowered.com)

 

 

Edited October 14 by scommander2

[scommander2]

The following is my testing regarding the CPU affinity with dcs.exe.

My CPU is i9-13900H, and P-cores and total CPUs can be set according to the Intel web site: 

 

** NOTE: my Nvidia Control Panel has limited 60 FPS as well as DCS Max FPS ** (Do not want to overkill my system)

 

Enable Window Game bar for the following tests:

With the affinity of 20 CPUs:

With the affinity of 10 CPUs:

As soon as I do "Task Manager"->"Details"->"dcs.exe"->"Set Affinity"->"All Processors"->"OK", my FPS is back 53 and stable.

 My finding

When I did all core unparking, and it made all P-cores available to the most of processes regardless priorities.  The video that I posted in the previous post was set the affinity to dcs.exe with all P-cores, and not other window processes.

There is my dcs.exe found in the task manager with all core unparking:

The priority of dcs.exe is normal and my AV priority even higher than doc.exe.  I think that I can set dcs.exe priority to high (mentioned in the video also) by doing "Task Manager"->"Details"->"Set Priority" (with selected dcs.exe shown above)->"High" so that dcs.exe can be scheduled into all P-cores in the most runtime possible.

When I set "High", the FPS does not increase and I hope that dcs.exe should better and smooth.  I need to test more to find out.

Thanks.

Edited October 15 by scommander2

[scommander2]

Priority / Affinity for dcs.exe

I have discovered that "Selected Launch Option" has the limited options and it can't take "-high" for the priority setting.

The following cmd script will make changes for affinity and priority:

: set CPU affinity to the process
:
: Binary to Decimal at https://www.rapidtables.com/convert/number/hex-to-decimal.html
: For example for 20 CPUs (P-Cores)
: Binary  = 11111111111111111111
: Decimal = 1048575
: "1" - select
: "0" - not select
:
powershell.exe "$process = Get-Process dcs; $process.ProcessorAffinity = 1048575"

:
: sets process with the specified priority
:
: Priorities are:
: Realtime     -> 256
: High         -> 128
: Above normal -> 32768
: Normal       -> 32
: Below normal -> 16384
: Low          -> 64
:
powershell.exe "gwmi win32_process -f 'name=\"dcs.exe\"' | foreach-object { $_.setPriority( 32768 ) }"

save the contents into a file with ".cmd" and make sure the permissions to execute the cmd file.

To execute the cmd file after dcs.exe is up and running.

 

Edited October 16 by scommander2

[scommander2]

I am not sure that "Scale GUI" will cause FPS drops since I have the 4K 3840x2160 monitor and I set it for 1.25.

 

[SharpeXB]

@scommander2 I see you’re using a 13th Gen CPU. Are you aware of this issue here? 

 

[scommander2]

32 minutes ago, SharpeXB said:

I see you’re using a 13th Gen CPU. Are you aware of this issue here? 

Thanks for checking.  My CPU is the "H" model, and there is no overclock option on my system.

[SharpeXB]

17 minutes ago, scommander2 said:

Thanks for checking.  My CPU is the "H" model, and there is no overclock option on my system.

Some more info, not sure whether it affects all the 13 and 14 series or not. It looks like it’s just the desktop ones though.

https://community.intel.com/t5/Processors/June-2024-Guidance-regarding-Intel-Core-13th-and-14th-Gen-K-KF/m-p/1607807#M73544

Edited Thursday at 08:30 PM by SharpeXB

[jackd]

Posted elsewhere too, and for DCS MT version in case of gameplay stuttering

Hyperthreading in BIOS should be off.

disable Vsync and Fullscreen in DCS settings.

clean the FXO folder in Saved Games.

You could use Bitsun Park Control to disable E-cores parking, some times it helps as with my i9 12900K system.

Edited Saturday at 11:07 AM by jackd

[scommander2]

Testing With ParkControl and other adjustments

Thanks for @jackd suggestions, and I have tried different settings with my new objectives:

• To obtain 60 FPS (pre-set in Nvidia Control Panel and DCS options) and not over kill my system
• To utilize P-Cores as many as possible.
• To leave E-Cores for other tasks or helpers for P-Cores if too busy to handle.
• Re-test the test case "Test1" for CPU/GPU metrics v.s. FPS

 

ParkControl

Installed Bitsum ParkControl and adjusted options according to my objectives to have the long-life tasks to be assigned to P-Cores possible, other tasks (included all background prcoesses) will be handled by E-Cores:

Affinity/Priority

Re-adjusted my P-Cores affinity with dcs.exe possible, and made dcs.exe priority ("Above normal") a little bit higher most of all processes: 

: set CPU affinity to the process
:
: Binary to Decimal at https://www.rapidtables.com/convert/number/hex-to-decimal.html
: For example for 20 CPUs (P-Cores)
: Binary  = 11111111111111111111
: Decimal = 1048575
: "1" - select
: "0" - not select
:
powershell.exe "$process = Get-Process dcs; $process.ProcessorAffinity = 4095"

:
: sets process with the specified priority
:
: Priorities are:
: Realtime     -> 256
: High         -> 128
: Above normal -> 32768
: Normal       -> 32
: Below normal -> 16384
: Low          -> 64
:
powershell.exe "gwmi win32_process -f 'name=\"dcs.exe\"' | foreach-object { $_.setPriority( 32768 ) }"

 

CPU/GPU metrics

With the test case "Test1", it was about 50-55 FPS at the airfield and 60 FPS in air with the following metrics:

 

Conclusion

Overall, the 60 FPS is possible in the most cases (instant action and multiplayer), and GPU / CPU BOUNDs are based on the views (F2, F3 ..., F10).  I will perform more tests for more findings.

 

 

[jackd]

Weird, my park Control (latest free 5.2.1.4 version) looks different and has for high performance only one preset, no screensaver  ....

With Standard parking it even has Ultimate Performance:

Edited 4 hours ago by jackd

[scommander2]

@jackd, oh.. sorry not to mention it.

I have created my own power plan for the screen saver if I am away for a while, But the rest of settings should be identical to "high performance", especially processor min/max management.

About the bitsum power plan, I have no ideal.  Is it because of mime is the paid version?! Not sure...