Performance issue after looking the F10 map

[MoleUK]

This has been a problem for years.

The only thing that solved it for me was moving to a GPU with 24 gigs of vram, though I only ever play in VR. On an 8 gig GPU in particular it was a huge problem.

In VR the problem presented the same way, once you hit that vram cap/problem, GPU usage would peg itself to 99% and the FPS would tank. If you actually looked at the frequency for the GPU and GPU temps, both would be very low despite showing 99% usage. Far lower than it actually gets when at real 99% usage.

The reason alt-tabbing for a while can clear it is it triggers a vram flush, seems to release something that causes the performance degradation. Alternatively in VR on Quest headsets, sending the a headset to sleep for 30 seconds or so and waking it back up will also trigger a vram flush and fix it. Right up until you hit the cap again.

The only other fix is restarting the entire game, which isn't really very viable.

Even now I still use the blank hanger mod and keep the map position locked overhead at almost all times.

I would highly recommend anyone on a GPU with less than 16 gigs use the recently created moving map mod as an alternative replacement, as a fix does not look imminent.

This doesn't get around the problem entirely as on server join and role select it still opens up the map, but it's better than nothing.

Alternatively you can lower the texture settings and use optimised mods to lower vram consumption. This will at best delay the problem a bit.

Edited December 26, 2024 by MoleUK

[Loukuins]

On 12/26/2024 at 2:40 PM, MoleUK said:

This has been a problem for years.

The only thing that solved it for me was moving to a GPU with 24 gigs of vram, though I only ever play in VR. On an 8 gig GPU in particular it was a huge problem.

In VR the problem presented the same way, once you hit that vram cap/problem, GPU usage would peg itself to 99% and the FPS would tank. If you actually looked at the frequency for the GPU and GPU temps, both would be very low despite showing 99% usage. Far lower than it actually gets when at real 99% usage.

The reason alt-tabbing for a while can clear it is it triggers a vram flush, seems to release something that causes the performance degradation. Alternatively in VR on Quest headsets, sending the a headset to sleep for 30 seconds or so and waking it back up will also trigger a vram flush and fix it. Right up until you hit the cap again.

The only other fix is restarting the entire game, which isn't really very viable.

Even now I still use the blank hanger mod and keep the map position locked overhead at almost all times.

I would highly recommend anyone on a GPU with less than 16 gigs use the recently created moving map mod as an alternative replacement, as a fix does not look imminent.

This doesn't get around the problem entirely as on server join and role select it still opens up the map, but it's better than nothing.

Alternatively you can lower the texture settings and use optimised mods to lower vram consumption. This will at best delay the problem a bit.

It's really weird, because DCS uses DX11 that handles VRAM and cannot really use too much VRAM. There is a big issue with the F10 map and how VRAM is being handled, I mean it's an issue since 2018 since the release of DCS 2.5.0

[diego999]

On 12/26/2024 at 10:40 AM, MoleUK said:

This has been a problem for years.

The only thing that solved it for me was moving to a GPU with 24 gigs of vram, though I only ever play in VR. On an 8 gig GPU in particular it was a huge problem.

In VR the problem presented the same way, once you hit that vram cap/problem, GPU usage would peg itself to 99% and the FPS would tank. If you actually looked at the frequency for the GPU and GPU temps, both would be very low despite showing 99% usage. Far lower than it actually gets when at real 99% usage.

The reason alt-tabbing for a while can clear it is it triggers a vram flush, seems to release something that causes the performance degradation. Alternatively in VR on Quest headsets, sending the a headset to sleep for 30 seconds or so and waking it back up will also trigger a vram flush and fix it. Right up until you hit the cap again.

The only other fix is restarting the entire game, which isn't really very viable.

Even now I still use the blank hanger mod and keep the map position locked overhead at almost all times.

I would highly recommend anyone on a GPU with less than 16 gigs use the recently created moving map mod as an alternative replacement, as a fix does not look imminent.

This doesn't get around the problem entirely as on server join and role select it still opens up the map, but it's better than nothing.

Alternatively you can lower the texture settings and use optimised mods to lower vram consumption. This will at best delay the problem a bit.

 

Pretty much this.

Will try the mod you mention. Thanks.

 

[Checkmate]

It would be nice if ED could take a look at this in 2025. I do want to point out that when I go into a multiplay mission and select the F-10 map I would get 30 second pause after hitting F-1 again to get out. When I went into the F-10 map and selected the arrow at the top (Center on aircraft). Now when I go back and forth between the F-1 main view and the F-10 map view the pause is gone.

Try it and let me know if it helps

Edited January 3 by Checkmate

[MoleUK]

18 hours ago, Loukuins said:

It's really weird, because DCS uses DX11 that handles VRAM and cannot really use too much VRAM. There is a big issue with the F10 map and how VRAM is being handled, I mean it's an issue since 2018 since the release of DCS 2.5.0

Yeah this one has been around a long time.

17 hours ago, diego999 said:

Pretty much this.

Will try the mod you mention. Thanks.

The moving map mod doesn't open F10 at all, so it remains the best/easiest workaround for now.

16 hours ago, Checkmate said:

It would be nice if ED could take a look at this in 2025. I do want to point out that when I go into a multiplay mission and select the F-10 map I would get 30 second pause after hitting F-1 again to get out. When I went into the F-10 map and selected the arrow at the top (Center on aircraft) and left the F-10 map and game back to the F-1 view the pauses see to go away. 

Try it and let me know if it helps

Keeping the F10 map centred on the aircraft by clicking the arrow means flipping to F10 and back doesn't require that the game load in too many extra assets afaik. I've kept it centred that way for a few years now, it does help keep it more responsive.

If the F10 map is viewing somewhere entirely different from your aircraft, it will try and load in any air/ground assets around that area.

Currently the F10 map is literally a birdseye view of the actual game/mission/server, rather than being a simpler stand-in/representation. If you zoom in far enough you can even see the trees sway.

With a game as vram/memory heavy as DCS, that presents some problems.

Edited January 3 by MoleUK

[Eggcake]

On 10/30/2024 at 12:33 AM, okopanja said:

I think that issue is related to the systems with 8GB VRAM.

E.g. issue is

- practically not present in Caucasus with FC3 (GS)

- present on Caucasus with JF-17 (GS)

- very pronounced on Syria (Contention)

On Syria, I am more close to the limit, and I think the freeze that occurs is related to load textures at that moment. Not sure if someone with 12GB or more has the issue.

I can personally confirm this.

I upgraded from 2070 Super (8GB) to 6950 XT (16GB) last year and all those issues are gone. Same when switching to other players F2 view - I can basically spam F2 with no stutter (sometimes the terrain still finishes loading, but it does not stutter), switch to F10 and back. Whether thats the VRAM or the generally better GPU I cannot say, but VRAM makes a lot of sense.

Before, I sometimes had extreme Freezes on F10 and switching back, sometimes up to 5s.

[Loukuins]

6 hours ago, Eggcake said:

I can personally confirm this.

I upgraded from 2070 Super (8GB) to 6950 XT (16GB) last year and all those issues are gone. Same when switching to other players F2 view - I can basically spam F2 with no stutter (sometimes the terrain still finishes loading, but it does not stutter), switch to F10 and back. Whether thats the VRAM or the generally better GPU I cannot say, but VRAM makes a lot of sense.

Before, I sometimes had extreme Freezes on F10 and switching back, sometimes up to 5s.

That's weird, when I look at my VRAM usage it's not maxed out the game is telling me that he is only using like 75% when I have the issue, I changed from 8GB VRAM GPU to a 12GB VRAM GPU and the issue is still here, the FPS impact is causing me to lose from 20 - 120fps, if I catch the issue fast it's only a 20fps hit, but with time it gets worse and worse. This is not a VRAM issue IMHO but a F10 map issue because before on much older hardware it wasn't causing any issue

[Eggcake]

How does the game behave when you switch to targets (F2) far away on an MP Server in quick succession?

[Loukuins]

52 minutes ago, Eggcake said:

How does the game behave when you switch to targets (F2) far away on an MP Server in quick succession?

Normally, I have no issues. A few stutters when loading in stuff but nothing weird

Edited January 13 by Loukuins