Stumped by cpu/gpu fps drop mid flight

[gavagai]

PROBLEM SOLVED. Force feedback was causing the fps drop.

 

----------------------

 

Hi Everyone,

 

I am new to the DCS series, but am enjoying the heck out of the P-51D.

 

Anyway, here are my components:

 

i5 2500k @4ghz

8gb ram

HD6870 1gb

ASrock Z68 pro3 gen3

Win7 64bit

650W Seasonic (X series gold rated blah blah blah)

 

Here is the problem: When I spawn into the aircraft, e.g. free flight "poti" from instant action, my fps are glassy smooth for the first minute or so. The FPS counter shows 59-60fps flying over the coast, and only drops to the mid 40s when I buzz through the nearby city or a forest.

 

A minute or two after spawning, the fps drops for no apparent reason. It seems to drop incrementally, from max 60, to max 50, to max 42, to max 30 something.

 

For example, before the drop, the fps is ~46 flying through the thick of a city. Afterward, it's in the low 30s. Interestingly, the "frame time" increases, while the render total or scene total remain about the same or even decrease.

 

I recognize that my gpu is mediocre, but I can get the same basic event to occur even if I minimize all graphical settings in the DCS launcher, it just takes an extra 30-60 seconds to happen.

 

In the attached images, you can see a screenshot with fps before the slowdown occurs, and after the slowdown occurs.

 

Next, you see my cpu use before and after the slowdown.

 

Then, my gpu use (higher % is before slowdown, lower % is after)

 

Finally, my CCC settings.

 

Any ideas or tips are appreciated! Ultimately, it's still very playable for me, but I am used to higher FPS in titles like Rise of Flight and Falcon BMS, where I am usually above 40fps in hectic circumstances, and well above 50 without lots of action.

Edited March 26, 2013 by gavagai

[gavagai]

By the way, in some of the reading I've done, there were many recommendations to turn off heat blur and to reduce water quality. I had already done both, but I noticed that it doesn't look like water quality is actually being lowered.

 

Is there a secret to lowering the water quality? Perhaps it is what is responsible for my problem. Thanks!

[TZeer]

See if you can get hold of a software that monitors more of the GPU data. To check if you are running out of VRAM.

 

What resolution are you using? How much VRAM is used when you fly?

[Cnuke]

The water is everywhere under the terrain/mountains I believe, just wondering if that was done on purpose for instrument calcs. If not, I call it lazy map design :)

 

I really agree that there is a fps issue, wether it is the effects.dll or config settings that have been changed since last patch. If it is related to smoke/explosions/trails I would like to see an option to turn off these things in either a menu/config file. xD

[Sorin]

Gavagai please read this thread http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=102857

We should establish a benchmark procedure with proper instrumentation so we can find and fix problems.

[gavagai]

Thanks for the feedback. Here is a pic of vram use during before and after the fps drop. It shows that vram use is unchanged across the drop, and never reaches 100%. I am using 1920x1080 resolution (native). I tried lowering the resolution to 1600x900, but the problem still persists.

 

Sorin, yes, I saw that thread when I was doing some forum searches. I'll see about following a benchmark procedure.

 

Again, any idea about why the water quality will not reduce? It seems to be stuck on "high" no matter the setting I choose from the launcher (I still see animation and cloud reflections with it set to "low").

[SkateZilla]

if it were on high you'd know, especially running a 6870.

 

The water would be jaw dropping beautiful, and you'd have about 5 seconds per frame to stare at it.

 

Look around, Goto F2 and rotate around the Aircraft.

 

Smoke Stacks from houses/buildings and Burning Targets kills the FPS in the latest build

[gavagai]

Skatezilla,

 

I see absolutely zero difference when I change the water settings. High, medium, and low all look the same.

 

Also, as I mentioned above, I get the same slowdown even if I reduce all settings to minimum.

Edited March 26, 2013 by gavagai

[TZeer]

A few things I have noticed:

 

- It's not your CPU. You have plenty of CPU power left. And looking at your FPS counter, the number of objects have gone down as well as your FPS. Number of objects in a scene has a lot to do with your FPS, and it's CPU related not GPU.

 

- Your GPU usage goes down as well. You have spare VRAM.

 

This makes me believe it's not your hardware that's the issue.

 

 

These FPS drops you get, do they come only when you fly? Or can you sit still on the ground and still get the FPS drop after a set amount of time passed?

[gavagai]

Apparently, only when moving. I just tried it out and sat on the ground with the vaziani instant action mission, and gpu load stayed high the whole time. The Su-25 even taxied past me and took off, which lowered fps to the mid 30s, but they increased again once he was out of view. I also panned the view around to try to cause the drop, but fps remained optimal.

[SkateZilla]

there really isnt a visible difference in the water anymore, they took the "HIGH" Awesome looking water back out when it caused a huge hit.

 

 

Which Preset are you using (LOW/MED/HIGH). as those control background settings not visible on the Settings menu.

[Sorin]

Thanks for the feedback. Here is a pic of vram use during before and after the fps drop. It shows that vram use is unchanged across the drop, and never reaches 100%. I am using 1920x1080 resolution (native). I tried lowering the resolution to 1600x900, but the problem still persists.

 

Sorin, yes, I saw that thread when I was doing some forum searches. I'll see about following a benchmark procedure.

 

Again, any idea about why the water quality will not reduce? It seems to be stuck on "high" no matter the setting I choose from the launcher (I still see animation and cloud reflections with it set to "low").

 

Try flying somewhere without water and see if the FPS drops as well. Also try an empty plain vs a busy city.

For the water quality it definitely changes after options change on my system. But I keep it on low anyway.

[gavagai]

I currently have water set to "low" in the launcher options. It looks exactly the same as when it is set to "high."

 

Sorin, I have already tried it out over an empty plain. As I said before, the fps drop comes even if I have everything set to minimum: no forests, no city buildings, minimum visibility radius, no aa, etc.

 

I do appreciate the interest. Please let me know if you can think of any settings I might need to adjust in CCC, the DCS world launcher, or anywhere else.:thumbup:

[TZeer]

Do as Sorin suggested. Try flying far out in "no mans land" and see if you get the FPS drop. If not move location and repeat.

 

 

I saw you already tried that. Do the FPS drop happen at the same time every time?

[Mustang]

Smoke Stacks from houses/buildings and Burning Targets kills the FPS in the latest build

 

there is always this mod

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=85900

 

I still use it in 1.2.3, I could never go back to flying over a terrain filled with chimneys puffing smoke every few miles :)

[gavagai]

PROBLEM SOLVED:

 

After disabling force feedback, there is no more fps drop. Everything remains smooth. This is kind of a small tragedy because I don't know how I'll go back to my CH stick, but it will have to do, or I can get used to 25-35fps instead of 50-60.:cry:

 

I will submit a bug report to Eagle Dynamics.

 

P.S.

 

With the MSFFB2 joystick my trim wheels were crossed. Moving the aileron trim wheel would trim the elevator, and moving the elevator trim wheel would trim the elevator! With the CH stick the trim wheels work as they should.

Edited March 26, 2013 by gavagai

[SkateZilla]

As for FFB Causing the Slowdowns, it maybe the MSFFB2 Stick

 

clear your assignments and re-do them to fix cross assignments

this happens when you boot DCS with different hardware IDs or a newly installed module..

 

When I Clear Saved games Folder and reboot up dcs:

 

My CH Stick has

X Axis Mapped to Roll, Right Pedal (maybe left), and Throttle MiniStick X

Y Axis Mapped to Pitch, Left (or Right Pedal), and Throttle MiniStick Y

Z Axis Mapped to StickThrottleWheel, Rudder Left/Right, and Throttle Z Axis.

 

Then It Maps My Throttle the Same way.

X Axis Mapped to Ministick X, Roll Axis, and Rudder Pedal

Y Axis Mapped to Ministick Y, Pitch Axis, and Rudder Pedal

Z Axis Mapped to Throttle, Rudder Axis, and Stick X/Y Axis Wheel.

 

then it maps my pedals the same way.

X Axis mapped to Pedal, Roll Axis, and Ministick X

Y Axis mapped to Pedal, Pitch Axis, and Ministick Y

Z Axis to Rudder, Stick Throttle wheel, and Throttle.

 

 

So I can say, start in the Air, Move my CH Stick Left, and it will Roll Left, Drop the Throttle, Rudder Left (and apply left brake if on ground), while rotating anything the mini stick is mapped to left.

 

If I can, I'll take a screenshot of it,

 

So I have to clear all the Axes and Manually Set them.

[gavagai]

The stick works great with other flight sims (though Clod has a few issues shared by others), so I don't think it's a problem with the stick.

 

Here's another thread reporting the exact same problem:

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=102084&highlight=force+feedback

 

Thanks for the tip about reassigning everything. I will try it out.

[GriffonBR]

Damn, when I started to build a good relashionship with the Cluster Bombs FPS drops, now I have to deal with this crap FB FPS drops.

 

My new (used) Force Feedback 2 has arrived today, I was so happy because since I was little I wished to have one and now I have to deal one more time with FPS drops. What a pain!!!

 

Well, awaiting for the fix, I will stay with the old but gold IL-2.

[emenance]

I have a similar set up and I run EVERYTHING MAXED OUT ON 32 inch sony tv . Its great! !!

[gavagai]

Right, but you have a G940. The ffb bug doesn't seem to affect that stick. Count yourself lucky!

[gavagai]

Here is a strange thing. While flying the K14 training mission, fps remained high during combat while the instructor was commenting. As soon as the 2 P-51s were shot down and the instructor went away, the fps dropped.

 

I need to figure out a way to always have the instructor with me.:smilewink: