FPS drop in multiplayer

[cameleon33]

Hello all,

 

I have an issue with FPS in multiplayer.

When we are flying with my squad, everytime I look at them I got a huge FPS drop. I tried to lower settings but it's the same problem whatever the settings.

 

It was present a few patches ago, and then disappeared. Since the last patch it's back.

 

I am around 35-40 FPS when not looking at them and it goes to 12-15FPS when I am looking at 2 or 3 other players...

 

I thought initially it was because of the Heat blur, but even when deactivated it is the same.

 

Any idea why it happens?

 

My computer specs:

AMD Phenom II X4 965BE

AMD Radeon HD5870

8Gb DDR3 RAM

DCS Installed on a SSD

Win8 64bits

 

Thanks.

Cam'

Edited May 24, 2013 by cameleon33

[cameleon33]

Hello again :)

 

Am I the only one experiencing this issue in Multiplayer? I don't have this problem when looking at AI planes. I guees, some effects are modeled when it is a client and are not when it is an AI?

 

Any idea what I should do?

 

Cheers,

Cam'

[cameleon33]

Hello guys, it's me again.

 

This evening I tried a lot of stuff with my squadron.

 

Base was me and 2 wingmen (other players), at parking, engine off.

 

First try

Settings: Everything on HIGH

When looking on the right (no one there): 25FPS

When looking on the left (2 wingmen): 13FPS

 

Second Try

Settings: Everything on LOW

When looking on the right (no one there): 60FPS

When looking on the left (2 wingmen): 25FPS !!! ???

 

Third Try

Settings: My usual settings, a lot of stuff on high, some things deactivated (HDR, Tree shadows...)

When looking on the right (no one there): 35FPS

When looking on the left (2 wingmen): 18FPS

 

I looked at memory usage around 2GB out of the 8GB I have

I looked at CPU usage around 30% (I have 4 cores at 3.4GHz each)

 

I tried then to use pretty much every single option available in graphic options... no improvement.

I tried also to use some AMD options like Anti aliasing but no improvement either.

 

I tried FPS improvement tricks suggested on this forum, nothing works (at least for this FPS drop).

 

I really need some help here! I am sure there is a bug or something to fix here! It was not working at the time of the initial release of DCS World but then it improved after a few patches and then came back some patches ago. My buddies does not have any particular issues.

 

Please help!

 

Cam'

[HiJack]

Set your AMD Vision settings to:

 

AA= 2x (Box)

AAM= Supersampling

Morph= Off

AF= 4x

Texture= Performance

Wait for vertical refresh= Always on

OGL tripple buff= Off

Tesselation=AMD Optimized

[cameleon33]

Hello HiJack.

 

Thanks for the settings. I'll try them online at our next mission.

In singleplayer, it seems to improve the FPS the only issue is that all textures are a bit blury and it is less easy to read cockpit indication.

 

But let's try it like this for the next mission and see if it solves my FPS drop issue.

I'll keep you posted.

 

Cam'

[HiJack]

You should also upgrade to AMD driver version 13.6 (beta) witch has been focused on Windows 8 performance.

[TZeer]

When you look to your left and right.

 

 

Could you provide a screenshot of what you see?

 

Also enable the FPS and object counter. You should get a more detailed thing popping up in your left top corner. This will tell you FPS, number of objects and triangles in the scene.

[cameleon33]

I don't have a screenshot at the moment, but I can say that it is happening on several airbases but if there are no other player I don't have changes in FPS (or not more than 1 or 2 FPS).

 

I could do a test later today.

 

Yesterday, I was parked on Sochi-Adler parking 25.

I looked at the object counter... On the right it's around 450. On the left arount 860.

I could test by looking at numbers when offline with only me on the parking.

 

You should also upgrade to AMD driver version 13.6 (beta) witch has been focused on Windows 8 performance.

 

Thanks I'll try that also.

[TZeer]

I don't have a screenshot at the moment, but I can say that it is happening on several airbases but if there are no other player I don't have changes in FPS (or not more than 1 or 2 FPS).

 

I could do a test later today.

 

Yesterday, I was parked on Sochi-Adler parking 25.

I looked at the object counter... On the right it's around 450. On the left arount 860.

I could test by looking at numbers when offline with only me on the parking.

 

 

 

Thanks I'll try that also.

 

 

Ok, I think I know what your problem is.

 

Object numbers.

 

Looking to the left gives you 860 objects.

 

If you place 2x A-10C on your left side, they will add about 100 objects each.

 

You will then be over 1000 objects.

 

I'm running an i7-3820@4,6 GHz, and somewhere around 1000-1200 objects is the max I can have in any scene before my CPU is all clogged up and FPS goes down the drain.

 

Quick test: Place your A-10C in the same spot in the editor, first alone. Then add an empty or AI controlled A-10C on your left side. Check performance after each time.

 

Then just add a few planes and keep monitor your performance. If I'm right you should see the same behavior as in the MP. And the more planes you add, the worse your FPS will be.

[HiJack]

That's a good test TZeer

[cameleon33]

Hello guys,

 

Thanks again for your help. I did your test TZeer and here are the results (I think you were right)...

 

I put a A10C for me at Sochi parking 25.

 

Alone

Looking right: 33 FPS - 444 Objects

Looking left: 28 FPS - 616 Objects

 

Me + 1 A10C on my left

Looking right: 33 FPS - 444 Objects

Looking left: 21 FPS - 716 Objects

 

Me + 2 A10C on my left

Looking right: 33FPS - 444 Objects

Looking left: 18FPS - 830 Objects

 

So it seems to be the number of objects my problem (I did not notice it in single player until now - I guess because usually I only have one wingman).

 

But, what can I do about it? If it is a CPU limitation, is there a way to improve this?? My CPU is a Phenom II X4 @ 3.4GHz and only 30% of it is used. It's not a small CPU even if it's starting to be a bit old.

 

Thanks for your time.

Cam'

[IonicRipper]

I think the problem is because DCS uses a fairly old graphic engine, it cannot make full use of multi-core CPUs.

 

EDGE should solve that problem.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong.

[cameleon33]

Yeah I think I already read that the current engine does not uses really multi-core CPUs.

 

Is there a way at the moment to reduce the number of objects that the CPU has to render?

Instead removing A/C ;)

[TZeer]

Hello guys,

 

Thanks again for your help. I did your test TZeer and here are the results (I think you were right)...

 

I put a A10C for me at Sochi parking 25.

 

Alone

Looking right: 33 FPS - 444 Objects

Looking left: 28 FPS - 616 Objects

 

Me + 1 A10C on my left

Looking right: 33 FPS - 444 Objects

Looking left: 21 FPS - 716 Objects

 

Me + 2 A10C on my left

Looking right: 33FPS - 444 Objects

Looking left: 18FPS - 830 Objects

 

So it seems to be the number of objects my problem (I did not notice it in single player until now - I guess because usually I only have one wingman).

 

But, what can I do about it? If it is a CPU limitation, is there a way to improve this?? My CPU is a Phenom II X4 @ 3.4GHz and only 30% of it is used. It's not a small CPU even if it's starting to be a bit old.

 

Thanks for your time.

Cam'

 

Not much you can do actually, except reducing the visible range. Even my CPU is only working at maybe 30% at maximum in average when playing DCS, but 1 core is doing almost all the work. The second core that is used by DCS is only handling the sound.

 

Every 3d model in the game consists of multiple objects. So the longer your visible range, the more models = more objects.

 

Or in the future, get a new CPU and overclock that bastard to the max :)

 

You can have a look in this thread. My complete research on how the number of objects affect the CPU load and FPS. Also a few high object count models that you can rename to make them go away in the map. Specially around Novo area. That is a very heavy object area. Default over 2000!!! By removing the containers, some small boats and the cranes you can cut it down to about 600-800...

 

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=101491

Edited May 29, 2013 by TZeer

[cameleon33]

Ok thanks for the info... I could overclock my CPU already except that I am not a fan of this (and also a complete noob...).

 

I'll reduce the visibility range to medium instead of high and see if it improves.

 

I'll also have a look at your post.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Cheers,

Cam'

[cameleon33]

Another question though... I just tried again, and I noticed that when I go in external view (F2) and if I zoom out a bit, sometimes I can get up to 1000 objects and my FPS are still at 32FPS. I can move around.

 

But when I zoom in, if the 2 other A10C are in the screen and close enough, it drops to 18-19 FPS, with objects varying from 600 to 850.

 

Why is that?

 

And the visibility range to medium did not change a thing :(

[SkateZilla]

Polygonal Bottleneck, you GPU cant render the Higher LOD A-10C Models fast enough.

[TZeer]

I would guess it's a mix of different bottlenecks.

 

One moment it's your CPU, next moment you CPU is doing okayish, but the GPU is struggling.

 

Hard to say without doing proper tests with software to monitor your GPU and CPU usage on a second monitor.

[cameleon33]

Ok thanks all, I'll do some additional testing and see if I can find a way to improve all this. At least I have some leads/explanation.

[TZeer]

Some info for you:

 

Clouds: Very intensive, even my GTX Titan is working 100% when there is cloud-layers that I have to pass through. Dropping down to 30-40 FPS.

 

Smoke: Sometimes it can hit you good, other times it gives me no issue.

 

Cockpit Floodlight: Cut my FPS by 30 if I have vsync off. From ~120 down to 90.

 

Mix them into the whole thing with a lot of objects, and you can never be sure if it's the GPU that is struggling or the CPU.

[SkateZilla]

But, what can I do about it? If it is a CPU limitation, is there a way to improve this?? My CPU is a Phenom II X4 @ 3.4GHz and only 30% of it is used. It's not a small CPU even if it's starting to be a bit old.

 

Thanks for your time.

Cam'

 

30% = 100% of Core 1 (everything else other than sound) and 20% of Core 2 (Sound)