1.31.40 Still getting FPS drop when looking at trees

[Bacon55]

Ok, this is really odd now, and it might come down to drivers, drivers I unfortunately can't test.

By hchris:

For me this problem is entirely fixed...for some reason I even get a boost in FPS when using binocs, even at the farthest distances...

Tested in 1.31.0.39

System specs if needed:

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System Information

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Time of this report: 5/29/2009, 21:28:58

Operating System: Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6001) Service Pack 1 (6001.vistasp1_gdr.090302-1506)

System Model: MS-7358

BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG

Processor: Intel® Core2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.4GHz

Memory: 3326MB RAM

Page File: 1351MB used, 5522MB available

DirectX Version: DirectX 10

DxDiag Version: 6.00.6001.18000 32bit Unicode

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

Display Devices

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

Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260

Manufacturer: NVIDIA

Chip type: GeForce GTX 260

DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC

Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_05E2&SUBSYS_09A619F1&REV_A1

Display Memory: 2290 MB

Dedicated Memory: 883 MB

Shared Memory: 1407 MB

Current Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (60Hz)

Monitor: PnP-Monitor (Standard)

Driver Name: nvd3dum.dll,nvwgf2um.dll

Driver Version: 7.15.0011.7824 (English)

DDI Version: 10

Driver Attributes: Final Retail

Driver Date/Size: 10/7/2008 14:33:00, 5963776 bytes

WHQL Logo'd: Yes

WHQL Date Stamp:

Device Identifier: {D7B71E3E-46A2-11CF-D164-AD2901C2CA35}

vs

My setup.

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

System Information

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Time of this report: 5/14/2010, 16:03:48

Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.100226-1909)

Language: English (Regional Setting: English)

BIOS: BIOS Date: 04/24/09 17:30:57 Ver: 08.00.15

Processor: Intel® Core i7 CPU 920 @ 2.67GHz (8 CPUs), ~3.8GHz

Memory: 9216MB RAM

Available OS Memory: 9208MB RAM

Page File: 6393MB used, 12019MB available

Windows Dir: C:\Windows

DirectX Version: DirectX 11

DX Setup Parameters: Not found

User DPI Setting: Using System DPI

System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)

DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled

DxDiag Version: 6.01.7600.16385 64bit Unicode

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

Display Devices

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

Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260

Manufacturer: NVIDIA

Chip type: GeForce GTX 260

DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC

Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_05E2&SUBSYS_12573842&REV_A1

Display Memory: 4077 MB

Dedicated Memory: 877 MB

Shared Memory: 3199 MB

Current Mode: 1920 x 1200 (32 bit) (59Hz)

Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor

Monitor Model: SyncMaster

Monitor Id: SAM0467

Native Mode: 1920 x 1200(p) (59.950Hz)

Output Type: DVI

Driver Name: nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,n vwgf2um,nvwgf2um

Driver File Version: 8.17.0011.9745 (English)

Driver Version: 8.17.11.9745

DDI Version: 10

Driver Model: WDDM 1.1

Driver Attributes: Final Retail

Driver Date/Size: 4/3/2010 15:55:31, 11906664 bytes

WHQL Logo'd: n/a

WHQL Date Stamp: n/a

Device Identifier: {D7B71E3E-46A2-11CF-E37D-5C321FC2C535}

Why would I get this FPS drop?

It makes no sense.

I'm not the only one having this problem, need help brainstorming for a solution.

There is one main thing that sticks out for me. The drivers in the top Dxdiag are from 2008.

I can't get 64 bit drivers for Windows 7 from 2008, so I can't test this hypothesis.

There's also the DX10 vs DX11 thing, but that shouldn't matter either.

Edited May 19, 2010 by Bacon55

[haughtkarl]

Perplexing mofo. I had the same problem as well but the last patch (and the latest) have entirely resolved this issue for me and my specs are near to yours.

Could it be a BIOS setting? If so, which one? I have no clue.

Do you have CPU-Z installed? I ask because I use to have a finicky motherboard that would sometimes boot with the PCI-Express slot for my video card set at x1 rather than x16. I could never figure out why sometimes I would get ****ty graphics performance and at other times everything would seem OK. It wasn't until I got some forum advice about running CPU-Z to see if the link width was at x1 or x16. Turns out I had to mess around with a voltage setting to solve that problem.

Have you scanned your machine for spyware/malware lately?

How about placing your video card in another PCIe slot?

Have you considered nuking your system from orbit and doing a fresh install of Win7 to see if that helps?

Edited May 19, 2010 by haughtkarl

[Bacon55]

Perplexing mofo. I had the same problem as well but the last patch (and the latest) have entirely resolved this issue for me and my specs are near to yours.

Could it be a BIOS setting? If so, which one? I have no clue.

Do you have CPU-Z installed? I ask because I use to have a finicky motherboard that would sometimes boot with the PCI-Express slot for my video card set at x1 rather than x16. I could never figure out why sometimes I would get ****ty graphics performance and at other times everything would seem OK. It wasn't until I got some forum advice about running CPU-Z to see if the link width was at x1 or x16. Turns out I had to mess around with a voltage setting to solve that problem.

Have you scanned your machine for spyware/malware lately?

How about placing your video card in another PCIe slot?

Have you considered nuking your system from orbit and doing a fresh install of Win7 to see if that helps?

Just did a fresh install, will check the PCI-E settings.

[Bacon55]

Malware is clear, width is 16x.

I don't really have anywhere else I can put the video cards.

There's 3 slots but the 3rd one only allows single width cards.

[schakal]

Current Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (60Hz)

vs.

Current Mode: 1920 x 1200 (32 bit) (59Hz)

Lower your resolution your graphics card is probably fillrate limited. Had the same problem with my 8800 GT, lowering the resoultion to 1680x1050 did the trick for me.

[Bacon55]

Current Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (60Hz)

vs.

Current Mode: 1920 x 1200 (32 bit) (59Hz)

Lower your resolution your graphics card is probably fillrate limited. Had the same problem with my 8800 GT, lowering the resoultion to 1680x1050 did the trick for me.

That's the native resolution, I've tried lowering it and it makes no difference.

The fact the framerate drops from 60 and stays hard at 40 regardless of what I'm looking at leads me to believe something else is wrong.

There is absolutely no way what is onscreen VISIBLY is actually pushing the hardware limitations of that card. It just isn't happening. Something is going on behind the scenes here.

I'm thinking it's a driver communications issue.

[makrel]

That's the native resolution, I've tried lowering it and it makes no difference.

The fact the framerate drops from 60 and stays hard at 40 regardless of what I'm looking at leads me to believe something else is wrong.

There is absolutely no way what is onscreen VISIBLY is actually pushing the hardware limitations of that card. It just isn't happening. Something is going on behind the scenes here.

I'm thinking it's a driver communications issue.

Just a suggestion - try lowering to something really low (800 x 600) and see what you get. Then turn up from there.

It really looks a lot like a fillrate issue.

[lutorm]

That's the native resolution, I've tried lowering it and it makes no difference.

The fact the framerate drops from 60 and stays hard at 40 regardless of what I'm looking at leads me to believe something else is wrong.

First, vsync disabled? The fact that your fps is 60 is indicative of vsync on. You need to disable that to get reliable data to begin with.

Second, if resolution makes no difference to the bino fps, then it really is something very different from the normal case. If it's the video card that's limiting the case fps should be inversely proportional to the number of pixels drawn. That was almost exactly the case with my testing.

No change in fps when lowering resolution would definitely point to something aside from the video card. Can you try over or underclocking the cpu and see if the fps changes with cpu clock speed?

[GOPHUR]

Good news (maybe) is I have a 260 right here and a Win7 box.

bad news is gonna be that I've already tested it on this machine and don't REMEMBER having the issue. Will check again.

[Bacon55]

Good news (maybe) is I have a 260 right here and a Win7 box.

bad news is gonna be that I've already tested it on this machine and don't REMEMBER having the issue. Will check again.

Cc, I was testing just North of the barracks in offline, looking towards the tall forest.

Looking at the other trees to the NW my FPS is at 60 (Quality, vsync), when I look at the middle where the forest is deepest it immediately drops to 40. It made no difference what resolution I was at.

With Vsync off it goes from 110 looking at the deciduous forest to 34, 35 on the coniferous trees.

Edited May 20, 2010 by Bacon55

[drkaarme]

I had big performance issues too last night with .41 at stress test, with radial clutter minimum, shadows low etc i had luck if fps was 25 in Tilburg. Actually it didn't matter what i changed in options. Most of the time FPS was 11 or less in city which makes it unplayable.

Flying (anywhere put over city) worked fine, as did arounds of FB.

Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.100226-1909)

Language: Finnish (Regional Setting: Finnish)

System Manufacturer: System manufacturer

System Model: P5K

BIOS: BIOS Date: 12/12/07 19:31:03 Ver: 08.00.12

Processor: Intel® Core2 Duo CPU E6750 @ 2.66GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.7GHz

Memory: 4096MB RAM

Available OS Memory: 4096MB RAM

Page File: 3522MB used, 4665MB available

Windows Dir: C:\Windows

DirectX Version: DirectX 11

DX Setup Parameters: Not found

User DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)

System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)

DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled

DxDiag Version: 6.01.7600.16385 32bit Unicode

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

Display Devices

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

Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260

Manufacturer: NVIDIA

Chip type: GeForce GTX 260

DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC

Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_05E2&SUBSYS_23901682&REV_A1

Display Memory: 2668 MB

Dedicated Memory: 877 MB

Shared Memory: 1791 MB

Current Mode: 1680 x 1050 (32 bit) (60Hz)

Driver Name: nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um

Driver File Version: 8.17.0011.9745 (English)

Driver Version: 8.17.11.9745

DDI Version: 10

Driver Model: WDDM 1.1

Driver Attributes: Final Retail

Driver Date/Size: 4/4/2010 01:55:31, 11906664 bytes

[GOPHUR]

That's the native resolution, I've tried lowering it and it makes no difference.

The fact the framerate drops from 60 and stays hard at 40 regardless of what I'm looking at leads me to believe something else is wrong.

There is absolutely no way what is onscreen VISIBLY is actually pushing the hardware limitations of that card. It just isn't happening. Something is going on behind the scenes here.

I'm thinking it's a driver communications issue.

yeah it's probably a CPU limitation with the fronds or something.

[Bacon55]

yeah it's probably a CPU limitation with the fronds or something.

Would that explain why it's not a particularly smooth 40 FPS?

I get down to 40 (vsync) and lower in heavy battles earlier in beta, but it was smooth.

When I look at the conifers it's really quite choppy.

[Bacon55]

I just realized I have 6 gigs of my pagefile used...wtf is all that business?

[munchkin]

How many processes are running just after starting it up? Sounds to me like you have a load of stuff running.

[cobra516]

I believe I'm having a similar issue - seems to be only with infantry, flying down low over the same area is smooth as silk.

Running a Q9550 @ 3.61 ghz, EVGA 780i FTW board, 4 gigs GSkill RAM @ 850 mhz linked/sync'd and 2 x GTX 280 SSC's in SLI (running 32xQ anti aliasing), Vsync + triple buffering on. Running the 197.13 drivers and Win XP 32-bit.

Never had this type of issue before in game, but it's like the FPS will peg at 30, then jump to 60, if I keep my gaze on the same point for a few seconds - then if I look elsewhere, usually at trees, it'll bump back down to exactly 30 FPS and then try to jump back up. Seems like 30 is some kind of magic FPS #.

Edited May 24, 2010 by cobra516

[Bacon55]

How many processes are running just after starting it up? Sounds to me like you have a load of stuff running.

Very few.

Just the basic Windows apps.

Superfetching is off, as is Windows Search.

Whatever is eating up that pagefile isn't showing itself in Process Explorer.

[cobra516]

I turned shadows from high to low and now the FPS is between 60-90 fps while looking at terrain/trees in offline practice.

Very interesting how with shadows on medium or high it just self caps itself at ~30 FPS most of the time.

Running 1920x1080x32, everything maxed, 32xQ AA, 16x AF

[GOPHUR]

I turned shadows from high to low and now the FPS is between 60-90 fps while looking at terrain/trees in offline practice.

Very interesting how with shadows on medium or high it just self caps itself at ~30 FPS most of the time.

Running 1920x1080x32, everything maxed, 32xQ AA, 16x AF

High shadows is a killer. It shadows the radial clutter for Pete's sake. Unless you have monster rig stay at medium.

[cobra516]

In the stress tests online it doesn't seem to matter if the shadows are high or low, rather interesting. It seems to cap itself at exactly 30 most of the time if I'm looking at terrain/trees.

I don't think the GTX series of nvidia cards likes the engine or speedtrees. I'm certainly content with a consistent 30 fps, but it seems like the hardware is being held back for some odd reason.

*EDIT*

I think I found the problem regarding my 30 FPS cap. It seems that it only does this with Vsycn on, it'll fluctuate around 60, then all the sudden lock itself at 30 for the majority of the time.

With Vsync off, it seems to be about 15-20 FPS higher in the same areas where it was capped at 30 with it on. Very interesting. Makes me think that my monitor is out of sync displaying the frames from my video card, bummer.

Edited May 27, 2010 by cobra516

[Bacon55]

In the stress tests online it doesn't seem to matter if the shadows are high or low, rather interesting. It seems to cap itself at exactly 30 most of the time if I'm looking at terrain/trees.

I don't think the GTX series of nvidia cards likes the engine or speedtrees. I'm certainly content with a consistent 30 fps, but it seems like the hardware is being held back for some odd reason.

*EDIT*

I think I found the problem regarding my 30 FPS cap. It seems that it only does this with Vsycn on, it'll fluctuate around 60, then all the sudden lock itself at 30 for the majority of the time.

With Vsync off, it seems to be about 15-20 FPS higher in the same areas where it was capped at 30 with it on. Very interesting. Makes me think that my monitor is out of sync displaying the frames from my video card, bummer.

That is exactly what happens to me. Stays at 60, unless I look at certain trees, then it locks at 30.

[cobra516]

It seems that vsync is working with divisors of 60 - I never knew that's how it worked, but apparently it's so. I turned vsync off and I get better FPS. It plays ok at a solid 30 even at max quality on everything, at least it's consistent, but it does feel a bit sluggish.

I'll probably leave it off for ground pounding and turn it on for flying, since the tearing would be readily apparent with TrackIR.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2794/1 Talks about Buffering / Vsync

page 2

"While enabling vsync does fix tearing, it also sets the internal framerate of the game to, at most, the refresh rate of the monitor (typically 60Hz for most LCD panels). This can hurt performance even if the game doesn't run at 60 frames per second as there will still be artificial delays added to effect synchronization. Performance can be cut nearly in half cases where every frame takes just a little longer than 16.67 ms (1/60th of a second). In such a case, frame rate would drop to 30 FPS despite the fact that the game should run at just under 60 FPS. The elimination of tearing and consistency of framerate, however, do contribute to an added smoothness that double buffering without vsync just can't deliver."

"In other words, with triple buffering we get the same high actual performance and similar decreased input lag of a vsync disabled setup while achieving the visual quality and smoothness of leaving vsync enabled."

Seems that triple buffering may not be working/forceable via drivers in WWIIOL?

It's interesting how Vsync doesn't cause the same 30 fps cap in any of my other games, like Crysis or Aces High II, it'll still register one framerate intervals from 0 to 60.

Edited May 28, 2010 by cobra516

[GOPHUR]

In the stress tests online it doesn't seem to matter if the shadows are high or low, rather interesting. It seems to cap itself at exactly 30 most of the time if I'm looking at terrain/trees.

I don't think the GTX series of nvidia cards likes the engine or speedtrees. I'm certainly content with a consistent 30 fps, but it seems like the hardware is being held back for some odd reason.

*EDIT*

I think I found the problem regarding my 30 FPS cap. It seems that it only does this with Vsycn on, it'll fluctuate around 60, then all the sudden lock itself at 30 for the majority of the time.

With Vsync off, it seems to be about 15-20 FPS higher in the same areas where it was capped at 30 with it on. Very interesting. Makes me think that my monitor is out of sync displaying the frames from my video card, bummer.

1) In high pop areas it is the vehicles and infantry, not terrain or effects that tend to be the bottleneck.

2) That's what vsync does.

[munchkin]

I've done some testing here and I've found this:

With all settings in CCC (driver) to maximum performance I get a high increase in framerate with binos.

With all settings in CCC to maximum quality I get about a 50% loss in framerate with binos.

Haven't quite found which one that hurts framerate most though.

[elegance]

I've done some testing here and I've found this:

With all settings in CCC (driver) to maximum performance I get a high increase in framerate with binos.

With all settings in CCC to maximum quality I get about a 50% loss in framerate with binos.

Haven't quite found which one that hurts framerate most though.

AA+AF. Obviously.