29 replies to this topic

[RayBotiiC]

Thanks for all the help! Looks like the issues are resolved Post #26 is my results.

A couple of stipulations first if you don't mind:

• I do of course welcome any and all helpful feedback, but I will not be making any hardware purchases of any kind to resolve the issue. If my rig cannot run MWO, I'll simply move on for the time being and check in every once in a while to see if things have improved.
  
• If you don't have something positive to contribute to the thread please don't reply. I'm looking to resolve the issue, not debate cause or whinge about perceived injustices.

TLDR: Help! Want to play game, cannot figure out how to get FPS to a stable and enjoyable level. Any ideas?



I'm getting close to my wits end here and need a little help trying to improve some FPS issues I've been encountering. I frequently have FPS drop to as low as 8-15, making the game virtually unplayable. Even during the best of times I'm getting highs of mid 50s FPS (for short periods of time). Testing Grounds are of course much better. I don't even try max settings any longer.

Now, I don't play all that frequently (more of an occasional weekend warrior) but would really like to get back into playing MWO on a more frequent basis. I usually only get about 4 matches in before FPS issues become so annoying that I give up and go play something else. I'll be the first to admit that my patience and willingness to spend any significant amount of time trying to figure out the issues is next to nonexistent. There are too many other options out there for which I have no FPS issues that I've been simply playing something else. I'd rather that wasn't the case.

Here's my rig (not the best, but seems fine for just about everything else I try to play)

OS: Windows 8.1 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i7 4820K @ 3.70GHz 10 MB Cache
RAM: 16GB (4GBx4) DDR3/2133MHz Quad Channel Memory (Corsair Vengeance)
Board: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. X79-UP4 ATX
Graphics: 3071MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (EVGA)
HDD: Samsung SSD 840 EVO 500GB (SSD)
Powersupply: AZZA Titan 1000W
Monitor: BenQ 1ms GTG XL2720Z 27-inch 144Hz (1920x1080)

I've monitored the CPU, GPU, memory, bus utilization, temperatures and even when FPS is below 10 FPS I rarely see my CPU go above 20% utilization, GPU above 40%, and memory go beyond 1 GB utilization on the graphics card or 4 GB utilization on the PC side. I'll run the maintenance tool or do a wipe and reinstall occasionally and at best I see improved performance for a game or two before the quick dip into stutter land from which there seems to be no recovery.

I've tried all kinds of different video settings (DX9 & DX11) and a host of user.config profiles. I've actually never spent so much time trying to get a game into a consistently playable state as I have with MWO so I wouldn't be surprised if it was something simple that I've just overlooked.

Post #26 is my results. Again, thanks for all the suggestions and help.


EDIT: Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

EDIT 2: Adding link to post of what I tried and the good results I've seen. Thanks for all the help!

Edited by Waurgrim, 06 September 2014 - 12:22 PM.

[Theaus]

I'm running MWO on a laptop and I am lucky when my fps is out of the 20's and into the mid 30's and even to do that I have all settings at low and the anti-aliasing off, I read somewhere on forums that cutting off damage glow will buy you a few frames, but I've also found changing your screen resolution can also make a difference.

[ninjitsu]

Have you tried a custom user cfg? That usually helps.

[xWiredx]

Sounds kind of like it might be a power saving issue. Have you made sure that the power settings are set for maximum performance on both the Windows power settings and the Nvidia control panel?

[RayBotiiC]

Theaus: Thanks, I've also heard that and have tried it. It may have helped a little but in truth it still ends up dropping. I've adjusted the resolution some too but on a 27" monitor dropping the resolution significantly is not flattering but may be my only option.

ninjitsu, on 05 September 2014 - 08:33 AM, said:

Have you tried a custom user cfg? That usually helps.

I've tried almost every one I could find in the following threads:
http://mwomercs.com/...4-low-fps-help/
http://mwomercs.com/...e/page__st__340

I do see some changes at times but my FPS still seems to inevitably drop. Terra Therma, Crimson Straight and Canyon Network and HPG tend to be the worst maps for me.

[RazorbeastFXK3]

I recently found out that there are a lot of background programs that windows has running of which you don't even need to have active. There is a way to disable them through start -> run -> msconfig and there's another way too which escapes me at the moment. All I know is that after disabling a lot of the extra programs my computer's performance improved greatly.

Hope that helps.

Currently running WindowsXP, E2200 @ 2.2GHz dual core processor 3GB RAM 500GB HD with a 2GB GeForce GTX 650 XLR8.

The only map that gives me problems is the Caustic Valley whenever I get near the giant plumes of smoke but I'll be upgrading my desktop soon.

[RayBotiiC]

xWiredx, on 05 September 2014 - 08:39 AM, said:

Sounds kind of like it might be a power saving issue. Have you made sure that the power settings are set for maximum performance on both the Windows power settings and the Nvidia control panel?

I'm certain I've got it set for maximum performance in the Nvidia control panel, not sure about the windows setting. Wish I were home right now to check it out. I'll definitely check first thing after work, Thanks!.

[RayBotiiC]

RazorbeastFXK3, on 05 September 2014 - 08:45 AM, said:

I recently found out that there are a lot of background programs that windows has running of which you don't even need to have active. There is a way to disable them through start -> run -> msconfig and there's another way too which escapes me at the moment. All I know is that after disabling a lot of the extra programs my computer's performance improved greatly.

Hope that helps.

I'll take a look. I really only use this desktop for gaming so I'm willing to gut just about anything that isn't needed. I've set the priority on the MWO exe to test but as my CPU doesn't appear to be getting taxed I don't think that is helping at all.

Last night w/ a resolution of 1920 x 1080, DX9, motion blur off, v-sync off, damage glow off, everything else off or on low except Object Detail (Medium) and Texturing (High), Environment (High) I still had FPS drop to around 8 after a couple of matches. Seemed to start okay and still looked good enough to be enjoyable but performance did not last.

[Kuga ZA]

There's nothing you can do.

I also have a beast of a PC, and I get FPS drops. It's ****** optimization from the developers side.

http://mwomercs.com/...__fromsearch__1

[RayBotiiC]

Kuga ZA, on 05 September 2014 - 08:56 AM, said:

There's nothing you can do.

I also have a beast of a PC, and I get FPS drops. It's ****** optimization from the developers side.

http://mwomercs.com/...__fromsearch__1

Did you try out what 9erRed suggested?

9erRed, on 15 August 2014 - 04:58 PM, said:

...
- Additional D11 and 9c improvements are done but they are waiting for Nvidia to update there drivers before it can be implemented. (same with the CPU to GPU SLI code)

Update:
- The FE (front end) is capped at 60FPS, however looks like the way the FPS is being reported is wrong. If your computer can handle it set your sys_MaxFPS = 80 and you should see 80 FPS only in the game, FE will always be capped at 60 FPS.
...

9erRed

I may give that a try tonight after work. If it helps I'll let you know.

[Oderint dum Metuant]

Thing is, his system should play this game without too many problems.

We know hitting 60 FPS constant is a hard task but it should be 50's+ easily.

Aside from the power saving tip, it sounds like something is conflicting.

Have you tried running the MWO repair tool incase you have some corrupt files?

[Drake67]

I have heard of ports on router needing to be opened, and antivirus programs causing problems. another thing I know about is being on a cable type internet causing problems especially around the times people get home and start streaming netflix. just some thoughts.

[Brother MEX]

Waurgrim, on 05 September 2014 - 08:24 AM, said:

A couple of stipulations first if you don't mind:

• I do of course welcome any and all helpful feedback, but I will not be making any hardware purchases of any kind to resolve the issue. If my rig cannot run MWO, I'll simply move on for the time being and check in every once in a while to see if things have improved.

...


OS: Windows 8.1 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core i7 4820K @ 3.70GHz 10 MB Cache
RAM: 16GB (4GBx4) DDR3/2133MHz Quad Channel Memory (Corsair Vengeance)
Board: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. X79-UP4 ATX
Graphics: 3071MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (EVGA)
HDD: Samsung SSD 840 EVO 500GB (SSD)
Powersupply: AZZA Titan 1000W
Monitor: BenQ 1ms GTG XL2720Z 27-inch 144Hz (1920x1080)
...

Are you playing other games on this rig too ?
Do they run without problems ?

In the german speaking area of Europe we currently have problems with dealers selling faked NVIDIA graphic cards which have less than 25% of the performence they should have !
How old is your graphic card ? Can you ask your dealer to give you another card of the same or another manufacturer for testing if a faulty or faked graphic card is the issue of your problems ?
Do you have friends which can lend you another graphic card to test if your graphic card is the source of your problems ?

It may also be possible that you need to update the BIOS of your mainboard ... if you bought the mainboard or graphic card less than 6 months ago, it might be possible that your dealer can help you to solve your problem, dont hesitate to ask him !

To test if the problem originates from your HARDWARE or from the game, I suggest that you install a game which uses the same engine and needs even more perfomance than MWO ... I play MWO with Win8.1 64bit too on a Mac Book PRO 9,1 which has less powerfull hardware than your rig and dont have such FPU problems, so I am pretty sure that faulty or incompatible hardware is the source of your problems.

Edited by Brother MEX, 05 September 2014 - 11:17 AM.

[Goose]

So: Am I reading that the game plays fine for a few matches, then fps tanks? What about your cooling arrangements? Or anything else suggesting a memory leak?

Your 40% GPU load speaks of a CPU bottleneck; Your 20% CPU load … Is about information free on a quad-core with HyperThreading. Can I get you to install FRAPS & HWiNFO64? Make a few log files, then view them with GenericLogViewer, and see if you have the expected 85% on core #7 (3/1).

Particles, Shadows, Damage Glow, and Environment are all the first four things anyone turns down, so those should all be some combo of medium, low, or off; Object Detail adds a little load to everything, but if you are sort of Hz in the CPU, as I suspect, you might want that down to medium.

You probably also need to go to guru3d.com, pick a recent nVidia driver, and get a copy of DDU to clean out the old driver properly.

[RayBotiiC]

DV McKenna, on 05 September 2014 - 10:31 AM, said:

Have you tried running the MWO repair tool incase you have some corrupt files?

Indeed. Over the last 2-3 weeks I almost feel like I've run the repair tool as often as I've played the game. Even did a full reinstall at one point.

Drake67, on 05 September 2014 - 10:59 AM, said:

I have heard of ports on router needing to be opened, and antivirus programs causing problems. another thing I know about is being on a cable type internet causing problems especially around the times people get home and start streaming netflix. just some thoughts.

Thank you for the input. I'll double check the router. I've disabled all antivirus programs during gameplay and it doesn't appear to have had any effect. Time doesn't really seem to matter. I've had issues as early as 6:30 am ET all the way to as late as Midnight - 1 am ET. It's been a little while but as recently as 8 month ago I ran the game on a less robust laptop with relative ease with no problems at all (medium to high settings on everything).

Brother MEX, on 05 September 2014 - 11:14 AM, said:

Are you playing other games on this rig too ?

In the german speaking area of Europe we currently have problems with dealers selling faked NVIDIA graphic cards which have less than 25% of the performence they should have !
How old is your graphic card ? Can you ask your dealer to give you another card of the same or another manufacturer for testing if a faulty or faked graphic card is the issue of your problems ?
Do you have friends which can lend you another graphic card to test if your graphic card is the source of your problems ?

It may also be possible that you need to update the BIOS of your mainboard ... if you bought the mainboard or graphic card less than 6 months ago, it might be possible that your dealer can help you to solve your problem, dont hesitate to ask him !

To test if the problem originates from your HARDWARE or from the game, I suggest that you install a game which uses the same engine and needs even more perfomance than MWO ... I play MWO with Win8.1 64bit too on a Mac Book PRO 9,1 which has less powerfull hardware than your rig and dont have such FPU problems, so I am pretty sure that faulty or incompatible hardware is the source of your problems.

I have started playing a few other games on it but haven't spent much time with any of them yet (the rig is fairly new, to me):
Divinity: Original Sin
Half Life 2 (orange box)
Team Fortress 2
Planetside 2

I haven't tried Crysis 3 on it yet, though that is the closest option to the engine.

[RayBotiiC]

Goose, on 05 September 2014 - 11:19 AM, said:

So: Am I reading that the game plays fine for a few matches, then fps tanks? What about your cooling arrangements? Or anything else suggesting a memory leak?

Your 40% GPU load speaks of a CPU bottleneck; Your 20% CPU load … Is about information free on a quad-core with HyperThreading. Can I get you to install FRAPS & HWiNFO64? Make a few log files, then view them with GenericLogViewer, and see if you have the expected 85% on core #7 (3/1).

Particles, Shadows, Damage Glow, and Environment are all the first four things anyone turns down, so those should all be some combo of medium, low, or off; Object Detail adds a little load to everything, but if you are sort of Hz in the CPU, as I suspect, you might want that down to medium.

You probably also need to go to guru3d.com, pick a recent nVidia driver, and get a copy of DDU to clean out the old driver properly.

That is the impression I get, though there are times the first game is as low as 20 FPS. That could be more reflective of the map though. Certain maps seem to be more problematic than others but then the 4 maps I mentioned are the ones I see most often so that could be a bit of an issue with sample size.

The system is water cooled and the last time I logged the temps during play I was looking at 27 °C for the CPU, 35 °C for the motherboard, 32 °C for the Graphics card and 30 °C for the SSD. Granted I only played a few games before giving up for the night.

I'll try the FRAPS & HWiNFO64 but likely won't get to than until tomorrow morning, but I appreciate the suggestion.

Will definitely play with the Particles, Shadows, Damage Glow, and Environment settings for effect and see how that goes.

I'm running the latest Nvidia drivers from their site, is there any benefit to downloading them from guru3d.com instead?

Really appreciate all the info and suggestions.

[xWiredx]

You can use my system as a reference if you'd like, since I am currently using lesser hardware:

Core i7 2600K w/ hyperthreading ON @ 4.4GhZ (H50 cooler)
Samsung DDR3-1600 @ DDR3-1866 9-10-9
Galaxy GTX 660 Ti 2GB (second GTX 660 Ti is currently disabled, so no SLI)

Running mostly very high settings (a couple of them at high) in DX11 w/ damage glow on and motion blur off @ 1920x1080 (vsync OFF) and sit almost always between 50-80FPS (action and map-dependent).

Your system is better than my current one (my X99 stuff is in the mail for my 5820K build). You should be fine on FPS. I doubt hyperthreading has anything to do with it, or antivirus (I run Kaspersky on my desktop). I do not use a custom config file, either.

Some actual statistics would definitely help. It would be nice to be able to eliminate factors like heat, unstable overclocks, etc. and be able to see the actual behavior.

[IguanaBlue]

go to Nivida control panel ..select [Let the 3D application decided] worked for me and i have a 780 as well

[BINDLETORC]

Odd behavior you're seeing with the rig you have. As others have said, start with a monitoring tool that will identify heat and graphics issues (I always have MSI Afterburner running). Also, in your Nvidia control panel. in 3d settings, make sure you add the game and set it to let the 'application choose' for all presets until you can identify the specific problem.
If it is a new rig then I would certainly run a few benchmarks to see if there is a hardware error. Passmark and 3dmark11 are good ones but there are several others.
I hope you find something useful here and please keep us posted if you resolve the issue.

[RayBotiiC]

For any particular setting duggnice or did you mean everything?