93 replies to this topic

[itisasitis]

EDIT: Some positive testimonials below! Some are not seeing or feeling any change, while others are getting less microstuttering and a smoother running game.

Hi all,

Not at all sure this is the right place to post, so if possible please move the thread to a more suitable place. But I'd like to share as this really improved my fps (frames per second), and hopefully someone else can benefit as well!

I've had major fps issues in MWO despite decent hardware. I've been running an i5-2500k (stock 3.3 GHz, overclocked to 4.2 GHz) cpu but was getting poor performance, around 50-60 fps with everything on low, lots of stuttering, and slideshow-like performance in big fights.

Then I stumbled upon a setting in BIOS (motherboard is a Gigabyte P67A-D3-B3) called HPET (High Precision Event Timer). Out of curiosity I googled HPET, and it turns out that tweaking this function can have a major impact on performance of cpu-intensive games like MWO. HPET seems to be disabled by default in Windows 10, but there is a way of manually enabling it. Google it, as I'm not sure I am allowed to post such information in these threads. Basically it's just a command to write in the command prompt in admin mode.

I had had it enabled in BIOS, but decided to also enable it in Win10. Lo and behold, my fps basically doubled, with massive performance improvement in big fights and no more microstuttering. I used a program called "WinTimerTester 1.1" (again, google it) to check the so called "query performance frequency", and it now had the value that is supposed to be the high performance value (again, google it and you'll find out these values). When I tested this value before enabling in Win10 (just enabled in BIOS), I had a very poor value. (EDIT: In Wintersdark's post below there's a great tool for checking if you have it enabled or not.)

So, if you own a cpu similar to mine, if you experience poor performance, try tweaking the setting in BIOS and/or Windows to see if you can get better performance. I'll be happy to help out further in PM or in-game (in-game name octopec) !

Edited by octopec, 02 January 2016 - 08:49 AM.

[GreyNovember]

60 FPS is low performance?

[Deathlike]

This change seems to be system dependent... from a quick google search.

[Cyborne Elemental]

I read through alot of it, people say they got much smoother performance and less microstutter with it off, and then a wall of text from people saying the opposite ect.

It seems that HPET is the more advanced timing system for processors on modern systems, but I can't get any definitive answer on either side of the fence.

Myself personally, I ran through all my BIOS settings (Gigabyte board myself) and I run an I5-4670K @ 3.4 ghz, and couldn't find it in the BIOS.

Ran the test and while its there in device manager, it isn't enabled, as I got an error message in CMD prompt when I put in the line.

Without knowing exactly what it does, and the consequences of changing it, I dunno, I really don't want to mess with it.

Read that quite a few motherboard manufacturers have Opted out of supporting the feature, so not everyone has it.

Edited by Mister D, 02 January 2016 - 03:32 AM.

[itisasitis]

50-60 fps was basically when NOTHING was happening. In-fight, when you need the fps, was when it started to collapse.

Yes, very situational and system dependent from what I have read as well, but I thought that since it helped me so much I'd throw it out there. If just one more player can get the same boost as me I'm happy.

@Mister D, yes, it seems to be rare in modern motherboards/BIOS to have HPET options. And yes, there are lots of posts saying that disabling it is what solved their issues. Actually when I disabled it, I got MAD rubberbanding, totally unplayable. It was very easy to change back though, just enabled it in BIOS again.

@Mister D, that error message is because HPET is disabled in Win10 by default. I manually enabled it, and that's when the magic happened. If you googled and found how to enable it, you most likely also found the command for disabling it again. Apparently there is absolutely no risk of ruining anything by enabling/disabling again.

Again, I hope that someone else out there can get the same boost as me from this. If it works, fantastic. If not, at least you tried

Edited by octopec, 02 January 2016 - 08:51 AM.

[Wintersdark]

Deathlike, on 02 January 2016 - 02:30 AM, said:

This change seems to be system dependent... from a quick google search.

Helps some, not others. I suspect for most they won't see a change at all.

To enable it in Windows 10, with administrative priviledges:

bcdedit /set useplatformclock true

And, obviously, to disable it:

bcdedit /set useplatformclock false

And restart.

Note: Some bios will have a toggle, others won't. Those that don't will *usually* have it enabled all the time.

To find out if it's being used, the app here: http://www.bytemedev.../harmonic-help/ will check.

For me: There's no appreciable difference with it running or not.

Edited by Wintersdark, 02 January 2016 - 04:19 AM.

[itisasitis]

Thanks Winterdark, that program you linked seems like a much niftier way of checking the clock frequency and to enable/disable HPET.

[Cyborne Elemental]

Ok, I ran the tool and enabled HPET, and I do notice a difference in MWO.

Been running it for about an hour now, and while my top end isn't any different, I am noticing a much smoother FPS average.

Not noticing Microstutter anymore either, its definitely smoothing things out on average.

[itisasitis]

That's great to hear Mister D! Would be great to get some more positive testimonials that tweaking (enabling/disabling) HPET to get that 14 MHz "queryperformancefrequency" is indeed helping with fps and microstutter.

[Yosharian]

Testing now, will update in 15 mins

Edit: I need to get more data because I dropped on Crimson Straits and I don't have any recent recordings of that map. But it seems a little smoother.

Ok I'm not seeing drastic framerate improvement or anything. So my verdict, for my machine at least, is: inconclusive, possibly no change.

Edited by Yosharian, 02 January 2016 - 08:41 AM.

[JediPanther]

Good info. Bummer I'm amd system and mwo runs like a commodore 64 game on amd systems despite my system being double of what the recommended specs say to use. Us amd users get fubard so much from mwo my next rig will be pure intel and nvidia.

[Nighthog]

Tested the harmonac software, seems I've had it going on with my older computer with vista. Though my cpu still lacks the needed performance bottom line still to have decent performance

[itisasitis]

The key seems to be getting that frequency value to 14something MHz if you have it enabled. I was just chatting with a guy who tweaked it up to 14 MHz and he's testing it right now to see if it's better.

@JediPanther, that sucks. I've no idea if there's a similar tweak for AMD.

Edited by octopec, 02 January 2016 - 08:32 AM.

[Johny Rocket]

HPET= High Precision Event Timer.

Thanks for sharing octopec. Even if it only helps a few it helps.Certainly not limited to Win10. I ran into this when I got into 3D printing, I was trying to run Slic3r on a potato with no graphics card. I do believe the reason for the bios toggle and the factory set false is on lower end machines it was a resource hog. If your bios doesn't show it, its auto on.

Never thought about it with this rig because it was built ground up for 3D rendering, but I will have a peek. Running an MSI motherboard, lots of toggles in there, hell I can surf the web and email from bios.

[itisasitis]

I repeat that according to all sources I have seen so far, there is absolutely no risk of damaging anything by turning it on in Windows. If for some reason it messes up your performance, just turn it off. So don't be scared of trying it.

The guy I just spoke to didn't notice any change after a few games, so it seems kind of hit or miss. Same for Yoshiaran above: possibly a bit smoother, but no big change. I doubt that many will see the huge fps improvement I saw, but getting rid of microstuttering is really nice as well.

Edited by octopec, 02 January 2016 - 08:44 AM.

[Sable]

Octopec, your first post was the most annoying internet thing to read. How many times are you to tell me to google something. Please don't post a thread where the main theme is go look it up yourself when you could just tell us. Reminds me of a teacher i had in elementry when you'd ask her what a word meant she would tell you to look in the dictionary. Sure thats one way to find out and another is for you to freakin team me since you already know.

[Lostdragon]

JediPanther, on 02 January 2016 - 08:25 AM, said:

Good info. Bummer I'm amd system and mwo runs like a commodore 64 game on amd systems despite my system being double of what the recommended specs say to use. Us amd users get fubard so much from mwo my next rig will be pure intel and nvidia.

I built a lot of AMD rigs but after the disaster of the new FX series I have sworn them off. Intel is just leaps and bounds ahead right now. I hate it because when AMD was releasing good products the competition was good for everyone, but AMD has just not been making good gaming CPUs.

Thinking about it makes me really sad. I used to have an amazing rig I really loved that I built in a Koolance case with an AMD CPU with a massive overclock and a Radeon 9700 (when that was the best card out there). That rig could run circles around my buddies' Intel rigs at the time.

Edited by Lostdragon, 02 January 2016 - 08:56 AM.

[Yosharian]

Sable, on 02 January 2016 - 08:50 AM, said:

Octopec, your first post was the most annoying internet thing to read. How many times are you to tell me to google something. Please don't post a thread where the main theme is go look it up yourself when you could just tell us. Reminds me of a teacher i had in elementry when you'd ask her what a word meant she would tell you to look in the dictionary. Sure thats one way to find out and another is for you to freakin team me since you already know.

My understanding is that he didn't post the information because he was worried it would be against the rules?

Personally I found his post quite helpful.

[Monkey Lover]

Sable, on 02 January 2016 - 08:50 AM, said:

Octopec, your first post was the most annoying internet thing to read. How many times are you to tell me to google something. Please don't post a thread where the main theme is go look it up yourself when you could just tell us. Reminds me of a teacher i had in elementry when you'd ask her what a word meant she would tell you to look in the dictionary. Sure thats one way to find out and another is for you to freakin team me since you already know.

A lot of forums do not allow you to link to other software this is why he did it.

[itisasitis]

Wow Sable, that was really on topic wasn't it? Just waiting to pounce on some evil forum user. If you need to be spoon-fed information I feel sorry for you. I think most will disagree that the main idea of the thread is to "go look it up yourself" - I believe I gave quite good help on a very specific topic, and several others such as Wintersdark have helped out further.

The reason I wrote "google it" is because sometimes forums don't allow external links etc. , and I don't want to get warned/banned or have the thread taken down. Not sure what your level of reading comprehension is, but:

"Google it, as I'm not sure I am allowed to post such information in these threads"

Why am I even commenting on such a useless post...

Edited by octopec, 02 January 2016 - 09:00 AM.