Tricky one: constant pattern - FPS drop then up

[andrei 10]

Hello guys,

my problem is that no matter the mission, island, addons, my game always follows a pattern: FPS are ok at first place for lets say 3 minutes (ex: steady 70 FPS) then it drops for 1-2 minutes (ex: drops to a steady 10-15 FPS) then comes back again to the 70FPS, and all goes over and over again.

My specs:

AMD Phenon II x4 920 (2,8ghz)

XFX GTX260 448bit bus 896 MB RAM GDDR3 (driver updated)

4 GB RAM dual channel DD2 running at 1066mhz (Bios configured and frequency checked with Everest)

500 GB HD 7200 RPM

20´ Samsung Monitor 1600x900

Win7 Ultimate 64bit

I have done several tests, and with a monitor programm I have seen that my ram is always at 45-55% usage, CPU usage reachs 80% tops, and GPU/CPU temps are pretty normal. Basycally the programm shows that my machine has plenty resources.

what I have done so far, with no changes:

Tried the commands like -winxp; -maxmem=2047; -cpucount=2 or 4; turned Vsync off; altered the localVRAM value to the rigth one (896 MB in bytes); altered scene complexity and 3D performance to values below the stock; run the game as admin; run in winXP compatibilty mode, run the game in -window.

As for PhysX, with this new driver I cant disable it, the only options I have are either select the CPU or the GPU to work with PhysX. When I had WinXP I could disable it, with no changes to the issue.

The game is freshly installed after a very recent format and install all from the scratch, and the funny thing is that when I had WinXP I had this same problem.

I hope this can help you guys help me, and if you need more info just let me know.

Thanks a lot, Andrei.

_________________________________________________________________

This issue was solved. What I did was a full format, but not any major changes.

Then with AMD Overdrive and PC Wizard, I realized that when the game was OK on the good FPS rate, the voltage and clock of all cores was 1.35v and 2800mhz. When the game stuttered with low FSP, the voltage and clock on all cores was 1.05 and 800mhz. I solved once for all the issue buying a 700 W power suply with 85% efficiency.

Thank you all!

Edited December 21, 2010 by andrei
Solved

[maturin 12]

I have a similar problem with a much weaker laptop and low average framerates.

My best guess is that it has something to do with temperature. Are your temps normal as in comparable to other games or are they just still in the safe window?

Also, does this happen when you are stationary on a blank map, running around Utes, or only when lots of AI are fighting?

[Touch Off 10]

All I can recommend is that you update drivers and maybe tweak the BIOS for energy saving features pertaining to the AMD CPU you use.

I'd make sure your system isn't attempting to work on something else at this point, likelihood being AntiVirus software but also could be another background service or maybe malware. When format I do a repartition and full format instead of a quick format so I can be sure any trace of corrupt MFT or malware is removed.

Personally I wouldn't bother tweaking things like the memory and shortcuts, ARMA should detetc what your system is capable of and run smoothly, leaving you to then tweak a little further if needs be. Disable things like Cool n QUiet in the BIOS but mostly I'd try and see what bakcground services you have running and disable as many as I could that relate to programs I'd installed since getting the OS up and running

[andrei 10]

thanks for the replies.

This issue happens in a mission in the desert map, with only me and nothilg else on the mission. It happens too if there are numerous units, doing nothing, or fighting. Whats happens is that if the mission is ligth, my FPS are better, and if its heavy, they are worse, but anyways they follow the pattern good frames - slow frames - good frames - slow frames, over and over again.

I didnt compare the temp when playing other games, but will do and tell. I will also post a SS on the software that monitors everything both when the frames are good and bad.

Thanks

[andrei 10]

some new info:

This is a SS when in good frames

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/1557/goodframes.jpg > 100kb

and here a SS when in bad frames

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/108/framesbad.jpg > 100kb

Mission was composed of me, an Striker and two more soldiers, on the desert map. No enemies.

As you can see the CPU/RAM usage and temps are normal.

Disabling Cool and Quiet at BIOS made my game crash. I will give it another try. What are the other options I could change in BIOS about energy saving?

Edited December 13, 2010 by Zipper5
Images > 100kb

[-)rStrangelove 0]

Make sure you switch off all CPU virtualisation in BIOS. Anything automatic can be a problem.

[rubberkite 19]

I don't think that is a problem hw related, I suffer same issue, at start of mission I've very good FPS during the game the FPS get lower and stuttering, this can be reproduced flying with high view distance for a while and after a general FPS drop occur with stuttering that make game almost unplayable

I hope that next patch will fix this problem that maybe caused by rpt flood or other bug with file management or with ram fragmentation...

[Touch Off 10]

If disabling Cool n Quiet in BIOS makes your game crash then that's not good....

It would tell me that you probably have a poorly seated heatsink and the CPU is getting too hot. 61 degrees seems a little hot anyway when just running it at 60% load.

I'd also say that running other apps and things like gamebooster? (whatisthat?) would be a unnecessary. Dunno.

[andrei 10]

Sorry for the over KB images.

1) What do you mean by disabling every CPU virtualisation in BIOS? Can you be more specific on what things I must disable?

2) What can I do to check if the heatsink is poorly placed? Gamebooster is a programm that disables unnecessary process running and can unfrag game directories.

Thanks all for helping!

[ast65 10]

I'd also say that running other apps and things like gamebooster? (whatisthat?) would be a unnecessary. Dunno.

Gamebooster does what you suggested, it disables unnecessary background services with one click so you don´t have to mess in msconfig or so.

Furthermore it can optimize your gaming performance and you can defrag and optimize selected games.

It´a quite usefull tool if you are no IT crack and can increase performance on weaker systems.

Running it on my system (I7, HD 5850) I feel no difference, though, so I have to agree it may normally be unnecessary.

uups, sry, didn´t read previous post thoroughly

Edited December 14, 2010 by @ST
imstupid

[-)rStrangelove 0]

Your CPU features:

* MMX

* 3DNow!

* SSE

* SSE2

* SSE3

* SSE4a

* Advanced Bit Manipulation

* AMD64 technology

* AMD-V (virtualization) technology

* Enhanced Virus Protection

Low power features

* Cool'n'Quiet 3.0

* CoolCore Technology

* Dual Dynamic Power Management

So i'd say try to find that AMD-V feature in your BIOS and switch it off.

Same with all the Low power features. ArmA2 needs all the power it can get. If something has an dynamic effect on your CPU you'll get dynamic fps in ArmA2, as simple as that.

Btw: you didnt tell us your MB and your BIOS version. Hard to tell you something specific.

[andrei 10]

OK, some news:

I have done a full format on all my drives, a clean Win7 Ultimate 64bit install and Arma II/OA install.

I decided that because I realised that previously I had done the quick format, so I could be having some interference with past operational system files.

And apparently I was, cause now I can play almost 10 minutes on the good steady FPS rate, before having a slowdown/stutter/FPS drop of aprox. 40 seconds.

So I am pretty sattisfied now, but maybe I could get rid of the stutter once and for all, that would be awesome.

My MoBo is MA478. I post again to say the BIOS version.

I thank you all for the patience and attention to my issue, and hope you keep on checking this thread.

Sincerely, Andrei

[andrei 10]

The problem was solved. I am replying to put it up on the list, and help share the sollution.

I advise all guys that are having similar issues to monitor both the voltage that your processors receive as well the clock!