How to avoid GPU underclock in multiplayer?

[smashwings 10]

Hello, I've been reading about the low GPU usage in multiplayer only, which I'm affected too, and noticed that the only change in multiplayer is that my GPU underclocks right after mission starts, before (in menu or singleplayer) GPU is top clock.

Is there a way to force the GPU clock to it's max? Have tried with MSi Afterburner, and ASUS GPU Tweak, but automatic reduction of clock is present.

Menu screen, High GPU usage, 49 degrees celsius, Top Clock 1163 core, 3005 mhz ( 6010 mhz in gpu tweak) mem

Full Resolution http://imageshack.us/a/img89/3086/7ftu.jpg (366 kB)

Showcase infantry, High GPU usage, 50 degrees celsius, Top Clock 1163 core, 3005 mhz ( 6010 in gpu tweak) mem

Full Resolution http://imageshack.us/a/img191/783/dxjs.jpg (698 kB)

Multiplayer Altis, Low GPU Usage, low temp 37 degrees celsius, low clock 784 core, 810 mhz (1620 in gpu tweak) mem

Full Resolution http://imageshack.us/a/img5/9954/tkq7.jpg (382 kB)

The "good" thing is that my GPU is cold as ice playing ARMA3! :p :confused:

CPU: Duo E8400 3.91 ghz

GPU: Asus 660ti OC

[Furret 0]

It wont make the game perform any better, but here's how to do it:

open up your Nvidia control panel and look at 'manage 3d settings'

Find arma3 in the list

set 'power management mode' to max.

No idea what to do with AMD hardware.

[smashwings 10]

It wont make the game perform any better, but here's how to do it:

open up your Nvidia control panel and look at 'manage 3d settings'

Find arma3 in the list

set 'power management mode' to max.

No idea what to do with AMD hardware.

Thanks, forgot to mention I already put this option in Nvidia control panel, also different tweaks in launch options, arma.cfg, etc. So I only find that the GPU underclocks (only in MP), I know it should be an issue between "GPU driver-operative system-Game engine" or whatever but if I could force the clock maybe it gets better.

(My OS Windows 7 64 Bits)

[tonygrunt 10]

AFAIK at least for 6xx nvidia cards the only way to force maximum 3d clocks is by using nvidia inspector or maybe a bios mod with locked clocks.

Don't expect much improvement if any, the card underclocks because there isn't enough workload from the game.

You can use the untapped power of your card for higher levels of AA and other graphics options.

[Greenfist 1863]

There's nothing wrong with your GPU clock, it's the game.

GPU lowers the frequency because it doesn't have anything more it could do.

Most likely the MP server or your CPU is the bottleneck and cause for the low FPS.

If you want high GPU usage and clock rate, set every graphic setting to max and AA to 64xCSAA or something. But FPS will not get higher.

[smashwings 10]

Have downloaded Nvidia inspector but does not lock the clocks so get the same result.

Tried a lot of MP servers , have the same issue in all of them.

Also thought of bottleneck, but in Single player there is no bottleneck and the engine is the same, and cpu is not at full load also in MP (in SP more CPU usage than MP, as expected however).

[k3lt 3]

You can put 3 Titans into your rig and fps will remain the same because you're CPU bound.

[tonygrunt 10]

Have downloaded Nvidia inspector but does not lock the clocks so get the same result.

Here is a guide but again I don't recommend it, any improvement would be minimal.

Tried a lot of MP servers , have the same issue in all of them.

Also thought of bottleneck, but in Single player there is no bottleneck and the engine is the same, and cpu is not at full load also in MP (in SP more CPU usage than MP, as expected however).

This is all hypothetical (only BI Devs know) but in MP your fps is depended by the server performance (server fps).

Worst case scenarios your fps can be affected by low bandwidth, problematic clients, script errors etc.

[smashwings 10]

Here is a guide but again I don't recommend it, any improvement would be minimal.

This is all hypothetical (only BI Devs know) but in MP your fps is depended by the server performance (server fps).

Worst case scenarios your fps can be affected by low bandwidth, problematic clients, script errors etc.

thanks, have followed the guide and locked the clocks, but there is no difference, so at least I tested that option.

Fixed clock

Default clock

[jurrasstoil 10]

Yeah, your CPU bottlenecks the fps.

I mean, next time you get bad fps, try lowering all you graphic settings to the lowest setting and your resolution to 640x480. You'll see that your fps won't improve.

[smashwings 10]

Yeah, your CPU bottlenecks the fps.

I mean, next time you get bad fps, try lowering all you graphic settings to the lowest setting and your resolution to 640x480. You'll see that your fps won't improve.

But only bottleneck in multiplayer is possible? in single player I get over 50 all the time at same settings

[war34d 10]

But only bottleneck in multiplayer is possible? in single player I get over 50 all the time at same settings

It's the issue with Game Engine. I have the same GPU and if i spawn as the only player in editor and use ultra settings (except for AA) i get 60 fps with 90% GPU usage. But if i put some AI and vehicles on the map and give them waypoints, in short as the scripting and object on the map increases the gpu usage decreases along side with fps rate. Just wait and hope that in the final build this issue will be fixed.

[galzohar 31]

But only bottleneck in multiplayer is possible? in single player I get over 50 all the time at same settings

Short answer: Yes, it's possible. It even makes sense that you are cpu-bound if in single player with nothing for your CPU to do you get 50 FPS all the time. Having lower FPS when drawing the exact same scene obviously means that your graphics card is not the issue... With E8400 that makes sense, too.

[jurrasstoil 10]

But only bottleneck in multiplayer is possible? in single player I get over 50 all the time at same settings

Yep, you are basically struggling with the same issue a lot of other people are struggling with as well.

The Sticky about Low CPU utilization & Low FPS is strongly connected to this problem. CPUs that should be able to handle at least somewhat playable framerates are bottlenecking the entire system. You have to throw an unreasonable amount of high singlecore power (ie. current intel cpus) at the engine to get even barely playable performance. This problem is as old as the RV engine itself unfortunately. So, yeah, don't get your hopes up too high. I mean, maybe the additional press and customers that the DayZ craze brought to bohemia might pressure them into fixing it (or at least try to).

[Deadfast 43]

But only bottleneck in multiplayer is possible? in single player I get over 50 all the time at same settings

Yes, the CPU has to take care of the network synchronization which is obviously not needed in singleplayer.

[k3lt 3]

Yes, the CPU has to take care of the network synchronization which is obviously not needed in singleplayer.

Or any other game.

[Gera_CCT 12]

It's the issue with Game Engine. I have the same GPU and if i spawn as the only player in editor and use ultra settings (except for AA) i get 60 fps with 90% GPU usage. But if i put some AI and vehicles on the map and give them waypoints, in short as the scripting and object on the map increases the gpu usage decreases along side with fps rate. Just wait and hope that in the final build this issue will be fixed.

You have no idea how i hope for this. SP is fine even in Altis. But MP i got 20% GPU usage and 15 Fps...unplayable

[fabio_chavez 103]

blow up 3d resolution 120% 150% 200% whatever your gpu is able to perform without fps impact beyond CPU bottlenecking...

[WalkerDown 1]

It's neither GPU or CPU bottleneck, it's engine problem. If you enable your CPU usage as well... you'll notice that your CPU is used by around 30% as well (depending of your clock). There's nothing you can do, even by purchasing the top CPU and 3 titans, you'll never have high (with high I mean 60+) FPS in multiplayer (on any server).

[jurrasstoil 10]

It's neither GPU or CPU bottleneck, it's engine problem. If you enable your CPU usage as well... you'll notice that your CPU is used by around 30% as well (depending of your clock). There's nothing you can do, even by purchasing the top CPU and 3 titans, you'll never have high (with high I mean 60+) FPS in multiplayer (on any server).

Of course not, but you'll have at least barely playable fps. I had the same problem and switched from an old Phenom II X4 to a Xeon 1230v3. On the same servers, with the same mission/mod/map and same amount of players i now have playable fps. They are still not great, but what I'd consider somewhat playable.

However, like I said before, this should not be necessary. A decent Quadcore like a Phenom II X4 or a Q6600/Q9550 should be able to give you playable fps in MP.

I guess we mean the same thing and are arguing over semantics really. For me, it's a CPU bottleneck, but one that is the engine's fault.

[xXxatrush1987 10]

It's neither GPU or CPU bottleneck, it's engine problem. If you enable your CPU usage as well... you'll notice that your CPU is used by around 30% as well (depending of your clock). There's nothing you can do, even by purchasing the top CPU and 3 titans, you'll never have high (with high I mean 60+) FPS in multiplayer (on any server).

wrong:

play on servers not hosted by total retards and you will get high fps with decend hardware, the core2duo mentioned cant get a toast toasted in multiplayer, if just a slightly amount off ai is present(sync,etc).

if the server is hosted with headless client(like shacktactical and many other arma communities do when playing missions with high amount ai, watch shacktactical vids to get a feeling how high fps can get even with 1k ai on the field with 40+ real players) even a i3 dualcore can play decent fps in arma 3, but a 4ghz core2duo is outperformed by any core i3 for ~100€/$ at stock clock.

we play crcti with avarage 400+ bots, server above 40fps, and no one gets lower 35fps unless his cpu is incapable of crunching arma3 that fast even in singleplayer.

if you want to play for example the mostly horrible done wasteland, you will see even core i7 4.5ghz will cripple around 20fps, but thats mostly cause the server sucks, not your pc or arma.

of cause arma still needs more performance optimization overall, but that has nothing to do with all that horrible hosted servers.

[St. Jimmy 272]

What xXxathrush1987 said is very true. Bad fps in multiplayer mostly have to do with bad host or mission or both. On other server you can play whole session of 30 men domination with 40fps but on another server you can't get over 20fps. Great host has great impact.

[maddogx 13]

What xXxathrush1987 said is very true. Bad fps in multiplayer mostly have to do with bad host or mission or both.

That's all well and good, but it doesn't change the fact that this is still a pretty serious issue that needs to be fixed. In Arma2, if a mission is badly designed or the host can't keep up, you will see some negative effects (like slow/stupid AI), but at least your framerate won't be so badly affected.

There's a big difference between barely playable and completely unplayable.

[spanishsurfer 58]

Like others have mentioned, if you join a server and your FPS are low...find a different server. Your FPS are directly linked to the server FPS, and there are many people out there who host missions and have no idea how to properly implement those missions.

[jagdtiger74 10]

I saw something from the guys working on DayZ and he was talking about a Sync Bubble. If I understood correctly this means you as player get only the relevant information about the stuff that happens in the bubble around you. Does that happen too in ARMA3 or are the players fed all the information that happen lets say on Altis regardless of their position on the map?

Just wondering...