Bad FPS wheat do I need to buy?

[jrod 10]

Please help I have horrible fps and it ruins the game

i5 3450 3.2ghz

8gb ram

nvida GTX 660 SC

would overclocking my gpu or cpu help?

i play bf3 at 60-120 all day on ultra!

cpu and gpu usage are not even maxed out when playing arma 3!!!!!!

wtf =(

[jurrasstoil 10]

You have to buy hardware that doesn't exist. Join one of the multiple threads discussing this problem:

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?147533-Low-CPU-utilization-amp-Low-FPS

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?162894-re-Beyond-recommended-requirements-Terrible-Performance

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?162258-FPS-SP-is-great-MP-is-horrid-Tried-several-community-suggestions-Still-lost

[christianmo 10]

ATM the game will not take advantage of near of 100% of GPU and CPU power, no game will, but Arma 3 seems worse at it in its current state than most games in my opinion. Try lowering the view distance since it is one of the factors that impact FPS the most.

[windies 11]

Basically what they're saying. There's no CPU out there that will give you good performance because the RV engine which ArmA is built on is scaled for "mostly" one core for all of it's processing. You can find video and quotes of the developers saying it themselves, The engine was built at a time when Multicore CPU's were a dream and it would require a lot of work to fix it.

You can alleviate it by trying to overclock as much as possible. But you're still going to run into problems. It's something that BI will have to fix.

[jrod 10]

thanks for the replies guys

[Cormega 0]

The engine was built at a time when Multicore CPU's were a dream and it would require a lot of work to fix it.

This is what kills me about Arma and BI in general. This is the 800lb gorilla in the room. The game (Arma III) is made with an out dated engine. Would it really have been too much to ask to use a newer engine? Officially the beta ends tomorrow and I'm so NOT excited about it at all. Unbelievable!

[David77 10]

Please help I have horrible fps and it ruins the game

i5 3450 3.2ghz

8gb ram

nvida GTX 660 SC

would overclocking my gpu or cpu help?

i play bf3 at 60-120 all day on ultra!

cpu and gpu usage are not even maxed out when playing arma 3!!!!!!

wtf =(

Not saying the game is super optimized, but, alot of people join unoptimized missions. That combined with a packed server & having to run their settings on ultra + 10k VD. Then they come here & essentially complain to BIS about someone elses bad code or because there were 900 Ai on the map, none ofe'm cached... things like that. The series has always been demanding. And people will always stuff the envelope & then complain about it. Also, comparing BF3 on ultra to Arma is comparing apples to oranges... in a major way.

You don't need a new rig. Some things you guys could try is unparking your cores, setting the game to "high" priority with the -high startup parameter & using -nosplash, -maxmem & -cpucount startup parameters. One more thing, it's a given, but.. make sure your pc is in top shape.

example of startup parameters:

-noSplash -cpuCount=8 -high -maxMem=6144

Below is a startup parameter guide to help you with these things.

1. Go to Steam Library
2. Go to "Arma 3" Right Click then select "Properties"
3. Select "Set Launch Options"

For AMD CPU users:
AMD Dual Core with 4GB System Ram:
"-noSplash -cpuCount=2 -high"
AMD Quad Core with 4GB Ram:
"-noSplash -cpuCount=4 -high"
AMD Six Core with 4GB Ram:
"-noSplash -cpuCount=6 -high"
AMD Eight Core with 4GB Ram:
"-noSplash -cpuCount=8 -high"
______________________________________________

If your running more than 8GB Ram then apply this to the end of the launch line:
"-maxMem=8192"
This will allow your game to utilize 8GB system Ram instead of 4GB.
______________________________________________

Intel CPU:
For Hyperthreaded CPU's such as a Quad Core you will apply this:
-cpuCount=8
This will enable your Hyperthreads on your CPU so your CPU will act as an eight core when running Arma 3.
If you are running a Hyperthreaded Six Core then:
-cpuCount=12
If you are running a Hyperthreaded Eight Core or Eight Core Xeon then apply this:
-cpuCount=16
If you are running just a non Hyperthreaded CPU such as a Quad Core then select "4" instead of "8" same for a Dual Core you will select "2" instead of "4".
All AMD CPU's are NOT Hyperthreaded so Hyperthreaded options is highly not recommended as this can cause system failure or damage.
I will not be responible for system failure and damage if you choose to select more cores then you have on your command line!

-high:
makes your operating system prioritize services and processes to run your game better but this can cause system failure and instability if you dont have a good running system. If you Overclock this can cause system instability.
-noSplash:
disables startup videos and advertisements.
-cpuCount=#:
enables extra CPU cores and Hyperthreads.
-maxMem=#:
when set to "6144" (6GB) and up lets your game use more system Ram then 4GB.
Do not set to higher than 4GB if you dont have at least 8GB. You can set to "8192" (8GB) if you have 12GB+ Ram.

Edited September 12, 2013 by David77

[ric 1]

Please help I have horrible fps and it ruins the game

i5 3450 3.2ghz

8gb ram

nvida GTX 660 SC

would overclocking my gpu or cpu help?

i play bf3 at 60-120 all day on ultra!

cpu and gpu usage are not even maxed out when playing arma 3!!!!!!

wtf =(

get a SSD

OC your CPU

And stay away from heavily scripted/AI servers

the engine is dependent on the power of core 0, the higher the clock/architecture the better it will perform.

[St. Jimmy 272]

OC CPU helps in Arma. OC GPU doesn't help that much because when your CPU is bottleneck it doesn't matter. Edited September 12, 2013 by St. Jimmy

[tonygrunt 10]

Not saying the game is super optimized, but, alot of people join unoptimized missions. That combined with a packed server & having to run their settings on ultra + 10k VD. Then they come here & essentially complain to BIS about someone elses bad code or because there were 900 Ai on the map, none ofe'm cached... things like that. The series has always been demanding. And people will always stuff the envelope & then complain about it. Also, comparing BF3 on ultra to Arma is comparing apples to oranges... in a major way.

You don't need a new rig. Some things you guys could try is unparking your cores, setting the game to "high" priority with the -high startup parameter & using -nosplash, -maxmem & -cpucount startup parameters. One more thing, it's a given, but.. make sure your pc is in top shape.

example of startup parameters:

-noSplash -cpuCount=8 -high -maxMem=6144

Below is a startup parameter guide to help you with these things.

1. Go to Steam Library
2. Go to "Arma 3" Right Click then select "Properties"
3. Select "Set Launch Options"

For AMD CPU users:
AMD Dual Core with 4GB System Ram:
"-noSplash -cpuCount=2 -high"
AMD Quad Core with 4GB Ram:
"-noSplash -cpuCount=4 -high"
AMD Six Core with 4GB Ram:
"-noSplash -cpuCount=6 -high"
AMD Eight Core with 4GB Ram:
"-noSplash -cpuCount=8 -high"
______________________________________________

If your running more than 8GB Ram then apply this to the end of the launch line:
"-maxMem=8192"
This will allow your game to utilize 8GB system Ram instead of 4GB.
______________________________________________

Intel CPU:
For Hyperthreaded CPU's such as a Quad Core you will apply this:
-cpuCount=8
This will enable your Hyperthreads on your CPU so your CPU will act as an eight core when running Arma 3.
If you are running a Hyperthreaded Six Core then:
-cpuCount=12
If you are running a Hyperthreaded Eight Core or Eight Core Xeon then apply this:
-cpuCount=16
If you are running just a non Hyperthreaded CPU such as a Quad Core then select "4" instead of "8" same for a Dual Core you will select "2" instead of "4".
All AMD CPU's are NOT Hyperthreaded so Hyperthreaded options is highly not recommended as this can cause system failure or damage.
I will not be responible for system failure and damage if you choose to select more cores then you have on your command line!

-high:
makes your operating system prioritize services and processes to run your game better but this can cause system failure and instability if you dont have a good running system. If you Overclock this can cause system instability.
-noSplash:
disables startup videos and advertisements.
-cpuCount=#:
enables extra CPU cores and Hyperthreads.
-maxMem=#:
when set to "6144" (6GB) and up lets your game use more system Ram then 4GB.
Do not set to higher than 4GB if you dont have at least 8GB. You can set to "8192" (8GB) if you have 12GB+ Ram.

AFAIK -high does not exist, can't remember a dev ever mentioning it, BI wiki doesn't mention it, when I check task manager priority hasn't changed and if you string search arma3.exe it doesn't pop up with the other command line switches.

And -maxmem doesn't use more than 2047, anything more defaults to 2047, with recent confirmation from 2 Devs.

ye the -maxmem= is softcoded to 2047, more (e.g. 3071) wasn't yet added ... (at least i'm not aware of that)

..........

Ahh, my apologies, I have simply copy pasted it. The limit is 2047 but it's also a little bit more complex - see here for more details: http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?152866-Development-branch-discussion&p=2481817&viewfull=1#post2481817

Here is some more info about memory usage and a workaround for increasing available memory to 3GB (I think it's needed only for 32-bit windows).

Hey guys,

we have changed memory limits on 32bit OS to improve Altis performance, as described here http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?149636-Beta-Development-branch-changelog&p=2481746&viewfull=1#post2481746.

I'll try to explain what is it about in more detail and I'll offer a workaround for the problem.

Description

Processes on 32bit OS are by default limited to 2GB of virtual memory. Arma 3 detects this and sets its internal virtual memory limit accordingly. Before the change this meant 768MB. The number might seem low but it's purpose is to give Arma 3 big enough reserve for the internal memory manager to allocate and deallocate memory dynamically based on the mission and situation. Unfortunatelly this limit was rather low for Altis which resulted in too many allocations/deallocations which completely killed FPS.

We have increased the limit to 1.2GB so the memory manager is able to hold Altis in memory (which fixed the performance issue) but it decreases the reserve. The drawback is that in certain situations where the memory manager cannot (or is not quick enough to) free enough memory the game might crash with an "Out of memory" error. This might be for example problematic with bigger view distance because: bigger view distance -> more objects -> more memory.

The internal virtual memory limit can be overriden with the -maxmem parameter but note that it only takes 3/4 of the number for the virtual memory:

Example:

 arma3.exe -maxmem=1600 (sets virtual memory limit to 1.2GB)

So you can experiment with the number and see what works best for you but the truth is that with the 2GB system limit there is not much room to work with.

Workaround

A workaround for this problem is to tell windows to change the 2GB memory limit to 3GB. Arma 3 will detect this and change internal limits automatically so there's no need to override with -maxmem parameter. With this workaround you shouldn't have any problems with performance or stability.

The system limit has to be changed manually but the process is fairly simple. Described for example here: http://dwf.blogs.com/beyond_the_paper/2009/04/enabling-3gb-switch-on-windows-vista.html.

TL;DR Please stop spreading misinformation.

[David77 10]

AFAIK -high does not exist, can't remember a dev ever mentioning it, BI wiki doesn't mention it, when I check task manager priority hasn't changed and if you string search arma3.exe it doesn't pop up with the other command line switches.

And -maxmem doesn't use more than 2047, anything more defaults to 2047, with recent confirmation from 2 Devs.

Here is some more info about memory usage and a workaround for increasing available memory to 3GB (I think it's needed only for 32-bit windows).

TL;DR Please stop spreading misinformation.

Well if you know different or don't want to experiment with those parameters then don't. It was from an random Arma3 performance guide I found so it's to be taken with a grain of salt. I noticed a significant improvement in fps or I wouldn't have posted it.

On the next page of dazhbog's link there's also this. So i do think some of what i posted is valid.

The maximum for 32bit LAA apps on 64bit systems is 4GB.

Edited September 12, 2013 by David77

[tonygrunt 10]

Well if you know different or don't want to experiment with those parameters then don't. It was from an random Arma3 performance guide I found so it's to be taken with a grain of salt. I noticed a significant improvement in fps or I wouldn't have posted it.

I didn't correct a random guide in the internet, I corrected your post/guide in the forums that advocates using parameters that don't exist or are out of bounds. This is how placebo effects and myths are created and perpetuated by members of the community or the internet.

So many posts lately have these magic benefits command line parameters, after a while it gets a bit annoying and difficult to ignore.

And like you when trying to correct them it's always the same answer, I saw it in the internet (translation: not my fault), performance improved greatly (translation: don't know why but it works, it couldn't possibly be a placebo effect or something unrelated).

On the next page of dazhbog's link there's also this. So i do think some of what i posted is valid.

MadDogX is a moderator (probably a volunteer) that doesn't mean his opinion is Bohemia Interactive's stance.

And his post is about how much memory a program can access "The maximum for 32bit LAA apps on 64bit systems is 4GB." not what numbers can a command line take.

Edited September 12, 2013 by TonyGrunt
Quoted post changed

[maddogx 13]

MadDogX is a moderator (probably a volunteer) that doesn't mean his opinion is Bohemia Interactive's stance.

And his post is about how much memory a program can access "The maximum for 32bit LAA apps on 64bit systems is 4GB." not what numbers can a command line take.

Correct on all counts. :)

The current upper limit for the -maxmem parameter is 2047, as recently re-confirmed by Dwarden and dazhbog.

[David77 10]

Cool. I must have gotten the fps boost in one of the other parameters then. In any case, I wasn't spreading misinformation. I was merely making a suggestion that may or may not have worked. Infact I said "here's some things you could try". It's not like i said here's what works. Do this. It's w/e. The limit -maxmem parameter is 2047.

[Troubling 10]

I think we can all agree that this game runs like shit and BI is nothing more than a teenage ran company on an outdated engine. Don't waste $60 on a game they couldn't pay me to play.

[seedo81 10]

Its released today and its not damn playable, i have high-end pc and it runs at 15 fps max WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[k3lt 3]

The performance issues are 1 thing, but what pissess me off even more is basically 0 communication from BIS side about it.

Eithere here http://feedback.arma3.com/view.php?id=716 or here http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?147533-Low-CPU-utilization-amp-Low-FPS/page191

"We are working on it" is not answer, because so far i dont see any improvements since Alpha.

[Sneakson 1]

Please help I have horrible fps and it ruins the game

i5 3450 3.2ghz

8gb ram

nvida GTX 660 SC

would overclocking my gpu or cpu help?

i play bf3 at 60-120 all day on ultra!

cpu and gpu usage are not even maxed out when playing arma 3!!!!!!

wtf =(

Hi! Not many people actually responding to you yet so I'll give it a go.

Running an i5 3450, 660 SC and 8GB RM you should be able to run at least singleplayer quite well.

Yes, ARMA is badly optimized but what OS and resolution are you using?

And most importantly what settings?

The default settings and “auto detect†often run worse than if you set the settings manually.

Go here:

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?147391-Will-my-PC-run-this-What-CPU-GPU-to-get-What-settings-What-System-Specifications/page132

If you haven't already (I'm heading there now)...