Performance problems not GPU related? But what else could be the problem?

[Kulin 10]

Hi,

i have big performance problems in singleplayer mode. I first though it has something to do with my graphic card and tried out tons of drivers and settings. But whatever i do i only get about 20-35 FPS with Landscape on very low, objects on normal, post processing off, Shadows high(all other settings didn't change the fps).

I've tried a few things out and found the "Waffenkammer"-Mode. Don't know the english name. Probably "Weapon Test" or something like this. It's a sub-menu from "Single Player".

However, it's very interesting because you can clearly see that the performance problems are probably not based on the graphic card.

When i play a normal singleplayer game i have about 20-30 FPS(with described quality settings) in the woods with only my teammates around. If i play this "weapon test"-mode i have even in combat with 4-5 Enemies 50 fps with everything maxed out. AA, Shadow, Objects, Landscape, Textures, Post Processing ... everything "very high" = 50 FPS. If i tone it down a bit i easily get more than 100 FPS.

I've tried a few things out(with the described quality settings) to compare the results:

Test 1 "Staying alone in a wood":

Singleplayer(SP): 25-30 FPS Unstable(sometimes studdering)

Weapon Test(WT): 45-50 FPS Stable

Test 2 "Staying alone in a empty city":

SP: 25-30 FPS

WT: 45-50 FPS.

Test 3 "Looking in the Sky"

SP: 30-35 FPS

WT: 140 FPS.

So i would say the low FPS in singleplayer has nothing to do with the graphic card. It seems to be a problem with another computer component.

I see two possible sources:

1. The AI. There're tons of NPCs around in SP. That would mean that the low FPS on my machine is based on the CPU. Probably we have a problem with socket LGA1366 based processors like the core i920 i have.

2. Much more Sound Sources in SP. It's not the first time that i have performance problems in cause of the SB-X-Fi.

Any ideas what settings i could try to encircle the problem? Probably a command line option to change or disable the sound? Or a setting to reduce the cpu-load of the AI in some way?

My rig:

Core i920 @ 3Ghz | 6 GB DDR3 1600 Ram | Nvidia Geforce GTX 295 | Asus Rampage 2 Extreme | SB X-Fi | 2 HDDs in Raid 0 | Vista 64

[Bulldogs 10]

I'm thinking it's CPU related. Although I didn't think about it but it may be sound realted (as odd as that sounds). I use an X-Fi extremeGamer and have excellent performance, but I read on another forum that some people were getting CTD's and system reboots and updating their sound card drivers fixed it, so maybe it is a sound related processing issue.

[ModeZt 0]

try disabling HyperThreading in BIOS

[Väinämöinen 0]

Waffenkammer must be the name for "Armory" where you test vehicles. Its based on Utes map. Single player takes place at the Chernarus.

They are two completely different sized areas.

Utes is tiny.

Chernarus is huge.

[Kulin 10]

Already tried to disable hyperthreading. No result.

---------- Post added at 08:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:10 AM ----------

Waffenkammer must be the name for "Armory" where you test vehicles. Its based on Utes map. Single player takes place at the Chernarus.

They are two completely different sized areas.

Utes is tiny.

Chernarus is huge.

Isn't that what the "visual range" setting is for? The gpu shouldn't calculate things that are 20km away.

Does someone know a way how to load the "Chernarus" map completly without NPCs? Probably a empty multiplayer game?

Edited July 23, 2009 by Kulin

[Bulldogs 10]

Try physically removing your sound card and see if there's any performance change.

[Väinämöinen 0]

Does someone know a way how to load the "Chernarus" map completly without NPCs?

Start editor and select Utes or Chernarus.

[Kulin 10]

Can't try it now but i've found another post that supports the CPU-Problem/AI-Bug Idea:

http://forums.bistudio.com/showpost.php?p=1362028&postcount=7

Here are my results in a forested area, looking at the sky. The AI I added where on the other side of the map from me, far away. The number of AI in each squad is twelve.

No AI -120Fps

1 Squad -120

2 Squads-120

4 Squads-110

5 Squads-93

6 Squads-75

7 Squads-62

8 Squads-52

16 Squads-33

24 " -33

32 " -30

38 " -29 (about what I get in MP)

54 " -28

62 " -27

78 " -24

>78 Squads is not worth going beyond, I'm looking at the sky so you can drop 15 fps more when terrain is in view.

What I don't get is the MASSIVE drop between 5 squads and 16 squads. Once you get to 16 squads the frame rate drops by what you would expect for each additional squad added. In fact, the rate change was so small after 16 squads that I started adding 4, then 8 more squads each time for the later tests.

Edited July 23, 2009 by Kulin

[An Fiach 10]

Waffenkammer must be the name for "Armory" where you test vehicles. Its based on Utes map. Single player takes place at the Chernarus.

They are two completely different sized areas.

Utes is tiny.

Chernarus is huge.

That isn't it because the first scenario mission is on Utes and the difference is the same.

AI is certainly a performance hog but I think also there are perhaps many scripts and things running in the missions that will sap cpu power and it isn't so much how much of the cpu gets used up but it delays threads between the HDD and the GPU causing the choppiness, but that's a blind guess. I just notice that higher speed cpu gets better performance like 2 core 3.0 vs 4 core 2.4, those extra cores are not making a difference in the speed that the game is being processed (or so it appears if you look at the armamark thread.

[tobmic 10]

i have same things like the OP.... the game plays well but as soon there is to much AI on the MAP the game is unplayable ....