Low FPS on startup issue

This issue started from nowhere. I had good performance on very-high settings until yesterday. Suddenly, when I launch the game I have a very low FPS (~10) on the menu screen. The weird thing is, when I select "Optimal Settings", everything sets itself to Ultra, and the FPS jumps back to ~45, and then everything runs normally. The thing is, if I restart the game, the low FPS issue repeats itself and I have to select Optimal Settings again to fix it. the Ultra settings are just the same, but just clicking the Optimal process seems to fix it.

I have no idea what caused this as I didn't do any changes for my system in the last several months.

I would appreciate any help on this, thanks in advance.

GTX 680

i7 950

6 GB Ram

SSD

Edit: See solution on this post

Did you try turning it off and on again? ;)

1) Update your mobo bios/drivers and graphics card drivers.

2) Delete your ARMA3 folders from My Documents.

3) Re-install.

4) Clean re-install: uninstall, make sure there are no ARMA3 folders in My Documents/AppData/ProgramData (AppData/ProgramData are hidden on C:\ and in Users\YourName) or simply search your entire computer for "ARMA" and delete everything then install again.

If none of these fixes work then it could be a hardware (memory?) issue or something.

Sounds to me like there's a bug somewhere in your settings directories that makes your optimal settings unstable such as a wrong value and only becomes stable again after some value actually is checked when you click "optimize settings" but that's just complete speculation...

Thanks Sneakson. I hope I'll manage to solve this without going through all this trouble. To be honest I rather live with this workaround than doing a complete reinstall.

Did you try turning it off and on again? ;)

1) Update your mobo bios/drivers and graphics card drivers.

2) Delete your ARMA3 folders from My Documents.

3) Re-install.

4) Clean re-install: uninstall, make sure there are no ARMA3 folders in My Documents/AppData/ProgramData (AppData/ProgramData are hidden on C:\ and in Users\YourName) or simply search your entire computer for "ARMA" and delete everything then install again.

If none of these fixes work then it could be a hardware (memory?) issue or something.

Sounds to me like there's a bug somewhere in your settings directories that makes your optimal settings unstable such as a wrong value and only becomes stable again after some value actually is checked when you click "optimize settings" but that's just complete speculation...

Do not update your BIOS to try and fix this. Are you having any issues in any of your other software? No. Whereas if you screw up an unnecessary BIOS flashing, you will be in a world of pain.

Find your config files, make sure they are not Read Only. Check your Windows Event Viewer - any new, unexpected, events?

The latest Nvidia Beta drivers for the 680 are good - try them.

I think the culprit lies in the initialization saves. Possible that it error'ed on last save of settings and put in an incorrect value or something like this. I think deleting your Arma3 folders in my documents, or specifically your \Documents\Arma 3\Arma3.cfg. This should hopefully reset all the settings.

Thanks guys, I managed to solve the problem! I didn't even have to delete my profiles, I just switched to my other profile, which I never use (you know, the one with your computer name), verified the problem was gone, and then switched back to my regular profile, and poof, no more problem!

Thanks goodness I didn't mess around with my Bios ;)

Thanks goodness I didn't mess around with my Bios ;)

Necessary in about 0.01% of cases (I work with huge server farms).

Necessary in about 0.01% of cases (I work with huge server farms).

It's always a good idea to make sure everything is updated and BIOS is one thing that you may never have updated and its terribly easy to update.

1 minute automatic install.

It's always a good idea to make sure everything is updated and BIOS is one thing that you may never have updated and its terribly easy to update.

1 minute automatic install.

None of his symptoms suggested issues with his BIOS, it was clearly his config.

Say you have a problem, you update everything, you still have a problem. Or, worse, you have a new problem. Where does that leave you? That is not the right approach - read the changelogs before you update critical components. My BIOS is on version 5, 9 is the latest. Nothing has changed in the meantime that makes it worth the risk, however small, of updating, or the ball ache of configuring the new BIOS overclocks, voltages etc.

If you are updating your BIOS via a Windows app, you are going to experience problems at some point, guaranteed.

If you are updating your BIOS via a Windows app, you are going to experience problems at some point, guaranteed.

Well, i've updated about 10 Motherboards via Windows app so far, never had a problem. So no guarantee on that. 100% sucess rate.

Myke;2698072']Well' date=' i've updated about 10 Motherboards via Windows app so far, never had a problem. So no guarantee on that. 100% sucess rate.[/quote']

Good fortune. Do you expect thousands of forum readers to do the same because you've successfully done 10? As a professional who has worked on hundreds of systems I realise I will have seen more worst case scenarios than most normal users, but the fact is that nothing in this post, for example, has changed http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-common-mistakes-you-should-avoid-when-flashing-your-bios/ . These points are all still pertinent, particularly #3 and #8

I don't think i've attacked you, no need to get angry. Just throwing another point of view into the ring, nothing more and nothing less. Please watch your tone, sir.

Myke;2698072']Well' date=' i've updated about 10 Motherboards via Windows app so far, never had a problem. So no guarantee on that. 100% sucess rate.[/quote']

Whereas you are correct, today's technology is far better at updating the motherboard BIOS, however, me and jiltedjock know all to well of exactly what updating the BIOS entails. We may be considered old dinosaurs for it, but we will always be wary of it.

Hopefully this helps explain why jiltedjock was a bit shocked of your response. He was simply trying to convey how updating a BIOS should not be taken lightly.

Myke;2698092']I don't think i've attacked you' date=' no need to get angry. Just throwing another point of view into the ring, nothing more and nothing less. Please watch your tone, sir.[/quote']

Not sure why you would think there was a problem with my tone, or that I was angry. The point I made about using Windows apps to update the BIOS is a fact, which is not changed by your experience with 10 motherboards is all I was saying. Unfortunately some forum users with less experience might look on your opinion carrying more weight because you are a forum moderator.

The point I made about using Windows apps to update the BIOS is a fact

It might be your experience but this doesn't make it a fact. Ok, i just updated 10 Motherboards, if i would do 100 i would probably have some fails aswell. On the other hand, it can also fail without using Windows apps. For me it just sounded like it will always and inevitably fail under windows of which i have made a complete different experience. I should people should just know that and make their own opinion.

Where i agree is, updating BIOS is always a risk and shouldn't be done with insufficient preparation.

We may be considered old dinosaurs for it

You might be older than me but aswell you might be younger. My first Computer was a Commodore C16 so although i wouldn't consider myself as pro, i surely have made some experience through the years. Oh, and just for the logs: the computer which i use right now, i've updated the motherboard BIOS twice with Windows apps.

I wasn't referring to your age or my age, just the practice ;)