My performance with NVidia GeForce 1070

Hello,

after finding out how DCS works with my 1070 (specs see below) with the newest OpenBeta Update and using Oculus Rift CV1, I decided to post my experiences in short words. Maybe some other users can refer to this setting, or compare, or give hints.

For current information, please see the later posts in this thread, where I update the status from time to time (mostly when new updates arrive).

• I fly with ASW set to "45" or "45 forced" using the Oculus Tray Tool
  
• After entering DCS I switch to full screen mode using ALT+ENTER
  
• 1070 is at approx 60%
  
• Processor is at approx 50%
  
• DCS.exe is set to "HIGH" processor priority
  
• autoexec.cfg showing:
  

  options.graphics.stereo_mode_use_shared_parser = false
  no_device_hotplug = true
  disable_write_track = true

  
  

The absolute killers on my system are (but weren't in 2.5.5. in Windows7):

1. Shadows (have them OFF now or LOW depending on map and mission, if I turn them ON 1070 is going to 95%)
   
2. Terrain shadows (have them OFF now since I own DCS)
   

Currently using NVidia 442 driver, thinking of switching to 445.

Here are my SYSTEM settings from options.lua

["VR"] = {
       ["bloom"] = false,
       ["box_mouse_cursor"] = false,
       ["custom_IPD"] = 63.5,
       ["custom_IPD_enable"] = false,
       ["enable"] = true,
       ["hand_controllers"] = false,
       ["interaction_with_grip_only"] = false,
       ["msaaMaskSize"] = 0.42,
       ["pixel_density"] = 1,
       ["prefer_built_in_audio"] = false,
       ["use_mouse"] = true,
   },
   ["format"] = 1,
   ["graphics"] = {
       ["DOF"] = 0,
       ["LensEffects"] = 2,
       ["MSAA"] = 0,
       ["SSAA"] = 0,
       ["SSAO"] = 0,
       ["SSLR"] = 0,
       ["anisotropy"] = 3,
       ["aspect"] = 1.7777777777778,
       ["chimneySmokeDensity"] = 2,
       ["civTraffic"] = "low",
       ["clouds"] = 1,
       ["clutterMaxDistance"] = 1500,
       ["cockpitGI"] = 0,
       ["effects"] = 3,
       ["flatTerrainShadows"] = 2,
       ["forestDistanceFactor"] = 1,
       ["fullScreen"] = true,
       ["heatBlr"] = 1,
       ["height"] = 1080,
       ["lights"] = 2,
       ["messagesFontScale"] = 1,
       ["motionBlur"] = 0,
       ["multiMonitorSetup"] = "1camera",
       ["outputGamma"] = 2,
       ["preloadRadius"] = 70000,
       ["rainDroplets"] = true,
       ["scaleGui"] = 1,
       ["shadowTree"] = false,
       ["shadows"] = 0,
       ["sync"] = false,
       ["terrainTextures"] = "min",
       ["textures"] = 1,
       ["treesVisibility"] = 6000,
       ["useDeferredShading"] = 1,
       ["visibRange"] = "Medium",
       ["water"] = 1,
       ["width"] = 1920,
   },

Interesting...my settings are for SP only , VR in a Rift S , running 2.56

ASW auto

DCS priority very high

Nvidea 432.xx

Nvidea

Power = max perf

Textures=max perf

All others default

Windows 18363.836

DCS

Bloom off

MSAA mask 42

PD 1.0

Lens effects off

MSAA x 2

Anistropic 16

Chimney 1

Traffic low

Clutter maxed

Cockpit gi off

Terrain shadows currently flat

Shadows low

Heat blur off

Rain droplets on

Preload maxed

All textures low

Tree visibility 70

Visibility high

Water medium ( high looks like hell with shoreline reflections)

Very smooth in the Hornet low over Batumi with MM , Tpod and Mav flir screens on . (and some very impressive explosions)

Textures=max perf

Didn't ever consider this one ... thanks for posting!!

Edit: got 3 to 5 frames more when using this setting, and the difference in terms of quality - if any - was not really noticable.

Edit: After all this time consuming testing, I will now start PLAYING, and will not perform tests anymore.

Update for OB 2.5.6.50726 (2020-06-10).

Summary: Shadows now on HIGH, 90fps are back on most aircraft I own (not in the F-14).

BIOS: HT off, all 4 cores running at 4400 MHz.

DCS.exe: set to "HIGH" processor priority

NVidia:

Game Ready Driver: v442.47

Texture Filterring Quality: QUALITY

Negative LOD bias: CLAMP

Virtual Reality pre-rendered frames: 1

options.lua:

options = {
["VR"] = {
	["bloom"] = false,
	["box_mouse_cursor"] = false,
	["custom_IPD"] = 63.5,
	["custom_IPD_enable"] = false,
	["enable"] = true,
	["hand_controllers"] = false,
	["interaction_with_grip_only"] = false,
	["msaaMaskSize"] = 0.1,
	["pixel_density"] = 1.0,
	["prefer_built_in_audio"] = false,
	["use_mouse"] = true,
},
["difficulty"] = {
	["RBDAI"] = false,
	["avionicsLanguage"] = "english",
	["birds"] = 0,
	["cockpitStatusBarAllowed"] = false,
	["cockpitVisualRM"] = false,
	["controlsIndicator"] = false,
	["easyCommunication"] = false,
	["easyFlight"] = false,
	["easyRadar"] = false,
	["externalViews"] = true,
	["fuel"] = false,
	["geffect"] = "realistic",
	["hideStick"] = false,
	["iconsTheme"] = "nato",
	["immortal"] = false,
	["labels"] = 0,
	["map"] = true,
	["miniHUD"] = false,
	["optionsView"] = "optview_all",
	["padlock"] = false,
	["permitCrash"] = false,
	["radio"] = false,
	["reports"] = true,
	["setGlobal"] = true,
	["spectatorExternalViews"] = true,
	["tips"] = false,
	["units"] = "metric",
	["unrestrictedSATNAV"] = false,
	["userMarks"] = true,
	["userSnapView"] = false,
	["wakeTurbulence"] = true,
	["weapons"] = false,
},
["format"] = 1,
["graphics"] = {
	["DOF"] = 0,
	["LensEffects"] = 2,
	["MSAA"] = 0,
	["SSAA"] = 0,
	["SSAO"] = 0,
	["SSLR"] = 0,
	["anisotropy"] = 3,
	["aspect"] = 1.7777777777778,
	["chimneySmokeDensity"] = 0,
	["civTraffic"] = "low",
	["clouds"] = 1,
	["clutterMaxDistance"] = 700,
	["cockpitGI"] = 0,
	["effects"] = 3,
	["flatTerrainShadows"] = 2,
	["forestDistanceFactor"] = 0.7,
	["fullScreen"] = false,
	["heatBlr"] = 1,
	["height"] = 1080,
	["lights"] = 2,
	["messagesFontScale"] = 1,
	["motionBlur"] = 0,
	["multiMonitorSetup"] = "1camera",
	["outputGamma"] = 1.8,
	["preloadRadius"] = 70000,
	["rainDroplets"] = true,
	["scaleGui"] = 1,
	["shadowTree"] = false,
	["shadows"] = 2,
	["sync"] = false,
	["terrainTextures"] = "min",
	["textures"] = 1,
	["treesVisibility"] = 6000,
	["useDeferredShading"] = 1,
	["visibRange"] = "Medium",
	["water"] = 0,
	["width"] = 1920,

How do you set DCS to high priority? Process Lasso?

How do you set DCS to high priority?

task manager > details > right click on a process

How do you set DCS to high priority? Process Lasso?

Add to your registry, in order to never click again in the task manager.

Remember to use this tip at own risk:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\DCS.exe\PerfOptions]

"CpuPriorityClass"=dword:00000003

Mythbusting time.

Setting the thread to high priority is snake oil. We all have 4/6/8 core cpu's that are able to run 8-16 threads in parallel. DCS only has one single performance critical thread and you are extremely unlikely to be running any other similarly CPU intensive threads in the background, let alone 16 of them. Then and only then does process priority take any effect, when windows scheduler has to schedule more CPU demanding threads than the cpu can handle in parallel. This simply doesnt happen. If setting process priority high would boost performance at all, every game developer would set their process priority high. no one does, and nor should you.

The time where disabling hyperthreading was a good idea, because windows scheduler couldnt differentiate physical CPU cores from logical ones, is also about a decade in the past. Just leave it on.

Some people also still believe its a good idea to lock process to a core, to avoid windows bouncing threads between cores. In reality windows does this for good reason, it allows your CPU to boost higher as thermal load is spread over all your cores. Its also aware of slower or faster cores you may have, and CPU cache structure and wil prevent moving the thread to a slow core when its not appropriate or to a core that has no access to the cache data the thread needs. The threads being bounced between cores for thermal reasons is only a tiny benefit, but it at least it is a benefit of having many more CPU cores than DCS uses.

And finally be careful drawing firm conclusions based on GPU load figures. AFAICT, those figures apply to the GPU shader units only. Unlike most modern games, DCS is not all that shader heavy, but it is extremely texture heavy. And so your bottleneck may well by in your GPU texturing units or even ROP rasterizers, and GPU load figures, best I can tell, will not show that.

Mythbusting time.

 

Setting the thread to high priority is snake oil. We all have 4/6/8 core cpu's that are able to run 8-16 threads in parallel. DCS only has one single performance critical thread and you are extremely unlikely to be running any other similarly CPU intensive threads in the background, let alone 16 of them. Then and only then does process priority take any effect, when windows scheduler has to schedule more CPU demanding threads than the cpu can handle in parallel. This simply doesnt happen. If setting process priority high would boost performance at all, every game developer would set their process priority high. no one does, and nor should you.

 

The time where disabling hyperthreading was a good idea, because windows scheduler couldnt differentiate physical CPU cores from logical ones, is also about a decade in the past. Just leave it on.

 

Some people also still believe its a good idea to lock process to a core, to avoid windows bouncing threads between cores. In reality windows does this for good reason, it allows your CPU to boost higher as thermal load is spread over all your cores. Its also aware of slower or faster cores you may have, and CPU cache structure and wil prevent moving the thread to a slow core when its not appropriate or to a core that has no access to the cache data the thread needs. The threads being bounced between cores for thermal reasons is only a tiny benefit, but it at least it is a benefit of having many more CPU cores than DCS uses.

 

And finally be careful drawing firm conclusions based on GPU load figures. AFAICT, those figures apply to the GPU shader units only. Unlike most modern games, DCS is not all that shader heavy, but it is extremely texture heavy. And so your bottleneck may well by in your GPU texturing units or even ROP rasterizers, and GPU load figures, best I can tell, will not show that.

agreed, however it doesn't actually hurt anything AFAIK ... and with a low core count it might make a difference ...

I'll hope these things are history when the 3080 TI is released. Unleash the beast! Come on Jensen :D

Update for OB 2.5.6.50726 (2020-06-13).

Summary of changes (bold are changed):

.) Shadows now on LOW

.) Textures now on HIGH

BIOS: HT off, all 4 cores running at 4400 MHz.

DCS.exe: set to "HIGH" processor priority

NVidia:

Game Ready Driver: v442.47

Texture Filterring Quality: HIGH QUALITY

Negative LOD bias: CLAMP

Virtual Reality pre-rendered frames: 1

options.lua:

options = {
   ["VR"] = {
       ["bloom"] = false,
       ["box_mouse_cursor"] = false,
       ["custom_IPD"] = 63.5,
       ["custom_IPD_enable"] = false,
       ["enable"] = true,
       ["hand_controllers"] = false,
       ["interaction_with_grip_only"] = false,
       ["msaaMaskSize"] = 0.1,
       ["pixel_density"] = 1.0,
       ["prefer_built_in_audio"] = false,
       ["use_mouse"] = true,
   },
   ["difficulty"] = {
       ["RBDAI"] = false,
       ["avionicsLanguage"] = "english",
       ["birds"] = 0,
       ["cockpitStatusBarAllowed"] = false,
       ["cockpitVisualRM"] = false,
       ["controlsIndicator"] = false,
       ["easyCommunication"] = false,
       ["easyFlight"] = false,
       ["easyRadar"] = false,
       ["externalViews"] = true,
       ["fuel"] = false,
       ["geffect"] = "realistic",
       ["hideStick"] = false,
       ["iconsTheme"] = "nato",
       ["immortal"] = false,
       ["labels"] = 0,
       ["map"] = true,
       ["miniHUD"] = false,
       ["optionsView"] = "optview_all",
       ["padlock"] = false,
       ["permitCrash"] = false,
       ["radio"] = false,
       ["reports"] = true,
       ["setGlobal"] = true,
       ["spectatorExternalViews"] = true,
       ["tips"] = false,
       ["units"] = "metric",
       ["unrestrictedSATNAV"] = false,
       ["userMarks"] = true,
       ["userSnapView"] = false,
       ["wakeTurbulence"] = true,
       ["weapons"] = false,
   },
   ["format"] = 1,
   ["graphics"] = {
       ["DOF"] = 0,
       ["LensEffects"] = 2,
       ["MSAA"] = 0,
       ["SSAA"] = 0,
       ["SSAO"] = 0,
       ["SSLR"] = 0,
       ["anisotropy"] = 3,
       ["aspect"] = 1.7777777777778,
       ["chimneySmokeDensity"] = 0,
       ["civTraffic"] = "low",
       ["clouds"] = 1,
       ["clutterMaxDistance"] = 700,
       ["cockpitGI"] = 0,
       ["effects"] = 3,
       ["flatTerrainShadows"] = 2,
       ["forestDistanceFactor"] = 0.7,
       ["fullScreen"] = false,
       ["heatBlr"] = 1,
       ["height"] = 1080,
       ["lights"] = 2,
       ["messagesFontScale"] = 1,
       ["motionBlur"] = 0,
       ["multiMonitorSetup"] = "1camera",
       ["outputGamma"] = 1.8,
       ["preloadRadius"] = 70000,
       ["rainDroplets"] = true,
       ["scaleGui"] = 1,
       ["shadowTree"] = false,
       ["shadows"] = 2,
       ["sync"] = false,
       ["terrainTextures"] = "min",
       ["textures"] = 2,
       ["treesVisibility"] = 6000,
       ["useDeferredShading"] = 1,
       ["visibRange"] = "Medium",
       ["water"] = 0,
       ["width"] = 1920,

Update for OB 2.5.6.50979 ( 2020-06-18 ).

Summary of changes (bold are changed):

.) Shadows now on OFF

.) Textures now on MEDIUM (since Viggen got the new and readable weapon selector rotary knob)

Test mission in Nevada

flying Viggen: 90 frames during most times

flying F-18: 90 frames during nearly all times

BIOS: HT off, all 4 cores running at 4400 MHz.

DCS.exe: set to "HIGH" processor priority

NVidia:

Game Ready Driver: v442.47

Texture Filterring Quality: HIGH QUALITY

Negative LOD bias: CLAMP

Virtual Reality pre-rendered frames: 1

["VR"] = {
	["bloom"] = false,
	["box_mouse_cursor"] = true,
	["custom_IPD"] = 63.5,
	["custom_IPD_enable"] = false,
	["enable"] = true,
	["hand_controllers"] = false,
	["interaction_with_grip_only"] = false,
	["msaaMaskSize"] = 0.1,
	["pixel_density"] = 1,
	["prefer_built_in_audio"] = false,
	["use_mouse"] = true,
},
["format"] = 1,
["graphics"] = {
	["DOF"] = 0,
	["LensEffects"] = 2,
	["MSAA"] = 0,
	["SSAA"] = 0,
	["SSAO"] = 0,
	["SSLR"] = 0,
	["anisotropy"] = 3,
	["aspect"] = 1.7777777777778,
	["chimneySmokeDensity"] = 0,
	["civTraffic"] = "low",
	["clouds"] = 1,
	["clutterMaxDistance"] = 700,
	["cockpitGI"] = 0,
	["effects"] = 3,
	["flatTerrainShadows"] = 2,
	["forestDistanceFactor"] = 0.7,
	["fullScreen"] = false,
	["heatBlr"] = 1,
	["height"] = 1080,
	["lights"] = 2,
	["messagesFontScale"] = 1,
	["motionBlur"] = 0,
	["multiMonitorSetup"] = "1camera",
	["outputGamma"] = 2,
	["preloadRadius"] = 70000,
	["rainDroplets"] = true,
	["scaleGui"] = 1,
	["shadowTree"] = false,
	["shadows"] = 0,
	["sync"] = false,
	["terrainTextures"] = "min",
	["textures"] = 1,
	["treesVisibility"] = 6000,
	["useDeferredShading"] = 1,
	["visibRange"] = "High",
	["water"] = 0,
	["width"] = 1920,
},

95% GPU is ok, no need to turn something down

I prefer the 442 studio drivers, if it is only for the feeling, I can not see any disadvantages.

Do you really need the high quality settings of the nvidia driver? I prefer high performance settings.

Do you really need the high quality settings of the nvidia driver? I prefer high performance settings.

Very good question, it is really hard to see differences in the CV1.

I try out this and that from time to time, but so far I haven't seen any big difference to be honest, neither in quality nor in fps. :D

I prefer the 442 studio drivers, if it is only for the feeling, I can not see any disadvantages.

Next week I will start tweaking the studio driver, and see whats up with it.

so Quality is a massively misunderstood setting, or maybe its just badly named.

Quality, "dithers" the edges of lines in order to make them blend more naturally , the problem is it blurs straight line edges. which works in "organic" environments but not so much when for example you are looking for lettering or runway lines etc.. hence "High Performance" produces better visual quality results in the context of DCS... hth

see here for a really great example

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1613410347

so Quality is a massively misunderstood setting, or maybe its just badly named. Quality, "dithers" the edges of lines in order to make them blend more naturally , the problem is it blurs straight line edges. which works in "organic" environments but not so much when for example you are looking for lettering or runway lines etc.. hence "High Performance" produces better visual quality results in the context of DCS... hth

see here for a really great example

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1613410347

From now on I prefer the use of "High performance" over "High quality". Tried it out yesterday, made a difference when looking at the right graphic elements.

That tip is a great one!

so Quality is a massively misunderstood setting, or maybe its just badly named.

 

Quality, "dithers" the edges of lines in order to make them blend more naturally , the problem is it blurs straight line edges. which works in "organic" environments but not so much when for example you are looking for lettering or runway lines etc.. hence "High Performance" produces better visual quality results in the context of DCS... hth

 

see here for a really great example

 

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1613410347

Thanks for these. :thumbup:

Coming back on the 1070 with my lower spec rig:

• Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700K@4.00GHz
• GTX1070
• 40GB RAM @3000MHz
• Flat screen monitor 1920x1080@60Hz with NVIDA VSYNC set to ON

Comparing ST with MT in Openbeta 2.9.1.48335:

In ST the performance is pretty fine in ST, there are no frame spikes at all, everything is super fluid (the little spike to the most right is taking the screenshot)

In MT things are REALLY bad:
During the mission (1 single aircraft on map), spikes at no reasonable times stop the simulation completely for some milliseconds, and it stutters therefore:

This is the reason why I still fly in ST.
MT is not ready for this kind of configuration.

If anybody has tips, I would love to read them.
System is configured following all tips & tricks around here.
Windows Service Power OFF
Windows Graphic Settings HIGH PERFORMANCE
Installation on fast SSD with plenty of room for the installation, and the page file on another SDD disk.

Again: the ST version runs fine, no stutters!!!

IMHO the biggest problem is with MT, nothing else.

options.lua

For me, it's the opposite, very good performance with MT, 60fps versus 30fps with ST

MSI Z97 Gaming 5 - Intel I7 4790K - Artic cooling freezer 7 pro rev 2 - GSKILL 32 GO - SSD Crucial M5 120 go - HDD western digital caviar blue 1 TO - Gigabyte GTX 1070 gaming G1 - Windows 10 home 64 bits - DCS World on Crucial SSD 2To

13 hours ago, clanitho said:

For me, it's the opposite, very good performance with MT, 60fps versus 30fps with ST

MSI Z97 Gaming 5 - Intel I7 4790K - Artic cooling freezer 7 pro rev 2 - GSKILL 32 GO - SSD Crucial M5 120 go - HDD western digital caviar blue 1 TO - Gigabyte GTX 1070 gaming G1 - Windows 10 home 64 bits - DCS World on Crucial SSD 2To

Hey clanitho!
Do you observe frame spikes, where the sim comes to full stop like shown in the screenshot above?
The performance - when just looking at the fps, is a bit better in MT, but these spikes make me crazy.

I have a 1070ti, with a Ryzen 3600 and 32 Gb of ram, MT works reasonably well for me. I sometimes get that kind of spikes when taxing on the airbase, but in flight it is pretty smooth, here is a recent video of my pitiful attempts at landing the Viggen  

Hopefully I will get better at this with some more practice. Cheers.

Hello Rudel!
Did you link the correct video? Becaus in this one, I wasn't able to see such spikes, despite one little when still in the air ...
I have these spikes during take-off, in air, and the back when landed.

11 minutes ago, TOViper said:

Hello Rudel!
Did you link the correct video? Becaus in this one, I wasn't able to see such spikes, despite one little when still in the air ...
I have these spikes during take-off, in air, and the back when landed.

Yes, the video was intended to show that I mostly do not have such fps spikes ... I just commented that I have seen those sometimwes when taxing amongst hangars.  

52 minutes ago, Rudel_chw said:

 

Yes, the video was intended to show that I mostly do not have such fps spikes ... I just commented that I have seen those sometimwes when taxing amongst hangars.  

Ok, thanks for your quick feedback. I am experimenting a bit currently, and I hope I get it sorted out someday.