GPU usage help...

So I originally made a post here: https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3796579&postcount=10

I would like to expand on it and seek further help...

My issue is that I am seeing what appears to be strange behavior to me in regards to my GPU usage.

What I am seeing is that my GPU usage is not always 100% and I think it should be in order to achieve max FPS. However, my GPU usage will only go to 100% in situations that I achieve 144FPS such as over open water or desert or looking at open sky. In more demanding situations where my FPS drops, so does GPU usage. I would think GPU usage would stay at 100%, especially in more demanding situations in order to try and achieve as many FPS possible.

CPU usage only goes to 100% with max FPS as well and typically matches the GPU usage in other situations. Windows and NVIDIA CP are set to max performance. EVGA Precision XOC controls my fans and is all set to default unless I use the frame rate limiter to set FPS to 60.

Does anyone have a clue what could be going on with my PC?

Thank you for your help!

No way you're seeing 100% CPU in DCS. Maybe you mean on one core you see 100%?

But generally with an 1080ti the CPU is the bottleneck in DCS.

Once your at the 1080ti + level BJM, it's all about just using brute force to get more fps / hold stable for DCS.

To give you a reference to go off. I can max everything, mirrors on and run SSAA x1.5, MSAA 2x

I force DCS to stay at 60fps, I do see this drop in a few different areas / views. Like when on the ramp in the F/A-18 at NTTR. It still only ever gets down to low 40's etc.

95% of the time it holds at 60 even playing on a large server.

It just comes back to the api and why ED wants to ditch DX and are building DCS to use vulkan api. This should free up the CPU and allow the GPU to do a lot more work and also allow ED to optimize the many different configurations out there to get the best from what people have available.

Perhaps we could get away with just a fairly decent CPU and spend more on getting the biggest GPU once vulkan is out.

Quick start on the ramp at NTTR

Nothing is maxed out here. 2560 x 1440

Once your at the 1080ti + level BJM, it's all about just using brute force to get more fps / hold stable for DCS.

 

To give you a reference to go off. I can max everything, mirrors on and run SSAA x1.5, MSAA 2x

 

I force DCS to stay at 60fps, I do see this drop in a few different areas / views. Like when on the ramp in the F/A-18 at NTTR. It still only ever gets down to low 40's etc.

 

95% of the time it holds at 60 even playing on a large server.

 

It just comes back to the api and why ED wants to ditch DX and are building DCS to use vulkan api. This should free up the CPU and allow the GPU to do a lot more work and also allow ED to optimize the many different configurations out there to get the best from what people have available.

 

Perhaps we could get away with just a fairly decent CPU and spend more on getting the biggest GPU once vulkan is out.

 

Quick start on the ramp at NTTR

 

Nothing is maxed out here. 2560 x 1440

 

Thanks David OC! This is exactly what I am seeing and it's good to know it's not just me. So, it seems my PC is working as it should. I do wonder how Wags can get minimum 60 FPS with similar PC and max settings. My settings are not maxed like his and I get FPS drops below 60 like you show and usually hang around the low 70's in intense situations.

Like your screenshot shows, I wonder what the reasoning is for why the CPU and GPU won't go to 100% when FPS is 39. To me, it seems that there is power not being used and FPS being lost.

IN DCS GPU usage varies with demand. At high altitudes where there is less dense scenery the usage might drop. When u decent, the gpu usage will increase. I have experienced DCS to be quite complicated when it comes to GPU usage. For example, at an Airfield the fps will drop to some extent and so will gpu usage. Whereas the usage should increase with maintained fps.

I guess its complicated. For example, In the picture u can see both my GPUs at around 50%. When I am at low altitudes at denser scenery, the GPUs go to 100%

IN DCS GPU usage varies with demand. At high altitudes where there is less dense scenery the usage might drop. When u decent, the gpu usage will increase. I have experienced DCS to be quite complicated when it comes to GPU usage. For example, at an Airfield the fps will drop to some extent and so will gpu usage. Whereas the usage should increase with maintained fps.

 

I guess its complicated. For example, In the picture u can see both my GPUs at around 50%. When I am at low altitudes at denser scenery, the GPUs go to 100%

I find GPU usage in DCS strange as well. FPS 144 and GPU usage of 100% out over the open desert and then FPS 100 and GPU usage of 70% while sitting on the runway at Nellis.

I would think GPU usage should be 100% all the time and FPS be the only thing that fluctuates.

I find GPU usage in DCS strange as well. FPS 144 and GPU usage of 100% out over the open desert and then FPS 100 and GPU usage of 70% while sitting on the runway at Nellis.

 

I would think GPU usage should be 100% all the time and FPS be the only thing that fluctuates.

But u also have to keep in consideration the limitation of CPU. DCS uses only one core I guess. This also results in decreased GPU usage.

a compute device will only be at 100% if it has too much work to do and can’t keep up.

you don’t really want to be in that situation.

Hey guys, sorry to highjack this thread but what is the tool used to display the FPS/CPU/GPU overlay ? Can it record the FPS in a graph ?

MSI Afterburner , free & works with all brands , yes to graphing

a compute device will only be at 100% if it has too much work to do and can’t keep up.

 

you don’t really want to be in that situation.

In the screenshot above by David OC, it seems like going down to 39 FPS means the GPU is struggling to display frames and keep up. Why isn't usage 100% here?

MSI Afterburner , free & works with all brands , yes to graphing

Thanks !

In the screenshot above by David OC, it seems like going down to 39 FPS means the GPU is struggling to display frames and keep up. Why isn't usage 100% here?

It also happens on the Persian gulf map at airports, I think you will find that if you remove the Hornet's that are there it would be better. I remember someone saying they still need work with optimization? It could also be that we are looking towards Vegas (Large built up area)

You see this at some airports on the Caucasus map too. I'm hoping vulkan api will help ED smooth all this out down the road with better optimization and utilization. Not exactly sure what the bottleneck is.... It must be throughput limitation of some sort.

It also happens on the Persian gulf map at airports, I think you will find that if you remove the Hornet's that are there it would be better. I remember someone saying they still need work with optimization? It could also be that we are looking towards Vegas (Large built up area)

 

You see this at some airports on the Caucasus map too. I'm hoping vulkan api will help ED smooth all this out down the road with better optimization and utilization. Not exactly sure what the bottleneck is.... It must be throughput limitation of some sort.

I have it happen other places as well, even on the carrier. My only concern is if others are experiencing this as well and if ED acknowledges this as an issue or they just attribute it to something on the users end. Wags seems to not have FPS drop below 60 with max settings and specs similiar to ours...this is my concern.

The Hornet AI causing massive FPS drops is a known issue, as are mirrors in the Hornet. What I am trying to figure out is why GPU usage does not go to 100% in these situations. Like your screenshot shows, massive FPS drop but your GPU is not being fully utilized. Is that a problem on our end or is it DCS?

Also, why does it seem like Wags does not get these massive FPS drops if as he says, does not see FPS drop below 60.

Little update on my end...

So I did a little digging today and looked at my BIOS. I have an ASUS motherboard and there is a setting called EZ System Tuning. Mine was set to custom for some reason and I changed it to optimal. I also installed an updated NVIDIA driver from two days ago but this time, I chose custom instead of express and then selected the clean install option.

I wish I had done one change at a time but between these two things, I am now seeing appropriate GPU usage and improved FPS performance. I can now maintain a minimum of 60 FPS. I don't know if what I did will help anyone's performance but you might want to give it a try.

I'm not sure that the % means. Back when I was mining, my GPU would be at 100% relative to the core clock speed. I could go in and tweak my memory timings and the GPU would work faster but it would still be 100%.

What makes it even more complicated is the relationship between the CPU and the GPU, certain graphics settings like shadows or visible range seem to affect both. You have to keep your render times below a certain level for both CPU and GPU to hit a target FPS.

Finally, I've found that my GPU render times don't vary by much, maybe 10% either direction. CPU times are all over the place, 40% variance even on an empty map. I think the key to the whole thing is to back off on graphics settings enough to give the CPU enough room not to choke on busy maps that have lots of units, lots of terrain objects, lots of AI.

agreed. cpu is the key.

the gpu can only do what the cpu tells it.

No way you're seeing 100% CPU in DCS. Maybe you mean on one core you see 100%?

 

 

But generally with an 1080ti the CPU is the bottleneck in DCS.

Nope, I'm using a GTX 1080 Ti (Amp Extreme) and an i5-6600K at 4.5GHz. The graphics card is *always* the bottleneck.

Great card for DCS, though. Overkill for most other games when running a single screen. DCS World is really, really hard on graphics cards because of the very high object count and extremely long draw distances--in other words, it's a flight sim :)

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