Solution: How to fix stuttering in the Syria map.

[_Firefly]

The map was nearly unplayable for me until I changed the terrain textures to "low" and reduced tree visibility to 50%. It looks much worse this way, but that's just about the only thing that can get my RAM usage to below 99% (I have 16 GB of DDR4, need to upgrade to 32 GB).

[Harlikwin]

The team is looking at more optimisation for Syria,

 

the sweet spot for GPU Ram (VRAM) seems to be 6.8GB, the team are looking into reducing that.

 

thanks

 

@BIGNEWY

 

Could you expound on that. I'm running a 2080ti in VR, and pretty much the memory gets eaten 100% regardless of the map it uses 11gb VRAM. Regular Ram usage does vary somewhat. I've got 80gb, but I've never seen DCS take more than 32, which makes me think its a hard-coded limit. Also do you guys use memory compression techniques?

 

[BIGNEWY]

 

@BIGNEWY

 

Could you expound on that. I'm running a 2080ti in VR, and pretty much the memory gets eaten 100% regardless of the map it uses 11gb VRAM. Regular Ram usage does vary somewhat. I've got 80gb, but I've never seen DCS take more than 32, which makes me think its a hard-coded limit. Also do you guys use memory compression techniques?

 

Sorry I don't know the answer, my comment was made after reading a dev report, I am chasing up the optimisation work being done but I can not give a timeline currently.

 

thanks

[Harlikwin]

 

Sorry I don't know the answer, my comment was made after reading a dev report, I am chasing up the optimisation work being done but I can not give a timeline currently.

 

thanks

 

@BIGNEWY

 

If you are following up on that, I would love to know if the 32gig ram thing is a conveniently hardcoded limit. Or if performance could be improved with more RAM. I.e. if you guys are compressing stuff, that eats CPU/GPU cycles and if you didn't have to then it could help performance for the handful of people with more RAM.

[Glide]

 

I have PG and Caucasus running at 4k with maxed settings, but I had to tweak it a bit to get Syria to run smooth at 4k. The optimization guide is still relevant as is the 4k guide. I started with max settings and then dialed them down a bit till Syria started running smooth. Ignore SSLR (i'm just experimenting with it), but I still get no stuttering with it turned on. I use Nvidia Vsync ON. I have a 1080Ti, and it all comes down to fitting the graphics "inside" the capability of the card. I tuned it down a tad more, and those jerky artifacts you get at the corners of the screen when you bank low over cities are gone. You can see how I used the approach in the guide.

[Rick50]

Thanks!

[diveplane]

this map still needs some more spit polish a little in performance.

[fitness88]

Object density per square mile in the Syria map in Haifa and Beirut is higher than other maps.  As a result I turn down my settings proportionately and have no stuttering even at roof top fly-by over Haifa and Beirut...running an Nvidia 1080, 32ram, i7-7700K, nearly a 4 year old system.

The Syria map is my favorite, a really interesting theatre of operation and when it gets fully populated will be even better.

I put performance over quality and run smooth throughout the map.

I wonder if others are aware at how effective the autoexec.cfg file is with this entry:

no_device_hotplug = true

Edited January 5, 2021 by fitness88

[Dangerzone]

11 hours ago, fitness88 said:

no_device_hotplug = true

 

 

I certainly am, but still question why it's so effective. I'm assuming that DCS is just looking for new devices but for it to have the impact that it has - it must be doing this numerous times per second. I kinda don't get why it can't drop to a once every 5 seconds or something to fix this up for everyone.

[bulding]

I have the problem of stuttering you make me saturate with the ram if I start with 25gb with 25gb no problem with the time I saturate when I fly on the map for me these all simply an optimization problem the map my spec 32gb ram  1080ti (and vram sam probleme  i'm saturate

 this problem is still not resolved to this day.  Why   

[Justificus]

Where is the autoexec.cfg file usually located? Just had a free moment and searched the DCS directory and only have autoexec.lua script files... Thanks!

[Ramsay]

52 minutes ago, Justificus said:

Where is the autoexec.cfg file usually located? Just had a free moment and searched the DCS directory and only have autoexec.lua script files... Thanks!

 

• Saved Games\DCS\Config\autoexec.cfg

 

You may have to create it using notepad++ if it doesn't already exist.

[Justificus]

25 minutes ago, Ramsay said:

 

• Saved Games\DCS\Config\autoexec.cfg

 

You may have to create it using notepad++ if it doesn't already exist.

 Thanks, I had looked there, too, but I don't even have a DCS folder within my Saved Games folder, just a "Missions" folder containing all my missions and nothing else. Guess I'll need to make one then. Thanks again!

[Ramsay]

6 hours ago, Justificus said:

 ... I don't even have a DCS folder within my Saved Games folder, just a "Missions" folder containing all my missions and nothing else. Guess I'll need to make one then.

 

Strange, you should have more folders that, if using standalone Open Beta, the save path would be 

 

• Saved Games\DCS.openbeta

 

and the path for your custom joystick and keyboard assignments, etc. would be

 

• Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\Input\[module]

[aleader]

Just flew the Syria map for the first time (free flight, A10) and noticed almost 29GB of RAM *allocation* right away, which is very unusual as I never see more than around 14GB *allocation* on the other maps (Caucasus, PG).  There is also some hard stuttering, also unusual.  I figured it was just optimization issues and this thread confirms it.  I'll try some of the settings/fixes and see.  I'm running W10/Sapphire 5700XT/5600X/B550/32GB RAM/NVME SSD.

Edited January 8, 2021 by aleader

[EasyEB]

I solved my stuttering issues by getting 64GB ram

[Oceandar]

I solved my stuttering issues by getting 64GB ram

Lol... Yeah I also solved it by upgrading my old Haswell to Ryzen, GPU to RTX 3060 ti and RAM to 32Gb quietly without telling the wife hahaha.

[Glide]

You need at least 32 GB of RAM for Syria map.  Also, you want to tweak your settings to get your VRAM usage low enough that you do not use any Shared GPU memory.  If your card less than 6 GB of VRAM you may not be able to get the VRAM usage low enough.  If so, disable MSAA and SSAA.  You may need to bounce DCS between missions to clear out Shared GPU memory that is not getting flushed after the mission.

[MAXsenna]

Apologies, not at computer ATM.
My computer is seven years old. Sort of gave up on tuning/clocking things. 32 Gigs, can't seem to run'em at the specified speed (mainboard is a bitch). CPU is a 3960X 3.5@3.8 with double Nvidia Titans. 30" 2560by1400? display. Syria stuttered of course. Then I watched a YT by Robin Takolander where he did some changes to the DCS.exe and the updater.exe(?)
Ticked off two boxes admin and something fullscreen IIRC.
Of course I should post my settings here, but fairly mid settings, but I went from 28-32 to well over 50 in some instant action missions. GPU@100 and CPU around 30/40. So, look up he's YT and do the change if you haven't already. It's worth a try.
As a side note I also ventured into forcing SLI. Whoa! It actually works. Squeezed some more out of my old rig there.
Cheers!

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

The amount of VRAM being used depends on your display resolution, for fairly obvious reasons. While 6.8GB might be enough for 1080p or 1440p, it isn't for VR  - especially if you're using something like a Reverb G2.

Stuttering in maps like Syria happens when the amount of VRAM needed vastly exceeds what you have available. That's why Syria was unplayable for me on HIGH Terrain Textures on my old 2070 Super, but is buttery smooth on my current 6900XT.

 

Going from 16GB to 32GB of system RAM will certainly help your general performance in DCS, but what's critical in modern maps (The Channel and Syria) is VRAM.

[Rocky49]

I find that I must leave the Syria map after flying a Single User made Mission, otherwise my frame rates drop below 30.  The low framerates continue in the Splash page until I select another Map, such as Persia, Nevada.  My system then no longer has the issue and I can fly in any of the other Maps without issue for as long as I want and for as many Missions as I want.

[Glide]

2 hours ago, Rocky49 said:

I find that I must leave the Syria map after flying a Single User made Mission, otherwise my frame rates drop below 30.  The low framerates continue in the Splash page until I select another Map, such as Persia, Nevada.  My system then no longer has the issue and I can fly in any of the other Maps without issue for as long as I want and for as many Missions as I want.

I'm not sure what your specs are, but Syria is limited by VRAM.  Get your VRAM usage down as low as you can and do not let your usage grow such that your card starts using Shared GPU Memory.  Things get choppy when the card starts copying things between dedicated and shared GPU memory, and DCS leaves the memory cached between loads as long as you don't change maps.    For example, I have 11GB of VRAM on my 1080TI.  I can play PG and Caucasus all day and my card never uses shared GPU memory.  On Syria, I have to set terrain textures = LOW and delete the carrier group for my card to stay out of shared GPU memory. 

[Rocky49]

22 minutes ago, glide said:

I'm not sure what your specs are, but Syria is limited by VRAM.  Get your VRAM usage down as low as you can and do not let your usage grow such that your card starts using Shared GPU Memory.  Things get choppy when the card starts copying things between dedicated and shared GPU memory, and DCS leaves the memory cached between loads as long as you don't change maps.    For example, I have 11GB of VRAM on my 1080TI.  I can play PG and Caucasus all day and my card never uses shared GPU memory.  On Syria, I have to set terrain textures = LOW and delete the carrier group for my card to stay out of shared GPU memory. 

My specs are in my signature  I prefer to keeps setting higher and just leave Syria map after each Mission  Haven't seen any posts about Optimizing being done recently on the Syria Map

[Glide]

I don't see any signature, but that could be my issue.  I hear you, until I get my grown up 16GB or 24GB card, I have my Syria workarounds.  It's too good not to fly, but I want my high terrain textures.

[fitness88]

I'm using a 1080, 32ram, i7-7700k, have graphic settings low in Syria with no stutter. However I would like to be able to turn up the graphics so looking at a new rig with a 3090 card [i9.10900kf, 64ram]. 

Is there a big performance difference between the 3080 and the 3090 [understand the memory difference].