More VRAM helps a lot with DCS VR performance

[FoxTwo]

I'm seeing 7.8GB of VRAM in use by DCS, at least according to afterburner's per process monitor. That's in single player with limited assets, 4x MSAA, in the Caucuses at 4k on a montior.

 

That's a lot but it's not as much as I thought.

 

In the same location/map/mission in VR on an HP reverb with 125% in Steam SS, it's only using around 5.3GB of VRAM. Settings lowered of course. GPU VRAM may not be as limiting a factor unless you crank up draw distance, MSAA to 4x and preload radius.

 

It warrants more investigation and monitoring. 10GB may be enough for a lot of cases, even in VR.

Edited October 14, 2020 by FoxTwo
more data

[coldViPer]

Here is some data from real VRAM usage on my system: https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=4522981&postcount=53

 

 

Yeah this usage per process is handy, but like discussed in other thread, it's more like allocated per process. We still don't know how much DCS actually use vram, only how much DCS allocates.

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=4513143&postcount=127

[TBAR]

I just wanted to add my two cent with regarding to upcoming GPU launches and Nvidias 3000 series cards; since I'm in the process of building a new rig as well and have been watching this closely for a few months now.

The 3080 20GB card is looking like a thing; there have been a quite a few leaks over the last month. It’s Nvidias response to AMD's upcoming 16 GB vram card and if Tom over at Moore’s law is dead, is correct (he's been pretty much on the money with his 3000 series info over the last 3 months.) it will be coming this December @ $1000 (I assume that’s an FE price). Also the lack of 3000 series cards is not a mistake, it’s by design. According to M.L.S.D, the shortage is about to end in the first week of November. There are apparently 300,000, RTX 3080's and 30,000 3090's shipping at the end of October and there will be no shortage of 3070's when they launch

I’ll be very interested to see how well (if the rumours are true) the 3080 20 GB card performs with regard to DCS, given what’s been discussed on this thread. In the mean time I guess it’s just a watch and wait scenario until all the launches have happened and we have some solid benchmarks to look at and some anecdotal evidence from people using the new cards in DCS.

[FoxTwo]

This is about 20 minutes of Hoggit GAW multiplayer. VRAM usage never exceeded 7.5GB and for the most part hovered around 5.5-6GB. Flying the F-16.

 

I didn't hit the F10 menu or F2 external view a bunch of planes or things that can cause a lot of random texture loading, I just flew the mission and killed a few Mig-31s and fired AGM-88s on a SA8 and SA10.

 

I'm not saying that DCS can't use more RAM than this, but right now I don't know if it really needs to. I don't know if 24GB of VRAM (or 20 when the 3080 makes that reasonable) makes a lot of sense if ED could figure out how to bring their engine into 2015 and get texture streaming to work properly.

 

 

[RealDCSpilot]

To bring everything together, these are the highend settings for the game (only difference is that i use "extreme" for visibility range now):

 

 

and this is VRAM usage profiling for these settings on Syria map and TTI MP mission:

 

 

The 3090 doesn't struggle at any point, giving a nice highend VR experience. Only CPU frametime is left as a limiting factor for FPS.

[RealDCSpilot]

@FoxTwo

 

Yes, DCS needs a better memory management algorithm. Something to clean up unneeded resources fast and effective. Then, lesser hardware specs would be enough for the same result.

[andyn]

Being able to keep cockpit textures on high while dropping the external ones to medium or low would help somewhat, too. Quick googling tells me that at least a few people have been asking it for for years.

[RealDCSpilot]

Don't forget that this is running more than 4K resolution for each eye. Given that, it's a pretty normal VRAM usage. Running the game on just one 4K display should be a bit under 10/11GB in all situations.

[FoxTwo]

Don't forget that this is running more than 4K resolution for each eye. Given that, it's a pretty normal VRAM usage. Running the game on just one 4K display should be a bit under 10/11GB in all situations.

 

 

Well again I'm pushing ~11m pixels with my reverb at 125% and only using 5.5-6GB. It's not coming anywhere near 10 on my system.

[eatthis]

how do you see the vram useage?

[FoxTwo]

how do you see the vram useage?

 

MSI afterburner has a gpu.dll monitor plugin that will monitor per-process VRAM usage.

 

[Hawkeye_UK]

There is definitely an issue with the F10 map and or tac command access in MP.

 

Reported by multiple users in VR across multiple servers.

 

You can go from a locked 40fps to 20, or even more interesting from an 80 to 40fps in the tac command F10 map view, all with until a week or so ago a top end system (re 2080ti).

 

Can be in a mission, solid fps. Go into tac command, go back and respawn at exactly the same airfield, same aircraft, same mission, same loadout and suddenly fps is half of what is is. Nothing else being ran on PC.

 

Frustrating doesn't even cover it.

 

Interestingly enough sometimes this can be cleared by opening say task manager or another program on pc and tabbing back into dcs and framerates restored.

 

There is an issue with memory and how DCS handles it. I've yet to see a convincing explanation of the use of RAM and page file from a dev and how preload handles this. Come to think of it i've yet to see a detailed explanation on bloom effect, mask size, terrain texture and all the other graphics settings. The best is when new option's just appear without any explanation. Below acceptable communication to be honest.

 

The bottom line is, and lets not cloud the issue, the core engine is basically not fit for purpose for prolonged play it screws up when using tac command in MP servers. We should all be asking as a community not when the next module is out but when they are going to sort out DCS Core Engine and netcode, hell i'd even pay for a DCS VR module if they had to fund extra resources to get this better and more stable. This is a poor optimization and architecture issue, not a hardware problem (so much so i ruled this out after buying a custom gaming pc from Scan UK purely to use for what is one of my main hobbies re DCS, i've not even had email or office installed to ensure no other software conflicts).

 

Yes i can run DCS at a solid locked 40fps (rift s) but when the memory leak or whatever causes the game it can be low 20's and degenerate's into a poor experience. Note closing down the game and loading the exact same point in the exact same cockpit and back to a solid 40fps.

 

Whilst i'm fortunate enough to be able to upgrade to the newer series of cards, this is absolutely not acceptable in that a solution is paying for headroom because of long standing memory issues that are not being resolved. I also have a lot of sympathy for those not as fortunate as myself, who no doubt saved up for their 2080ti, 2080 or whatever expecting ED to deliver their side of the deal. Its buggy as hell. It is for me, the number one thing that needs resolution.

 

I'm wanting to upgrade to the G2 but i'll be honest i just dont know if DCS will be a worse MP experience with it than a Rift S given the current unreliable state of the core engine and given that this will place more demands on the system.

[FoxTwo]

I'm wanting to upgrade to the G2 but i'll be honest i just dont know if DCS will be a worse MP experience with it than a Rift S given the current unreliable state of the core engine and given that this will place more demands on the system.

 

It won't be worse. It won't be better but it won't be worse.

 

Mine ran just as fine? Poorly? On my 2080ti as it does on my 3080 with a G1 Reverb.

[Gunnars Driver]

Well again I'm pushing ~11m pixels with my reverb at 125% and only using 5.5-6GB. It's not coming anywhere near 10 on my system.

 

I’m mostly above 10Gb, 10,3-10,7 (out of 11).

 

I did use 125% SS before and went up to 150%.

I dont think its SS alone, but other Dcs graphic settings affect as well.

[FoxTwo]

I’m mostly above 10Gb, 10,3-10,7 (out of 11).

 

I did use 125% SS before and went up to 150%.

I dont think its SS alone, but other Dcs graphic settings affect as well.

 

Very likely. I'm at 2x MSAA, preload around 70k and medium visibility. No heat effects, low shadows.

 

My hitching/stutters are way down, as is my memory usage. I haven't noticed an actual visual difference in the actual game. I still don't pull more than 45 fps thanks to motion smoothing but the game is fine otherwise.

 

I think a big part of this is not really understanding what each setting in the game actually does and what kind of impact it has or what the requirements are. It's very obfuscated, probably because it's (poorly) translated from russian to english.

[RealDCSpilot]

@FoxTwo

 

Try these settings to push over your VRAM limit. This is basically the highest visual quality for VR that you can achieve with a crowbar and the 3090 just eats it without complaining. It's 18.4m pixels with max settings on nearly everything. https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=4524203&postcount=57

Edited October 16, 2020 by Alec Delorean

[FoxTwo]

@FoxTwo

 

Try these settings to push over your VRAM limit. This is basically the highest visual quality for VR that you can achieve with a crowbar and the 3090 just eats it without complaining. It's 18.4m pixels with max settings on nearly everything. https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=4524203&postcount=57

 

Yeah no I mean, I'm sure you can overload the GPU VRAM with settings that's... I mean I'm not questioning that. I'm questioning whether or not that actually has much of a visual impact or is even necessary.

 

Can you get DCS to use more than 10GB of VRAM? Not surprising if the answer is yes. Does it reasonably need to? That's the better question.

 

I'm having a smooth, stutter free experience with only 10GB of VRAM and utilization shows well under that in multiplayer situations (tested on hoggit's PGAW and GAW).

[Mr. Big.Biggs]

Since the latest series of updates, going back I believe to the big upgrade with lighting effects ect I can maintain smooth stutter free (caveat is first and second sorties only before I need to exit and reenter DCD) but only because I finally dialed back my SS and PD to a point where I’m disenchanted with the visuals again. I can get a beautiful clear picture, but way too many hops stuttters and smears.

Quite frankly I’m torn between going after a 3090 when available or just plain giving up. What I find equally if not more frustrating is that I search and find maybe a handful of servers with more than 15 players so I end up floating along alone for an hour before I get bored and Log out.

Obviously I should probably join a squad but I’m not in a position to participate regularly.

All my issues I know but 15000 posts a day and 15 flyers. Maybe I’m missing servers???

Regards

[Gunnars Driver]

I'm questioning whether or not that actually has much of a visual impact or is even necessary.

 

Can you get DCS to use more than 10GB of VRAM? Not surprising if the answer is yes. Does it reasonably need to?

 

There’s a quite big difference between the first gen VR sets and the latest when it comes to what settings that actually makes a graphic difference.

 

Some settings make a big difference and you only lower them if needed, but also put a high strain on the CPU/GPU and increase the RAM usage.

 

Visibility range = you like as high as possible, but it bite the HW.

Threes visibility, to see them grow in front of you isnt fun so you like that setting maxed out if possible.

 

There are some settings where I dont clearly see any difference in the graphics so these I try to not max out.

 

 

For me with a 2080ti 11Gb Im VRAM limited in some cases. I have lowered some settings to not get the allocsted VRAM to reach 11Gb. I have seen stutter without the CPU/GPU at 100% but VRAM 10.9 or so, and after changing settings that got the reported VRAM use lower the stutter dissapeared. While I cant be sure that is was (only) VRAM shortage that caused this, it was enough for med to not select a 3080 due to the 10Gb only reality and Ill het my 3090 next week.

[RealDCSpilot]

For me it's running the game at 2x 2880x3200 pixels, 4x MSAA and extreme visibility range. Looks fantastic and no doubt this will work great on any future VR HMD with higher resolution panels than the current gen.

[FoxTwo]

There’s a quite big difference between the first gen VR sets and the latest when it comes to what settings that actually makes a graphic difference.

 

 

I'm running a Reverb, I know what the latest gen headsets look like.

[Gunnars Driver]

I'm running a Reverb, I know what the latest gen headsets look like.

 

Yes. Not to learn you how it looks but its essential for the question if the settings actually make a difference you can see or not.

 

I probably missed that part about Reverb in your post.

 

For this thread, nvidia say they have a mor efficient use of the VRAM in 3080 compared to the 20X0 generation so 10Gb is said to not be less than 11Gb in 2080. Im not convinced so I went for 3090.

[twistking]

dcs does not even free up vram if you go back to main menu and reload a mission. only way to free vram is to restart the game.

it's been that way forever and i've done a lot of testing on this. it's generally good practice to restart the game before you load into a mission.

 

if you are in the editor and test a mission, then go back change the season and playtest again all texture data from the other season will still be held in vram. it's madness. i suspect that it's the same for object textures that are not even part of the new mission you are loading in.

 

the excuse we get is, that it's just vintage code, but not clearing vram when you reload a mission? that's seems to me like laziness and nothing more...

[RealDCSpilot]

dcs does not even free up vram if you go back to main menu and reload a mission. only way to free vram is to restart the game.

it's been that way forever and i've done a lot of testing on this. it's generally good practice to restart the game before you load into a mission.

 

if you are in the editor and test a mission, then go back change the season and playtest again all texture data from the other season will still be held in vram. it's madness. i suspect that it's the same for object textures that are not even part of the new mission you are loading in.

 

the excuse we get is, that it's just vintage code, but not clearing vram when you reload a mission? that's seems to me like laziness and nothing more...

 

That's exactly whats going on. Simply switching to another aircraft just adds data to VRAM without purging the unnecessary data from the former aircraft.

[Gunnars Driver]

That's exactly whats going on. Simply switching to another aircraft just adds data to VRAM without purging the unnecessary data from the former aircraft.

 

Of course this is badly handled by DCS but as long as it doesnt affect the gaming ”in flight” I dont mind. I do not think I have seen VRAM usage be higher after I switched aircraft and is flying it?