[4.33 32/64bit] Poor framerate when switching from external to cockpit view

[Why485]

When I go from external view to cockpit view, my framerate drops to about 2/3-3/4 of what it should be depending how busy the scene is. Alt-tabbing out of the game and then coming back will reset my framerate back to what it should be, but going to external view then back to cockpit will again usually drop my framerate back down. The alt-tab “fix” seems to work every time. The bug doesn’t seem to happen 100% of the time, but it does usually happen.

This is using the default hardware settings with shadow mapping set to cockpit and focus shadows, and all the options under water normal mapping checked. Turning these off will raise my framerate all-around, but it does not stop the issue from happening. I’ve also tried 32 bit and 64 bit, both have this problem.

I’m running in fullscreen. If I run in a window or borderless window, then the bug still happens, but I can’t do the alt-tab trick to “fix” the problem.

Some numbers using the ingame FPS counter running the second training TE:

Mission start in cockpit: 57 (normal cockpit FPS)
Mission start external: 70 (normal exterior FPS)
Go back to cockpit: 47 (strangely reduced cockpit FPS)
Alt-tab out and back: 56 (cockpit FPS back to normal)

Neurotically alt-tabbing seems to keep the framerate high, but that’s not the most practical thing to do. The low framerate also makes mouse input very laggy. With anti-aliasing, or in scenarios with units and weather, the numbers are more dramatic.

My specs:
Intel i5 3570k
Nvidia GTX 770 (358.50 drivers)
16GB DDR3

[Darkman]

Inside cockpit will be lower fps as you’re displaying more, particularly when using TGP, WPN page with video, FLIR etc as they’re effectively additional displays that need to be rendered.

If you’re using vsync, try turning it off. I used vsync with 4.32 but find I don’t need it with 4.33.

[Why485]

I’m not talking about the FPS being lower in cockpit view, that’s to be expected.

I’m talking about the FPS being lower in cockpit view than it should be AFTER I go to an external view.

For some reason the cockpit loses FPS after switching to external, and alt-tabbing fixes it for some reason. However, going to external again makes it very likely that the cockpit FPS will again be lower than it would be, so again once I go back to cockpit I need to alt-tab to get back to the FPS I was having before I switched to external.

It’s not related to VSync. I have a GSync monitor and have tried it with GSync on/off, and with VSync on/off, each with no difference.

[Dee-Jay]

Same on my side.

start Instant Action, once pit, hit the pause, disply fps and let fps stabilize.

Note fps (on my side 45)

switch to external view (60)

back in pit (same view) fps drop down to 30.

… Will do some more tests.

[Arty]

kinda obvious?
when u alt tab desktop aint gfx intense so the gfx engine gets a restart - clean (kinda) so when u return back it’s like u soft rebooted the gfx subsystem. after a while it must get back to normal fps i believe. right? It doesn’t stay on high fps.

[Jasajas]

I can reproduce this. It is as the rest. When looking at gfx tool it is slowing down due to lighter load in outside view and fps dont come back when switching to cockpit (prob because BMS is not proporly telling the gfx to power up… I found it to be the adaptive setting in nvidia. If I set to max performance this behavior is gone.

[Dee-Jay]

Finally, Not the case anytime … in Instant action yes, but yesterday I’ve made a TE departing from Sokcho in RAMP and I wasn’t able to repro the same issue this time.

@Jasajas:

If I set to max performance this behavior is gone.

I do not think so … I am in Max Perfo setting.

[LAB83]

@Darkman:

Inside cockpit will be lower fps as you’re displaying more, particularly when using TGP, WPN page with video, FLIR etc as they’re effectively additional displays that need to be rendered.

If you’re using vsync, try turning it off. I used vsync with 4.32 but find I don’t need it with 4.33.

Is funny that i not get more FPS when using “empty cockpit shell” like i do in 4.32

[Jasajas]

@Dee-Jay:

Finally, Not the case anytime … in Instant action yes, but yesterday I’ve made a TE departing from Sokcho in RAMP and I wasn’t able to repro the same issue this time.

I do not think so … I am in Max Perfo setting.

You are right. I did some more testing in other scenarios and what happens to me is that my gfx is Max MHz in cockpit = 1058mhz and outside view it runs at 915mhz and even if I Switch back to cockpit I have lost 5-10 fps in the Switching. It loads up over time if any event triggers the maximum load again. When I had adaptive it went down to as low as 770 MHz in outside view and it hit the fps harder obviously. Thats why I jumped that conclusion abit early because the fps change in Max perf was close to not detectable.
Not a big problem for me but if you have 35 fps starting ….

[Why485]

@Dee-Jay:

Finally, Not the case anytime … in Instant action yes, but yesterday I’ve made a TE departing from Sokcho in RAMP and I wasn’t able to repro the same issue this time.

I do not think so … I am in Max Perfo setting.

Yeah, like I was saying it doesn’t happen 100% of the time, but it does happen much more often than not. I would say 80-90% of the time I switch views. It’s not an Instant Action thing either because it happens in pretty much every TE that’s included in the game and every one that I’ve made myself.

[Mainstay]

Same problem here fps when starting in the pit is fine. When switching to external view fps is also fine but switching back to pit from external causes a massive fps drop.