Nasty artifacts during road traffic test

[odourboy 1,288]

I've upgraded to a more powerful system for FSX and I've done a clean install and been tuning my simulator for the last week or so. Today, I enabled road traffic to see if it would work over photo scenery and how it hit my frame rates on my new system. I was using DX-10 (but I have not applied any shader fixes yet), UTX USA, Blue Sky photo scenery (loaded San Francisco Bay area) and road vehicle traffic set at 28% (airport vehicles, leisure craft and ferries.. were off). I happened to be making a FRAPS video at the time, so when this artifacting occurred - I caught it on video - it starts at about 1:12 and goes on for several seconds, then goes away: Here's the video, which I uploaded to Youtube:

 

http://youtu.be/nw6sbyQu21g

 

I'd appreciate if someone could tell me what causes these artifacts and (other than the obvious - turn down the traffic) if there's a way to cure them. This is not a huge problem (rolling back the traffic to 14% allows me to achieve 30 FPS through the same area with no weirdness) but an opportunity to get better educated on the workings my sim. and deal with this sort of thing as I install more addons if it comes up.

 

Edit to add: Just the basic FSX.CFG tweaks (highmem, preload disable) but I have BP=0 and LOD_Radius=6.5. Cloud distance was 100 mi.

 

Cheers, Brian

[spirit_66 2]

I had such things when my GPU got too hot (> 60 C ) . Watch your GPU with GPU-Z and maybe it's the same reason for you. I reduced some load for my GPU and now it's pretty nice again. I simple tweaked too high. I also reduced OC of the GPU and improved the fan profile.

Spirit

[odourboy 1,288]

It's a non overclocked EVGA GTX680, which are noted to stay cool and I've monitored the GPU a bit during tuning and it's been running cool and typically at around 40%, so I doubt this is heat related. None the less, it's an easy test so I'll run this scenario again with the monitor running and see if there's anything going on.

 

Edited to add: I retested the scenario (but without FRAPS running). GPU max load was 38%; Max temp was 65C (Nvidia rates the 680 at 98C for max temp and having looked around, mid 70s is pretty typical for this card during gaming, so I don't think it's heat - but I'm going to look at the fan profile to see if I can reduce this), Max memory usuage was 2.9 GB, CPU core 0 was pretty much pegged at 100%.

 

So, can this sort of thing occur if the CPU is somehow unable to feed the GPU? Suggested adjustments to help alleviate the situation?

[Paul J 349]

fsx.CFG, Odourboy!

 

Can't say what's causing GPU stalling without looking at that..

 

Copy and rename it as "OB_fsx.txt", and then attach it here, using the "More Reply Options".

[odourboy 1,288]

Will do Paul (I'm slightly embarrassed because you are personally mentioned in it! but what the hey - feel free to critique it in general since I was going to post it at some point anyway for review)

 

I'll add that I feel my FSX 'experience' overall is superb with new system. But this is a never ending pursuit and I still have some addons to install.

[Paul J 349]

Hi OB!

 

Looks ok - what I feel is a slight issue, and will contribute to your issue is that you have both AI and GA populated with 45/35 and "2" for airport scenery.

 

My personal rule is - if I'm flying GA - that's what I want to see, so I set anywhere from 20 to 50 - and zero AI.

Conversely - if I'm flying the Maddog - then I'm at KSEA, KPDX, KLAX, etc., and don't look for GA - so it's 20 - 35 AI.

 

Airport traffic - never over 1, as it's a killer.

 

That's all - anything else will be more noticeable. You might try TBM at 120, though - you have a pretty potent system.

[odourboy 1,288]

Thanks for the look Paul. I'm beginning to think that the CPU load with the AI and the heavy traffic zipping along those zillions of roads in the south Bay area - IN COMBINATION WITH FRAPS itself, was the cause of the artifacts. They were not very realistic settings and without FRAPS, I've never seen it occur.

 

One other question for you - have you ever noted your GPU temp when you're pushing it a bit? Spirit66's post has me wondering what the norm is for FSX users.

[tom79 6]

Bufferpools maybe?

[wulfbindewald 5]

my experience with the GPU GTX680 OC in DX10 mode:

GPU load flying through clouds and AA setting to...

    4X:  below 65% 

    8X:  up to 99%, up to 75°C (sharper edges from VC shadows, ~25% lower fps, less smoothness).

I have not checked other perimeters. I stay with AA 4X.

 

Wulf

[odourboy 1,288]

 

 

up to 99%, up to 75°C

My findings as well.

[spirit_66 2]

.......

 

One other question for you - have you ever noted your GPU temp when you're pushing it a bit? Spirit66's post has me wondering what the norm is for FSX users.

 

GPU load 60 - 70 % and in spikes up to 99% and temperature < 60 C.

Spirit

[MichaelMoe 1]

What a coincidence. I am getting these sometimes as well and scrambled water textures in FL380 over Sweden and netherland were the GPU is at 20-25% load 40-55c. I cannot se anything outside the windows because of this :-) I have a Haswell i7-4770K and a HD7970 3GB Vipor-X card 

 

Did a visual VFR in the PMDG 777 over YMML/FTX AUSP4 at 3000 feet with the same settings locked 40fps with Dense setiings and no problems . Soo smooooth

 

Strange these occurs in FL380 over "no trouble"  :huh: ?? No AI and roadtraffic at 11%

 

is it DX10 files or maybe FTXG who is corrupted?

 

Michael Moe

[MichaelMoe 1]

Just a little heads up to my artifacts. I dont know why but my resolution in fsx.cfg did not match one of my LCD´s (for my FMC by CDUII) with actually windows setting. After correcting this to match windows resolution i am so far stable.

 

Michael Moe