Any issues with running at unlimited FPS?

[MDF86 123]

In tweaking my sim I've found that I get much better FPS in and around busy addon airports in the NGX/Aerosoft A320 when I run unlimited vs locking at 30.

 

I know this goes against the grain of the common consensus as to what is 'right' so just wondered whether there are any issues with running at unlimited that I need to be aware of?

 

To test this I have a test flight where I'm flying into Aerosoft PANC (on top of ORBX Alaska) in the NGX in a thunderstorm.

 

With locked at 30 I get 11-15FPS on short final, with unlimited I get 17-21, which makes quite a noticeable difference in terms of smoothness.

[Selkan 1]

You will find lots of opinions on this one.  For me I run FSX unlimited in Sim and locked at 40 using Nvidia Inspector.  As you probably know, it is a question of finding what is the sweet spot for you, i.e. finding a good average frame rate, and locking it there.  I also find that I get much better frames unlimited in FSX, but I think you will find that by using Nvidia Inspector, and locking in there, you will get much less fluctuation in FPS making for a smoother flight.

[MDF86 123]

You will find lots of opinions on this one. For me I run FSX unlimited in Sim and locked at 40 using Nvidia Inspector. As you probably know, it is a question of finding what is the sweet spot for you, i.e. finding a good average frame rate, and locking it there. I also find that I get much better frames unlimited in FSX, but I think you will find that by using Nvidia Inspector, and locking in there, you will get much less fluctuation in FPS making for a smoother flight.

That's interesting, I never even considered an external limiter. I tried at 30 and 40 in the sim and got low FPS on both occasions but unlimited gave me a much smoother approach.

 

I will experiment with limiting through NI and seeing if that's more effective.

 

Thanks

[RickB1293 9]

The only real improvement I've noticed is less scenery tearing due to using VSync. I have three other programs up when flying the sim so I use windowed mode and two monitors during a session. I set frames at 30 in FSX, I've also used external frame rate settings and don't see any diference in performance or quality. Thirty FPS is kind of a sweet spot if you have a 60Hz refresh rate monitor and use VSync. BTW, you can use windowed mode and fake the full screen effect by using Maarten Boelens freeware program called Flight Sim Pseudo Full Screen. Just press Win+F11 after you open FSX and it looks exactly like full screen except your background programs are available, in my case on a second monitor.

[SteveW 1,792]

Try this: Set unlimited fps in FSX, then from the outside locked spot view, zoom out fully, then pan around in a circle. See how it speeds up and slows down? Each frame a different time period from the next. Looks bad with rain and snow too.

 

Setting internal fps limiter forces look ahead frames, it looks like this mode consumes fps, but it's supposed to do that. Pre rendered frames allow the sim to ride out slowdown from scenery loading and so on.

 

Unlimited is basically a test mode of DX.

[Christopher Low 5,353]

I was astonished by what happened when I was beta testing a product recently. I normally have my framerate locked at 25 in FSX, but I reset this to Unlimited for the beta test to check framerates across the board. What I discovered was that this also increased framerates below the threshold setting.

 

What do I mean by this? In short.....if (for example) the framerate is 20fps when in Unlimited mode, then I would have expected it to be 20fps when in any "capped" mode above that (say 25 or 30). However, what I discovered is that the framerate in "capped" mode is significantly lower, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Surely the entire point of "capped" mode is so that your PC does not waste resources on stupidly high framerates, and puts that excess power to better use rendering more complex scenes? If the framerates are significantly lower in "capped" mode (and I am talking 50%+ here), then that is affecting the user experience in a negative way, not a positive one.

 

Very strange....

[MDF86 123]

I was astonished by what happened when I was beta testing a product recently. I normally have my framerate locked at 25 in FSX, but I reset this to Unlimited for the beta test to check framerates across the board. What I discovered was that this also increased framerates below the threshold setting.

 

What do I mean by this? In short.....if (for example) the framerate is 20fps when in Unlimited mode, then I would have expected it to be 20fps when in any "capped" mode above that (say 25 or 30). However, what I discovered is that the framerate in "capped" mode is significantly lower, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Surely the entire point of "capped" mode is so that your PC does not waste resources on stupidly high framerates, and puts that excess power to better use rendering more complex scenes? If the framerates are significantly lower in "capped" mode (and I am talking 50%+ here), then that is affecting the user experience in a negative way, not a positive one.

 

Very strange....

Yea that's what I mean. If I can get 20 FPS when set to unlimited on approach into a busy airport in a thunderstorm in the NGX I would expect to get the same 20 FPS if I have it locked to 30, but I get below 15. So we're talking about a 25% reduction which seems bizarre to me.

 

I thought the whole point of limiting was that it didn't take it any HIGHER than necessary in order to save resources.

[SteveW 1,792]

An external limiter 'caps' the fps, the FSX internal limiter is a DX mode limiter and produces look-ahead or pre-rendered frames, 3 is the default, but more can be set with the GPU controls. And yes you need a powerful machine, and no it improves the experience. Try panning outside like I mentioned above, but this time with a fps limit set, and set to that which can be sustained during the panning.

 

Another reason to avoid unlimited is that some addons communicate with FSX on a frame by frame basis, allowing extra fps forces communications with these addons to run faster as well, and increases network requirement. So fps capping is worthwhile for these addons, some may even exhibit strange behaviour with too many fps.

 

I thought the whole point of limiting was that it didn't take it any HIGHER than necessary in order to save resources.

That's perfectly correct. Direct X adds pre-rendered frames functionality to extend the usefulness of fps capping.

[Christopher Low 5,353]

The ironic part of this story is that the framerate limiter is most useful for less powerful systems, and yet it is those systems that are likely to suffer the most if the framerate drops below the capped limit. Of course, that is assuming that most flight simmers are like me, and want massive amounts of visual detail :smile:

[FLEX1978 373]

On my system FSX Dx10  is much smoother with unlimited FPS.  FSX DX9 & FS9 I have to lock it at 30 or I get stutters.  

 

Just use what is best for 'your' system. 

[SolRayz 392]

Unlimited here as well, in DX9 or DX10. Much better performance for me in doing so.

[SteveW 1,792]

If FSX internal limiting with pre-rendered frames is too much of a strain for your system, but you want to avoid using an external limiter, the look ahead frames can be turned off or set less in the GPU control panel.

[Capt Speirs 52]

Wow, so many different experiences and opinions on this. I find that in DX 10 mode if I lock my frames to what I usually get in EGLL UK2000 , Stormy, PMDG 777, ASN and OpusFSX (24 FPS) it runs much smoother, but all that doesn't matter because my system is not the same as yours or many others. You just have to fiddle with it till you get what works for you and your system.

[MDF86 123]

On my system FSX Dx10  is much smoother with unlimited FPS.  FSX DX9 & FS9 I have to lock it at 30 or I get stutters.  

 

Just use what is best for 'your' system. 

 

 

Unlimited here as well, in DX9 or DX10. Much better performance for me in doing so.

 

I was starting to think I was the only one!!

 

Wow, so many different experiences and opinions on this. I find that in DX 10 mode if I lock my frames to what I usually get in EGLL UK2000 , Stormy, PMDG 777, ASN and OpusFSX (24 FPS) it runs much smoother, but all that doesn't matter because my system is not the same as yours or many others. You just have to fiddle with it till you get what works for you and your system.

 

Yes it certainly seems to be a divisive topic with no one "best" answer, as with a lot of things it seems that what is best for one is not always best for the other.

 

I haven't actually tried locking my frames in FSX below the "golden" 30 number, I would be perfecly happy with 24 all round! I may experiment with locking lower.

[SolRayz 392]

I was starting to think I was the only one!!

 

 

Well the 1/2 Adaptive V-sync and internally locked at 30 info that has been so popular has never worked for me. Particularly when I can steadly run higher frames which does wonders as a trackIR user. In fact, the closer I get to 60fps the better my trackIR experience becomes.