Horribly Low FPS When Flying Through Or Looking At Clouds (P3D v3)

[Bobsk8 12,678]

I just started running P3D 2 days ago. I fly for a VA that records all my FPS on every flight, and so far I am seeing no better FPS with everything else, scenery, weather, routes, settings  the same as I had with 2.5, in fact V3 is a bit lower in FPS. In addition, I am seeing microstutters which I never had in 2.5. So far, not very impressed. 

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

I just started running P3D 2 days ago. I fly for a VA that records all my FPS on every flight, and so far I am seeing no better FPS with everything else, scenery, weather, routes, settings  the same as I had with 2.5, in fact V3 is a bit lower in FPS. In addition, I am seeing microstutters which I never had in 2.5. So far, not very impressed. 

You might just need to adjust the sim, slowly...try Nick's suggestions...and see where that gets you.  I can't imagine V3.0 being worse than either my v2.4, or your recent v2.5, Bob.  There really is no monumental changes from 2.5 to 3.0, other than a memory management rework.

[Bobsk8 12,678]

You might just need to adjust the sim, slowly...try Nick's suggestions...and see where that gets you.  I can't imagine V3.0 being worse than either my v2.4, or your recent v2.5, Bob.  There really is no monumental changes from 2.5 to 3.0, other than a memory management rework.

 

Well when I have 2 versions of software on the same  PC running the exact same content, and the new version doesn't perform quite as well as it's predecessor, something isn't right.   

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

Well when I have 2 versions of software on the same  PC running the exact same content, and the new version doesn't perform quite as well as it's predecessor, something isn't right.   

Noted...hope you get it to your satisfaction!

 

Bob...afterthought ....what about a system defrag, or at least the v3.0 folder?

[Noel 4,494]

Another thread on this topic gave the impression V3 significantly improved AA such that one could get  by w/o SGAA.  If that's not the case why hasn't someone, LM, REX or someone come up w/ cloud textures that don't respond to SGAA commands?  Isn't that fundamentally the issue?  It seems bizarre this ginormous elephant in the sim of massive bottlenecking has been definitively solved yet.  Sounds like Gerard has come up w/ a reasonable way to cope w/ this sad engineering defect.

[Peter Webber 339]

I see in the p3d v3 cfg, under [WEATHER], there is an "OPTIMIZE_DENSE_CLOUDS = 0" entry. I wonder if this has the same effect as the "OPTIMIZE_PARTS" discovery?

[Hawkeye4077 0]

Thank you very much to everyone that has commented! I have taken everything on board and given everything a go.

 

I have tried the optimise_dense_clouds tweak and didn't notice any change visually or performance wise.

 

I turned SGSS off in NVI and it's running perfectly through the thickest clouds imaginable! Thank you! However, the shimmering looks horrible. I then tried just 2x SGSSand it was straight back to stuttering.

 

Does anyone know of any other ways to either get rid or subdue this shimmering?

[Noel 4,494]

Thank you very much to everyone that has commented! I have taken everything on board and given everything a go.

 

I have tried the optimise_dense_clouds tweak and didn't notice any change visually or performance wise.

 

I turned SGSS off in NVI and it's running perfectly through the thickest clouds imaginable! Thank you! However, the shimmering looks horrible. I then tried just 2x SGSSand it was straight back to stuttering.

 

Does anyone know of any other ways to either get rid or subdue this shimmering?

You can use Supersampling 4x or even Multisampling as a compromise where swimming textures are lessened but so is image quality and have little to no impact on frame rate performance in dense clouds.  

 

Let's see, pay another $200 to get a little better VAS management + a semitransparent ATC popup, yet still put up with either heinous swimming textures or eliminate that and have heinous, show stopping performance in clouds?  Pathetic...

[Bobsk8 12,678]

Noted...hope you get it to your satisfaction!

 

Bob...afterthought ....what about a system defrag, or at least the v3.0 folder?

 

I always keep my HD defragged, running a scheduler every week, but looked at it this morning and it showed 2%.  I decided to run the defrag again, because when I was installing V3 and the add ons, many things were reinstalled and patched with the new installers, like Ezdok and FSUPIC. I just finished a duplicate V3 VA flight that I had done a week ago in 2.5 with all the same exact settings and weather, and this time the FPS average for the entire flight, that my VA records, were exactly the same as I had in 2.5.  Frankly I didn't expect V3 to be a FPS booster, since the company did not advertise it as such, but I am happy that at least the performance isn't worse than 2.5  .   I am going to keep my 2.5 for awhile to see if these V3 results are consistent. 

[Sesquashtoo 2,846]

I always keep my HD defragged, running a scheduler every week, but looked at it this morning and it showed 2%.  I decided to run the defrag again, because when I was installing V3 and the add ons, many things were reinstalled and patched with the new installers, like Ezdok and FSUPIC. I just finished a duplicate V3 VA flight that I had done a week ago in 2.5 with all the same exact settings and weather, and this time the FPS average for the entire flight, that my VA records, were exactly the same as I had in 2.5.  Frankly I didn't expect V3 to be a FPS booster, since the company did not advertise it as such, but I am happy that at least the performance isn't worse than 2.5  .   I am going to keep my 2.5 for awhile to see if these V3 results are consistent. 

Well, good go...I have a defrag program (O & O Defrag, latest version) that I can set up to run each boot, before W7 Ultimate starts loading.  It has done wonders for housekeeping, and keeps any new sim installation defraged with the next boot-up. A most useful and equipped defrag program. It defrags between BIOS load-in, and W7 run-up, then monitors (if you wish it to) and house-keeps in the background. You can tell it to stop all back-ground defragging, the moment a sim x.exe is started. That is how I have it set up...

[nooon 21]

To OP

I had exactly the same issue in P3Dv3, and I had the exact same issue un P3D v2.5 as well.

 

Here's what solved it for me in both cases.

- ASN : max 3 layers, 80nm cloud draw distance. (up to 120nm once you find yourself smooth watching clouds or flying thru).

- P3D : 30 fps LOCKED+ triple buffer ON + Vsync ON. Don't ask me why it works, I don't know.

- All cloud shadows OFF in P3D.

REXTD : Revert from DXT5 to 32BIT for cloud textures and reinstall your theme.

 

Just let me know if it helps.

 

 

EDIT : oh and by the way I don't use any NVI SGSS. Don't use NVI at all.

[swiesma 625]

Well, good go...I have a defrag program (O & O Defrag, latest version) that I can set up to run each boot, before W7 Ultimate starts loading.  It has done wonders for housekeeping, and keeps any new sim installation defraged with the next boot-up. A most useful and equipped defrag program. It defrags between BIOS load-in, and W7 run-up, then monitors (if you wish it to) and house-keeps in the background. You can tell it to stop all back-ground defragging, the moment a sim x.exe is started. That is how I have it set up...

 

I hope you do not use a SSD?

SSDs do not need defrag... Just saying

[pincopanco 5]

REXTD : Revert from DXT5 to 32BIT for cloud textures and reinstall your theme.

 

 

32bit is better than DXT5 for performance?

[nooon 21]

32bit is better than DXT5 for performance?

 

Well no idea. DXT5 is supposed to be better, but from my perspective, reverting to 32bit plus everything else I've mentionned did cure the FPS problems within clouds or looking at the clouds.

So, I don't care much of theoritical performance of DXT5 vs 32bit, I just use what works best on my system !

[spearmint_flyer 579]

You guys could try running DSR, I use MSAA 2X and DSR 4.0X I get no shimmering and very good percentage. If you have W10 you want even notice because it automatically resizes your desktop for you.