Vsync without triple buffering and fps

[joepoway 241]

1 hour ago, SunDevil56 said:

I can only speak for myself, but I get the best and smoothest performance with Vsync on and triple buffering, and unlimited frames in P3D settings and in NVI, smooth as silk, no stutters or hesitation to speak of, and I have all the graphics sliders at or very near max.

i7 8700k, 16 gb of G Skill 2666 ddr 4 ram, GeForce GTX 1080Ti with 11 gb ddr 5, and running P3D v4.4 on a 1tb M2 NVMA SSD

Display is a 32" HP32Q monitor with P3D running at 2560x1440 screen resolution.

I tried locking frames at 30 in NVI just to see how it compared. In all honesty I couldn't see much if any difference, but it appeared to induce a few micro stutters so I went back frame limiter "off" in NVI.

I use the same approach and have also found the external limiting with NVI on top of the in sim settings you use (same as mine ie TB on, Vsync on and Unlimited) to be inconclusive. I however run a 30 Hz native monitor so Vsync shoots for 30 FPS nicely. 

Steve W has posted that if you are going to use the external limiter you should actually set it to 1/2 or 1 frame less than the target refresh rate, in my case 30 Hz so that would be 29.5 or 29 this actually is better than 30 or as some have tried 31 based on his knowledge of how it works. Steve is very knowledable on the subject by the way.

Joe

[SunDevil56 183]

31 minutes ago, joepoway said:

I use the same approach and have also found the external limiting with NVI on top of the in sim settings you use (same as mine ie TB on, Vsync on and Unlimited) to be inconclusive. I however run a 30 Hz native monitor so Vsync shoots for 30 FPS nicely. 

Steve W has posted that if you are going to use the external limiter you should actually set it to 1/2 or 1 frame less than the target refresh rate, in my case 30 Hz so that would be 29.5 or 29 this actually is better than 30 or as some have tried 31 based on his knowledge of how it works. Steve is very knowledable on the subject by the way.

Joe

Thanks Joe, I have gleaned a lot of useful info here, so I always like to hear what other people are trying etc.

The one constant in all of this is.. Each individual system is a world unto it's own, and the only way to tell if this setting or that tweak will benefit you and your setup is to try it.

I think I might be a "tweak" junkie, I enjoy tinkering with this stuff almost as much as I do flying...almost..lol

[SteveW 1,792]

Basically if we see stutter something is wrong, possibly the monitor is waiting for the next frame so continues to display the last frame, too often. When setting NVI as well this can cause stutter. Setting 30 might not be best because the GPU wobbles around 30, perhaps 27 to 33 and the monitor will be near to but not exactly at 30. So it might be better to use 29.5 or 28.5 in NVI or leave it out completely. Depends on the monitor, cable and GPU combined, and the way P3D is set because some stutter is actually made worse by the P3D atmospherics in the view where we didn't have in FSX. All NVI can do is cap the wobble as the GPU output is steered toward the monitor frequency but how long an actual frame takes comes into account. So capping above the steered to frequency makes no sense as it uses more CPU for a start and no more frames to be shown by the monitor means wasted CPU cycles.

[SteveW 1,792]

..then of course if the sim is not set for 'overhead' the variance of fps will actually introduce stutter increasing at certain frequencies like harmonics.

So the main thing that should be a common mantra: If it's not performing well something is wrong in the setup, rather than something is wrong with the manuals.

 

[Langyboy63 22]

Steve, what does fast sync do, would it have any impact on P3d or is it like setting 1/2 refresh, have no impact on P3d.

 

[SteveW 1,792]

So long as the framerate exceeds the monitor refresh the GPU brings the available next frame forward by making an additional buffer available for output so the next frame can continue rendering. Similar to the triple buffer in P3D display settings.

P3D is a different type of app that although can run high fps it is made capable of running smoothly at lower fps with the settings provided. How it pans out on any individual system is down to too many variables with P3D. First person shooters and so on with fast action benefit more from those techniques.

Edited December 21, 2018 by SteveW

[SteveW 1,792]

22 minutes ago, Langyboy63 said:

is it like setting 1/2 refresh, have no impact on P3d.

 

As far as I know that's correct as it runs with Windows Exclusive mode.

[Langyboy63 22]

Thanks Steve.

[SteveW 1,792]

...having said that it might work for all modes or will do eventually since it's an improvement in the way the GPU works. P3D being constrained by the desktop video mode precludes those 1/2 refresh techniques as they only work in the true game screen modes (Exclusive mode).

[SteveW 1,792]

1 minute ago, Langyboy63 said:

Thanks Steve.

You're welcome. Soon I'll be getting hold of some more up-to-date hardware and I'll get some decent info together then.

[Langyboy63 22]

Interesting, let me know if it can with P3d, I did have it set in NVI last night I did believe  I got a good smooth performance from it, but it a bit like a mirage sometimes, I was convinced 1/2 refresh was better, it sounds like a good option to have if it does work.

[Slayer 190]

There are always going to be different opinions on what is best. Even though its claimed the sim runs smoother at a lower FPS I can always perceive that lower FPS so I adjust my settings accordingly to try and keep it as close to 60 as possible. Notice the FPS slider goes well beyond 60 in this latest iteration of P3DV4??? Used to be 60 then to unlimited.

I think VR has killed the notion that you cant see higher than a certain FPS because that always runs at a much higher FPS or motion sickness happens...

FPS is more important if you use TrackIR and VR  , if you're using a hat switch for viewing you are less likely to notice shuddering and FPS dips period.

Edited December 24, 2018 by Slayer

[SunDevil56 183]

10 hours ago, Slayer said:

There are always going to be different opinions on what is best. Even though its claimed the sim runs smoother at a lower FPS I can always perceive that lower FPS so I adjust my settings accordingly to try and keep it as close to 60 as possible. ***Notice the FPS slider goes well beyond 60 in this latest iteration of P3DV4??? Used to be 60 then to unlimited.***

 

You're right, and I hadn't noticed because I run unlimited frames all the time.

Backing it off of unlimited a tiny bit it seems to max out at about 117 fps or something like that. Interesting.