Update Day - 10 November

[RaptyrOne 1,429]

Steam update is also live. 259MB update in Steam followed by 1,4GB in the sim.

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

Yeah I have 1.4GB with the Windows install as well.

I am curious what they did to the inputs as I was fine running everything at zero sensitivity and just increasing my stick forces to get rid of twitchiness. Hopefully they have not broken it.

 

We will see in a minute or two.

[Noel 4,507]

4 minutes ago, pstrub said:

I don't think there's much to elaborate on. MSFS is limited by single-core performance, and uses 4-8 threads max. On a modern CPU with 8 to 16 cores and virtual core doubling thanks to hyperthreading, the CPU load maxes out between 20-50%, still the graphics card doesn't get to 100% utilisation because it's CPU bound due to the main thread.

Sure there is.  That '20-50%' if you're referring to the main thread is completely dependent on slider settings, scenery, and aircraft involved.  Go to any graphically busy area, load up the 787 in ample volumetric clouds, set all your sliders to ultra, and tell me what the main thread runs at, which appears to be restricted to the last core or last two LPs.  With the TBM it is common for the main thread to run around 30-45%, the composite CPU around 15-30%.

[pstrub 998]

Just now, Noel said:

Sure there is.  That '20-50%' if you're referring to the main thread is completely dependent on slider settings, scenery, and aircraft involved.  Go to any graphically busy area, load up the 787 in ample volumetric clouds, set all your sliders to ultra, and tell me what the main thread runs at, which appears to be restricted to the last core or last two LPs.  With the TBM it is common for the main thread to run around 30-45%, the composite CPU around 15-30%.

No, I was referring to people complaining about low CPU usage, when the total usage isn't at 100% - which as you know doesn't work this way with multi-threading and a single core maxing out. I've seen this so many times in various forums about flight simulation and MSFS in particular.

I might be wrong in this case, so yeah, it's probably useful to elaborate on that point. Maybe I read too much into the original comment.

[jpe828 624]

What's disappointing is I have yet to be able to do a DL where I don't get stuck in a never ending DL loop. It is brutal... I use net limiter with some success. 

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

Initial few circuits in Rob Young's turbo bonanza and the Iris jabiru and so far no issues.

[ChaoticBeauty 6,692]

37 minutes ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

Even the minimum spec GPUs (RX570 or GTX770) support DX12 so it does make sense they will move to DX12 sooner rather than later.

29 minutes ago, RaptyrOne said:

Yes but it seems Asobo might be upping the minimum GPU spec anyway. I know there are several threads on the main sim forum where people have run into issues with older GPU’s since Update 5. They are getting really bad cloud flickering and it only affects older GPU’s including GTX780Ti, 770’s, 760’s etc and older. Asobo has responded saying that the hardware is to blame, people need to upgrade to more current GPU’s. Many are up in arms because they bought the sim on the basis that their GPU met the minimum requirement at launch and now, it no longer does.

Yep, I'm one of the affected users. According to Asobo, the minimum requirements will be shifting as the game continues to be patched and tweaked, and there is no guarantee that the current minimum specifications will continue to be compatible. As they also explained, the cloud flickering indicates that a GPU is below specification because the cloud system was updated in 1.10.7.0 (undocumented change it seems), which means the GTX 770 and similar cards are now obsolete. More precisely, all of the GeForce 600/700/800 series GPUs and some laptop variants from the 900 series.

What is bizarre though is that integrated Intel graphics from the same period do not exhibit this issue, even if performance becomes terrible. Sadly it feels like a bug that they would prefer not to put effort in fixing since the userbase with the affected GPUs is so small nowadays, but it is unfortunate that they haven't publicly communicated this change in the cloud rendering system, or updated the minimum requirements.

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

5 minutes ago, ChaoticBeauty said:

Yep, I'm one of the affected users. According to Asobo, the minimum requirements will be shifting as the game continues to be patched and tweaked, and there is no guarantee that the current minimum specifications will continue to be compatible. As they also explained, the cloud flickering indicates that a GPU is below specification because the cloud system was updated in 1.10.7.0 (undocumented change it seems), which means the GTX 770 and similar cards are now obsolete. More precisely, all of the GeForce 600/700/800 series GPUs and some laptop variants from the 900 series.

What is bizarre though is that integrated Intel graphics from the same period do not exhibit this issue, even if performance becomes terrible. Sadly it feels like a bug that they would prefer not to put effort in fixing since the userbase with the affected GPUs is so small nowadays, but it is unfortunate that they haven't publicly communicated this change in the cloud rendering system, or updated the minimum requirements.

Can you mitigate it by using lower cloud settings or is it there for all settings ?

[ChaoticBeauty 6,692]

1 minute ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

Can you mitigate it by using lower cloud settings or is it there for all settings ?

It happens with all settings. Only solution is to fly with Clear Skies, or to turn off all volumetric effects via the Developer Mode.

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

1 minute ago, ChaoticBeauty said:

It happens with all settings. Only solution is to fly with Clear Skies, or to turn off all volumetric effects via the Developer Mode.

oh dear, annoying

[wthomas33065 994]

12 minutes ago, ChaoticBeauty said:

Yep, I'm one of the affected users. According to Asobo, the minimum requirements will be shifting as the game continues to be patched and tweaked, and there is no guarantee that the current minimum specifications will continue to be compatible.

All the more reason I am looking seriously at a System X once it's released as long as I can get a decent controller for it.  It looks as if T-Master has some HOTAS sticks that currently will work.

I don't need "ultra" performance, but rather consistent performance, and I'd rather not be constantly chasing a moving goal post to do so.  

But that's just me....

 

[leprechaunlive 1,859]

41 minutes ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

Initial few circuits in Rob Young's turbo bonanza and the Iris jabiru and so far no issues.

Any noticeable or obvious changes in perf, rendering, smoothness? 

[flyforever 267]

51 minutes ago, jpe828 said:

What's disappointing is I have yet to be able to do a DL where I don't get stuck in a never ending DL loop. It is brutal... I use net limiter with some success. 

I had this problem until I went into the networking properties and played with bandwidth options. In my case I chose 5g instead of 2.1g and that did it. This is wifi. With net limiter it took me forever at 1 mb/s. This approach keeps the speed high and does not trigger an endless loop.

Edited November 10, 2020 by flyforever

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

6 minutes ago, leprechaunlive said:

Any noticeable or obvious changes in perf, rendering, smoothness? 

Was only in each plane for one circuit.  Only thing I noticed in the Bonanza was the throttle response was slower and more natural but that is probably a Rob change I just had not picked up that was always there.

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

23 minutes ago, wthomas33065 said:

All the more reason I am looking seriously at a System X once it's released as long as I can get a decent controller for it.  It looks as if T-Master has some HOTAS sticks that currently will work.

 

[Conspiracy Mode ON]   the glitches are intentional to get us to buy an XBox    [Conspiracy Mode OFF]