I was never in the Beta for SU3, so getting around to some testing now, and I’m noticing my GPU utilization is consistently 20% lower than typical, resulting in an overall performance loss of around 10 fps. On average my gpu utilization is right around 65%. SU2 had GPU utilization at 80+ basically all the time.

The only way I’m able to achieve pre SU3 performance, is by lowering TLOD to 100. Prior to SU3 I was running it at 200 with no issues.

I’m running a 5080, 5800x3d, 64 gb ram, on a Reverb G2, using Auto FPS.

Edited August 27, 2025Aug 27 by FakeWayne

Lower GPU usage usually means higher CPU usage and in your case with TLOD lower restoring performance means your CPU is struggling. So your SU3 issue is not related to the GPU but the CPU instead...

I can relate to that but am pretty sure it started before SU3, but not 100% certain.  I didn't notice it as GPU utilization, but instead VRAM use had gone down by about the same amount of GB as system RAM use went up and with that see about a 15+% decrease in frame rate w/ the same settings.  So I surmised perhaps it had to do w/ VRAM 'optimization' for those sys w/o much VRAM.

8 hours ago, AnkH said:

Lower GPU usage usually means higher CPU usage and in your case with TLOD lower restoring performance means your CPU is struggling. So your SU3 issue is not related to the GPU but the CPU instead...

Definitely makes sense.  I’m just not sure what would have caused it all of a sudden. 
 

I know the 5800x3d is a little older now, but it should still hold its own when it comes to TLOD. 

8 hours ago, Noel said:

I can relate to that but am pretty sure it started before SU3, but not 100% certain.  I didn't notice it as GPU utilization, but instead VRAM use had gone down by about the same amount of GB as system RAM use went up and with that see about a 15+% decrease in frame rate w/ the same settings.  So I surmised perhaps it had to do w/ VRAM 'optimization' for those sys w/o much VRAM.

Hopefully there are other in the same boat as us who can offer some advice. 
 

It’s pretty disappointing hearing about the SU3 performance improvements, and then I’m actually saddled with a decrease of performance.

I just can’t think of anything system wise that would be causing it.  I've changed absolutely nothing on my end, other than clearing shader caches prior to install of su3.

Edited August 27, 2025Aug 27 by FakeWayne

3 hours ago, FakeWayne said:

Hopefully there are other in the same boat as us who can offer some advice. 
 

It’s pretty disappointing hearing about the SU3 performance improvements, and then I’m actually saddled with a decrease of performance.

I just can’t think of anything system wise that would be causing it.  I've changed absolutely nothing on my end, other than clearing shader caches prior to install of su3.

I don't know what to make of it but the guess is it's a case of 'optimizing' for lesser hardware and in doing so some how restrained what better hardware can do, at least w/ regard to the VRAM issue.  Fortunately NV DLSS Frame Gen has become mostly useful for me after one major and unexpected improvement that happened recently so that is helping offset the native performance reduction as I was not using FG previously due to unpleasant artifacts and one major one has improved greatly, but the other persists but only under certain lighting conditions w/ with certain kinds of textures.  It's nice to be running the lowly native rate of 30FPS again--less power, major headroom, ultra smooth. 

We have to also remember it's not over, it's always a WIP so this too might improve once again.