Stuttering - cannot resolve

Discussion in 'Technical & Support' started by benkay, Dec 19, 2018.

  1. benkay

    benkay Registered

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    Hi guys,

    I'm really struggling with stuttering in game...especially visible on tight hairpins, as the background has to move across the screen very quickly.

    I've tried various guides I've found online. It's the only game I have any issue with. iRacing, AC, AMS all run beautifully smooth. Even ACC with everything maxed, I get smooth gameplay.

    What I can't figure out in Rfactor2 is I get stuttering even with just 1 car on track...it doesn't necessarily seem in any way linked to the complexity of the scene being rendered.

    My specs are :
    i7-7700k
    2080ti FE GPU
    32GB DDR4
    Rfactor2 running off SSD

    Running Triples 7680x1440 @ 165Hz with multiview.
    GYSNC is enabled.

    Launcher settings are :
    AA : Level 3
    Post-processing : Low or off
    V-Sync : Off (have tried video too)

    In game settings I've tried almost everything, low settings, highest settings etc. with not much noticeable difference.

    I'm averaging around 95FPS with lows reported of 80FPS or so....but when stuttering, this doesn't seem to be reflected in the FPS figure.

    In the .ini file, I've capped refresh rate at 165Hz

    Using CTRL+F, the GPU memory bar never goes above 30%
    Using the other in-game chart, :

    The top green bar is solid all the way across...but there seems to be a kind of line chart being drawn above the green bar which very rarely shows anything at all.

    I've read, that as I'm using sync (G-SYNC in my case), then it's normal for that green bar to be full? If I move windows focus to another window, that green bar drops down to about 1/3.

    Really desperate for help, from any experts out there!
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2018
  2. GrimDad

    GrimDad Registered

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    I did a search of gsync and found a thread where Marcel Offermans explains a bit about gsync.

    https://forum.studio-397.com/index.php?threads/fanatec-or-thrustmaster.60645/#post-952888

    The quote below he is talking about monitors,
    I just wonder if your fixing refresh rate is causing the problem and if your monitors support it.
     
  3. Lazza

    Lazza Registered

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    It's normal for the horizontal bar to be full with most graphics configurations. You can only really lower that by making the game limit itself to a certain FPS figure, or force it by taking away its focus so the game is updated less frequently. So nothing to worry about there.

    The vertical graph above, which is probably basically just a line, is a histogram showing frame times. Usually it will be quite steady, I wonder if you're getting stuttering whether it sometimes shows a small line/dot elsewhere on the graph?

    I would try to use some sort of frametime graphing program to properly log your FPS to confirm your stutter and maybe get an idea of any pattern to it.
     
  4. benkay

    benkay Registered

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    Thanks for the replies guys.

    Grimdad - I'm not really fixing the refresh rate - I've just capped it at my monitors' max refresh rate. I barely, if ever, get to 165 FPS anyway with triples and multi view.

    Also the G-Sync then sounds like the best thing to be using, which I am.

    Thanks for clarification of the bars Lazza. Good to hear that's basically normal. Yes on the green line chart, it does sometimes show little vertical lines (I guess they're so short that it doesn't look like a line chart, but more like little vertical bars)....I can't say whether these align with the stutters, but sounds like it could be showing the stutters.
     
  5. benkay

    benkay Registered

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    For anyone looking at this in the future, I finally resolved the micro-stuttering.

    Things changed that resulted in the fix (I'm not sure if it's just one of the below, or a combination) :

    1. Set "max pre-rendered frames" to 1 in Nvidia Control Panel
    2. Set "VSYNC" to "Fast" in Nvidia Control Panel
    3. Frame limit in player.json file de-activated (set to 0)
    4. VYSNC in launcher settings to Off

    The above changes have resulted in buttery smooth visuals for me now. I do have GSYNC enabled...which may be helping further, but the above changes took me from quite a frustrating driving experience with judders backgrounds to being pretty much perfectly smooth.
     
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  6. LokiD

    LokiD Registered

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    Try fast sync. I had the same especially on nola.
     
  7. wrxxy

    wrxxy Registered

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    Nice to hear....
     
  8. Alex72

    Alex72 Registered

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    Fast Vsync has always been bad for me personally. IIRC it was always tearing and/or stuttering compared to normal vsync and min frames 1. But all hardware is different, lol. :D
     
  9. TSJ

    TSJ Registered

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    Thanks - been hitting my head against a brick wall on this, steps 1 and 2 resolved the issue for me!
     
  10. Highlandwalker

    Highlandwalker Registered

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    I recently upgraded my system to:
    i7-8700k 3.7GHZ.
    16GB memory.
    ASUS 1080 STRIX GPU.
    RF2 would run silky smooth with graphic settings at max, pp setting at high and 55 AI cars at Le Mans 2017 but I was getting stutters of up to 1 second. I cured the stutter by setting record to memory to true, it's located in the player json file in the Game Options section. You probably need 16GB of memory to use this. I have had no problems running 2hr plus sessions with this setting. It records to hard drive when you exit the session. RF2 now runs super smooth 100% of the time with no stutters what so ever with max graphic settings even with max rain settings.
    I do not run VSYNC. I set max fps in the player json to a prime number high than the refresh rate of my monitor, in my case I have it set to 89 fps, my monitor is only 60hz. Setting max fps to a prime number in theory means any tearing is in a different place on the screen every time so is less noticeable. VSYNC is a real FPS killer.

    "Record To Memory":true,
    "Record To Memory#":"record replays to memory rather than disk (may possibly reduce stuttering, but at your own risk because memory usage will be significant for long races)",


    The reason I found this out is because every time I had stuttering the hard drive light was flickering.
    Also I do not edit anything in the NVidia control panel I leave at default settings, I set it to Let the 3D application decide.

    I hope this may be of help to any body with stutter problems and it cures the problem.
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2019
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  11. atlantakat

    atlantakat Registered

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    Finally! This did the trick for me after years of micro stutters and essential if you are like me and have your steam directory on an external hard drive. Thank you Highlandwalker, you were my only hope!
     
  12. Alex72

    Alex72 Registered

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    I want to run without VSYNC but its the only thing that makes it silky smooth. Tried limited FPS but even though i have 60FPS it stutters and tearing at times. Sometimes i can go several laps before it starts. Tested adaptive VSYNC and tested FAST VSYNC. Its the same crap with all except standard VSYNC. The input lag i minimize with frames ahead "1" in nVidia control panel.

    BTW i have replays turned off completely. Unless it still records and i have to do config change?

    I might test the 89FPS limit but i dont like going over 60FPS as it turns up the heat all around. But i shall test it anyway.
     
  13. Highlandwalker

    Highlandwalker Registered

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    Set to 67FPS it's the next prime number closest to 60. I wouldn't use 61 it's a bit too close to your refresh rate.
    Here's list of prime numbers marked in yellow.
    prime-numbers-list-to-150.gif
     
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  14. Alex72

    Alex72 Registered

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    I remember i did that in AC to get rid of stutter but it didnt work. Will test when i get home from work. Thanks.
     
  15. d0nd33

    d0nd33 Registered

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    You may want to use NVIDIA's FCAT Overlay to render a moving bar in front of the game, it makes testing the various settings a bit faster. Leave its command window open in background and start the game, you will be able to look for tearing or stuttering without much hassle just by looking at the bar.
    You can find the manual at page 31 and 32 of the guide.
    I've put the relevant executable in the zip, I run it with:
    Code:
    "C:\FCAT Overlay 1.55\EnableOverlay64.exe" -move 960 -color 3
    move 960 makes the bar scroll horizontally at 960 pixels/s (it takes 2 seconds to scroll from left to right for 1920*1080).
    color 3 is fixed color red.
     

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    Last edited: Jan 14, 2019
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  16. Alex72

    Alex72 Registered

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    Gonna test soon and see how it goes. Thanks.

    EDIT: Limit to 67FPS was no good for me. I have like a stutter ever half second all the time. At 60FPS it can be super smooth but after a while its worse, and sometimes if other cars are close to me its worse - even though FPS is always 60FPS. Annoying...
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2019
  17. d0nd33

    d0nd33 Registered

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    I'm pretty sure that is just an average or even a sample. For an accurate frame time reading you can use RTSS which can update at 1ms. You'll see that every now and then there may be a spike in frame time that makes a mess, especially if you capped the frame rate at your monitor refresh rate (again, use RTSS to cap with an accuracy of 1ms).
    Some tests to estimate refresh rate: UFO Test, displayhz
    Don't forget that the refresh rate in Windows may not be the same as in game, check it in "Advanced display settings"!
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2019
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  18. Alex72

    Alex72 Registered

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    Well, i think its unlikely i can get smooth frames without vsync. Its funny, years ago we never used vsync and it was ultra smooth, then vsync came and i was sceptical but eventually i used it for all games. It was just a give because you knew it made it smooth without FPS going up and down even though it was above 60 at all times, and now i can never do anything without vsync - even though FPS is far above 60FPS. Doesnt matter. It will stutter and/or tear. Funny how that works. This PC is completely different from my previous PC i had a few weeks ago and they behave exactly the same: without vsync there is stutter. So did the PC before that. Its inescapable, lol.
     
  19. d0nd33

    d0nd33 Registered

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    Same experience here... It's a bit frustrating, I need low lag because I have a TV with an high lag, any synchronization setting that makes it higher makes it go from barely acceptable to unbearable - it really feels like being drunk and I'm not, I mean, not always :confused:. In the other hand stuttering is annoying too, even when FPS are a lot higher (>2x) than refresh rate, generally other games behave better. It was fine an year ago but too much changed to find a culprit. I don't care much about tearing, as long as it does not interfere too much.
    Sometime I like to play GTR2 again at 600FPS, it is so reactive and tearing is almost unnoticeable, without any stutter too :D.

    In the end, I use RTSS frame cap set at 60.000FPS - refresh rate of the TV: 60.000Hz - with a tearing line adjustment of -15. In this way I get low lag, smooth video except for a fixed tearing line in the sky. The line may move when there is some momentary stutter but if I alt-tab rapidly it gets back in the sky. Obviously my in game settings are so that it never gets under 100FPS (uncapped) to reduce momentary high frame times to a minimum.
    Why in the sky and not in the cockpit, because I want the latest frame to include the road. If the tearing line was in the cockpit, the latest frame would update only the cockpit interiors.

    I suggest the use of Fast Sync (NVIDIA) or Enhanced Sync (AMD) to reduce synchronization lag but keep in mind that your GPU use will be a lot higher as if synchronization is turned off.
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2019
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  20. Alex72

    Alex72 Registered

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    I tried FAST Sync and its really really stuttery on my system/monitors. Tried Adaptive Sync same thing. The only one i can do with ultra smooth gameplay is standard VSYNC and set maximum rendered frames to "1" to lower input lag as much as possible. Its not much lag at all. Its noticeable, but not much at all. This works best for me even though i would want the input lag gone. I take slight input lag over stutter any day. Its just not enjoyable.

    What i cant understand though is why this is so badly made? This must be a known common issue so why isnt the hardware/drivers/monitors better made? Is it impossible to fix? Are we doomed to Always have this in gaming?
     

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