I use mostly devmode and at window, what I have noticed is that windows task manager (performance monitor, what it should be called?) causes fps to jump up and down, I have set vsync on and to be as software, when task monitor is started, even minimized it see to cause fps to run away, nearly to 200. Min Max Average display does not notice this at all, only instant fps counter can show this. For me visually it looks like that there are small pauses and after pause there is jump to new location when driving a car, this stops immediately when I shut windows task manager. In windows task manager I have set update rate to high, if I set it normal or low interval of these 'stops' decreases and becomes tad irregular, when I set update rate to paused, it is very rarely that there is stop, when I shut down task manager, again these 'stops' disappear. It has no effect which tab is open in task manager and if task manager is minimized or open or always on top. I get similar pauses with rFactor 1 too and it started after I update gfx driver almost a year ago, but can't quite remember if that too was related to task manager. Geforce 8800 GTS 512MB card with 301.42 driver version. Actually I can't choose which vsync I use in dev mode, there are no choice in menu and configuration tool in launcher does nothing else than sets boxes to itself, but I guess single player mode vsync option changes it for dev mode too as it does with other graphics settings. In dev mode I have vsync option, but if I leave it off there still is vsync. Picture perhaps is useful: View attachment 3265
Task manager window is usually on top and takes focus away from other applications. The same will happen if you switch to any other application, pushing rFactor to background.
Not in this case (even often situation is as you describe), which I tested keeping task manager minized and set "always on top" to off, rfactor is active window which is indicated by window title bar colour. With rfactor not active window fps is around 25, but because of that I can drive same car and track at the same time with single player mode and mod dev mode, which is rather amusing to do for a while (maybe we should make dual driving rank, taking average lap times from two modes?) rFactor window active, but moving mouse outside of window and over task bar item that provides that yellow small popup, rises fps from 60 to 75, no mouse clicks needed for that. It is a bug in somewhere, I'm just not sure if it is GFX driver or rF2.
Also winamp does this, but when I minimize winamp it almost disappears, jumping of fps is in sync of scrolling song name at least what I could see. My Winamp is one of last good ones from before it got bloated, v2.95.
I'm curious is there an application which protects from focus stealing? Once I though it must be one. There are a lot of programs who start in background (anti-virus, updaters, communicators etc). some of them may take focus out from main application even run in full screen (ie from a game). in most such cases, gfx performs worse then with focus. Probably due to lowering priority. So... I though it must be one, but found none. Maybe some one of you knows such tool?
I don't know of any tool but I know some games use screensaver API when run in fullscreen mode. When you notify system that screensaver is running, it's unlikely / impossible that other aplications will be able to gain focus or pop up any messages in tray. But I've read about it a long time ago and don't remember the details.
