BadgerDog Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 (edited) I think I spoke too soon about my graphics performance, either that or I’m doing something wrong with SB4. Moving through SB4 tutorials I arrived at the CC exercise where you move forward and cross the bridge to set up a fire position. I’ve been getting 60 FPS so far with graphics set to default, but that’s all been with stationary gunnery work. This tutorial is my first actually having an M1A1 move across terrain. It starts out just fine at 60 FPS and I move forward towards crossing the bridge. About 3-5 minutes into it, my FPS turns into a slideshow and drops to 3-5 FPS! I use alt-g to turn the all the graphics settings all the way down to the lowest, but it barely adds a few FPS? I have to quit with the ESC key and even that’s a challenge because of sudden program lag coinciding with the graphics performance dying. If I restart the tutorial, it begins at 60 FPS and after a similar timeframe, the same issue occurs. Is there anything I can do to test the source of the issue? Why would 60 FPS performance drop to virtually nothing over time coinciding with the program itself grinding to a sluggishness that makes it unresponsive to keyboard inputs? I’ve never seen FPS suddenly drop like that with use. If the chip demonstrated it could do 60 FPS, then logically it should be able to maintain roughly that with the same settings, assuming of course the workload it has to do doesn’t dramatically increase. Any feedback would be appreciated. Regards Doug Running Windows 10 (version 2400) with SB4 set to 1920x1080 resolution and graphics set to default. System Specs Processor Name: Intel Core i7 Processor Speed: 3.1 GHz Number of Processors: 1 Total Number of Cores: 4 L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB L3 Cache: 8 MB Hyper-Threading Technology: Enabled Memory: 16 GB Radeon Pro 560: Chipset Model: Radeon Pro 560 Type: GPU Bus: PCIe PCIe Lane Width: x8 VRAM (Total): 4 GB Vendor: AMD (0x1002) Device ID: 0x67ef Revision ID: 0x00c0 ROM Revision: 113-C980AJ-927 VBIOS Version: 113-C9801AU-A02 EFI Driver Version: 01.A0.927 Automatic Graphics Switching: Supported Edited July 31, 2020 by BadgerDog 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jartsev Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 1) What was scenario name? 2) Is there any specific direction of viewing or particular event, when frame rate drop happens? Or frame rate falls down no matter of what, without any apparent reason? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadgerDog Posted July 31, 2020 Author Share Posted July 31, 2020 10 minutes ago, Jartsev said: 1) What was scenario name? 2) Is there any specific direction of viewing or particular event, when frame rate drop happens? Or frame rate falls down no matter of what, without any apparent reason? 1. It's the first tutorial where you are a CC and familiarizing yourself with that position. You can use the movement keys to drive across the bridge. 2. No pattern, just time related. Seems to be about 3-5 minutes and it drops from 60 FPS to 3-4 FPS (side show like) and program becomes sluggish and unresponsive. I've since gone into instant action and after several minutes at a playable average of 30 FPS, same thing ... FPS just seizes and turns into a slide show, yet was fine in the beginning. Regards, Doug 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotareneg Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 Sounds like your computer is overheating, either the CPU, GPU, or both. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jartsev Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 17 minutes ago, Rotareneg said: Sounds like your computer is overheating, either the CPU, GPU, or both. Yes, this seems to be a problem, so it would be a good idea to check temperatures. Another matter, why this happens; judging by graphics card model, we are talking about laptop, and its cooling system may not have sufficient airflow. Also Radeon Pro 560 is not so much a performer, and may be it is worth to consider reduction of resolution, graphics and terrain details distance settings. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadgerDog Posted July 31, 2020 Author Share Posted July 31, 2020 Yup ... I think you guys are absolutely right ... I'm a victim of built in thermal throttling, so I have to figure out how to get the temps of the GPU and CPU down. Maybe I could put an ice pack around the laptop while I'm using SB4? 😳🤣 Hmmm, I wonder if that would work... 🤔 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlad Posted August 1, 2020 Share Posted August 1, 2020 Laptop Cooler pads are a thing. Perhaps a combination of one of those and reducing the SB graphics settings might just do it. DBoy 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadgerDog Posted August 2, 2020 Author Share Posted August 2, 2020 (edited) Sorry for the delay getting back to this thread folks, but I’ve been experimenting with SB4 and I wanted to provide everyone better information before I responded. The good news … 🙌 You guys were right. The slowdown and slideshow I wrote about in my first post was indeed CPU/GPU heat related. Quite simply, my 4 year old laptop computer was throttling those two chips when the heat levels got too high for them, after about 3-5 minutes of running SB4 in the first crew commander tutorial. I solved that issue by downloading and using a FREE utility that might benefit others who are experiencing a similar phenomenon. Mac Fans Control https://crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control There’s a version for Windows and also one for Apple Macs. I installed the Windows 10 version and clicked a setting for running my two laptop internal fans at what it calls “full blast”, then ran SB4 (same tutorial) again. It completed without a problem and jumping in and out of SB4 to check temperatures according to Mac Fans Control, my internal CPU temp never rose above 58C and the same for the AMD 560 Pro discrete GPU built into my laptop. Both chips were very happy with the extra cooling coming off the two internal fans and they stayed within their design specs. Taking some advice for someone else here, I also borrowed from a neighbor a cheap laptop “chiller” that he wasn’t using. My laptop sits on top of it and it plugs into a USB port, blowing air on the aluminum bottom of the laptop. SB4 was running fine with just the extra internal cooling before I did this, but I figured every little bit helps. I’m now up and running SB4 at 1280 x 720 and getting a pretty steady range of 25-50 FPS, depending upon what’s being displayed. Tree lines and buildings drag it down to the bottom end, while more open terrain jumps me to the high end. I also turned AA down to 2 and a lowered a few other settings (can’t remember what now), which I found makes a difference. Overall, for me SB4 is very playable at these levels until I can afford a super quantum computer, which will probably never happen on my fixed income pension … but, I’m a happy camper with SB4 and that’s what’s important to me. 😁 Here’s the old beast I’m using…. Intel Core i7 Speed: 3.1 GHz Number of Processors: 1 Total Number of Cores: 4 L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB L3 Cache: 8 MB Memory: 16 GB Radeon Pro 560: Type: GPU Bus: PCIe PCIe Lane Width: x8 VRAM (Total): 4 GB Vendor: AMD My display is a donated obsolete Apple Cinema LCD thunderbolt display, which they no longer support or make, but I’m happy with it, and it can do a resolution of 2560 x 1440. Sorry for the long post, but I thought my experience might help some of the newer folks who be using lower end laptop machines like mine. Regards, Doug Edited August 2, 2020 by BadgerDog 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ssnake Posted August 2, 2020 Members Share Posted August 2, 2020 Keeping the resolution at 1280x720 is a very good step to preserve a decent framerate for older hardware. I'd just like to draw your attention to two or three more things; I suppose you know that you can activate a framerate counter (Alt+F12?). The user manual, you'll find it in the Windows Start Menu | eSim Games | User's Manual.PDF, has a section about graphics card settings. The points are listed roughly in descending order of effect that they will likely have on the frame rate, just to let you prioritize which of the many options to reduce first. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadgerDog Posted August 3, 2020 Author Share Posted August 3, 2020 (edited) 15 hours ago, Ssnake said: The user manual, you'll find it in the Windows Start Menu | eSim Games | User's Manual.PDF, has a section about graphics card settings. The points are listed roughly in descending order of effect that they will likely have on the frame rate, just to let you prioritize which of the many options to reduce first. Thanks Ssnake ... 😀 I found that key from printing the keyboard overlay, as well as the image save one. I'm going to try that test you created that captures various frame rates under a preset scenario that I've been reading about it in this other thread. I've got paper all over the place as I didn't want to print the entire PDF manual. I hope the real manual you shipped from the store arrives soon as it will save these old eyes a lot of squinting at the screen. 😂 I love what you've done with the sim in the last several years since I've been away. 👏 Regards, Doug Edited August 3, 2020 by BadgerDog 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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