Graphics: Inefficient usage of Videocards !

Polarium Profile Options #1

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Guys, we have an issue. And EnMasse should pay attention to it.
In short, TERA`s UE3 engine doesn`t use player`s CPU and GPU power efficiently. How can we say that?
Easy. Turn on the game and any GPU+FPS meter program, which can track GPU usage and your framerates at teh same time (EVGA Precision, for instance). At first, if you`re running some average modern computer ( like i5 2400, 560 Ti card and like 4-8 Gb of RAM) , things will be Ok: steady 70+ fps, great fluid gameplay and your GPU usage is around 70-80%. But in just 10-15 minutes you may notice wierd FPS drops. Same location, same number of mobs around - but fps spikes will go down from 60+ to miserable 20+. During such fps drops your GPU usage will drop down to 25-30% as well. It means, that your GPU is ..almost doing nothing. But why,wtf ?!

Explanations:
a)Hardware - your CPU is not good enough for all of the calculations; it needs more time to process geometry and GPU goes into the idle mode waiting, its usage goes down just like your fps.
b) Software - inefficient CPU/GPU usage by the game itself, which leads to CPU choking, GPU waiting and fps dropping.
(turning on the "Performance" option in the video drivers is a good idea, but it won`t change the situation, it`s not about going to 2D mode).
In case of our average PC specs, software explanation seems more reasonable. Why? Such computer will run Battlefield 3, Skyrim, Mass Effect 3 with 60+ fps and GPU usage will always be around 80-90%. Which means, that these games use our CPU/GPU resources efficiently most of the time. But not TERA: during testing in heavily populated and low-populated areas, results were almost simular, fps spikes from 70-80 down to 25 fps. Again, such spikes happen in same areas, with an equal amount of mobs and players.

Ok, so what can be done? Easy way for developers: tell us to get better CPU`s. Ivy Bridge is on the way and more horsepower will become available..for a price, of course. Easy way for gamers: tell developers to optimize their game for the current generation of hardware. TERA uses a good engine, and certain calibrations can help to resolve this issue.

*NOTE: people with i5 2600/2500k OC, with 580 SLI cards and epic RAM numbers can never know of such problems..the rest can.

Thanks for reading.
ClairePendragon Profile Options #2

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I wonder if this is effecting me as well.
My CPU is low end to begin with, but assumed my PC getting too hot was the main reason I go from preset 5 graphics, to 0 every 10-30mins into play.

I'm sure my PC is getting hot, since I have minimal cooling options.
But it might also be a combination of this, and the above.
Forcedchaos Profile Options #3

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The game is not optimized obviously, It is not a hardware issue. I have the same problem and I am running an intel core i7 960 bloomfield cpu overclocked @ 4 ghz and 3 gtx 580's in tri sli overclocked @ 900 mhz core. My cards only run between 30% and 50% most of the time and fps jump around from 30-80. with my pc specs I should be getting at the very least 100 fps at all times.

Unfortunately most games do this unless you are playing battlefield,crysis,metro etc. The cards are never running max they just sit and spin, it's very frustrating and a waste. I actually have a post about this on the evga forums.

With a pc like this I built myself I know what I'm talking about so please no replying posts about turn off vsync and set power management mode from adaptive to prefer maximum in the nvidia control panel thanks.
Edited by: Forcedchaos about 1 year ago
bigwoolf Profile Options #4

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I have a system that goes like this i52400 GTX4601gb 8gig DDR3 ram and Sata7200rpm 1tb drive

After some research around the net and Nvidia website forums , with fine tuning of the video card profile for Tera with Nvidia Inspector , Slight overclock to 850mhz core 1700mhz shader and 2000mhz ram speed .

Vsync enabled , 16 AA , 4xSS , Prerendor set to 1 ,No triple buffering on Tera Nvidia CPL Profile.

In game set it to max setting , then adjusted to no shadow and drop background distances to half of current setting . I alway sit between 45 to 60fps .

Cpu is running around 40 to 55%, temperature at 60 to 70 degrees Celsius, GPU is nearly maxxed(75+%) and running at 68 Degrees Celsius.

Standard Cooling , 1 Extra 120mm Case Fan , Outside temperature is around 32 degrees Celsius

And No air condition , inside temp around 28 to 30 Degrees Celsius.

I do suggest to have read about this post from nvidia, it is about another game, but has some good information about nvidia setting . Exitios is the nvidia forum administrator on this post , just read the post disregard the game they are talking about.

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=215772

It did help alot

Also turn off the auto adjust feature it is a problem i found also
Edited by: bigwoolf about 1 year ago - Reason: Added
Mushimushi Profile Options #5

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It's funny how people love to blame everything else without bothering to check things.

So you can run BF3, ME3 etc? Yey. Here's a reality: video card vendors like to add specific optimization code for specific "benchmark" games to their drivers. This way, the driver actualy performs differently according to what the software running is and in many case it's literaly optimizations that only work well for that specific piece of software.

Why do they do this? It makes their GFX cards look "better". "OMG I CAN RUNZ TEH BF3 AT 90 FPZ WITH MAH GTS PWN3R CARD LOL!111". And everyone will go out and recomend the GTW PWN3R card to their friends because "it can run BF3 so fast! If it can run BF3, then it can run anything fast!".

Reality is much different. Asking for "optimized" code is stupid, as the required needs for a piece of software may be different than the needs of another. What works for one doesn't necesarily work for another.

Is TERA "optimized"? [filtered] if I know, but thinking they just pulled off debug code because they are lazy would be quite ignorant.

I would like you to refer to a game called Rage, by id software, released in the last 6 months and the debacle that happened with [filtered] drivers that were incapable of actualy handling what the game needed to do.
Angelik Profile Options #6

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I dont exactly have a beast PC like Forced but it runs BF3 MW3 and skyrim around 75-90 fps, AMD Anthlon II x2 250 OC to 3.3 Ghz, 8gh Sniper sKill ram, Asus Geforce 550 Ti OC to 1051 mhz core clock and around 5.5 gb vram, & 10k RPM Raptor gaming HDD, yet same problem, it is quite noticeable in game when you have 10-15 little mobs on you and even in a 1v1 with a single mob or a player if someone like me with a descent PC and someone like forced with a beast PC is having issues on different ends of the system specifications (Both exceeding the recommended system specs) then I too agree that TERA's devs havent fine tuned the UE3 engine as it has been in other games. But then again in BHS defence, have you heard of them before tera? with BF3 and MW3 all of those companies have had years of experience with the unreal engine and with coding the games themselves, BHS is still a young company and im sure that they will fix minor graphical issues in the future, remember this IS still BETA here in the states and there is quite a bit of tweaking to do to the game.
Edited by: Angelik about 1 year ago - Reason: Forgot to put in Hard drive infos (with such large games HDD Reading speed might effect time/quality of loading certain NPCs or player models also)
Forcedchaos Profile Options #7

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bigwoolf on 03/26/2012, 05:19 AM - view
I have a system that goes like this i52400 GTX4601gb 8gig DDR3 ram and Sata7200rpm 1tb drive

After some research around the net and Nvidia website forums , with fine tuning of the video card profile for Tera with Nvidia Inspector , Slight overclock to 850mhz core 1700mhz shader and 2000mhz ram speed .

Vsync enabled , 16 AA , 4xSS , Prerendor set to 1 ,No triple buffering on Tera Nvidia CPL Profile.

In game set it to max setting , then adjusted to no shadow and drop background distances to half of current setting . I alway sit between 45 to 60fps .

Cpu is running around 40 to 55%, temperature at 60 to 70 degrees Celsius, GPU is nearly maxxed(75+%) and running at 68 Degrees Celsius.

Standard Cooling , 1 Extra 120mm Case Fan , Outside temperature is around 32 degrees Celsius

And No air condition , inside temp around 28 to 30 Degrees Celsius.

I do suggest to have read about this post from nvidia, it is about another game, but has some good information about nvidia setting . Exitios is the nvidia forum administrator on this post , just read the post disregard the game they are talking about.

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=215772

It did help alot

Also turn off the auto adjust feature it is a problem i found also


Great post. My opinion, my specs above $1500 worth of video cards we should not have to mess with all that crap. They should run full 90-99% ALL THE TIME and whatever fps we get we get.
I don't mess with AA or any of that in nvidias control panel I always do it through the games. The only adjustment in the panel I set is no vsync and power management mode to full and of course tri sli enabled.
Forcedchaos Profile Options #8

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Mushimushi on 03/26/2012, 05:25 AM - view
It's funny how people love to blame everything else without bothering to check things.

So you can run BF3, ME3 etc? Yey. Here's a reality: video card vendors like to add specific optimization code for specific "benchmark" games to their drivers. This way, the driver actualy performs differently according to what the software running is and in many case it's literaly optimizations that only work well for that specific piece of software.

Why do they do this? It makes their GFX cards look "better". "OMG I CAN RUNZ TEH BF3 AT 90 FPZ WITH MAH GTS PWN3R CARD LOL!111". And everyone will go out and recomend the GTW PWN3R card to their friends because "it can run BF3 so fast! If it can run BF3, then it can run anything fast!".

Reality is much different. Asking for "optimized" code is stupid, as the required needs for a piece of software may be different than the needs of another. What works for one doesn't necesarily work for another.

Is TERA "optimized"? [filtered] if I know, but thinking they just pulled off debug code because they are lazy would be quite ignorant.

I would like you to refer to a game called Rage, by id software, released in the last 6 months and the debacle that happened with [filtered] drivers that were incapable of actualy handling what the game needed to do.


Exactly what I said, When you have an uber pc you know the problem is not hardware it's software, be it on the games end or nvidias driver end. Either way it sucks to stare at your g510 keyboards display panel running afterburner and watch the card usage, temps, and fps having a cool summer day in the breeze not breaking a sweat taking the day off while you are playing.
Edited by: Forcedchaos about 1 year ago
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Forcedchaos on 03/26/2012, 05:32 AM - view
bigwoolf on 03/26/2012, 05:19 AM
I have a system that goes like this i52400 GTX4601gb 8gig DDR3 ram and Sata7200rpm 1tb drive

After some research around the net and Nvidia website forums , with fine tuning of the video card profile for Tera with Nvidia Inspector , Slight overclock to 850mhz core 1700mhz shader and 2000mhz ram speed .

Vsync enabled , 16 AA , 4xSS , Prerendor set to 1 ,No triple buffering on Tera Nvidia CPL Profile.

In game set it to max setting , then adjusted to no shadow and drop background distances to half of current setting . I alway sit between 45 to 60fps .

Cpu is running around 40 to 55%, temperature at 60 to 70 degrees Celsius, GPU is nearly maxxed(75+%) and running at 68 Degrees Celsius.

Standard Cooling , 1 Extra 120mm Case Fan , Outside temperature is around 32 degrees Celsius

And No air condition , inside temp around 28 to 30 Degrees Celsius.

I do suggest to have read about this post from nvidia, it is about another game, but has some good information about nvidia setting . Exitios is the nvidia forum administrator on this post , just read the post disregard the game they are talking about.

http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showtopic=215772

It did help alot

Also turn off the auto adjust feature it is a problem i found also


Great post. My opinion, my specs above $1500 worth of video cards we should not have to mess with all that crap. They should run full 90-99% ALL THE TIME and whatever fps we get we get.
I don't mess with AA or any of that in nvidias control panel I always do it through the games. The only adjustment in the panel I set is no vsync and power management mode to full and of course tri sli enabled.


If you don't want to mess with options, don't play PC.

This is exactly the reason consoles exist, because of peopel that can't be arsed to actualy use their hardware.

You bought a monster system with triple SLI and yet you don't wish to use it like it's intended: tweaking it for maximun performance.

You realize this is why drivers have "Profiles" which you can bind to specific games, yes? Because this way you can make the driver act differently according to the needs of the software.

Your post reeks of entitlement and ignorance.

You bought a Ferrari F50 but paid a chauffeur to drive for you.
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Forcedchaos on 03/26/2012, 05:38 AM - view

Exactly what I said, When you have an uber pc you know the problem is not hardware it's software be it on the games end or nvidias driver end.


Well obviously it's not a lack of hardware, we can 100% agree on this. My point is though that some software recieves better support from your hardware manufacturer than others.

Drivers are such a crucial part of the puzzle that there was once a time when it was percieved as "cheating" by the GFX companies to create optimizations specificly for benchmark software so that they could scratch more points on them.