Micro Stutters In 4.4?

Maybe lower your settings a touch (first save these settings so you can easily go back if you want to) and do a test flight. Like drop your resolution to 1920x1080 and pull your sliders to the left 1 step. I would also move Target FPS up to unlimited. I've heard setting an FPS target actually screws up FPS.

Anyway, try that and see if it gets rid of your stutters. Then, if it does, maybe reset one setting at a time to see if you can find the culprit.

That's what I would do anyway.

Good luck... keep us posted.

"I've heard setting an FPS target actually screws up FPS."

Not true. Set the FPS limit to 30.

And then get rid of unnecessary stuff running in the background, like Google, and trim your Windows to get rid of the crapware that MS wants you to have (in Win 10, that is primarily Cortana). We had a thread about this at L-M, and it was background processes that caused the issue.

If the issue continues, we'll need the system specs.

Jorgen

Run Process Explorer, then see if something else is using the CPU. Idealy, if you have two screens it would work best.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

Also, in your GPU settings, set the maximum pre-rendered frames to 2 or 3.

And yeah, always clamp your FPS to 25-30. Anymore and the CPU has to work harder and the eye can't see anything beyond 25 anyway.

Here's a thread from the other forum about targeting/unlimited frame rates. Someone is right and someone is wrong.

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/540426-limiting-framerate-kills-framerate-why/

My suggestion was just that, a suggestion. If he changes the targeted FPS to unlimited to see if that helps, his computer isn't going to explode and burn down his house.

Jeez.

Run Process Explorer, then see if something else is using the CPU. Idealy, if you have two screens it would work best.

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

 

Also, in your GPU settings, set the maximum pre-rendered frames to 2 or 3.

 

And yeah, always clamp your FPS to 25-30. Anymore and the CPU has to work harder and the eye can't see anything beyond 25 anyway.

FPS in a computer game is NOT the same as clamping a frame rate and the eye can easily see up to 100 fps. What a load of rubbish to perpetuate. Something you read somewhere?

HOWEVER, there is some validity to limiting FPS to something akin what your computer can achieve. Set the the Average frame rate setting in your Prepar3D.cfg (If you dont know how, this conversation is already beyond you) and set the av frame rate variance to less than 10%, preferably less than 5%) by modifying the frame rate (and ths the `upper` figure in the frame rate display).

If the variation in normal use of the sim is wide and/or up and down like a piston then you have a problem with a process in the individual system and needs looking into. For this one needs to set UNLIMITED fps in the sim, remove all fps-limiting software (NVidia Inspector and its ilk). NB: It has NOTHING to do with pre-rendering.

Your second valid point is to use Process Explorer to identify what is causing the stutters - things such as FSUIPC5 auto-save can cause problems with some systems.

Never set frame rate in P3D.

Set to unlimited with V Sync ON, but if you must restrict fps, use an external fps limiter!

Never set frame rate in P3D.

 

Set to unlimited with V Sync ON, but if you must restrict fps, use an external fps limiter!

Absolute bilgewater! Something you read somewhere is no reason to repeat the disinformation.

Cite your sources and then explain why you `believe` this to be true?

Set FPS limiter in P3D:

http://www.prepar3d.com/SDKv3/LearningCenter/settings/display/graphics_settings.html

Golly_777, apparently, you're no avid reader of L-M's own P3D forums. There are issues with V Sync, and no one there has anything against setting the frame rate in the sim.

Jorgen

Let's play nice folks. The idea is to EDUCATE not EMBARRASS!

There is absolutely no fixed rule as to setting frame rates. It is totally dependent on your system, your aircraft, etc. For some, unlimited is the only way to go - for others fixed.

For ME on MY system - I lock at 20 and set it so the flight(s) are perfectly smooth. I could also lock at 30 but what for? If my sim is smooth at 20, I gain nothing by having it smooth at 30 or smooth at 60.

P3D is not FSX, tune it to the lowest FPS possible and still maintain smooth operation and you have a winner.

FPS are for bragging rights, not an enjoyable, smooth flying sim.

Vic

 

FPS are for bragging rights, not an enjoyable, smooth flying sim.

 

Exactly. Just like that few hundred more in clock speed when someone over clocks. I have OCed my CPU and never did see much of an improvement.

As to clamping the FPS slider, I have read that is what one should do so that the CPU isn't working hard to achieve an unlimited FPS. Your eye can only see so many FPS and in the UK 25 is what they use, and it's what I have my FS clamped to. I have no issues with it.

The pre-rendered frames setting in the GPU control panel can help because you don't want to much emphasis on the CPU rendering frames. Since FS is largely a CPU orientated game one needs to make adjustments to gain as much CPU power as possible, both by clamping the FPS and adjusting how many frames the CPU renders before the GPU does.

I get any more flack and I'll unsubscribe and set users on ignore.

Edit-

Let me rephrase that. I get any more flack and I'll unsubscribe and set users on ignore and make them famous.

Well said, CRJ!

The frame rate in movie theaters is 24 per second. IN TV, where the local AC line frequency is 50 Hz, the TV frame rate is 25/second, where the AC line frequency is 60 Hz the TV frame rate is 30/second.

Why on earth go higher than that?

Jorgen

As long we're on the subject...

I set my target frame rate at 30 fps (give my poor little laptop as much help as I can) and the sim behaves as if it were still set to unlimited - goes way above 30. Maybe there's another setting somewhere that's overriding it.

As long we're on the subject...

 

I set my target frame rate at 30 fps (give my poor little laptop as much help as I can) and the sim behaves as if it were still set to unlimited - goes way above 30. Maybe there's another setting somewhere that's overriding it.

Is this in FSX or P3D?

Is this in FSX or P3D?

P3Dv4.4

And there lies the problem. Using the built in FPS monitor that you showed me it displays exactly the limit I set (unless it can't hit that high because of settings, of course). I set 20 FPS it limits it to 20. I set 15 it limits it to 15.

The problem is that Afterburner is not giving accurate readings... at all! I intentionally set the target to 15 FPS so I could tell that the sim was running at a very slow frame rate. But Afterburner was showing FPS around 60! That's not right! I use it also to keep an eye on the CPU and GPU temperatures. I wonder how far off those are?

Thanks, CRJ_simpilot! That shift+z you showed me really helped a lot!

Are you overclocking your GPU with Afterburner? I wouldn't do it. FS isn't gonna benifit all that much and you're putting more heat, wear & tear on the GPU doing that. Many, MANY moons ago I did this with a GT6600 because I simply didn't have enough money for a new GPU. So I was trying to squeeze as much power out of the GPU as I could. It wasn't just for FS2004 that I played at the time either. I was playing games that truly utilized the GPU like, BF2142, BF2 and Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour.

So basically, if you want more GPU power you should just upgrade your GPU unless you can't afford it. eBay is great for such things, and while it may be hit and miss, often times a risk comes with great rewards. Always check the seller feedback of course and YMMV. I bought my current CPU an i5 6600k on eBay and it only cost me about $180 while brand new was about $300.

Keep in mind that if you upgrade your GPU, you may need to upgrade your PSU depending on the wattage your current PSU provides and how old it is. If it's 7 years or older, replace it.

Are you overclocking your GPU with Afterburner? I wouldn't do it. FS isn't gonna benifit all that much and you're putting more heat, wear & tear on the GPU doing that. Many, MANY moons ago I did this with a GT6600 because I simply didn't have enough money for a new GPU. So I was trying to squeeze as much power out of the GPU as I could. It wasn't just for FS2004 that I played at the time either. I was playing games that truly utilized the GPU like, BF2142, BF2 and Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour.

 

So basically, if you want more GPU power you should just upgrade your GPU unless you can't afford it. eBay is great for such things, and while it may be hit and miss, often times a risk comes with great rewards. Always check the seller feedback of course and YMMV. I bought my current CPU an i5 6600k on eBay and it only cost me about $180 while brand new was about $300.

 

Keep in mind that if you upgrade your GPU, you may need to upgrade your PSU depending on the wattage your current PSU provides and how old it is. If it's 7 years or older, replace it.

On this, we agree!

I don't overclock at all. I only use Afterburner to keep an eye on fps and, more importantly, temperatures. I'm using a laptop, and I know they get hotter faster and I've depended on Afterburner since buying it. It's odd that I use it for games also. Recently I was a Fallout 4 junkie and Afterburner would display fps at 60, which is the game's max, so it was working correctly there. I don't know why it's not accurate with P3Dv4.

At least I know when I set a frame rate cap in P3Dv4 it IS being capped. I may find a different monitor now for temps. Thanks again for the help!

Did the OP solve the microstutter problem?

In addition to what was said (framelocking in-sim to 30, checking for other running processes) I would do what LM suggests: delete the shader cache, restart and see if there is improvement. If no improvement, use DDU to remove the driver and install a new vid driver. They have also recommended deleting the terrain.cfg and prepar3D.cfg if all else fails.

I don't know your hardware, but you may want to consider dropping autogen buildings down a notch or two, at least for testing purposes.

Finally, on my rig I have gotten best results by making sure ActiveSky and ASCA (and other things I might run, like Littlenavmap) are pushed off of core 0 and core 1. You can do this via Task Manager (rt click on the app, go to details...set affinity).

How do I delete the shader cache? Sounds scary...

It's not scary. P3D will rebuild the contents of the shader cache next time you start the sim.

The files are located in:

C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\Shaders

...sometimes deleting the contents of that folder will solve microstutter issues. Sometimes not. But P3D will simply rebuild the cache next time you start it.

If you are concerned about it, copy the contents of the file to some location (like c:\backup), so that you can replace them back in if you need to.