Witcher 3 low gpu usage

[Moroght]

Witcher 3 low gpu usage

Hello, I am sorry for making a new topic but the old where I was posting was "solved" but not for me. When I am in Novigrad especially at hierarch square I can see stuttering frames are 60-53FPS when I see stutter fps are on 59-53. GPU usage is about 60-70% and CPU about 50% sometimes 90%. Vsync ON (Nvidia control setting, in-game Vsync off) Tripple buffering ON (Nvidia control setting), Power management (Nvidia control setting) on High performance, in-game fps limiter set on UNLIMITED. Thanks for the help and any ideas.
Specs:
MB GIGABYTE Z97X-GAMING7
GPU GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1080 Xtreme Gaming 8GDDR5X
RAM KINGSTON HyperX 16GB 1600MHz DDR3 CL9 DIMM XMP Beast
CPU Intel I7 4790K 4.0GHz
PSU Forton RAIDER S 750W 80PLUS SILVER
SSD Intel SSD 530 Series 240GB
HDD Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 2TB

video about that https://youtu.be/vJMNX9EeJCc and https://youtu.be/ENFLLiBjwc0

 

[SigilFey]

There are a few things here that are likely contributing to the issue:

1.) Vsync should generally be set On through programs themselves in almost every case. Forcing Vsync through the GPU control panel is normally not necessary or beneficial for programs unless they do not offer a Vsync solution of their own (like older 3D games). In other circumstances, it's a useful troubleshooting step for a driver version that's not playing nicely with a program's built-in vsync. In general, forcing it will create problems.

2.) Unlimited FPS is very problematic for any program that requires accurate frame-timing. Save "screaming performance", Gsync, and 144 MHz refresh rates for shooters and racers and the like. For any sort of accurate simulation, complex RPG, or CPU-intensive strategy game: 60 FPS or LESS, Vsync ON, Refresh Rate at 60 Hz. If a frame-limit option is available, use it. Sometimes, setting it below the refresh rate can really smooth things out. (e.g. Limiting FPS to 48 in TW3 has made my own performance absolutely flawless in every area.)

3.) Triple-Buffering does not apply to Direct X titles; it only affects OpenGL games. Unless something drastic has changed over time, the code that triple-buffering uses does not even reference things that exist in Direct X drivers. There are very few games it applies to (mostly the Quake Engine and older, legacy titles from around that time with OpenGL options. A few, modern, indie titles may utilize OpenGL to some capacity. As far as I know, there is no big-name or AAA title that uses OpenGL.)

4.) CPU / GPU usage should not always be high. In fact, we want it to be as LOW as possible while also providing smooth performance. Also, keep in mind that engine capacity trumps hardware capacity. So if the engine of the game maxes out -- it doesn't matter how much more power is available on your processors...there is no code to utilize it. And engines are about far more than graphical performance.

To get "smooth" performance with a complex program, it's most important for things to remain in sync, not to perform quickly. To speak a little rhetorically here, players will never be able to experience TW3 or Skyrim or Mass Effect at "blazing, 120 FPS, silky-smooth performance" -- that's not what they were designed to do. Cutscenes will run at 30 FPS to ensure audio sync, and gameplay cannot exceed 60 without issues because of physics calculations and under-the-hood functions (like AI updates). 48 FPS might sound like an insanely low number, but it's not. (TV runs at 24 FPS. Films run between 24-32. Super-smooth and detailed IMAX films run at 48, and it completely destroys color and lighting saturation to film at that speed.)

Attempt to lock your system in at 48 and see how it performs. Being able to run, jump, fight, spin, and dance at steady FPS is what creates a sense of "smooth gameplay", not high FPS. So:

In-Game Settings:
Fullscreen
1080p
Vsync = On
Frame Limit = 48 (Edit user.settings and change FPSLimit=48. Also try 50, 52, and 58.)

Nvidia CP settings (under the witcher3.exe, game specific settings):
Anisotropic filtering = 16x (great tweak, no perforamnce cost)
Texture filtering = High Quality (disables occasionally problematic "optimizations")
Frames to render ahead = 1
Vsync = Controlled by the 3D application

Avoid Alt-Tabbing out of the game, as this will switch to windowed mode and cost performance. If, at this point, there are still stutters, then it's being caused by something else in your system config. It could be Windows...the PC's file system...anti-virus...a program running in the background...software from a phone or camera...firmware or BIOS issues...it's hard to say.

Post back with any results!

 

[Moroght]

Thank you SigilFey I will try it!

 

[Moroght]

Hello, SigilFey I can say, if I cap in-game frames to 50, there is no stuttering, and I have smooth 50fps but I don't have a feeling of smooth 60fps, so if I want smooth 60 fps I should buy 75hz monitor Am I right?

 

[SigilFey]

Hello, SigilFey I can say, if I cap in-game frames to 50, there is no stuttering, and I have smooth 50fps but I don't have a feeling of smooth 60fps, so if I want smooth 60 fps I should buy 75hz monitor Am I right?

Nope. Standard refresh rates are 60, 120, and 144. Buying non-standard options may work out, but are most likely to end in confusion and disappointment. I'm pretty convinced at this point that a solid 60 FPS is simply very unlikely through the present engine.

Your video card seems to like 50. I would say: "Lock at 50, avoid trying to 'maximize', and enjoy the glory of this game." This isn't a performance title. This is a relish in the experience title. Your eye will adapt to 50 FPS in <1 hour.

 

[Moroght]

Ok, thank you for information and guide, I will try it.

 

[Moroght]

Still I can't believe with my specs I can't have stable 60 fps.... Without Vsync I have about 120-70fps

 

[SigilFey]

Engine limitation! (Hey...if you don't mind the odd physics explosion, screen tearing, massive frame drops in places, or NPCs occasionally achieving orbit, you can play without Vsync. It can cause issues but it shouldn't damage anything as long as your temps are good.)

For myself, I've built my own rigs since the '90s. I used to chase "uber-performance" until I bought a Falcon-NW system in 2004. The guy selling it to me kept on trying to steer me away from overclocking and extra cooling...eventually explaining that their systems were truly built to be run at default clock speeds. He spent about an hour talking to me about the finer points of getting hardware in sync. Changed my life as a gamer forever more. To this day, I build my systems to get steady FPS at 60 max. Occasionally, an engine won't cooperate, and I limit the FPS even more. I run Fallout 4, TW3, DA: Inquisition, and Elite: Dangerous at 48-52. Not sure exactly why certain games struggle, but capping them at the right setting creates an overhead that makes stutters and pops just melt away. 48, 52, 54, and 58 seem to be the key values, in my experience.

Whenever frames drop and speed back up, our eyes detect the shift. It can feel like lag or stuttering. When the frames remain constant, there may be an overall "choppiness" to the motion (like in TW3 when you look into the distance and pan quickly). However, our mind doesn't actually like to register that motion...so as the eye is subjected to it constantly over several minutes, the mind dismisses the choppiness. It will, quite truly, become smooth. If you turn off the game and play something at a full 60+ FPS, then return to 48, the mind will have to readjust again. (Also, I'm not referring to "hitching" or "micro-stuttering", here. Those are separate issues that are not directly connected to frame-rate, although creating an FPS overhead can indirectly alleviate the problem.)

Another consideration is hardware stress and lifespan. Unlimited FPS and/or overclocking greatly increases the rendering load on GPU. And not every frame that is rendered will actually be drawn. Plus, monitors are limited by their refresh rate. So, a 60 Hz monitor can never draw more than 60 full frames per second. Anything the GPU renders after that...is lost. Turn vsync off, and the GPU will still draw only slices of fully-rendered frames, creating a "torn" image. That will still be only pieces from ~15-20 renders...out of perhaps 100-200 FPS rendered that second. Literally wasted heat and voltage.

 

[Moroght]

Thank you SigilFey. Finally, I have an answer. I was really possessed last year to find what is happening. I reinstall my OS many times. I was frustrated that is something is bad with my computer, programs....etc but now. Now I must accept this truth. I really love Witcher 3 even with this scratch on his beauty. Thank you for your time. You are AWESOME!

 

[SigilFey]

No problem! (Time was when 30 FPS was the standard and 60 FPS felt all "slide-y and weird".)

May you bring doom upon the enemies of the good people or Velen...!...so they can...slaughter each other in the war for the North...

....damn it, Emyr...

 

[chipic]

Hi, I had the same problem - and finally solved it. Long story short - in my case higher frequency of RAM(!) and more of it (I had 8 GB only) gave me more and stable FPS in market and square area. The key word is stable - I am not the one who chase MORE fps, I have 60 Hz monitor and play with vsync, but when FPS is like crazy horse, up and down - it always dissapoints a lot. Here is my post - check it out: https://forums.cdprojektred.com/for...-aa/9752701-low-cpu-and-gpu-usage-in-novigrad