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FPS problems
Created 4th April 2011 @ 23:12
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I don’t cap my FPS because I do not use vsync.
My understanding of vsync is that it forces frame changes to happen at the same time that the monitor ‘refreshes’. So for a 60hz monitor you get 60fps, 120hz monitor you get 120fps. This is the maximum smoothness you can experience in your game, as long as you are hitting those frame rates. Vsync has horrible input lag though.
If you do not have vsync on, then your game will just change frame at what ever rate it can, regardless of the monitor.
So if you are using a cap of 60fps without vsync, there is a high chance those frames will not be in sync with the monitor (less smooth 60fps than with vsync on).
If you have 120fps, each frame is twice as likely to be in sync on a 60hz monitor. (but still not as smooth as with vsync on… only closer).
Basically, the more frames your computer generates, the more likely the frame is going to be in sync with the monitor, thus having a smoother and smoother appearence until you hit ‘close to’ the smoothness of having vsync turned on (which is the maximum smoothness your monitor can display). I imagine that is somewhere around 300fps for a 60hz monitor, and 600fps for a 120hz monitor.
If you are on a 60hz monitor, it is much easier to reach close to that maximum smoothness than if you are on a 120hz monitor, but the 120hz monitor has a smaller interval between refreshes so it is more likely to refresh at the same time a frame is generated, resulting in a smoother game, even if the FPS is not higher.
The only reason I can see for people capping their FPS to something like 120, is just for a more consistent smoothness. But I guess I just prefer having my game as smooth as possible, at all times.
(This post is just my understanding on monitors, fps and vsync, it could very well be wrong).
Last edited by AcidReniX,
Quoted from AcidReniX
I don’t cap my FPS because I do not use vsync.
Oh dear..
Noone in their right mind uses vsync to begin with.
It has nothing to do with capping FPS.
Quoted from AcidReniX
My understanding of vsync is that it forces frame changes to happen at the same time that the monitor ‘refreshes’. So for a 60hz monitor you get 60fps, 120hz monitor you get 120fps.
This is incorrect; If your game can run at 500 fps, it will run at 500 fps even with vsync on; some frames will be dropped though because your drivers try to synchronise the frames with your refresh rate, which causes jittery play.
If you have a 60hz monitor, but you can’t reach 60 fps, some frames will be delayed to satisfy vsync, which causes jittery play.
Quoted from AcidReniX
The only reason I can see for people capping their FPS to something like 120, is just for a more consistent smoothness. But I guess I just prefer having my game as smooth as possible, at all times.
The reason it’s capped in Chris’ config is to reduce strain on the graphics card. The reason it’s capped at 121 is because you won’t notice a difference anyway at any value above that on a 60hz monitor. He advises to cap at 241 for 120hz monitors.
Last edited by Spike Himself,
you can have 500fps and vsync will still have 10-15ms lag
OT: Valve added a bunch of shit to the game without optimising it and so its fps has just go progressively worse every update. I now get the same fps on my new pc than I did on my old crappy laptop a year ago.
Whenever I have used vsync, it caps your FPS at your refresh rate of your monitor.
I’ve never had 200fps with vsync on, on a 120hz monitor. Again, may be wrong, but anytime that I have turned vsync on and got over the refresh rate of my monitor, it turns out vsync isn’t actually on.
Oh, and I use vsync if I’m playing on a CRT, used vsync in TFC and if the input lag wasn’t so noticeable, I would definately use vsync.
Last edited by AcidReniX,
Also, if your monitor is 60hz, and you don’t get 60 fps, it knocks your capped FPS down, usually to 30fps, and if it can’t hit that, then it goes down to 20fps, just to keep it in sync.
I’m pretty sure if you have vsync on, and it’s not capping your fps, you will find your gfx card settings are forcing vsync off, reguardless of your settings in tf2.
Something like this:
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6578/vsyncm.jpg
What I didn’t include in there is that even if you run the game at 60fps capped, any frame the GPU renders will more than likely not occur at the same time as the frames the monitor displays. So even having a stable 60fps on a 60hz monitor doesn’t mean each frame will be in sync. Having 120fps would double the chance, 240 quadrouple and so on.
Also my understanding of all of this could be completely wrong. It’s just how I’ve always thought of it.
Last edited by AcidReniX,
Nobody uses vsync. People use caps because it reduces strain + still reduces some tearing.
using vSync only in GTA 4.
because, the movies in this game will run on 800 FPS :S and it shocks all the time.
While playing it also shocking. When u turned it on, ive got no FPS problems at all,
But I will always disable vsync in TF2. it will run smoother.
Some GPUs add heavy input lag with v-sync, inparticularly dual gpu’s.
Long story short, fps_max 0 or fps_max 61/76/152/121/241.. having your computer delay/drop anything in favour of a smooth image is not the way to go
AcidReniX is right capping your FPS at 60 will not prevent tearing and if you drop below 60FPS on a 60htz screen i will drop to 30fps but only if vsync is enabled. Anyone playing with vsync enabled should be shot or forcing triple buffering with D3DOverrider or something that way you will drop the a back buffer of 45FPS.
This is my understanding of it I might get corrected for a better explanation your best reading this http://www.tweakguides.com/Graphics_9.html
I agree but disagree with you nvc. Depends I guess on how much you sacrifice. I don’t think gaining any input lag is worth the smooth image, but having a smooth game is an advantage in itself as it allows you to see / track things better.
The day I find a way to turn on vsync with no other negative effects is the day I will be a happy man!
Quoted from AcidReniX
I agree but disagree with you nvc. Depends I guess on how much you sacrifice. I don’t think gaining any input lag is worth the smooth image, but having a smooth game is an advantage in itself as it allows you to see / track things better.
The day I find a way to turn on vsync with no other negative effects is the day I will be a happy man!
try playing quakeworld.
Quoted from Sketch
Wait so i should be playing with what fps? no cap or 161?
depends on ur monitor max refresh rate
if 60hz then 121/181/241 etc
copy paste from cadred:
60Hz: 120, 180, 240, 300 …
75Hz: 150, 225, 300, 375 …
80Hz: 160, 240, 320, 400 …
85Hz: 170, 255, 340, 425 …
90Hz: 180, 270, 360, 450 …
100Hz: 200, 300, 400, 500 …
110Hz: 220, 330, 440, 550 …
120Hz: 120, 240, 360, 480 …
make sure that the cap u set doesnt ever drop or its pointless if it goes under it on every middle
if u cant even get stable 120, fps_max 0 is the way
Last edited by AnimaL,
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