Problems with titles at 120fps.

mxoagentjohnson · 25 Feb 2015 at 01:08

can anyone assist me in helping me figure something out.
I own two computers, both run 120hz monitors, one is a i7 2600 @3.4, the other is an i7 4790k @ 4.5 and a gtx 970.

Both have different components in them, the trouble is on both i notice the same problem.

Some games, no matter the graphics settings and no matter how much fps you fly out, if you lock the games at a 120 and turn around in some games or go into new areas like Borderlands 2, Dishonoured, FEAR, Warhammer, DmC, Red Faction,. The framerate stutters between 120 119, normally this wouldnt be a problem but theres a noticable stutter there, and if i uncap the framerate it still happens but ill be spewing out near 200 frames a second.

however these problems dont exist at 60fps locks.

So i wondered, is there any cause? is it texture streaming having less ms before the next frame is needed and that some games arent designed to be played at such high framerates? I've done every fix known to man on each rig and it still happens, it even happens on my friends but he doesnt notice the slight stutter that happens because of it. It wouldnt be so much of a ,problem if it didnt happens o often.

Is this just something 120fps has to deal with? I dont wanna have to get gsync just to remove that.

Jarrastafari · 25 Feb 2015 at 01:55

Try dropping your frame limiter to a few FPS less than your max refresh rate, i.e. frame limit @ 118 FPS for a 120Hz monitor.

If what I understand from your post is the problem as well as the explaination provided by Cheif Blur Buster (post #3).

mxoagentjohnson · 25 Feb 2015 at 02:30

Jarrastafari said:
Try dropping your frame limiter to a few FPS less than your max refresh rate, i.e. frame limit @ 118 FPS for a 120Hz monitor.

If what I understand from your post is the problem as well as the explaination provided by Cheif Blur Buster (post #3).

Tried this before, didnt help the situation unfortunatly.
I know it isnt my rig, because its happened on others, i just dont understand the selling point of 120hz if it stutters more.

arc@css · 25 Feb 2015 at 02:47

Just a thought, but do you have a friend's video card you can try out (something different / perhaps even trying a different brand)?

mxoagentjohnson · 25 Feb 2015 at 02:49

Happens on both my rigs, and on my friends rig with a 290. He just doesnt notice it,.

arc@css · 25 Feb 2015 at 02:51

Is it something you've always been aware of, or did it happen from a certain point onwards - like when you were running your GTX680 (if I recall correctly)?

mxoagentjohnson · 25 Feb 2015 at 02:54

Always happened since i got a new rig, and subsequently since i made this second rig and used the other as a guest rig.

Go on BL2, use rivatuner to lock 120, you'll see what i mean,.

arc@css · 25 Feb 2015 at 03:05

When you made the second system, did you buy the same model of motherboard (that is if you bought a second)? I ask since there has been some compatibility issues with video card + mobo combos of late. It certainly seems that way to me anyway. For example, I needed a bios update for my video card to be recognized properly, which was something that I hadn't ever experienced before.

JGStonedRaider · 25 Feb 2015 at 04:17

Unless it's a heat / power concern you shouldn't be limiting your FPS at anything under double your monitor refresh rate. Double your Hz = limiting the amount of horizontal tearing you will suffer from plus your games will be more responsive (even if you can't see it visually).

FloppyPoppy · 25 Feb 2015 at 08:15

Have you considered that it's just not well optimised at those frame rates never mind being tinkered with by aftermarket software?

Games aren't perfect and there flaws start to show especially at higher frame rates.

DaleTheWhale · 25 Feb 2015 at 08:37

Does this happen in all games?
Are you getting the same symptoms when v-sync locking games natively, across all games?

mxoagentjohnson · 25 Feb 2015 at 14:21

The problem doesnt happen in every game, and thats what i mean Harry. Thats what i said earlier, i just dont think some games should run at higher framerates because it exacerbates problems that are either minor at 60fps or hidden.

I got different makes of motherboards in each rig, both of my computers have seperate hardware.

It doesnt happen in Half Life 2, Deus Ex HR, L4D2 and some other titles. I've noticed it happens more often in Unreal Engine 3 games (But dont get me started on my distain for Unreal 3)

I'll try natively locking vsync without the fps cap and see how that works!

I also wonder, if gsync would help in reducing the problem, keep in mind the stutter isnt huge, it isnt like a full blown jerkyness effect, it is more in the lines of a very slight .5 second pause when it happens, and considering how extra smooth that 120fps is it really shows more obviously than if it happened at 60fps!
Also a note to take, Borderlands 2 at 90fps is fine, at 100 it happens a bit more!

Black Dog · 25 Feb 2015 at 18:25

G-Sync may help but only if it's display related and not hardware related like memory or hd. With it not doing it @60hz would point towards the answer that some games just don't like to run 120hz.
I can't see it being any other issue if it only does it @120hz. On unreal 3 engine games are you turning off frame rate smoothing to false??

mxoagentjohnson · 25 Feb 2015 at 22:03

Black Dog said:
G-Sync may help but only if it's display related and not hardware related like memory or hd. With it not doing it @60hz would point towards the answer that some games just don't like to run 120hz.
I can't see it being any other issue if it only does it @120hz. On unreal 3 engine games are you turning off frame rate smoothing to false??

Yea i imagine its some games, i mean i played Tomb Raider just fine at 120fps for about 5 hours and the only time it did this was loading new areas, yknow going past certain points and laoding up new sections. This happens even at 60fps just less obvious
I imagine gsync would help because its not a complete stutter, it most likely just ,puts me off that the framerate dipped and the fps/,monitor isnt in sync anymore which is more likely to happen it just doesnt drop much just by a frame. and the fact i have seen it on 3 systems now kinda backs up the theory.

mxoagentjohnson · 26 Feb 2015 at 02:34

Recent discovery, turns out Rivatuner is somewhat to blame with this problem.

I've discovered that turning it off and using vsync instead of the fps cap actually stops problems with some games like Skyrim stuttering on borders, Resi Evil 6 having that fps drop and a few others.

Makes Borderlands 2 a bit better and 40k a bit too but its actually a lot better, will test more.

Black Dog · 26 Feb 2015 at 17:14

Glad you've sorted it. I find that some tweaking programs cause more problems than solve. I just use NVIDIA control panel and game configs to change any frame rate tweaks that I need to keep it nice and smooth.

Max Pre Rendered Frames is also a popular tweak to solve many stuttering issues.

It's in the NVDIA control panel, not sure if you know about that or not.

mxoagentjohnson · 26 Feb 2015 at 18:58

Black Dog said:
Glad you've sorted it. I find that some tweaking programs cause more problems than solve. I just use NVIDIA control panel and game configs to change any frame rate tweaks that I need to keep it nice and smooth.

Max Pre Rendered Frames is also a popular tweak to solve many stuttering issues.

It's in the NVDIA control panel, not sure if you know about that or not.

ill give it an experiment! probably more useful at higher framerates yknow.

I had a problem before where i thought my computer was stuttering at 60fps as and was gone at lockin vsync but it just turned out to be that the screen tearing was making it look like stuttering sometimes (yknow when the whole screen tears real quickly) its why i want Gsync to sort this out i hate tearing and i hate vsync Aagh!

Black Dog · 26 Feb 2015 at 21:10

A g-sync monitor will be your best friend if you hate frame rate fluctuations and screen tearing like me. Got myself a Benq Xl 2420g and it's the business. No stuttering or screen tearing in sight. It's at bit pricey but well worth it. There are plenty of others available though.

mxoagentjohnson · 27 Feb 2015 at 01:22

Black Dog said:
A g-sync monitor will be your best friend if you hate frame rate fluctuations and screen tearing like me. Got myself a Benq Xl 2420g and it's the business. No stuttering or screen tearing in sight. It's at bit pricey but well worth it. There are plenty of others available though.

Yea i got a ben q 2720t i love it all but those problems!