Where did my FPS go?

[TheAlmightyOS]

Ok, I think I mucked something up OR I got some sort of bottle neck going on.

 

Here is my system:

Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 975 Deneb 3.6Ghz (not OC)

Memory: 8 GB Corsair VENGENCE

Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth 990FX

Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti

*GameCompanion-Fake Fullscreen* Installed

*NVSE* Installed

*4GB Fallout New Vegas Updated* Installed

*New Vegas Stutter Remover* Installed

While playing FO:NV I am noticing my FPS drop drastically as I look around. By drastically, I mean from 60 to 15 just looking at the sky. While I am walking around it jumps from 20 to 45. Now I know what you're thinking "he must have over-maxed his graphics settings". Which, I won't lie, I might have done in the beginning just to see what my card could do. But I went in and changed it down to low and still have the same issue.

I really don't want to think my bottleneck is my processor. 4 cores at 3.6Ghz should be more then sufficient. And my graphics card, while dated, should still have more then enough power for this task. I know RAM is not an issue.

I am using quite a few mods. I am thinking something may be conflicting or maybe these Mods are resource intensive and sucking the life out of my system. I am not at my pc right now so I can't just print out a list of mods I am using but below should be a fairly complete list of the major ones I have installed. Anyone see anything that could cause my issue?**

New Vegas Anti Crash

JIP Compaions Command and control

Caesars New Regime

CASM+MCM

TFH Bullet Scar

Weapon Mods Expanded

Weapon Re-texture Project

NMC's Texture Pack for NV (LARGE)

Underground Hideout NV V4-4

Weapon Mod Menu

Runner

EVE (Essential Visual Enhancements)

Mission Mojave - UE

Mission Mojave - UE PLUS

IWS (Increased Wasteland Spawns)

Four Legged Friends

New Vegas Restoration

New Vegas Restoration - Freeside

Electro-City

Advanced Recon Thermal Nightvision

Nevada Skies

Underwater home

Goodsprings home

NCR Rearmament

Flashlight NVSE

Primary Needs HUD

MTUI

Unified HUD Project

The Mod Configuration Menu

[Patch file created with FNVEdit]

**You won't see compatibility patches for various mods. I do have them, verified everything works with FNVEdit. I was just lazy and did not feel like typing them all in

[FiftyTifty]

Wouldn't surprise me if your VRAM is topping out. Run Optimizer Textures on your texture pack. Should help a bit.

 

It could also just be because there is too much being rendered; a combination of poor optimization for draw calls, and the implementation of Direct3D 9, causes a heavy burden on the CPU when rendering objects. If a multithreaded renderer was used (Direct3D 11, OpenGL 3 or later, Mantle) and/or a lower level renderer (Mantle), you would be void if this issue.

 

All that can really be done, is to lower your draw distances. I noticed a similar experience to yours when I maxed out the sliders. Keeping them as they are on "High" settings allows for tolerable visual fidelity and adequate performance.

 

 

And yeah, your CPU is the bottleneck. It's not the fault of the hardware, mind. Betheseda uses the GameBryo engine. Which is just god awful. You would need to shell out some serious money (in the realm of £160) for a CPU, just to keep a steady 30fps at all times with all the sliders maxed in Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fallout NV and Skyrim.

 

I have a Phenom II x4 965 BE @ 3.4GHz, by the way.

 

Though if you don't mind overclocking your processor to 4GHz, you won't have to do a platform upgrade for a similar experience.

[TheAlmightyOS]

Wouldn't surprise me if your VRAM is topping out. Run Optimizer Textures on your texture pack. Should help a bit.

 

It could also just be because there is too much being rendered; a combination of poor optimization for draw calls, and the implementation of Direct3D 9, causes a heavy burden on the CPU when rendering objects. If a multithreaded renderer was used (Direct3D 11, OpenGL 3 or later, Mantle) and/or a lower level renderer (Mantle), you would be void if this issue.

 

All that can really be done, is to lower your draw distances. I noticed a similar experience to yours when I maxed out the sliders. Keeping them as they are on "High" settings allows for tolerable visual fidelity and adequate performance.

 

 

And yeah, your CPU is the bottleneck. It's not the fault of the hardware, mind. Betheseda uses the GameBryo engine. Which is just god awful. You would need to shell out some serious money (in the realm of £160) for a CPU, just to keep a steady 30fps at all times with all the sliders maxed in Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fallout NV and Skyrim.

 

I have a Phenom II x4 965 BE @ 3.4GHz, by the way.

 

Though if you don't mind overclocking your processor to 4GHz, you won't have to do a platform upgrade for a similar experience.

Thank you for the reply.

 

You mentioned "Run Optimizer Textures on your texture pack". How would I go about doing this? [EDIT] > I figured it out. Found it in the Nexus and ran it. Helped a tad, but not much

 

At one time I DID have my CPU OC'd to roughly 3.9 (The Sabertooth BIOS did it automatically without me knowing) but I got constant warnings about CPU temp. I have been tempted to get a better CPU cooler and OC it again, this time in controlled conditions. Just got to pick out the cooler I want and that has it's own complications.

 

[EDIT] > HOLY CRAP! I went from 40 average fps to 70 by using FALLOUT NEW VEGAS OPTIMIZED. That is getting an endorsement. Anyone else want to try it just remember it ain't a drag and drop kinda modification. You got to edit the files as per the instructions.

Edited May 8, 2014 by TheAlmightyOS

[TheAlmightyOS]

It just ain't fair!!

 

I had FO:NV running like a champ! No crashes, all the mods working perfectly together and I was getting great performance. Then POOF! my hard drive fails. WHY!!!!!!!!

[FiftyTifty]

Welcome to life.

 

It's very frustrating.