Does anyone have any advice for dealing with the Bethesda Stutter?

[Bruhmis]

Let me start by clarifying that I don't mean the standard vsync stutter. I've already tried every possible combination of settings relating to Vsync/Frame capping/Window mode.

What I mean is the unique bethesda stutter that only ever seems to occur 5+ months into an installation of windows/the game. same thing happened in skyrim, same thing happened in fallout 3. it's caused by moving around the world in a way that requires the game to load something (sprinting in a straight line, for example).


The game is on an SSD and the stutter is constant so it's not normal behavior. After trying to fix this for skyrim, fallout 3 and fallout 4 - I've probably spent a combined total of 70+ hours troubleshooting this horse s***, and at this point I've exhausted my knowledge of computers. this problem wasn't present a few months ago, so it has nothing to do with my specs.

What I've tried already:

• Reinstalled graphics drivers (removed with DDU), tried 11 different driver packages.

• Tried every possible combination of .ini settings, NV control panel settings, ENBoost settings, Rivatuner fps cap

• Checked disk and memory for errors, defragged both hard drives

• Removed any and all windows 10 bloatware I could find, disabled all the NSA phone home s***, disabled any unnecessary background process

• Reinstalled the game several times (tried it on both hard drives)

• Increased page file to 6 GB

• Ran game at lowest possible settings

• Disabled Xbox DVR process

• Checked temps and physical connection of GPU, CPU and RAM.

• Recently bought new RAM

• Closed everything aside from Steam and RTSS while running the game

• Started a new, unmodded save

• iFPSClamp=30 to completely rule out vsync/64hz stutter.

 

[BipolarOne]

A page file is virtual memory, it's really slow, and also bad for SSD theoretically. Windows 7 requires 4Gb of ram, anything over that is extra. I use 8Gb Ram because it was somewhat of a budget build. The important thing is that it's duel channel, size an speed don't matter as much. It would be nice though. You should be using a ENB for FO4, and TAA +FXAA for FO4. Just because the game looks like crap without them. That puts ENBoost into the picture, which might help you, I don't use it.

 

To get FO4 running with a smooth framerate it's pretty easy. You would need to set it up for an .exe profile in Nvidia control panel. Just because settings are more particular for that game, and this way it won't mess up the global settings for windows use or other games. Now, I've neglected this for months an months with incorrect settings all over the place. So don't feel bad. I use Vsync settings to let the 3D application decide for FO4 for Vsync and AA (because of TAA).

 

ENB framecap is disabled because it wasn't smooth. Using the 3D application's version of vsync an texture streaming, whatever they came up with. It's the only way to get it going. Then that is overridden by Bandicam basically, there is a FPS tab which allows locking the frame rate. Then a hotkey for frame counter. Pop into the game, pause it, pull the frame counter up and wait for it to stabilize. Also I'll Alt Tab with the game paused, then Alt Tab back in an turn on the frame counter, because frame rates get glitched. I've run it 24/25/30 FPS smoothly like that.

 

So basically I launch the game load a savegame (full manual save or Survival Options full save) Pause the game soon as it comes up (36 seconds with SSD?) Then either turn on the Bandicam frame counter to make sure it stabilizes, or Alt Tab out an back into the game. After that ~Bat Ray to apply the ultra god ray performance fix for Nvidia cards. Then it's ready to play. There is some heavy optimization in configs an settings though, usually with the configurator, but I'm starting to think it would be wise to invest time into downloading optimization mods.

[Bruhmis]

...

yeah, like I said, I've done everything I possibly could relating to frametimes and all of that. this issue has nothing to do with that. it's a stutter that just suddenly occurs on bethesda games where it didn't exist before.

[BipolarOne]

Windows 7 is Vista, and Vista hates fullscreen mode. Forgot that part. You haven't tried everything, because the s*** is still doing it. If you don't want to listen, or maybe you just think I'm full of shite. It's not my problem. I wrote the s***, you ignored it. Game over man, game over...

[SharraShimada]

1. ignore that bipolarone-guy... i dont know his problem, but he gets upset all the time, when i see a post from him... so dont panic, it seems its his normal "behavior"... dont know why.

 

2. have you installed DX9, 10, 11?

Yeah i know, i know, Win10 comes with DX12 and that should cover every DX from the last 500 Decades and so on. But NO, it does not. DX is always only 90% compatible. And its always a good advice to install the DX-Setup, that comes with the game, or the version its made for. Something changes everytime, Microsoft builds a new version, and the always screw something up.

 

And the problem always results in stutter, crashes, video-glitches.

 

So, if you have´nt done it already, its worth a shot.

[montky]

an excellent question!

and, with no definitive answers yet...

 

it help to have it all on the same drive, not a removable SSD -

the system OS can interfere with the SSD,

and the SSD can overheat etc

the connection to the SSD if is USB 3,0, it is as quick as on the PC itself...

 

I love bethesda, and their games - yet,

she have a fault somewhat on those 'stability'

or save-game eating... ehehe

 

FO4 have a few issues which some mod try to solve -

the texture map for twigs is 4K...

so, you can delete those clutters etc.

the processes for gasses and fog etc take up resources - omit or remove etc...

 

as to in-game -

it is a limit of the hexadecimal base implementations...

if you run around,

it doesn't always clear all the weapon and detritus.

it write all of that to a string, in floating-point.

some of the processes in FO4

are a subroutine and different program or .dll...

that increases the rate of overflow errors etc.

 

usually 'bethesda stutter' is a signal of

impending CTD or indicator of overflow error/blue screen of death -

in that way, it is a blessing moreso than a curse hehehe

 

when the length of that string gets to a point,

the game start having issues.

it stop-start, or things start disappearing - see the 'cell reset issue', etc.

 

so... if you try other thing,

and it get to that point...

it is the core of the game itself which cause

'bethesda stutter' -

though, in many other games,

it is fairly broad in scope and karma which bethesda and obsidian do,

which are seldom found elsewhere as well implemented.

 

several modders from the keyword mods and so,

are working on a couple of FO4 'stability patches' as we speak...

they may change the game to be more useful,

as many users report increased CTD and stuttering on all levels of graphics,

and across many machine architectures,

in the late end-game states ~50hrs up.

 

the PC version of FO4 is a lot less stable than many console version -

I have played the PC for 500hrs FO4 since launch,

~23days for consoles...

i have had a lot more issues with even vanilla FO4 on PCs

than on the console variants.

 

PC errors CTD, blue screen of death, error requiring restart : 1, 319.

Consoles (PS4, X1) errors CTD, blue screen of death, error require restart : 412.

 

even accounting out for mods and their influence in error rate -

from total number of sessions playing, it is ~1in3 sessions which have an interruption

on PC, as against ~1 in 7 for Console...

 

I am interested in hearing how this resolves.

I hope I help somewhat -

hopefully it is not long until some more patches are release,

and you are back and FO4-ing in no time

[SuperSledgeNY]

Just for the helluvit, check your enblocal.ini and try

 

ForceVideoMemorySize=TRUE

 

 

if you haven't already done this.

[jones177]

Hi

 

I first got Bethesda stutter when I started modding Oblivion back in 2007. I discovered that the game had trouble loading content fast enough to keep the video card feed. To fix it I started using WD Raptors. Even in 2007 they had a burst read speed that is on SSD levels.

 

I ran stutter free on all games until 2015 when I got ENB stutter with my GTX 980ti on Skyrim. Fixed by an ENB update.

 

I played this game for 1100 hours at 4k & only got stutter looking through a rifle scope & using the Pipboy light in some interiors(only 2 CTDs as well). That all changed when the DLCs came out. After installing Nuka World I got random stutter playing at 3440 X 1440 with a GTX 1080. Saving & reloading would fix it.

 

The WD Rapor on my old i7 2600k rig died last week so I am playing Fallout 4 on my i7 6700k rig that has 2X GTX 980 ti & a 5tb WD Black. The WD Black can not handle this game(stutter) with mods even though it has no problem with all my other games. I will be replacing it in a few months.

 

Next weekend the 1tb SSD that is replacing the WD Raptor in my i7 2600k rig should arrive & I am hoping that it will fix my stutter problems in this game. Some SSDs have "old data" issues. I am hoping the one I picked dose not.

 

To test if your stutter is i/o stutter, start a new game & go for a run. If the game runs smooth, your stutter is i/o stutter.

 

Also if you are not using a GTX 970 or better or a i5 2500k or better it will take a lot of skill to run this game with mods smoothly.

 

Later

[BipolarOne]

 

Nvidia Experience came to mind. It would have recommendations for your video card driver settings specifically for FO4. Optimize it with FO4 Configurator too. If you wanted to get into it Nvidia Inspector. You could re-post with Windows 10 in the title or look on Win10 boards. Though, you should know Ultra textures are basically the HD DLC. Can't tell the difference between Ultra and High for textures. There's optimized texture mods. FO4 seems to be cool with a 9% overclock for the most part, but I might have just been lucky. I'm Bipolar I, I have manic depression. How much more obvious could I make it. I have major mental health problems, but I was able to figure this out. I wanted to play FO4, so I did the work to get it to run. Which was extensive on a EVGA 570 GTX & later on an ASUS 960 GTX. 24/25/30 FPS & 45-60 all day, but only because I got rid of the stutter. I started there and if I hadn't fixed it, I would have played something else.

 

Decreased sliders & texture sizes (or optimized via mod) theoretically would decrease load times. If there is significant post processing ENB for example, turn a lot of that other stuff down an not notice. Though FO4 configurator increases texture streaming distances, which increases load times. Shadows decrease over distance, but it's either a tiny distance or a really far distance. Then only a 2048 or 4096 shadow map for that. For example bump the 1024 by 256, and it's 1280. That cleans up the problem with a 1024 texture map. Then it's just getting a distance that works an won't bog down around the buildings as it all loads in. You can ~TFC & ~SUCSM 4 for that an look at it. Really only need about 2500 of high quality shadow after that it doesn't matter but should end at 10,000 or 8,000. Something like that, but we can play with shadows more now.

 

There's a Depth Of Field disable mod that un-ties DOF to being underwater. Light tweeks mod that disables bloom. HBAO works from a patch, but is set in the default launcher. FXAA will polish TAA and ENB. High quality 8X AF looks better than low quality 16X though it's distance, 8X is a little over 50 feet or so, an 16X beyond that, and I would think we could turn it down further. You can pick too much VRAM/RAM/PAGE in ENB you know. If anything kicks to Pagefile it's going to be slow, slow, slow, even on SSD. Doesn't really need more than 4096 to 8192. Volumetric lighting & God Rays can be turned off, it doesn't really add very much effect, and we disabled it for a long time after launch due to AA issues. If you wanted to get hardcore, run a 3 grid, it might load 300 feet at a time (I wouldn't mess with grid though).

 

We can still buy O.E.M. install discs for Window 7. *hint* *hint* You know, you could make a backup install disc with Steam, top left steam menu, backup an restore games. uninstall the game an then clean the registry, compress an backup remaining files, clean the lot of it. Then just run it vanilla, in a test mode, get it running well, then dump the mods on it. I've got 4 different versions of FO4 and the 1.5 BETA I think. The version I use now is 1.7.15.0 just because I didn't want to update after making a 76Gb build of FO4 with mods, I'd have to get some more play time on this before ruining it. I played it for a while then G0D RAYYZ killed the frame rate, there was a mod that fixed it, then later heavy fog an 1280 particle max killed the framerate, then it's just becoming more an more optimized.

[BipolarOne]

Advanced System Care Pro & iObit uninstaller, Smart Ram, and Smart Defrag. Trial is free, Pro isn't, most of what comes with ASC whatever version is free. Bandicam is a free trial for the frame override, though ditching that stupid page file in lieu of RAM then running that bish unlocked at 45-60 FPS variable and/or on an adaptive framerate, got to be worth it's weight in gold. In the old days we would resize the game an add post processing. 1920 x 1080 would be 1280 x 720 and the settings an post processing would make it look near the same. Testing, that's my advice (no reason it can't be fun) make a fast running game with low settings. Then bump it up till it starts falling apart, bump it back down. Drop an ENB on it already, Subtle ENB & Vogue ENB just want it to look like the announcement videos an subsequent hype train. It would be a different render, that typically locks to VRAM, but we tend to bump it up a bit as the GPU tends to look at running these applications with a total available graphics memory which accounts for system resources.