Slow FPS Loss Over Time Issue

[ciathyza]

Let me try my luck here, maybe somebody has experienced this issue.

 

• Skyrim LE
• New mod setup with roughly 50 mods (bug fixes, few texture/mesh replacers, gameplay mods, animations, FNIS).
• GTX 1080
• 32 GB RAM
• i7 7700 CPU
• Rudy ENB for CoT
• GSync & VSync On, FPS capped at 57 with Nvidia Inspector
• Windows 10
• Ini files created with Bethini (ultra).

Issue: Starting a new game and simply stand somewhere with my character, inside, or outside, or running around, regardless of day/night, weather, what is currently rendered, number of NPCs on screen, be in a city or not ... the game will slowly decrease framerate from ~57 to ~10, stay there for a while, then goes back up to normal, then after a while goes back to ~10 FPS, rinse repeat. This happens over the course of an in-game day.

 

I have no process-heavy things running on Windows while playing.

Since this seems to be not a rendering-related issue I'm siting in the dark atm what could cause this.

 

Any hints would be appreciated!

 

[Pippboss]

This is a wild stab in the dark but I'm wondering if its power saving features of modern PC's. If your just stood still and PC/OS/Keyboard or Skyrim isn't detecting an input from you its shutting down 'stuff' or just not running as fast over time?

Have you tried running Skyrim performance monitor? See it shows any decreased RAM/Vram usage in same scenario over time. More importantly though, does your FPS stay steady when moving? Or does it just decrease from a static period after X amount of time.

[fore]

1. run a script cleaner

2. stop the Papyrus log

[ciathyza]

1. run a script cleaner

2. stop the Papyrus log

 

Nope, not related to any of that.

I don't run a long gameplay right now. In a phase of setting up mods, trying to get everything right and therefore start a new game everytime to test mods.

Also have papyrus logs disabled.

[ciathyza]

This is a wild stab in the dark but I'm wondering if its power saving features of modern PC's. If your just stood still and PC/OS/Keyboard or Skyrim isn't detecting an input from you its shutting down 'stuff' or just not running as fast over time?

Have you tried running Skyrim performance monitor? See it shows any decreased RAM/Vram usage in same scenario over time. More importantly though, does your FPS stay steady when moving? Or does it just decrease from a static period after X amount of time.

 

About power saving options... I've set them to High Performance profile in Windows earlier already. Same for Nvidia settings. It didn't affect the issue.

 

Still have to test with monitoring CPU and RAM but since I play in exclusive fullscreen mode and Skyrim is touchy about Alt-tabbing out, it's not easy to check monitoring tools while the game is running.

 

The FPS isn't affected by moving. As you guessed, the FPS decreases from ~57 to ~10 slowly over time. I start a new game and then it will run at max for a few minutes, then goes down to 10 over a time of approx. 1-2 minutes, stays there for a couple minutes, then goes back up to max, and that keeps going on like that for the rest of the gameplay.

 

Strangely enough, yesterday evening the issue did not occur but I haven't changed anything (other than installing a few new mods that appear not to be related). I will keep an eye on it if the issue reappears.

[ciathyza]

Aaaand... the FPS loss issue is back since yesterday! Seems not to occur on every new game start. I have to test some more but it seems to always occur when starting in Riverwood via Alternate Start, and some other locations. Very weird.

Edited March 9, 2018 by ciathyza

[Pippboss]

You can run Skyrim performance monitor through the mod manager of your choice. It puts an overlay onscreen for you. I actually meant increase in RAM/Vram. I know you wanna run Rudy ENB but I hear that its particularly heavy on resources. An yea I know you have a 1080 but trying different ENB pre-sets could glean some insight into what is going on.

Totally agree with you this needs fixing before you go the whole hog an mod like a maniac :laugh:

[ciathyza]

You can run Skyrim performance monitor through the mod manager of your choice. It puts an overlay onscreen for you. I actually meant increase in RAM/Vram. I know you wanna run Rudy ENB but I hear that its particularly heavy on resources. An yea I know you have a 1080 but trying different ENB pre-sets could glean some insight into what is going on.

Totally agree with you this needs fixing before you go the whole hog an mod like a maniac :laugh:

 

Hi PipBoss,

 

rendering is obviously not the issue. Here's another strange thing I found about the FPS slow down...

 

I'm using SkyrimSouls - Unpaused Game Menus. So when I open menus the background keeps being unpaused.

Now If the framerate went down and I open any menu screen (journal, inventory, etc.) the framerate shoots up to around 57 again (my fps cap). Closing the menu, fps goes down to ~10 again.

 

This means:

 

* non-game-related issues (Windows processes taking lots of resources) can be excluded.

* Rendering issues can be excluded.

 

It appears to be mainly inside towns and also interiors. While outside in the wilderness I haven't experienced this issue yet. I get the feeling this is something script-related to NPCs being around. But I have not installed any specific NPC-related mods yet in my new setup.

Edited March 12, 2018 by ciathyza

[Pippboss]

You would think that interior cells would be pinning that fps at all times with a 1080

[ciathyza]

I've figured out what caused the issue! Please see this thread if interested: https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/comments/84sk8y/strange_framerate_slowdown_issue/