FPS Dips/stutters randomly on high end PC

[Lyn]

I recently started playing the game and since I started I have been getting random fps dips while driving. My fps drops to 0 for a solid second before returning back to normal. It happens everywhere and occurs every few seconds. I have tried lowering all my settings, messing with resolution and vsync, changing t_averaging_window_length and nothing has worked thus far. I usually run the game between 130-190 fps and my gpu usage stays at about 30-40%, unless the fps dips where the gpu usage drops to 1%.

My PC specs are:
i7 - 13700k
32 gb 5600mhz
RTX 4070ti

[Lud1crous]

there,s a lot to load up as you move through the world so your gpu has all that to render some places are worse than others doesn't help if your pc is mega unfortunately.

[Lyn]

Originally posted by Lud1crous:

there,s a lot to load up as you move through the world so your gpu has all that to render some places are worse than others doesn't help if your pc is mega unfortunately.

I have been playing with a friend with a lower end pc and he has been playing with a stable fps. He is playing at the same resolution with similar graphical settings.

[Wolfgang]

Using any mods?

[Lyn]

Originally posted by Wolfgang:

Using any mods?

No mods
I am running the game purely vanilla

[Wolfgang]

To what FPS are we talking with the dips? The game itself doesn't need more than 60FPS to be played.

[mojo_musica]

"between 130-190 fps"
Why on Earth do you imagine a relaxing driving game needs to stress your GPU by running at that frame rate?
Cap the frame rate to 60 fps and leave plenty of headroom for the GPU. It will still look fantastic and play smoothly.
You should also examine your GFX settings in the game and in Nvidia Control panel,, a 4070Ti should not be dropping frames, if it is set up correctly.
Try installing RivaTuner Statistics Server from the Guru3D website, it will show real-time GPU and CPU load percentage, temps and memory usage, as well as the fps and a dropped frame graph, it is very useful for monitoring and analysing GFX problems.

[keluvu]

Lyn
What I am writing might interest you, you will see that the main components are the same as yours. The following settings give me solid 60 FPS.

If I were you, if you want to have a fluid experience, I would forget those unnecessary 130-190 fps... and try the game without mods and then add only the essential ones that are tested in 1.50. Adding dozens of them, of all types and origins, is only going to give you problems. (you said you don't use mods, right, this is for the ones reading this and may guide them handling mods).

Pc Specs:
i7 13700K (Not overclocked)
RTX 4070ti
32 GB DDR5 RAM (5,200 Mhz)
Storage: NVME Pci 4
Win 11 (Home, up to date) dedicated to gaming, not any programs installed except MSI Afterburner and Omen Gaming Hub.

Set Monitor Hz to 60
Power Energy mode in Windows: Best Performance (Win 11)
Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling - Off (Win 10 & 11)
Game Mode - Off (Win 10 & 11)


Program Settings for ATS / ETS 2 in Nvidia Control Panel:
Image Scaling - off
Anisotropic filtering - App controlled
Antialiasing FXAA - off
Antialiasing Gamma - off
Antialiasing mode - off
Antialiasing setting - none
Antialiasing transparency - off
Background App Max Frame rate - 20
Cuda Gpus - All
Cuda Sysmem Fallback - Driver default
Low latency - off
Max frame rate - 60
Multi frame Sampled AA (MFAA) - off
OpenGL GDI - Auto
OpenGL rendering GPU - (select your Nvidia Card)
Power management - normal
Texture filtering Anisotripic - off
Texture filtering Negative lod - allow
Texture filtering quality - quality
Texture filtering Trilinear - on
Threaded optimization - on
Triple buffering - on
Vertical sync - Use the 3D app setting
Virtual reality pre rendered - Use the 3d app setting
Vulkan/OpenGl - auto

Nvidia Control Panel:
1) Display / Change resolution / Use Nvidia color settings
desktop color - Highest
output color - 8 bpc
color format - RGB
output dynamic: Full

Display / Adjust desktop size and position
Select "No scaling" IMPORTANT!!!
Set "Perform scaling on" to Display

2) Video
Adjust video color & video image - set both to Nvidia settings


Inside game AA:
TAA (only)
Always Soft
Luma: 1.50

Inside game graphics:
Refresh rate - Default refresh
Vertical sync - Enabled
FPS limit - 60
FPS limit backg - 20
SSAO - disabled
Depth of field - disabled
Reflection scaling - 100%
The other parameters: MAXED

The config.cfg file was created by the game from scratch. I have not modified any parameters
No boot parameters in the steam client, just "-nointro"
(I had both modified in the past, in version 1.49 and earlier, but as I say, I see that it is not necessary)

PS: I want to add that with Promods 2.70 and Rusmap 2.50 with this configuration, same result: solid 60 FPS

[Lyn]

Originally posted by Wolfgang:

To what FPS are we talking with the dips? The game itself doesn't need more than 60FPS to be played.

its less of dips and closer to stutters
The frame rate drops to zero for about a second or so and from my friends POV all vehicles including myself teleport backwards a bit, since I am usually hosting the convoy. It also happens in singleplayer though.

[Lyn]

Originally posted by mojo_musica:

"between 130-190 fps"
Why on Earth do you imagine a relaxing driving game needs to stress your GPU by running at that frame rate?
Cap the frame rate to 60 fps and leave plenty of headroom for the GPU. It will still look fantastic and play smoothly.
You should also examine your GFX settings in the game and in Nvidia Control panel,, a 4070Ti should not be dropping frames, if it is set up correctly.
Try installing RivaTuner Statistics Server from the Guru3D website, it will show real-time GPU and CPU load percentage, temps and memory usage, as well as the fps and a dropped frame graph, it is very useful for monitoring and analysing GFX problems.

Let me correct myself a bit

I am mentioning the stress on my GPU as it drops to 1% during the stutters and FPS drops to 0 for about a second. I watched real-time load and saw GPU drop to 1000 mhz instead of the usual 2000-2600 that it runs at the rest of the time. CPU load would have a small, few percent, dip during that time and temps and memory usage remained the same. I have tried running the game with and without an overclock as well so that is not the problem either.

I will attempt the settings in Nvidia Control Panel that keluvu suggested and I'll give an update after that.

[Lyn]

Originally posted by keluvu:

Lyn
What I am writing might interest you, you will see that the main components are the same as yours. The following settings give me solid 60 FPS.

If I were you, if you want to have a fluid experience, I would forget those unnecessary 130-190 fps... and try the game without mods and then add only the essential ones that are tested in 1.50. Adding dozens of them, of all types and origins, is only going to give you problems. (you said you don't use mods, right, this is for the ones reading this and may guide them handling mods).

Pc Specs:
i7 13700K (Not overclocked)
RTX 4070ti
32 GB DDR5 RAM (5,200 Mhz)
Storage: NVME Pci 4
Win 11 (Home, up to date) dedicated to gaming, not any programs installed except MSI Afterburner and Omen Gaming Hub.

Set Monitor Hz to 60
Power Energy mode in Windows: Best Performance (Win 11)
Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling - Off (Win 10 & 11)
Game Mode - Off (Win 10 & 11)


Program Settings for ATS / ETS 2 in Nvidia Control Panel:
Image Scaling - off
Anisotropic filtering - App controlled
Antialiasing FXAA - off
Antialiasing Gamma - off
Antialiasing mode - off
Antialiasing setting - none
Antialiasing transparency - off
Background App Max Frame rate - 20
Cuda Gpus - All
Cuda Sysmem Fallback - Driver default
Low latency - off
Max frame rate - 60
Multi frame Sampled AA (MFAA) - off
OpenGL GDI - Auto
OpenGL rendering GPU - (select your Nvidia Card)
Power management - normal
Texture filtering Anisotripic - off
Texture filtering Negative lod - allow
Texture filtering quality - quality
Texture filtering Trilinear - on
Threaded optimization - on
Triple buffering - on
Vertical sync - Use the 3D app setting
Virtual reality pre rendered - Use the 3d app setting
Vulkan/OpenGl - auto

Nvidia Control Panel:
1) Display / Change resolution / Use Nvidia color settings
desktop color - Highest
output color - 8 bpc
color format - RGB
output dynamic: Full

Display / Adjust desktop size and position
Select "No scaling" IMPORTANT!!!
Set "Perform scaling on" to Display

2) Video
Adjust video color & video image - set both to Nvidia settings


Inside game AA:
TAA (only)
Always Soft
Luma: 1.50

Inside game graphics:
Refresh rate - Default refresh
Vertical sync - Enabled
FPS limit - 60
FPS limit backg - 20
SSAO - disabled
Depth of field - disabled
Reflection scaling - 100%
The other parameters: MAXED

The config.cfg file was created by the game from scratch. I have not modified any parameters
No boot parameters in the steam client, just "-nointro"
(I had both modified in the past, in version 1.49 and earlier, but as I say, I see that it is not necessary)

PS: I want to add that with Promods 2.70 and Rusmap 2.50 with this configuration, same result: solid 60 FPS

alright I tried all of your suggestions and thus far nothing has changed
The game runs smooth most of the time but every few seconds there is a second or so long hitch were my frame rate drops to zero, which then repeats itself a few times, the game goes back to normal.

It is very infuriating as the only change i am seeing is my gpu effectively stopping and not rendering frames during that short second or so.

[Wolfgang]

Originally posted by LyN:

Originally posted by Wolfgang:

To what FPS are we talking with the dips? The game itself doesn't need more than 60FPS to be played.

its less of dips and closer to stutters
The frame rate drops to zero for about a second or so and from my friends POV all vehicles including myself teleport backwards a bit, since I am usually hosting the convoy. It also happens in singleplayer though.

What are your hardware temps when this happens?

[Lyn]

Originally posted by Wolfgang:

Originally posted by LyN:

its less of dips and closer to stutters
The frame rate drops to zero for about a second or so and from my friends POV all vehicles including myself teleport backwards a bit, since I am usually hosting the convoy. It also happens in singleplayer though.

What are your hardware temps when this happens?

My GPU temps hover around 40-50 C and CPU temps hover around 60-70 C throughout, only minor dips of about 1 degree or so when frame drops happen.

[keluvu]

1) Regarding the temperatures you mention, they are the same in my equipment. (Summer here, environmental temp is 28º C)

2) But the Mhz you mention (2000-2600) have nothing to do with what I see on my hardware, they remain in the middle except in very specific cases of graphical stress, this tells me that you are using "Prefer maximum performance" for the "Power Management Mode" parameter.

In the detailed parameter list I gave, I specified "Normal" for that value.
It is unnecessary to have the GPU spend more energy than is needed to run this game.

3) It would be recommended that you apply EXACTLY the parameters that I offer, without changing any others for some personal reason. Better to establish a base that works on similar hardware and from there make changes if necessary. This apply for all parameters in the long list.

A possible variant is to set only "High" for shadows instead of ultra. Also "High" for "Weather." Actually the difference is... insignificant to the eye but it is noticeable for the game engine currently in terms of effort required.

4) To go beyond these values...

4a- Use native Windows tools to delete temporary files. (You can use a third-party program, like Glarysoft Utilities, I've been doing this for years and it works well).

4b- You don't mention it but we are assuming that the storage is SSD, it would be illogical with that hardware that you have a mechanical disk.

Well, in the Windows search type "Degragment", open the utility that is displayed and check if any SSD needs Retrim

4c- Use Nvidia Profile Inspector (latest version 2.4.0.4) and export all the custom profiles you have. Then download the latest version of drivers and do a CLEAN installation of the new ones.

Reboot. When finished, use Nvidia Profile Inspector to import your custom profiles

4d - Use the steam client and move ETS 2 (or ATS) to another drive, then repeat the operation and move it to the faster SSD drive (supposedly where it was originally).

P.S: Oops, one more thing. Although the 1.50 graphics engine has a notable improvement in terms of performance (you can use 400% scaling and ultra draw distance for mirrors without problems and in previous versions it was not possible), check that your truck has only the essential mirrors, remove those that point at the ground, that will reduce the load on the CPU.

The resolution I play at is 3840 x 1080 (32:9 format)

[Rivaldman]

If you are new to game, the game needs to compile shaders from time to time.

Once it is done, it may get better. It can be one of the possibilities.

[Lyn]

Originally posted by Rivaldman:

If you are new to game, the game needs to compile shaders from time to time.

Once it is done, it may get better. It can be one of the possibilities.

As I mentioned before, this issue does not occur with a friend of mine. Also would it really take 10 hours for the shaders to compile and would they really be doing it every 30 seconds or so?