When Updating NVidia Graphics Drivers: To reduce or eliminate stuttering

[rick.krystof]

I am sure that many if you already know and do this, but as I have learned once again today, in order to reduce or eliminate stuttering after Video Driver update:

1. Go in to NVidia Control Panel and Disable the "Shader Cache" setting. (Allows the cache files to be deleted in the following steps). Apply the change you just made.

2. Restart your computer. (Allows the Shader Cache Disabled setting to take effect)

3. On Drive C (typically) locate your "User" account folder. It consists of two levels of folders. Click through each.

4. Within go to the "AppData" folder

5. Within "AppData" open the Local folder.

6. Locate the "NVidia" folder.

7. Within the Local folder locate the "GLCache" folder

8. Leave the "GLCache" folder intact. Delete its contents.

9. Next navigate back to the AppData folder and locate the "LocalLow" folder.

10. Within the LocalLow folder Locate the "NVidia" folder and open it.

11. Within this NVidia folder locate the "PerDriverVersion" folder.

12. Delete its contents.

13. Reopen the NVidia Control Panel and re-enable the Shader Cache, using your preferred size setting. Remember to once again apply the change you just made.

14. Again restart your computer.

15. Launch ATS

After restarting the sim there may be a few small stutters at first as the Cache files are rebuilt. After that, for me to this point the stuttering is gone.

[keluvu]

Hi, rick.krystof
Could it be that this procedure is already somewhat old and only applies to very old versions of the drivers?

The nvidia folder structure you describe does not exist on disk.

A few versions ago Nvidia made changes. I realized a few months ago when I tried to change the panel language following the procedure I had written down and it worked, but... with the version change, it never works again.

Thanks for sharing anyway!

Edit: Up to point 6, everything is fine. The folder in point 7 does not exist.

[ThunderStorm]

Originally posted by keluvu:

Edit: Up to point 6, everything is fine. The folder in point 7 does not exist.

Whits nvidia version are you on , i run on 560.70 and i see that folder.

[keluvu]

Hi there!
561.09, last version currently.

I checked again and I don't see anything, and the search doesn't show that folder either.

Well, if it's something that only affects me, all the better, others can benefit from this procedure!

[Wolfpig]

Originally posted by keluvu:

Edit: Up to point 6, everything is fine. The folder in point 7 does not exist.

Are you running the game in open gl?
if not.......then that is probably why, as the name of the folder indicates that it is a cache folder for the GL caches........

[mojo_musica]

I'm not sure I would be happy deleting almost 1,000 files, sight unseen on the information provided by a random post on the Internet. Especially as there isn't any explanation of what this will do or achieve!
Nvidia have been pretty good at managing their drivers and updates for a fair few years, could you share the reason for deleting these files, if Nvidia don't see the need to erase them?
I update my GeForce drivers as soon as they are announced, I have not experienced any stuttering at all in ATS or ETS2 running an RTX 3060 12 Gb @2560x1440 60 fps.

[v1cV3Ga5]

I've never heard to do this until you just posted.... So, thank you for that

I seem to only have stuttering in ETS2 which leads me to believe its a mod issue but it can't hurt to try what you've posted

[v1cV3Ga5]

So, I took a look at the NVidea control panel and found if you set up specific games in program settings the shader cache option disappears. It's only in the global settings. Will that make a difference?

[rick.krystof]

Yes, the Global settings tab in NCP is the only place where the Shader Cache exists. I am on driver version 561.09, the latest. I suspect that if your NCP is set to Shader Cache "Disabled" then the folders are never created.

Today I am finding that after doing the procedure listed above that the first time the game is launched tafter the cache files are emptied the sim is stutter free.

With Shader Chache remaining enabled for subsequent game launches of ATS the stuttering returns.

I have read online that many games do not benefit from Shader Caching. ATS may be one of them.

As a result I have Disabled Shader Caching and am continuing to restart and run the sim to see if the stuttering stays away when Shader Cache is permanently disabled.

[Wolfpig]

Originally posted by rick.krystof:

Yes, the Global settings tab in NCP is the only place where the Shader Cache exists. I am on driver version 561.09, the latest. I suspect that if your NCP is set to Shader Cache "Disabled" then the folders are never created.

Today I am finding that after doing the procedure listed above that the first time the game is launched tafter the cache files are emptied the sim is stutter free.

With Shader Chache remaining enabled for subsequent game launches of ATS the stuttering returns.

I have read online that many games do not benefit from Shader Caching. ATS may be one of them.

As a result I have Disabled Shader Caching and am continuing to restart and run the sim to see if the stuttering stays away when Shader Cache is permanently disabled.

If you turn of the shader cache the only thing which will happen is that the card will created the shaders new from starting the game every time, which can lead to longer load times or stutters during the game when they get created on the fly.

Clearing such caches usually is only recommended if it is suspected that some of those cached shaders got corrupted.

[rick.krystof]

So far clearing the shader cache and leaving it disabled has resulted in far fewer stutters than at any time before. I experience one stutter every 5 to 10 minutes, as opposed to several ion a row./

When the stutters occur, I can see the GPU load drop sharply and the CPU load fluctuate ( I have NZXT open all the time on a second monitor).

The CPU load routinely averages 14%, the GPU 50%, up to the second the stutter occurs.

Despite the modest loading on both, it appears that the CPU momentarily starves the GPU of frames, and the stutter occurs.

[rick.krystof]

My CPU is an Intel Core i9, Coffee Lake, i9-9900K at 3.60GHz, Turbo Boost to 4.4GHZ

[rick.krystof]

The 14$ I am seeing on the CPU probably reflects single core performance, since ATS is not multi-core. In this case a bound CPU is likely at times.

[rick.krystof]

I meant 14% on the CPU

[RynoHawk]

I have zero stutters without doing any of that. The last time stuttering was an issue was when 1.50 released. It was advised that the mod that adds municipal police cars was the culprit and once I removed that mod it worked fine.

[rick.krystof]

Unfortunately for me stutters have been a way of life since I first purchased ATS several years ago. I have tried every solution on the Internet.

To date what I have written above has provided the greatest reduction, though occasional stutters still occur. I can see them happen in real time in NZXT when I have PC monitoring displayed. It is a single thread bottleneck on the CPU causing it.

I do not have the mod you mentioned, and I have carefully vetted the mods I have, and tried my best to sort the mods correctly.

I have also seen the stuttering occur on a vanilla profile.