Borderlands 2 - Max settings + High Physx workaround fix for low fps drops

[76561198242686848]

Got a beefy 980ti or SLI setup but still can't run Physx on HIGH & get maintain 60fps during a heavy fire fight or combat scenario? Tired of people suggest to just turn off physx or forget about using it because it is broke?

Do this tweak for a workaround fix.

(This tweak isn't really meant for low end GPU that can't already keep up regular non-physx graphics. It is meant for higher end systems. I suggest one of the many other optimization guides out there.)

Edit your WillowEngine.ini 

[Engine.Engine]
MaxParticleResize=128

Change the value higher or lower to fit your needs.

------------------------------------------------

Some optional additional physx related tweaks

[Engine.Engine]
PhysXGpuHeapSize=512
PhysXMeshCacheSize=32

[WillowGame.WillowPawn]
SecondsBeforeConsideringRagdollRemoval=5.0
SecondsBeforeVisibleRagdollRemoval=15.0

[WillowGame.WillowProjectile]
SecondsBeforeConsideringRemoval=10.0

FAQ

I got a powerful GPU, why does physx on high drop my fps so much.
Simple truth. CPU bottlenecking.

Huh? Isn't hardware physx done by the GPU? Why is cpu bottleneck the issue?
Yes, Physx is processed by the GPU, but it still needs the CPU to feed it data. With physx enabled, especially on high, there is a lot more work for the CPU. All those tiny particles and effects all has to be kept track of and fed to the physx engine.

But, I have the newest CPU with X number of cores
Sadly, Physx in BL2 is heavily dependent on single-thread processing power. Even modern high end processor isn't enough.

My cpu utilization is never 100% neither is any of my cores
You won't see 100% utilization because the game doesn't take full advantage of all the cores. Individual cores will unlikely show full use either because the main thread bounce around different cores. When you look at utilization numbers those are averages over a span of time not the instantaneous demand.

How does tweaking MaxParticleResize help?
MaxParticleResize is the max number of particles generated in BL. The default is MaxParticleResize=0 which basically means unlimited amounts. This is will cause your CPU to fall to it's knee in heavy combat. Lots of elemental effects, bullets and projectiles from multiple enemies and players all needing physx processing.

Changing MaxParticleResize value to something besides zero reduces the amount of particles that need to be processed. You will need to experiment with what value works best. MaxParticleResize=1 will give you amazing FPS, but you won't see any bullets or projectile effects. MaxParticleResize=1024 might be too much for you to handle. For me MaxParticleResize=256 on a 3570K 4.4Ghz lets me maintain 60fps for the most part in really heavy combat fights.

I see some people claiming 60+ fps with physx on high without the tweak
Yea, those people probably have not ever been in a heavy fire fight with 4x co-op players all shooting elemental weapons and spamming nades everywhere. Likely, they set their settings to max with physx on high and run around an open field with 1-2 enemies demoing. I don't consider that heavy combat.

[SPREAZ]

It's still seems to cause lag in the Tier 3 Rematch of the Torque DLC, where the fights are pretty intense. I have everything on MAX and Full HD resolution. My specs:

- Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700 CPU @ 3.40GHz, 3401 MHz, 4 Cores, 8 logical Processors
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
- 16 Gigabytes RAM

I wrote in 128, which really should work.. I mean my setup's not bad lol.
I'd appreciate help ._.

[WARRIOR]

I have a 6700K @4.4Ghz and water cooled GTX1080 @2132Mhz with 32GB RAM. When I first played at max with PhysX max, yes it ran like crap, fine without PhysX. Which angered me as I always loved this game and always wanted a PC powerful enough to run it in all it's PhysX glory. Though after just over a weeks research trawling through old threads from as far back as 2013, I have figured out the fix by putting all the little single tips for possible fixes together. These are the 4 steps.
1. Install the Direct X in the BL2 folder (D:\Steam\steamapps\common\Borderlands 2\Binaries\Redist\DXRedistCutdown)
2. (This step can be skipped for now, you may not need this). Install (D:\Steam\steamapps\common\Borderlands 2\Binaries\Redist\AMD) - "amdcpusetup.exe" This tells the game how to correctly utilize multicore, remember, this was released when quad cores had barely been around for 2 years. (Yes, I know, it's AMD, but just do it). 2025 Update: Win11 - Run with compatibility mode for WinXP
3. Download and install this nVidia PhysX driver. nVidia worked with Gearbox to release this BL2 PhysX optimization patch, though it was never added to the required installation files either on Steam or physical GOTY copies, laziness I guess? Meh, sad, anyway, this CAN be installed alongside your existing PhysX drivers, no uninstallation or downgrade necessary: https://www.nvidia.com/object/physx-9.12.0613-driver.html
4. Go to - C:\Users\*Username*\Documents\My games\Borderlands 2\WillowGame\Config - and open WillowEngine in notepad, then search for "bSmoothFrameRate" change it to FALSE.
5. Open your nVidia control panel, then go to the PhysX tab, ensure that you select your GPU as the PhysX processor, not the CPU or auto.
Now it should run sweet with PhysX in all it's maximum goopy explody glory. This has worked for myself and my other friends who love the game as well.
ANOTHER thing to do, if the game is constantly ticking, turn off Shadowplay, this being an old title, does not play nice with it.
And one last cosmetic touch, in the in-game settings, turn off texture fade if you haven't already (I know it's easy to rush through settings sometimes and just turn it all to on lol) this will stop that lame slow-load in of the full rez chest textures.
Please remember, this was actually a poorly optimized game and even my PC still has bad drops in certain areas while my GPU is at ~50% usage (No, it's not bottlenecked by my CPU as stated, it's a 6700K @4.4Ghz). This is partly related to the max view distance on (which I refuse to turn down lol).
If this didn't work, try installing the AMD CPU drivers in step 2. Then if still no luck, reinstalling the game and repeating these steps. If you ever tried the fix that tells you to change the willowconfig or something from willowmovie to default movie or something, this will mess up the PhysX as it was intended to be and will dull it IMMENSELY. If you have done this, delete ALL borderlands files before reinstalling. (Be sure you have your saves backed up on steam cloud or whatever) ;)

Please feel free to get this everywhere where there is BL2 love. I know there are no solutions anywhere like mine, I looked.
I hope this works for you and brings you all new enjoyment to IMO one of the best games ever made.

Originally posted by .spreaz:

It's still seems to cause lag in the Tier 3 Rematch of the Torque DLC, where the fights are pretty intense. I have everything on MAX and Full HD resolution. My specs:

- Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700 CPU @ 3.40GHz, 3401 MHz, 4 Cores, 8 logical Processors
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
- 16 Gigabytes RAM

I wrote in 128, which really should work.. I mean my setup's not bad lol.
I'd appreciate help ._.

Hope this works for you man :)

[Frappuccino]

Originally posted by .spreaz:

It's still seems to cause lag in the Tier 3 Rematch of the Torque DLC, where the fights are pretty intense. I have everything on MAX and Full HD resolution. My specs:

- Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700 CPU @ 3.40GHz, 3401 MHz, 4 Cores, 8 logical Processors
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
- 16 Gigabytes RAM

I wrote in 128, which really should work.. I mean my setup's not bad lol.
I'd appreciate help ._.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/49520/discussions/0/1291816880497165016/
This guide worked for me, so simple. stable 60fps now.