Question about Optimal Performance

SanguineReaper

After playing the BETA, I decided that I needed a new graphics card to play this game at a higher frame rate since I only had a Nvidia GTX 460. I decided to purchase a Nvidia GTX 760 2GB 256 bit card as it seemed to be above the recommended specs for this game. I used the Nvidia Geforce Experience program to set the game to optimal settings, but the frame rate is rather erratic at times going from around 80 fps and then down to 35 fps within seconds. I have noticed a trend where the game is constantly jumping from around 60 to 80 fps and then dropping to around 40 fps just by running down the road a little bit. I just want to know what I need to do to be able to run this game at optimal level. I feel that I have the adequate hardware for it, but I am not getting the performance I expect to.

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K @ 3.90Ghz
RAM: 8GB DDR3-SDRAM
Hard Drive: 2TB Raid 0
Video Card: Nvidia Geforce GTX 760 2GB 256-Bit

Audigy

Looks like your GPU has to wait for your CPU, that's why running down the road lowers your FPS as new things need to be rendered.

But before you panic, this isn't a problem with your system its more about the client itself. Our CPU´s are not fully utilized sadly, so that they can bottleneck and those drops to 40 are normal, I have them as well.

Still, in case I am wrong which can always happen a few things that you can check.

1. CPU

You have an overclocked CPU, what are the temperatures and what cooling system do you have?

2. Performance

Make sure that your power settings at windows are set to performance, same with the NVidia control center (power management mode adept -> Maximum power).

Did you also check if your PSU is able to power the card fully? The 440 needs a bit less, but since you run an OC system it might had been pushing the limits already and now 30W more can be too much.

SanguineReaper

Thanks for the reply, Audigy. My CPU is overclocked. Standard it is a 3.4Ghz overlclocked to 3.9Ghz. My tower has 2 fans, one on the back and one on the side. Naturally, the card also has 2 fans. The system typically runs around 25 to 35 degrees celcius. The fans don't get loud at all. I have yet to even hear them make much more than their standard noise since I installed this new card last month.
As fast as performance goes, I do have the Nvidia control panel set to maximum performance. I also have Windows set to high performance in the power settings as well. My pc was running dual Nvidia GTX 460 cards at first, so I went with a 875W power supply from the get go.
I'm sure there are plenty of people running high end rigs with this game. Is it possible that this game is not optimized well enough for a quad core to perform properly? I would certainly be interested to find out what others who have similar system specs to mine are running at in terms of fps in dungeons or in towns.

Audigy

Ok so your CPU doesn't get to hot, that's good to hear.

We had a player here a while ago that did run his CPU without a cooler, so I just wanted to make sure

Also the PSU is fine of course

As for your question, yes ESO does all the rendering on pretty much one core, so that our CPU`s cant use their full potential sadly.

I drop in towns to about 35 as well on Ultra with my 2500k and a 6970. If I battle an anchor I can drop down to 25 with many players around. Dungeons are usually capped at 100 and the open world is around 50.

As soon many draw calls need to be made, the FPS goes down as our CPU´s cant tell our GPU´s quickly enough what it has to draw (simple explanation). That is especially the case if we have moving objects and spells on our screen like in PvP or towns with a high amount of light sources, players & NPC´s.

We all hope that ZO is able to address that soon. WS suffers under the same issue, its somehow a typical MMO problem but most of them at least support two.

SanguineReaper

Okay, well at least I know it's not to just me then. This is unfortunate, but this game is pretty new. Hopefully they can get this issue fixed by the three month mark. Thanks again for the help, Audigy.