After playing a few hours, FPS drops from 40 to 5FPS

This is precisely what Windows is supposed to do (and has been doing since Win95)… memory management. Windows does clean up real and virtual memory as part of the overall memory management and on its own schedule. However, Windows memory cleanup is VERY VERY SLOW for MSFS. Depending on the system specs and the programs running, memory cleanup can take HOURS which is why apps that instantly cleanup memory are so important. A system reboot (not ‘sleep’ or ‘hibernate’) also cleans up memory but is not practical while running MSFS.

this would mean that I had run so often into issues because my RAM was full with Standby Memory and I have only 1GIG fixed pagefile … but I have zero issues :wink:

The only way I’ve been able to solve this issue is to reduce both LOD settings down to 100. But I’d hardly call it a fix as most people have it set to 100 anyway and still have the issue. This is getting so frustrating I don’t know how Asobo can’t recreate it on their end.

After applying the registry edit mentioned in another thread linked above I no longer have any performance degradation in default aircraft and 3rd party besides FBW.

If this tweak resolved your performance degradation, did you test with FBW or is the issue still present? Thank you

A320 Development version, No other addons, RW 33 EGBB, 12 Noon, Clear Skies.
Loaded in. Then did one 360 degree pan in the external view, before going into flight deck.
Started timer. Took screenshots at 0min, 30 and 60mins.



Notice the CPU memory slowly increasing, more than just natural variations. Probably linked to memory management/page file which people have mentioned earlier

3 Likes

I only have FPS degradation (mainthread latency increasing) with FBW dev and exp. This is before and after making the NDU registry edit /

3 Likes

Thank you :+1: I’ve commented on the FBW Github, hopefully they can figure out what is going on

If that’s true then Windows’ memory manager is broken. As was mentioned, standby memory is basically a cache which should be released should other applications require more physical memory. This is why task manager does not count standby memory as used physical memory.

1 Like

2nd this - flew STL-MDW-DTW – started great, by time is got to DTW it was 1/3 of the FPS

And it sure did! This is a eureka! exactly as expected!! Just did a flight with all the bells and whistles without a Hick-up

What was the registry edit that you did to “fix it” ?

Please see:

The solution (solved) is located on the very first post

how can I do the CPU check to see if one of my cores if getting eaten up?

Task Manager. I forget which tab but it should be self-evident when you find it.

Looks like CPU 7 which is really 8 is completely maxed out?

Ah… that is probably the famous CPU LOD bottleneck. In short, your Terrain and Object Level of Detail settings as well as traffic settings (especially airplanes) might be just a bit too high.

LOD seems to be sent to the last CPU core, and if set too high, it tends to max out the CPU, especially at big airports. And if one core gets maxed out, the whole computer is throttled to keep all cores in sync with the slowest core.

When the GPU is the bottleneck, your FPS slows down. When the CPU becomes the bottleneck, you get immersion breaking stutters (and those are terrible).

You may want to check Dev Mode in sim, and follow the steps listed in this linked post and subsequent posts in the same thread.

This thread talks about maintaining a locked 30 FPS but if you have the system for it, you can maintain a locked 60 if you go for 15 ms instead of around 30 ms.

1 Like

But if you don’t even acknowledge that there could be an an issue, then you do not have to address it … (or even deny there is an issue)

Going forward, this may well get know to be “The Aerosoft Effect”, as they seem to have perfected this form of customer support.

1 Like

Performed the NDU registry change and still had FPS drop.

Next, I just removed the Toolbar Pushback after using it for the past several months. Performed a flight DTW-CMH. No FPS drop, using the FBW (latest exp) sitting at the gate after landing in CMH for 1hr. GPU still at 100%, same frames as when departing DTW.

Seems like the Toolbar Pushback jacks up the performance. THRILLED I can finally perform multiple leg flights

2 Likes

The basic design of Windows memory management has been the same for more than 20 years. It isn’t broken. Windows is designed to process many different types of programs from email to word processing to web browsing to games to watching video to video editing. Windows is designed to run these programs on many different hardware platforms. According to the MSFS FAQ, the minimum memory spec is 8 GB. I wouldn’t recommend this amount of memory to anyone. However, the design of Windows memory management allows MSFS to run with only 8 GB.

Windows is NOT designed to run only MSFS or even to run MSFS optimally. One “workaround” is to buy or build a PC specifically for MSFS…

As far as FPS decreasing or stuttering as memory utilization increases, this is because Windows moves parts of memory to the paging file virtual storage to accommodate programs needing memory to run. If any part of MSFS memory is moved to the paging file, FPS will drop or stuttering will happen because when MSFS needs that memory that is on the paging file, Windows has to retrieve it from the paging file and put it back into memory if there is room. If there is no memory available, Windows finds other memory to move out to the paging file to make room. All this takes time and even though it happens very fast, a few milliseconds delay is a stutter or a drop in FPS.

Windows memory management allows users to run MSFS, Navigraph, LittleNavMap, and a web browser to watch YouTube all at the same time.

When Windows starts moving memory around MSFS performance starts dropping. Personally, I watch my memory utilization and as soon as it gets to about 50%, I start looking for any unnecessary programs to stop.

1 Like

If this were an option that it should be possible to define what that is, and if that can be done then it should be possible to look at any system, and find what is missing to make it so that it is.

my mainthread is going through the roof over time.

starting with 50-60fps going all the way down to mid 20’s and low 30’s.

I run the sim at ultra preset 3840x1600
Sim is installed on an SSD, same happens with an empty community folder.

specs:
i7 10700k (stock)
32GB 3200mhz stock xmp profile.
3080ti not overclocked
Windows 10
1TB nvme (where the sim is installed on)