Hello!
I have an Intel Core i7-12700K processor and an EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 ULTRA video card. I run the simulator in 4K, with ultra settings. Sometimes the simulator lags and there are micro stutters…
The simulator says CPU limited. “Main Thread” I did some tests, the CPU is not used. It can be seen in the picture. Multiple threads don’t even get a load.
Now what? What’s happening?
MSFS won’t use all your threads, like any other games.
If you use DLSS try to reduce or disable it to increase the GPU usage.
Main thread will be always limited in urban areas. It simply drives too much workload in game and that has been this way since game release. A faster CPU or more cores does not solve the issue. There´s still one single game thread that runs all main code game needs. Your cores are not used because CPU has nothing extra to process. It can handle the load but no new tasks come to it in plain words so that´s why most of the time it´s even below 10% usage at regular situations.
Cheers
MSFS sadly is not utilizing many cores. Mostly one or two that gets hammered.
I think D12 was supposed to help, but looks like youre already running it
Thank you very much for the answers. I learned something today too. For me, this is a big disappointment. Is Asobo capable of this much? Not many. This simulator is then very poorly optimized. Asobo should not be proud of this. With the release of DLSS3, they sat back in their seats, even though there are still a lot of problems here. There is no point in having a high FPS if the simulator is stuttering or there are limitations. It’s a big no-brainer then. Good to know the information. Thanks. I planned a new high-end processor and a 4090 video card, but I’m not going to spend money on it. A poorly optimized product…
I agree with you…
5800X3D and 4090 here (32 GB 3200 CL 16, NVME, fiber 2 Gbps) and I I have to live with random stutters… Even though I have more than 100 fps with FG.
Except it is exceedingly well optimised … but at least your cpu should be great for Blender, rendering long movies and scientific calculus etc. (assuming that’s what you bought it for).
MSFS is not unique in how it is optimized. From what I understand, most games are not significantly muli-threaded. Doing so adds unnecessary complexity (for example, the need for semaphores and locks in order to share workload between threads without those threads stepping on each other). As with most engineering, software development solutions are not as simple as they may seem, and they require tradeoffs.
There are dozens (probably a lot more) discussion threads on this subject, most have very informative and more importantly, accurate information, that has been presented by some very knowledgeable individuals.
I’d strongly suggest a search for these posts to anyone interested in this topic, rather than opine about msfs & Asobo.
Have you activated “Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling” in your Windows settings? For me it helps a lot, as it makes the graphics hardware handle the frame buffering, instead of your CPU.
It is EXTREMELY difficult to synchronize the cores in such a complex program as a flight simulator, all above with the depth this one calculates world and aircraft. They have already done a TREMENDOUS job to get some cores in line and they will, hopefully, continue to do so. If it was easy it would have been done long ago but it’s not. DX12 is supposed to be a relieve but it’s still quite buggy and not working well for many people. Time will tell but for me it’s already the best performing flight sim ever.
The key here is using what is known about the way the sim uses the cpu and gpu and choosing ones that will match well with the settings you want to run. Going for a high end gpu and not pushing it will always leave the cpu wanting. So best cpu you can get paired with a reasonable gpu gives amazing results. If you want to push the resolution with multi monitors then a high end gpu may be better suited. Generally you should aim on having the best cpu you can afford with MSFS. It’s better to have the gpu flat out and the cpu with a bit to spare rather than the all too often opposite.
It’s also worth remembering that MS low end recommendation lists a minimum 4 core/8 thread cpu … Until they produce a follow-on sim they can’t just turn around and say you now need more cores for the 2020 version.
Actually I tried to push my GPU to try to equalize GPU and CPU usage, the only option that I have tho is to push the slider of the render scaling but when i do so i get very bad flickering, i’m pretty stuck sadly, 4090 + 13700k + G9, ultrawide isn’t always satisfying for things like that.
There are more options to push graphics. Shadows, and reflections can be pushed in the usercfg.opt passed what the in-game menu allows.
Just tried this and it seems to make a big difference!
55 fps is not too shabby considering.
Big box simulators meet FAA FAR 60 requirements by using multiple server blades and distributing the workload across a fiber network. The workload is distributed into nodes, about two dozen in all. The visual node consists of Xeon processors with over 500 TB of storage and is pushed to the three projectors by synced Quadro graphics cards (six in total.) That is just one node. There is an entire motion cabinet that is the size of a small SUV. There are three (3) sound generators pushing around a dozen speakers inside the cab and another eight (8) speakers outside of the cab giving true spatial sound. Flight dynamics is handled by its own node. Aircraft systems are distributed: electric, powerplant, bleed air, hydraulics, fuel systems, etc are all handled by independent nodes. Avionics is usually handled by multiple nodes and distributed to specialty hardware running manufacturer-approved simulator-specific versions of their software. Most people have no clue about the number of black boxes that are behind the scenes of a display on an aircraft. You have multiple AHRS, ADS, NCUs, IRS, FMS, TAWS, TCAS, etc that all have to be replicated in a simulator. The GNSS and SBAS constellations are all simulated in real-time. All of this is coordinated by the master node, the server that parcels out the jobs and makes sure all of the other nodes are coordinated. For example, you don’t want to have the TAWS system be 1/2 a second behind the visuals.
So in the training environment, we fly millions of dollars worth of hardware and very specialized software that in some cases exceeds the cost of the actual aircraft the crew is learning to operate.
Now try thinking about replicating all of that hardware and software into a video game environment that while being realistic enough for a game also wows people with the expected level of stunning graphics and fits inside of a single computer with a single graphics card and sound system. What Microsoft and Asobo have accomplished should not be marginalized. You get a $60 USD game running on a few thousand dollars worth of hardware (or a game console) trying to accomplish what it takes millions of dollars worth of specialty hardware and software to accomplish.
Turn off your fps counter and enjoy the video game, because, at the end of the day, it is not mission-critical training software and hardware, but a game meant to be enjoyed.
Ini JFK with FSLTL On, if i crank up the res to a higher one both CPU and GPU are dying, not stable at all.
Try to disable ht. In my computer is much better. The cores are more powerful than ht.
This game-simulator could be much better optimized.
