newbie to assetto corsa, very very low fps with core i7 + GEforce GT650M

[manu68]

Hi everybody.
My name is Emmanuel, from france.
I purchased yesterday assetto corsa on steam, at a very fair price (31€ for the game + dream packs 1-2-3 + porsche pack 1-2-3)

I have raced online many years with Grand prix legends and rfactor and netkar pro
After many years dedicated to play more electric guitars, i have recently decided to install again my old racing simulations. I must admit that I don't intend really to race online seriously anymore (question of time), but I would like to hotlap and have fun with the fantastic cars and tracks on assetto corsa.
(I would also improve my rank at Grand prix legends, which also looks fantastic with the new 60fps patch and improved graphics).

My problem is thew following.
I get only 8-10 fps in Assetto corsa, and that not depending on the display resolution (1920x1080 or 1280x720) or game setting (full details or no detail at all).
I can change what I want, I have about 10fps.
(in the game statistics)

My computer is a laptop dell 17R inspiron SE 7720. It is fure sure not a killer gaming PC, but I suppose that I should get more than 10 poor fps with assetto corsa (It runs rfactor and netkar pro at 60 fps without problems and with a lot of details). I don't intend to have 150fps at full details, but just a decent game (above 40fps alone on track with decent details would be nice)

Not sure about the precise characteristics, but is is something like that.
Intel Core i7-3630QM (2.4/3.4GHz), 8GB DDR3 (1600MHz), 2TB SATA HDD (5400RPM) + 32GB mSATA SSD, BRay Combo, 43.942 cm (17.3 ") 3D LED FHD, 1920 x 1080, NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (2GB), 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, Fast LAN, Windows 8 64-bit

What do you think about the situation.
Do I have missed something ?
Is my laptop not able to run the game better than 10 fps?
Should I use some configuration tweak (like 4gb patch or +fullproc tip with Rfactor ???)

I could provide some more information from nvidia inspector (I am not a specialist of such software).
I just can say that the GPU is at 100% all the time as soon as I am into the game.
profil P8. I am not sure but the clock speed of the GPU seems to be very low.

Many thanks in advance for any advice.
Emmanuel

 

[ouvert]

well that GPU is somewhere under desktop GTX 550ti card which on low details (turn of reflections, postprocess effects) should run AC over 30-40 FPS (if I recall how it ran on my old 550ti) .. CPU is probably near i5 2400 performance .. how are your temperatures during playing ? you might be thremal throttling. Are you playing with AI or solo?

 

[Zoltan76]

Or just the max fps slider is set to 10fps by mistake...

 

[manu68]

As I said, I have tried with stock game details at first, and with everything details cut (no AA, no AF, no reflection, no postprocessing, no Vsync).
Fps stays around 10 fps in all situation.
I didn't use the max fps slider. I think it is on the far left.

Low resolution display is the same as HD resolution display
Curiously the game runs in a small windows in 1280x720 . The screen is not stretched. I should check that too, but it is currently not the priority !

I have tried solo on track , porsche 718 cayman from porsche pack at imola .

I should check, but with nvidia inspector the GPU is always at 100%, but the VPU (video treatment charge) is at about 0% (not sure) , and the MCU (video RAM) also very low.
Temperature is at about 60°C.
The profile is P8 (for 2D aplication like desktop). Should it be at P0 (3D application on heavy charge) ?
It seems that my GPU is not used in a normal way.

I am not at all a profi at tweaking GPU.
I should learn to use nvidia inspector or the ingame statistic in order to provide more precise information.

 

[manu68]

other question.
Is it a nice idea to use the provided stock profile "Assetto Corsa" in nvidia inspector or not ?

 

[PartyPePe]

delete your video drivers with this tool http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html and install latest divers from here http://www.geforce.com/drivers

 

[jlnprssnr]

Maybe the game is running on the iGPU and not on the Nvidia?

 

[manu68]

I have already install updated my drivers to 382.53 two weeks ago
, but i didn't use display driver uninstaller before.
since then there is a new one 384.76, but is it really necessary ??

I have read a little on the forum.
http://www.racedepartment.com/threads/running-ac-silky-smooth-on-mid-end-pcs.131020/
post #17
I could be already nice to have something like that. I suppose my laptop is about the same.

Thanks for all your comments.

 

[RasmusP]

Before you tweak, delete, or do anything else:
When your gpu is really on 2D Profile then that is the reason!
To change that: nvidia Control panel, assetto corsa Profile, and there you go for energy or Performance or something. You have 2-3 options there:
Adaptive
Optimum Performance
Maximum Performance

Select maximum Performance and your gpu should go to the 3d clock speed!

My 1070 was running rfactor with 700 MHz instead of 2000 MHz. Microstuttering like hell!

PS: really good data provided with gpu power, clockspeed, testing different resolution etc. Have to give you a compliment for that

 

[manu68]

Thanks. I will try to look deeper into that.

I do beleive that it should be possible to run the game, just because I have 99% the same config as this video.
(same processor and same GPU. )

It runs 1080p with several cars at about 40 fps, which will be perfectly okay for me.

 

[Stig Bidstrup]

When you set up AC for the first time , in Display the default refresh rate is 25 HZ , it has fooled me 2 times, it should off course be 60 HZ, The other thing you can do is turn off " Post- Processing " , I have it turned off and my system is not excatly slow , in my opinion the game looks much better with out , I only have it on when I record certain videos , this will give you a huge FPS boost , Post-processing is what everybody is talking about in nearly all games, But AC looks very good without

 

[manu68]

Thanks for the tip.

I am not sure about the refresh rate.
I have 60Hz in my nvidia control panel, but within assetto corsa I have only the choise of display resolution, and there is no "60Hz" with the name of the display resolution.
I should check that (where ?)
It seems to me that the game launch with 60Hz (info during the loading)

For the rest, I have checked with the two exe 32 and 64 bits. It is about the same. Default from steam is 64 bits. Should I use the 32 bits instead ?

I could also manage to launch the game in fullscreen with lower display resolution instead of having a small window in the middle of the screen.
Once again it makes a diffrence for sure, but very far from acceptable.
In the pit , alone and without any details, I have about 15 fps in 1920x1080, and about 20 fps in 1280x720. With or without details (AA, AF, ... ) makes little difference.

For some reason I don't understand, I have some more fps. (but i disabled everything in my nvdia control panel . no AA, no AF, nothing.....)

Within the game, on the pit with cockpit view, my CPU is at only about 4%

Within nvidia Inspector, when the game is launched, my Default GPU clock is 745 MHz (for my GEforce GT650M).
Default memory is 2000 MHz, and it works at 405 MHz
VPU is always at 0% (no video treatment ?)
(I have a printscreen from nvidia inpector, but I can not post it here from URL from my office !)

The current GPU clock stays always at 135 MHz in nvidia inspector monitoring, and never goes to 745 MHz.
GPU is used at a constant 100% as soon as I am in the cockpit.
The P-State is always P8 , which I think is not normal ? (nvidia inspector specialist required !)
It is like the game use the GPU, but "only" at 135 MHz in P8 state instead of 745-835 Mhz in P0 State (Gaming)
Once again I am not at all specialist of such thing, and I may be totally wrong.
I should maybe try some of the advices found on the web, but I am on total unknown territory (and I don't like that!)

What do you think about all that ??
Many thanks in advance
Emmanuel
------------------
Information from the web :
Nvidia inspector power states

Performance modes
P8 = idle clock speeds and lowest power consumption
P2 = the default mode used when your PC boots or no drivers are installed.
P0 = Gaming/Load. This mode only accepts boost/offset values

How to force specific P-states
The command line is required to do this. Either run "cmd" and locate the directory containing nvidia inspector, or create a .bat file in its directory.
Force P8 (idle)nvidiaInspector.exe -forcepstate:0,8
Force P2 (custom)nvidiaInspector.exe -forcepstate:0,2
Return to DefaultnvidiaInspector.exe -forcepstate:0,16

Using batch files for simple switching between power modes
Create the following batch files in your Nvidia Inspector directory.
overclock.bat
nvidiaInspector.exe -setBaseClockOffset:0,0,135 -setMemoryClockOffset:0,0,500 -setpowertarget:0,111 -setVoltageOffset:0,0,187500 -setGpuClock:0,2,1311 -setMemoryClock:0,2,3500 -forcepstate:0,2

force_idle.bat
nvidiaInspector.exe -forcepstate:0,8

default
nvidiaInspector.exe -setVoltageOffset:0,0,0 -setGpuClock:0,2,705 -setMemoryClock:0,2,3000 -forcepstate:0,16

Hint: Mobile keplers does not have voltage offset, keep -setVoltageOffset:0,0,0 and do not modify it

 

[RasmusP]

Did you try my hint with the "Power Management Mode"? You can see it here on a pic from the internet
If it doesn't help I can look into the inspector settings.

 

[manu68]

Yes, I may be wrong but I have this setting "prefer maximum performance" on nvidia control panel.
I also run the game not on the 220V (in france) and not on the battery alone
I will check that again.

I have look at some video on youtube regarding nvidia inspector and "overcklocking".
When I put profil P0, make some (light changes) and "apply clock and voltage", the GPU clock stays at 135 MHz. No change at all.
P8 remains too on the left page.
it is like "overclocking " or P-state changes are for any reasons not allowed.

I have currently the drivers 382.53 WHQL (09.062017)
Available is 384.76 since 29.06.2017
I should maybe try to upgrade.

 

[Bastiaan brons]

Yes, I may be wrong but I have this setting "prefer maximum performance" on nvidia control panel.
I also run the game not on the 220V (in france) and not on the battery alone
I will check that again.

I have look at some video on youtube regarding nvidia inspector and "overcklocking".
When I put profil P0, make some (light changes) and "apply clock and voltage", the GPU clock stays at 135 MHz. No change at all.
P8 remains too on the left page.
it is like "overclocking " or P-state changes are for any reasons not allowed.

I have currently the drivers 382.53 WHQL (09.062017)
Available is 384.76 since 29.06.2017
I should maybe try to upgrade.

 

[Bastiaan brons]

i played assetto corsa on a similair system,and up until last year i could hotlap at 60 fps.but racing was impossible with more than 3 opponents.
after last year ,the FPS would drop to 30 40 ish with the updates ,although the game improved a lot ,i couldnt play it anymore to race and only hotlap.

.

so last year i could choose to invest in GPU and CPU and spend a lot ,at the end i opted to buy a PS4 to spend least of money and have acceptable performance.

(then i got robbed by Logitech/Sony and had to buy T300 alcantara steering wheel extra , but thats a tale for another time ;-) )

 

[HypoToad]

I have Win10 on an i3 3220, 8gb ram, HD 7770 video card which is rated at twice the speed of the GT 650M and doing the benchmark I get an average of 45fps on 1080P and a few settings lowered.

 

[manu68]

Thanks for all the comments.

To answer you questions:
I have used nvidia inspector to monitor my GT650M. This is a soft I have alreday installed for other simulation as for exemple Grand prix legends. Sparse grid supersampling provides excellent result with this old sim.

I will try to reinstall the last drivers this week end

I didn't check the options in the bios. (I have never done that, and don't really know what to do


I made some other (short) trials with MSI afterburner yesterday. This is the first time I have used this soft, but I wanted to try to confirm that my GEforce GT650 M is locked at 135 MHz

In Grand prix legends so as Asseto corsa, my GPU clock stays stuck at 135 MHz, which is not normal .
I also tried with Netkar pro, but the information from MSI afterburner are not visible once on the track (??)

With Assetto corsa, here is what I have so far with MSI afterburner into the car on the pits
(First time I have used this soft)

GPU 60°C 100% 135 MHz
MEM 405 MHz 845Mb (memory clock is nornal if I refer to nvidia inspector )
CPU1 71°C
CPU2 71°C
CPU3 73°C
CPU4 73°C (I only monitored 4 CPU...)
CPU 17%
RAM 3228 MB, 4433 MB

In this conditions, it is probably not really a surprise that I have only about 17 Fps with assetto corsa.
I don't intend to have 100 fps, but with the P0-State (Gaming) clock @ 745MHz or boost at 835 MHz, it should be better than with 135 Mhz clock speed.
I suppose.

Once again, thanks for all your comments. it helps me to find the solution.

 

[digital1nk]

Ok i just googled arround and found a post you might find useful, its a different GPU but the problem looks like the same, you might want to give it a try: https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/451416-overclocked-gtx970-issues/#comment-6052686

 

[manu68]

some news.

Today I made many changes with nvidia control panel , power management , ....
All on battery power and not 220V socket.

I also "have played" with CPU-Z, nvidia inspector, MSI afterburner.
No way to unlock the 135 Mhz

This evening I came back home decided to reinstall the driver, but before that I made an update of my antivirus , and I also checked the "Game mode" into Windows 10, which was activated.
I deactivated this mode.

Then I made a 3D test within GPU-Z; and the throttling was working again perfectly from 135 mhz to 835 Mhz (boost mode). when I stop the 3D test, the clock comes back again at 135 Mhz.
Hurrah !!!!!!!!

The "problem" is that ignore why my driver has decided to work again in a normal way.

But it is not finished.
I launched assetto corsa with my last seeting (13366x768, low détails) just to check what happened.
I got this time 91fps, GPU 835 MHz, and memory 2001 MHZ ))
The "small" problem is that my laptop has crashed (shut down) after about 2 minutes because the GPU temperatur has reached >91°C

I should checked that, and look how to set as proprity a lower maximal temperatur.

It is (maybe) on a good way !!!!
Stay tuned !
Emmanuel