Vsync/FPS issues

**bongpig** · 09-22-2015, 01:17 PM

Im having difficulty getting the game to run without stutters and screen tearing. Im using a laptop with an i7 + 7970m. Im using the 15.8 drivers.

Ive set the game up to run at 1280x720. All settings at their lowest. The steam in-game FPS counter shows a solid 60fps at all times. But the game tears and stutters horribly.

Ive noticed several issues/curiosities:-

- I get severe tearing regardless of vsync being on or off. Tearing is also very apparent even if the game is running at a solid 60fps.

- When the settings are turned up to high, the game drops to 40fps with vsync on, but shoots back up to 60+ when off. This is a bit strange.

- My gaming monitor can handle several refresh rates. I tried setting it to 50hz and turn the in-game framerate to 50fps, but this locks it to 30fps. It seems none of the in-game framerate options ( 25, 29, 30 or 50 ) do anything except lock the rate to 30.

- disabling in-game vsync and enabling it in my driver gives me even worse stutter and tearing.

Basically, I simply cant get the game to run smoothly regardless of any options that I set. Even at the absolute lowest settings there is heavy stutter/tearing, even though the fps counter shows a locked 60.

I checked through the troubleshooting guide and found no issues there.

Anybody have any ideas?

**nebej** · 09-22-2015, 01:40 PM

Could you upload your hpl.log file from Documents\My Games\SOMA\?

**bongpig** · 09-22-2015, 01:42 PM

Sure. Ive attached my log.

**nebej** · 09-22-2015, 01:45 PM

You could try to run the game with Borderless DisplayMode instead of Fullscreen
You will have to set the resolution to the resolution of your monitor for it to cover it all

**bongpig** · 09-22-2015, 01:53 PM

(09-22-2015, 01:45 PM)nebej Wrote: You could try to run the game with Borderless DisplayMode instead of Fullscreen
You will have to set the resolution to the resolution of your monitor for it to cover it all

Ive tried that. Doesnt make a difference. I get the same issues. Thanks for the suggestion though. Smile

**nebej** · 09-22-2015, 01:57 PM

Weird that you get tearing even when running in windowed or borderless mode. Try turning on OpenGL Triple Buffering in the AMD Control Center > Gaming > 3D Application Settings and see if that helps

**bongpig** · 09-22-2015, 02:02 PM

(09-22-2015, 01:57 PM)nebej Wrote: Weird that you get tearing even when running in windowed or borderless mode. Try turning on OpenGL Triple Buffering in the AMD Control Center > Gaming > 3D Application Settings and see if that helps

Im afraid ive tried that too. If anything, it gets worse. Ive fiddled with all the settings both on the driver side and in-game, but the stutter/tearing persists.

The most curious thing is why would enabling vsync drop the framerate so badly? To go from 60fps to 40fps with settings on high is strange. Also worth looking at is why setting the in-game framerate to 50fps on a 50hz display would lock the game to 30. There is certainly something weird happening with vsync on my laptop.

Also worth noting is ive tried the game on 3 different displays. My laptop monitor, a plasma at both 60hz and 50hz and another LCD. all show the same symptoms.

EDIT

Actually, I can say the tearing is reduced in borderless mode. But it still stutters heavily. Even if I face a non-intensive corner of a room with all settings at their lowest, I get stutter - while the fps counter still shows a consistent 60fps.

**nebej** · 09-22-2015, 02:19 PM

Im not sure what it could be. If you get tearing in Windowed mode it sounds like a driver issue
You could try reinstalling the drivers but I dont think that will help

**bongpig** · 09-22-2015, 02:21 PM

(09-22-2015, 02:19 PM)nebej Wrote: Im not sure what it could be. If you get tearing in Windowed mode it sounds like a driver issue
You could try reinstalling the drivers but I dont think that will help

Any chance using the 15.8 beta is the problem? Have you checked this driver? Im only using it right now because MGSV runs considerably better with it.

**nebej** · 09-22-2015, 02:22 PM

Another thing you could test is to edit the _user_settings.cfg file in Documents\My Games\SOMA\Main\
and change <Engine LimitFPS="true".. /> to "false" and turn on Vsync again

(09-22-2015, 02:21 PM)bongpig Wrote:
(09-22-2015, 02:19 PM)nebej Wrote: Im not sure what it could be. If you get tearing in Windowed mode it sounds like a driver issue
You could try reinstalling the drivers but I dont think that will help

Any chance using the 15.8 beta is the problem? Have you checked this driver? Im only using it right now because MGSV runs considerably better with it.

I have not tried the Beta drivers. I run 15.7.1 myself. So it could be an issue with the beta drivers as you say