[EastCoast]

I found myself wondering which is more important; max frame rates (min/max/avg) or getting the exact min/max/avg by capping the frame rate at a certain number? Having been a favorite of the former solution I've found myself a tad shocked that the latter is giving me a much more smoother game play experience. Normally for most that using the max frame rate approach isn't an issue. However, when you artificially cap the frame rate to what your min frame rate is capable of I tend to see a smoother result. This is without vsync and triple buffering. Some games allows this without having to use another program. While others may require another program to achieve.

Some PC games are capped at a certain frame rate (be vysnc or otherwise), others use a cap for dual gpu use, while others are doing it because it provides a better results. On the other hand there are those who don't notice any issue at all with max frame rate method. What are other people using? And, does it matter which method you use if it provides the best result?

 

[james8]

cap it slightly higher your monitor's refresh rate.
if 60 Hz, 65 fps
if 75 Hz, 80 fps.

 

[edalbkrad]

i find 80 to 90fps to be the best for poorly designed games like nba 2k12 which is full of bugs.
This ensures that you will still get over 30 fps when the game slows down.

But in well designed games like Dirt 3, you wont even notice a difference between 40fps and 100fps so its better to use vsync and avoid screen tearing.

 

[jellis142]

I don't know about you, but I tend to ignore VSync these days, screen tearing is minimal, if I even notice it in the chaos.

And it's not all about raw framerate. On my 60Hz monitor, removing that cap makes mouse input MUCH more precise and snappy. Next step is a 120Hz monitor...

 

[EoL RiNzleR]

when i was doing benchmarks for CoD black ops on launch (lol i know benching blops pfffft) i noticed when i opened the console and removed the 91fps cap and changed it to unlimited the game felt much smoother and nicer to play fps was around 160-190 and it was smooth as hell

 

[EastCoast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EoL RiNzleR

when i was doing benchmarks for CoD black ops on launch (lol i know benching blops pfffft) i noticed when i opened the console and removed the 91fps cap and changed it to unlimited the game felt much smoother and nicer to play fps was around 160-190 and it was smooth as hell

Have you tried capping it at a higher frame rate like 100 or 120? I'm curious to know if that makes a difference or not.

 

[fluxlite]

All engines are different - that's the problem.

Limiting FPS is nothing to do with vsync - they are totally different things. Vsync is a hardware thing which involves the graphics card waiting until the monitor can draw another refresh. Limiting FPS just limits FPS closer to the monitor refresh rate.

A lot of engines kinda artificially limit FPS, too. And none of them can maintain a perfect framerate.

I run most games at absolute max fps, because in a lot of online fps it is better (for example, counter strike recoil animations are frame based, and finish faster with higher fps)

 

[EastCoast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jellis142

I don't know about you, but I tend to ignore VSync these days, screen tearing is minimal, if I even notice it in the chaos.
And it's not all about raw framerate. On my 60Hz monitor, removing that cap makes mouse input MUCH more precise and snappy. Next step is a 120Hz monitor...

I've stopped using vsync a long time ago. Ever since I've been putting a cap on frame rates I've notice an improvement. I'm beginning to wonder if using a max frame rate is worth what you see in benchmark results when the same, or better, overall game play experience can be achieved finding a frame rate that works best for me.

Edit:
For example, I've found that I can resolve any stuttering or lag issues by finding a good frame rate to cap for that particular game. Although this is not something I have issue with often. Other times I find that I have to remove vysnc from some games and increase the cap.