Forum Discussion

wtthyme's avatar
wtthyme
Seasoned Newcomer
2 months ago

Frame Stuttering?

I've been having issues with the framerate stuttering pretty consistently. I have the same issues with low graphics settings as I do on high. I've had no issues with other games with similar PC requirements like Baldur's Gate 3, even on high settings. I'm not sure if it's relevent, but I will note that my laptop doesn't heat up much when I play the game, and according to the game, my VRAM usage is only at about 40-60%.

I'm not sure if they're related, but when I initially downloaded the game, I wasn't able to open it because of the following error.

In order to play the game, I had to disable my Intel UHD Graphics from the Device Manager, but when I opened the game, I found that I was having the issues with the frame rate that I mentioned previously. I will note that normally have my refresh rate set to 144hz, but doing so has locked it to 60hz, though I'm not sure if it makes a difference.

I have an HP Victus Gaming Laptop with an i7 Intel Core, a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, and 32GB of RAM.

I've been really excited to play this game for a while, so I'd like to be able to play it at a decent frame rate, and experience the game as it was meant to be played. If anyone has a solution to this that'd be greatly appreciated!

  • After more troubleshooting and getting a bit of help from an AI assistant (more help than the EA support) I got to the following possible causes of the stuttering: 

    1. Game-Specific Memory or VRAM Management Issue: It’s likely the game isn’t fully releasing memory or VRAM when closed, so restarting it leaves insufficient resources, causing stutters and frame drops.
    2. Shader Cache or Temporary File Issue: If the game uses a shader cache or temporary files that aren’t fully cleared upon exit, this could lead to degraded performance on subsequent launches.
    3. Driver/Game Compatibility Issue: There may be a driver-related compatibility issue specific to this game, which could worsen with repeated launches if certain resources aren’t managed correctly by the driver.

    It would be great if someone of the developer team could look at this please!

  • After some testing it seems that after re-starting the PC it is possible to run the game smoothly for one session until I close it. If I start the game a second time after that, the stuttering appears again.

    Might this be some caching issue?

    (Specs i9 9900K, RTX 3090, 32GB RAM, SSD)

  • wexxam's avatar
    wexxam
    Rising Hotshot

    I'm not sure if mod discussion is allowed here but there is one that seems to be helping some people on nexus mods. (If this is not allowed please delete my comment.)

    • StuStuie's avatar
      StuStuie
      New Vanguard

      Yeah, I downloaded the top mod as well, which is supposed to help. Now, all the cinematic shots no longer stutter, but in the gameplay mode, where we are running through Arlathan forest and/or Dock Town, it gets really bad. I posted a new topic post showing my computer specs because I am pretty sure it's a computer beast. I have never had issues like this with any games. It's so weird. I hope they fix it. In truth, we shouldn't need a mod to fix stuttering/lag or dropping frame rates, but I am thankful it's an option. 

      • wexxam's avatar
        wexxam
        Rising Hotshot

        Hopefully they officially fix this, we can always use more performance improvements. I actually cannot wait for the first patch.

  • I'm glad you've mentioned about restarting. I only notice issues when I restart the game. The first play session of the day is usually fine. But if I close the game and reopen it, I'll get stutters, and eventually crash (usually after an hour or 2). I'm on a 4090 btw, with a 9800x3d, so it's not related to poor hardware.

    • StuStuie's avatar
      StuStuie
      New Vanguard

      I am so glad you said this because I was reviewing my hardware and thought maybe I needed to upgrade. I don't know much about this stuff, but my sister does, and she said inapplicably NO! But I was still unsure. After seeing the forums and specs from other people with the same issue, I hope a patch update can fix this glitch for the community. 

      • pictureamoebae's avatar
        pictureamoebae
        New Rookie

        I've seen quite a few people with a 4090 having the issue, it seems to affect any hardware, so definitely don't upgrade for this reason! We're all suffering, hopefully there will be a patch or new driver that addresses it. idk if BioWare is going to be aware of it, do issues in this new forum get shown to them?

        Here's a link to a much longer thread about the issue btw: https://forums.ea.com/discussions/dragon-age-the-veilguard-tech-issues-en/directx-error/5003098

  • I am having major stutter/lag performance issues myself. Now I have fixed it enough that the lag/stuttering now only happens in certain areas versus every setting. Specially Arlathan and Dock Town is horrendous but I haven’t played in Dock Town because after following Neve for 2 minutes and seeing the stutters it’s just not payable in my opinion. 

    I also have never experienced problems with any games before either.

    That said, I’m going to try your computer “restart” option and see if that works. For the shader cache, is there a way for us to clear that?

    Thanks

  • Update: What seems to have helped in my case was increasing the shader cache limit in the GPU control panel (Geforce in my case) to 100GB, suggested by a fellow gamer on steam. Needs a bit of further testing but looked good the first couple of times so far.

    • thegeneralben's avatar
      thegeneralben
      Rising Novice

      Minor setback: The frame drops and stuttering are back when the PC goes to sleep and wakes up again...

      My last suggestion what might cause this is a VRAM and RAM Reinitialization Issue. 

      I will try hibernation instead of sleep the next session. 

      Otherwise not letting the PC sleep at all or restarting is my only solution (in tandem with the shader cache limit)

      The first patch has already been announced if I am not mistaken. Hopefully EA / Bioware will also provide Performance and Stability fixes !!!

  •  FYI for anyone who is interested and has the time to read a very long text - When informing my AI assistant about my findings they answer:

    "The improvement after increasing the Shader Cache Limit suggests the issue likely involves how the game handles shader caching. Here’s the updated diagnosis based on this finding:

    1. Shader Cache Limit: By increasing the cache limit, you’ve allowed more space for the game to store shaders, which prevents it from overwriting cached shaders too frequently or struggling to access needed resources. The stuttering and frame drops likely resulted from the game repeatedly loading shaders that couldn’t stay cached due to the previous, smaller limit.

    2. Game-Specific Resource Management Issue: While shader caching seems to be the main factor, it’s still possible the game isn’t efficiently managing other resources (like VRAM) when launched repeatedly. Increasing the cache limit likely eased this strain by reducing the need to reload shaders.

    3. Driver/Game Optimization: This could still be a minor factor, as some games don’t handle shader caching optimally. Keeping the cache limit high is a good workaround, but future driver or game updates mightfurther improve this.

    Increasing the shader cache limit appears to be the key solution here, so if it’s working, you’re likely set! This will let the game run smoother by minimizing redundant shader loading on each launch." 

    If I tell them about the other possible fix about underclocking/undervolting the CPU they say: 

    "That could actually make sense in certain situations. Undervolting and underclocking the CPU can help if the CPU is experiencing thermal throttling or instability under load, which may cause stutters or frame drops in games. Here’s why it could be effective:

    1. Thermal Throttling Prevention: If the CPU gets too hot, it may throttle its performance to cool down, leading to inconsistent frame rates and stuttering. Undervolting and underclocking reduce heat generation, which can prevent throttling, allowing the CPU to maintain stable performance over time.

    2. Stabilizing Power Delivery: In some cases, the power supply or motherboard VRM (Voltage Regulator Module) may struggle to handle high CPU power demands consistently, especially in demanding games. Lowering the CPU’s voltage and clock speed can reduce these demands, which may improve stability and reduce stuttering.

    3. Reducing Background Interference: A slightly undervolted and underclocked CPU can run more smoothly with lower power and thermal demands, which might prevent brief performance dips due to background tasks or fluctuating CPU utilization.

    This approach wouldn’t directly solve shader caching issues, but it could still reduce overall system strain, leading to a smoother experience. It’s especially helpful if the CPU is pushing its thermal or power limits with the current configuration. If you’re comfortable with undervolting, it could be worth trying to see if it makes a further improvement."

  • EA_Illium's avatar
    EA_Illium
    Icon for Community Manager rankCommunity Manager

    Hey Everyone,  Just wanted to update you that our team has released a new patch 1.0.0 you can find more information here.

    Let us know if this has changed anything for you, Cheers!

    • thegeneralben's avatar
      thegeneralben
      Rising Novice

      Unfortunately the patch did not change anything for me. If the PC goes to sleep or hibernates, the next session stutters again has has framedrops (easy to check since it already happens in the start menu where you see the Lighthouse in the background)

      Still the only workaround is to never let the PC sleep or to re-start the PC for me.

      Please let the devs know, thanks

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