That is less than half the cards power while driving and it is causing noticeable stuttering. Before I got the gtx 980 I had the same issue on my 5970, so this happens on both nvidia and amd cards.
There really isn't any excuse for this problem. You people at ubisoft need to fix this. This problem was reported months ago, by myself in fact when I was using a 5970, and I'm very happy to see that ubisoft has done absolutely nothing to fix the problem. Good job?
Anyway
i7-2600k 4.5ghz
8GB DDR3 2133
gtx 980
windows 7 64bit
They should make a statement saying they can or cannot fix the issue. It is obvious the games engine is dropping gpu utilization down to 40-50% for some reason when driving and sometimes while running around. Both AMD and NVIDIA have this problem.
I would very much like to hear what ubisofts excuse is regarding this, because if they can't fix the problem they should be openly offering refunds for a broken product.
Sorry to hear that you're having these issues. If you have not done so, please be sure to submit your dxdiag and msinfo to Support directly. You may do so here: https://support.ubi.com. Please try checking for any background programs that may be running or utilizing the gpu. You may also want to try lowering the in-game settings to see if it helps relieve the strain.
Let me start off by saying that I already sent them a report and somebody sent my report to the developers (I hope, that's what they said at any rate).Originally Posted by Volfbane Go to original post
Next I will say that I am a custom systems builder and my technical level is quite high, but I have to stop you and make you aware that what you're suggesting does not actually fix the problem at all. Lowering the settings is not a fix to this issue. I get 90 framerate on ultra in watch dogs on my system when the gpu utilization stays at 99%. When it drops to 50% its around 40 or 50. I was live streaming the game so I shaved off another 10 frames, so it went even lower and then I was able to feel the microstuttering while playing when it happens.
Even if I wasn't streaming and I lowered the settings to high and got over 100 framerate, the issue is still present in the game. When driving or sometimes randomly when running and doing sharp movements the gpu utilization will drop to 50% and in some cases even lower than that. If you play on medium or high and have a strong computer you will not notice any microstuttering but that doesn't change the fact that the gpu is still skydiving down to 40-50% which is still a huge problem even if you don't notice that anything is wrong. It's still unacceptable optimization.
I guess my point is this, by telling me to lower my settings, that is not an acceptable fix to this issue because this issue of GPU utilization skydiving is still very much present on any setting, even low. You just don't notice it if your framerate is that high.
If the gpu utilization remained at 99-98% like it should, nobody would have to relieve any "strain" in the first place.
My live stream, just for the hell of promoting myself like the scumbag that I am any chance that I get: http://www.twitch.tv/shelledfade
Another 256-bit gpu user.
First of all game requires more than 4gb of vram. So there 100% WILL be stuttering and gpu usage drops at these points with gpus which have less than 6gb of vram.
But, it will stutter on any gpu we have right now. Read my other topic (to the end) http://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php...ault-after-all
You know, when a consumer purchase a PC product he or she will most likely look up the system requirements. When both the manufacturer of the system's GPU aswell as the producers of the product tells you that your machine can run the game on ultra settings, is it then right to blame the user? You are seriously pointing your fingers at us who are reading the official documents on a product we purchased and then tells us that it is our fault for not understanding? Are you one of those who thinks it's OK to let developers like Ubisoft act like this with their PC ports just so they can get away with shoddy optimizations in the future? And let say it's Nvidia's fault and that this whole thing with Vram you are mentioning is correct; the official requirements, the in-game settings and Nvidia themselves are telling me that 3GB is enough for ultra textures. Here's Nvidia's official statement:Originally Posted by Akreontage Go to original post
http://www.geforce.co.uk/whats-new/g...guide#texturesThe caveat (textures) is that you'll require a GPU with 3GB of VRAM to play with maximum-detail textures enabled, without encountering stutters. On cards with less than 3GB of VRAM, previously used textures will be removed frequently from memory to make way for those visible on the path ahead. This can result in hitching, stuttering, and even temporary pauses if other system-related bottlenecks are encountered during the process. To minimize the potential consequences of using less than 3GB of VRAM, we recommend that you load the game onto a SSD and refrain from using MSAA and TXAA hardware anti-aliasing modes, which consume VRAM, reducing the amount available for textures.
I am not trying to be rude or anything, but it's very frustrating when I have people on one side telling me this and that, and on the other side the quite opposite. If they knew about slower memory speed on different memory blocks don't you think they would counter it? Or at least tell us that in the system requirements?
I have logged that the settings I use for the game, which is Ultra at 1920x1080p with temporal SMAA the game uses around 3.3-3.5GB of VRAM. The funny thing is that if I play in borderless window mode I can pretty much completely eliminate stutters. So why is that?
1. Don't be so naive. System requirements? They are false. Yeah, deal with it. They lied to you. I don't know who is in charge, ubi or hardware manufacturers or whoever writes system requirements. But they lied to you. BECAUSE (It's fact) game can use up to 4.8gb of Vram (a little bit less when using lower aa, but still more than 3gb). Just launch Msi afterburner, and see for yourself.
If you were Nvidia and had to write System Requirements what would you do? Write that "mid-range 3gb gpus can run this super-duper hyped game @ ultra settings" and increase hardware sales and game sales, or you'd tell others that "WD uses 4.8 gb @ maximum settings, but since there is no single gpu that can properly utilize more than 3gb of vram, you'll get stutters on any possible config"? What would you do as businessman?
System requirements are bullcrap. Basta.
2. I have some friends who are willing to buy/already bought these new 6gb gpus. One of them gave me Titan to try it out (mentioned it earlier). I still have it right now btw. When they first came out I was suspicious about them and told my friends not to buy those gpus. Or at least wait for the reviews/real people feedback. They didn't listen to me and now they suffer in newer/latest games from stutters whenever vram usage hits 3gb. I really tried and still try to spread my word. But no one listens. Hardware manufacturers know how to sell their useless stuff I guess... So yeah, I pretty much do point my fingers at "you" who are reading the official documents on a product "you" purchased and then I tell "you" that it is "your" fault for not understanding how business works. I do that not because I am so evil or because I am glad that they tricked you with false system requirements, and hyped useless hardware. But I feel disappointed when so many people can be tricked so easily.
3. Do I think "it's OK to let developers like Ubisoft, Nvidia, etc. act like this"? Hell no. I implores "you" to STOP support developers over and over AND OVER AND OVER again with your money. I bet "you've" ordered all the future Ubisoft games like Far cry 4, Unity, etc. I bet "you'll" buy gtx 980, 1080, 1180. And "you'll" get same results, and "you'll" blame on everybody that games don't run very well, and "you'll" still support them with "your" money. Why the hell do they need to change anything if everybody buys their crap? AS for me... I made my choice. I don't buy ubisoft games even when steam sale happens. That's my voice. And you can do the same, or blame me that I offended your feelings. The choice is yours.
4. Remember that when running in borderless windows, you use windows aero's syncing. If you want to use vsync when running in fullscreen, I can explain to you how you can do it properly. Game's vsync is pretty much broken.
P.S. If you think Watch Dogs made by Ubisoft has bad optimization, then try Ghost Recon Future Soldier made by Ubisoft. I guarantee you'll hysterically laugh when you'll see it.![]()
Well first of I would mention that in order to play the game with ultra textures it requires 6GB of VRAM, but for the rest "high" is recommended. And yes I've used MSI afterburner, and with 1920x1080p fullscreen, ultra with temporal SMAA the game uses 3300-3500MB of video memory, Secondly, calm down. I did not try to offend you in anyway and it's clear to me that you got offended. I was just asking you questions. Maybe I was a bit blunt and I apologies if I were. Listen, you can think whatever you want of me, but saying that I get tricked into bying new GPU's just because of this and that I've already ordered all other Ubisoft games is just false. Truth to betold this is my first proper PC game from Ubisoft, aswell as my PC, and I bought this PC not because of Ubisoft, but because I want to explore PC's, and yes, I would like you to explain to me how to get proper Vsync in fullscreen.
Just to conclude, where I live I am used to get what I am ordering, or that a manual for a product I bought tells me the truth. I am well aware of marketing tools, aswell as misleading marketing, but I have never seen this one were I am pretty much getting lied to in my face.
Turn off vsync in game and apply fullscreen.
Download nvidia Inspector. Find Watch Dogs, and set frame rate limiter to 60 fps. Force on vertical sync, set tear control to standard (make sure to use standard every time you use frame rate limiter). Set maximum pre-rendered frames to 1. That would be good for most games with broken vsync, but sadly you won't be able to maintain 60fps all the time ALSO you will find that map is suffering from stutters. That's because it actually is console port and it was intended to play @ 30 fps by default no matter what they say. So the "most popper" way to play this game is to set frame rate limiter to 30, and change vsync to 1/2 refresh rate (while still using Standard tear control). Why is that the most propper way? Check the map... it has stopped stuttering.This bug they left in map menu is the one way to say if it's console port or not.
The other way to identify if it's port or not is to apply this solution in games which have stutters in cut scenes. For example Batman Arkham City. No matter what you do your cut scenes will lag until you use 30hz refresh rate+cap fps @ 30. That is pretty much irrelevant information, just sharing my observations. )
Tested on single gtx 980 with most recent patch. The problem of poor gpu utilization was improved a little but still is a problem. Gpu utilization still drops consistently down to 60-70%, it averages somewhere around 72% utilization when driving in the downtown city area. Still nowhere near where it needs to be (consistent at 98-99%)
GPU utilization drops when running as well, when doing sharp turns while running I saw gpu utilization drop down to 70% consistently while on foot.
They improved it slightly but whatever this problem is that drops gpu utilization still very much exists and was not fixed.
Specs:
i7-2600k 4.5ghz
gtx 980 oc 1500/3800 / 344.48
windows 7 64bit
8gb ddr3 2133
in-game settings:
1920x1080
temporal smaa
no DoF
no Motion Blur
buffered frames 1
widescreen letterbox off
The rest of the settings are on ultra/maxed.
Well I agree, that's 100% a ubi optimization problem, even THEY DO RECOGNIZE it, well since the 20th of june, which was like 5 months ago !
http://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php...ated-20th-June
So I don't know where Akreontage had his "revelations" but not in my world.
I use 2 MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4Gb with i5 3570k @4ghz, 16 Gb Ram
Have MSI afterburner and video memory used is around 3Gb-3,5Gb, and my cards do have 4Gb. So no saturated VRAM
In addition : What map stuttering ? I've never seen map stuttering. Just retried it right now and that's actually the only part of the game (with menus) that have no stuttering at all.
Furthermore, explain how come when I put everything in low, including textures, the same problem happens : GPUs (or GPU since I tried without SLI) are still used around 40-50% at times and FPS drops.