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Monitor delay vs microstutter/frame rate issues - How to tell the difference?


blackvulcan3

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As the title says, I'm interested in learning the difference in what I am seeing, how to diagnose this issue correctly.

 

I have a decent system, i5 11400, nVME, 32GB DDR4 ram, 1080ti 11GB running on an older 4k monitor Philips BDM4350 60hz 5ms refresh monitor with 2 other 1080p monitors for BG and Full screen DMD.

 

I built the cab in 2016 and this is essentially the 3rd upgrade. When I first started my 770 in FHD would create microstutter on some tables this appeared to be a horsepower issue as I would get frame rate dips. After moving to a GTX 970 this went away for a while with more demanding tables and pinup videos etc it seemed to return, especially in 4k. 

 

On my new system I never get frame rate drops, in fact its locked to 60 on all tables, pup packs are a breeze and smooth as silk. The tables play very well but I do get some issues especially when the ball moving quickly or slow from left to right and down, or right to left and down on the playfield.  It looks sort of like ball stutter, but it isn't, there is no impact on timing and as I said, there is no delay on frame rate.  It only seems to happen when the ball is moving both horizontally and vertically on the playfield and on open parts of the playfield where it is noticeable. My monitor refresh at 4k over DP is 60hz vertically, but 135hz horizontally.  As the ball moves across both axes, is this what I am seeing, a differences in the refresh rates?

 

I have monitor refresh synced in VPX.

 

Are there any experts in this who can help me understand the difference (or if what I said even makes sense). I don't want to spend too much time on a solution that isn't there, if it is the monitor. 

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With the PC components you have , you sholdn't have any stuttering or any issues with framerate.  What I would say is to turn on vsync in your system (or gsync if your monitor supports it) 

 

I have a rtx3090 and if i allow it to just go wild you get all kinds of screen issues.  and im using a 165hz monitor. I find that pinball isn't like a first person shooter where the faster the framerate the better the playing experience.  Running tables at 190fps messes with the physics engine and ideally you want to run the game at the framerate the author designed it to run at. When vsync or gsync isn't a option, I limit my frame rate to 90fps. 

 

Also make sure you set your monitors to display for desktop applications and not automatic or playing videos.  Windows will change some monitor settings depending on what its displaying which can lead to stuttering and artifacts. So its easier just to set it for desktop applications. 

 

In your nvidia control panel go to manage 3d settings.  Scroll down and change these  two settings if they aren't already changed.Capture.PNG.3d13986b1e96cb068275b78ebffae535.PNG

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thanks so much @jtravapd that has definitely helped. What I did notice is that these settings had all changed from last time I tinkered (I know because I had low latency set to Ultra and this was off). I have set these as per your advice and also Vsync to on. I had to set to something else.

 

Maverick was my worst affected table because of the slow movement, after making changes I saw the issue only once & that was only ever so slightly with one ball during multiball so I can live with that. I just tried GB LE and it seems to be without issue.

 

I must admit I wasnt sure what you meant by this though "Also make sure you set your monitors to display for desktop applications and not automatic or playing videos.  Windows will change some monitor settings depending on what its displaying which can lead to stuttering and artifacts. So its easier just to set it for desktop applications."

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In windows 10 there is a display setting for your installed apps that is for when hooked up to a tv and not a monitor. Almost all newer tv's , like last 8 years or so when a tv detects a pc signal the tv will change to pc mode, every company calls it something different. Usually this tv mode, lowers latency at the expense of visual quality. So built into windows 10 is a option that you can set , so the pc sends whichever signal you prefer. This was big when people were buying media center pc's for their living room. So you would set your windows media player, vlc player, itunes etc to run for video quality and this would keep the tv from switching to game mode, or whatever mode they call it. 

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