Models or sector constructs. Which uses more resources?

[Fragger]

I create models for things you need more than one of, like lamps, pillars, stairs, etc. This helps avoid having to cut the same shape multiple times, and having to align textures. I use ultimate doom builder to export models I create in the map, so they look like sectors, but add no new lines. I wonder if they make a difference performance-wise.
https://i.ibb.co/74dq73n/models.png

[GelleSzebasztian]

I think models are better for performance

[7Soul]

GZdoom seems pretty good at rendering models from my tests. I made a sphere with 1000 faces and the game didn't start to drop frames until I had hundreds of them on screen. You might want to run a similar test if you want exact numbers, using vid_fps to see the framerate

[Caligari87]

They hit performance differently.

The argument against using sector detailing (IMO) is that it adds geometry that has to be processed by the game sim for things like collision and dynamic light linking and BSP traversal. That impacts your single-thread CPU performance, because the level needs to be processed and uploaded to the GPU every frame. In other words, every new sector detail is potentially processing time that could be used for a complex actor's think cycle or something.

With models on the other hand, the model complexity doesn't affect the gamesim (so far as I'm aware). All that matters essentially is whether your GPU can handle the polygons, and any GPU made in the last 15+ years is usually pretty good at that.