Random Freezes/Lag

[chipmunklover0405]

So I just got to say that GZDoom V4.4.2 has fixed alot and I do mean alot of FPS issues in certain circumstances I was having when using GZDoom V1.8.2 (in the past) and then Zandronum 3.0 (also now in the past since converting to GZDoom V4.4.2). I was using OpenGL back then which I guess just wasn't good enough because I had alot and I do mean alot of FPS issues in GZDoom V1.8.2 and Zandronum 3.0. Especially with lots of explosions, lots of fire, lots of blood and guts, big maps, and lots of demons. Well now since converting over to GZDoom V4.4.2 using Vulkan I still have occasional issues with lots of explosions, lots of fire, blood and guts have improved with occasional issues with lots, big maps vary, lots of demons. I mean I'm just saying I have seen big improvements in most of all that with Vulkan then I did OpenGL, but there's still a few hiccups. I did notice someone else mention occasional screen freezes or lag with Vulkan which I to am experiencing like when you first start the game you may see a huge random drop in FPS then it goes back to normal then a few minute later it does it again then after that it seems like it fades away. I'm assuming it's loading textures or it's a bug when using Vulkan, but it is annoying when it does it. It does it every time I go out of GZDoom 4.4.2 and go back in even when loading a game it will do it or start a new game. Anyway I can deal with the FPS drops on the other stuff, but the sudden drops like freezes or lag needs to be addressed. Anyway if it helps I'm posting my system specs here so you know what I'm working with and what I'm dealing with. Hopefully some of these issues can be address in future version? O and I'm just using standard Brutal Doom V21 nothing else.

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate SP1
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-970A-D3P (Rev 1.0) (BIOS F5)
Processor: AMD FX 8350 (8 Core) (4000Mhz or 4200Mhz) FD8350FRHKHBX
Memory: HyperX Savage 16GB HX316C9SRK2/16
HDD/SSD: 2X Samsung EVO 860 500GB MZ-76E500B/AM
Video: Gigabyte Radeon RX 580 8GB GV-RX580GAMING-8GD
Sound: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy

[chipmunklover0405]

I have concluded that nothing and I do mean nothing I do is fixing the random freeze/lag when starting a new game or loading a game it happens regardless of me changing the midi device from Fluidsynth to Timidity++ (which was mentioned in someone elses post that might help (it didn't)). I've even tried running a program called Emptystandbylist which clears out your memory with the following commands after it workingsets|modifiedpagelist|standbylist|priority0standbylist (this was my idea). That didn't even help although it did free up the biggest part of my memory when doing it, but still didn't fix the issue. So I'm sad to say I believe it to be a issue in GZDoom V4.4.2 with Vulkan and the reason I say this is someone else reported similar issues in another post which is similar to what I'm having. Basically I can start a new game and while playing I'll see a random drop in FPS like a freeze/lag for a second then goes back to normal then again it will happen again just a little later then things seem to get better after two freezes/lags and sometimes three and it happens when not even doing anything major. It also does it when loading a game. Something that defiantly needs addressing in a future version of GZDoom.

[Rachael]

First - please try a dev build. Click here and download the topmost x64 file.

[chipmunklover0405]

First - please try a dev build. Click here and download the topmost x64 file.

The random freeze/lag still exists in Dev Build gzdoom-x64-g4.5pre-88-g8306af298.7z. It does it still when starting a new game or loading a game so it's still there. It did it a few seconds after I loaded a game then after a few minutes it did it again. This is while using Vulkan. I haven't tried it with OpenGL, but in the past I had more trouble out of OpenGL then I am with Vulkan as far as FPS goes and I actual prefer to use Vulkan over OpenGL cause I do get much better performance out of it except for this random freeze/lag bug or whatever it is.

[chipmunklover0405]

So just tried GZDoom 4.4.2 with OpenGL and instead of random freezes/lags (drops in FPS) I'm getting random speedups (increases in FPS), but it still causing issues with the game when it does it so with Vulkan random freezes/lags (drops in FPS) and with OpenGL random speedups (increases in FPS) both making it hard to play the game. Basically it's like Vulkan and OpenGL can't stable out for some odd reason there's always gotta be that random drop in FPS or random increase in FPS all while using Vertical Sync. Weird and annoying.

[Rachael]

Moved to Tech Issues, because this is one of those "Works Fine For Me" (tm) issues.

There are three major things that can cause random drops in FPS: Background applications, data retrieval, and the mods in play. All of these can be controlled by you.

Data retrieval is a simple issue - if you have your data on a permanent storage, it may be too slow for GZDoom's needs. Try putting your mods on a flash stick or some other solid state device and see if it improves performance. If not, and the mod is small enough, you can create a ramdisk (easily done with a tool like imdisk) and load your mods into a drive that is stored in RAM. Keep in mind that RAM drives are volatile and the contents must be saved if you don't want to lose them. (For doing simple things like pre-loading your mods though you should be fine, just wipe or unmount the drive when you're done) This will not help if the mod is compressed with solid-block compression though (like 7zip).

The background applications is another pretty serious and quite underestimated issues that GZDoom can do nothing about. For that, you really have to watch what's taking your system's resources. Things like Discord, Firefox, Chrome, Twitch, any "apps", even if you think they do nothing, they contribute to resource consumption on your system. Even worse - there's also things like viruses, spyware, and other sorts of malware that can contribute to resource usage too - and these will also slow GZDoom down.

Furthermore, another issue that causes frequent slow downs is badly programmed mods. There are numerous gore mods out there (some of which have gotten extremely popular) that choke the CPU extremely quickly on GZDoom due to inefficient use of resources and general messy programming, to the point where even a supercomputer won't be able to handle it. And again - that's not a fault of GZDoom - but of the author who created the mod. I'll note that nowhere in this thread have you listed the mods you have loaded, instead just re-describing the same issue over and over again.

It's easy to throw the blame on GZDoom, but there's too many reasons that the problem could be on your end, as well.

As I said - it works fine for me - and it works fine for most people. The problem is clearly your setup. You will have to try and find whatever is causing a bottle necking in your system, and clear it. Make sure you don't have any malware and that you aren't running anything in the background, and try running with less (if even any) mods.

[chipmunklover0405]

Moved to Tech Issues, because this is one of those "Works Fine For Me" (tm) issues.

There are three major things that can cause random drops in FPS: Background applications, data retrieval, and the mods in play. All of these can be controlled by you.

Data retrieval is a simple issue - if you have your data on a permanent storage, it may be too slow for GZDoom's needs. Try putting your mods on a flash stick or some other solid state device and see if it improves performance. If not, and the mod is small enough, you can create a ramdisk (easily done with a tool like imdisk) and load your mods into a drive that is stored in RAM. Keep in mind that RAM drives are volatile and the contents must be saved if you don't want to lose them. (For doing simple things like pre-loading your mods though you should be fine, just wipe or unmount the drive when you're done) This will not help if the mod is compressed with solid-block compression though (like 7zip).

The background applications is another pretty serious and quite underestimated issues that GZDoom can do nothing about. For that, you really have to watch what's taking your system's resources. Things like Discord, Firefox, Chrome, Twitch, any "apps", even if you think they do nothing, they contribute to resource consumption on your system. Even worse - there's also things like viruses, spyware, and other sorts of malware that can contribute to resource usage too - and these will also slow GZDoom down.

Furthermore, another issue that causes frequent slow downs is badly programmed mods. There are numerous gore mods out there (some of which have gotten extremely popular) that choke the CPU extremely quickly on GZDoom due to inefficient use of resources and general messy programming, to the point where even a supercomputer won't be able to handle it. And again - that's not a fault of GZDoom - but of the author who created the mod. I'll note that nowhere in this thread have you listed the mods you have loaded, instead just re-describing the same issue over and over again.

It's easy to throw the blame on GZDoom, but there's too many reasons that the problem could be on your end, as well.

As I said - it works fine for me - and it works fine for most people. The problem is clearly your setup. You will have to try and find whatever is causing a bottle necking in your system, and clear it. Make sure you don't have any malware and that you aren't running anything in the background, and try running with less (if even any) mods.

I'm not going to worry about the random/freeze much anymore cause it just happens two or three times after starting a new game or loading a game then it seems to fade away into the darkness until I either start a new game or load a game. Also noting that it's only two to three times per session of running GZDoom 4.4.2 basically if I start a new game or load a game I will see it happen two or three times and it never comes back unless I exit GZDoom 4.4.2 and go back in and start a new game or load a game and then it happens again. Basically it's only two to three times per session of being in GZDoom 4.4.2, but doesn't come back until I exit and go back in GZDoom 4.4.2. Only mods I'm running is Brutal Doom V21, SGTMarkIV's Friend Mod, and Brutal Doom Patch V3.2 or V32 for health regeneration and that's all because my plan standard health regeneration mod would not work with GZDoom V4.4.2 so I had to use Brutal Doom Patch V3.2 or V32 to for that. There was another guy who posted something about freezes/lag under the GZDoom V4.4.2 forum that sounded similar to what I am having of course I didn't check the CPU usage like he was when he posted what he posted. I really don't know what's going on, but I've had issues out of GZDoom V1.8.2 in the past, Zandronum V3.0, and now GZDoom V4.4.2. So it's all questionable, but as long as it's not constant and only happens two to three times per using GZDoom V4.4.2 then I'm okay with it I guess. It only happens when using Vulkan the random freeze/lag and with OpenGL random speed increases. I really don't know, but I have really done all I can on my end without sinking alot of money into it.