CPU Bottleneck? -- Intel i7-3930k with Nvidia GTX 770

[Eggz]

I know what you're thinking, "What a newb!" But seriously, I suspect a CPU bottleneck here.

Playing Borderlands 2, I see 2 of my 12 logical processors completely maxed out, and the rest just sit. I also get frame drops to unplayable fps - sometimes less than 10 - during certain ridiculous battles.

[For my fellow BL2 geeks, it happens in 4-player co-op at OP8, in large, outdoor maps, when things are getting crazy (i.e. raid boss + more than 20 minions + items all over the floor + blinding PhsyX particles + turrets + phaselock + grenades + unpredictable insanity)].

If the game can't address more than 2 cores, my 4.2 Ghz 3930k is really no different than a new two-core processor running at 4.2 Ghz.

Everything is running max settings, and the game is generally buttery smooth with a constant V-Sync'ed 60 fps (but playing with V-Sync off doesn't fix the issue). It's just during the madness that two of my cores max out, and because the others don't kick in, I think the game creates an artificial CPU bottleneck here. This happens while I'm hosting even when I'm not actually in the battle, but the other three players are (e.g. I respawn to a calm area). Also, my PhysX is dedicated to the GTX 770 (not the CPU), and my internet connection is very fast, so those two possibilities are ruled out ahead of time.

What do you think? I planning to upgrade my video card in about a week to a 780 ti, which might prove my theory wrong, but this really seems like a CPU bottleneck to me. Am I missing something?

 

[Powerbolt]

Most games don't utilize more than two cores to start with. It's got nothing to do with your processor, or the fact you have two cores maxed out; it's that games don't really support over two executing threads/cores. Thus your game must be heavily reliant on the CPU for some odd reason. Try forcing Physx to execute on the GPU, or just turn it off all together.

I hope this puts your mind at ease.

 

[maddogfargo]

Most of the games I play will use anywhere from 3 to 8 cores. But Borderlands 1 and 2 usually don't use more than 2 or 3.

I'm going to 2nd the above idea that this is a PhysX-on-CPU issue. PhysX is a PIG when it is not running on the GPU.

Make sure your GPU has PhysX support enabled and that the game is using the GPU. Otherwise, turn PhysX detail all the way DOWN.

 

[Eggz]

Thus your game must be heavily reliant on the CPU for some odd reason. Try forcing Physx to execute on the GPU, or just turn it off all together.

[Edited OP to reflect your suggestion and my response below]

I forgot to mention that PhysX is already dedicated to the GPU (not CPU), and the PhysX doesn't really seem to effect the processor usage much at all. For instance, if a crazy bottle is going on and I respawn to a clam zone, the CPU usage will still be off the charts even if the graphics for the battle aren't being rendered on my screen at all. So, I don't think it is an issue with PhysX and the CPU. PhysX definitely seems to be GPU-bound, not CPU-bound.

Also, just to rule it out, my internet connection is very fast, so that is not the issue either (Verizon FIOS gives a constant 35 Mbps).

 

[Eduello]

Try turning off V-sync, it's known to cause issues like this.

 

[Eggz]

Try turning off V-sync, it's known to cause issues like this.

Ha, these posts make me wish I would have said these things in my OP. I've tried various combination of settings, including playing with V-Sync on and off. The only time I see a difference is after a few rounds of changing settings, but clearing out the settings folder and reinstalling fixes that.

Anyway, thanks for pointing this out. I'll add it to the OP.

 

[Eduello]

Try turning off V-sync, it's known to cause issues like this.

Ha, these posts make me wish I would have said these things in my OP. I've tried various combination of settings, including playing with V-Sync on and off. The only time I see a difference is after a few rounds of changing settings, but clearing out the settings folder and reinstalling fixes that.

Anyway, thanks for pointing this out. I'll add it to the OP.

Result of a google search: http://steamcommunity.com/app/49520/discussions/0/882962139264254521/ sounds crazy though...

 

[Eggz]

Result of a google search: http://steamcommunity.com/app/49520/discussions/0/882962139264254521/ sounds crazy though...

Holy witchcraft! I need to try this when I get home. Thanks for sharing

 

[Powerbolt]

Take a look at these forum threads here at TH. Your problem seems to be a common one.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/122628-13-usage-borderlands
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1672024/borderlands-low-fps.html

It could be any number of things, but I have a feeling it may just be the game engine's not doing something correctly. If your Physx settings aren't wildly out of control and it's off the CPU, I don't see why you'd be having trouble.

There was one contributor whom stated he had no problems running BL2 with FRAPS running, but had problems without it. A little food for thought. It's certainly not crazy to think that it may just be poor optimization on the developer's part. There are a few games out there that are plagued by such.