Question Variable input lag ?

[Tutuzu]

Lately I've been trying to find the perfect setup for playing games at 30 fps. So far, after weeks of thread-surfing, I have come to the conclusion that the formula for the smoothest 30fps is as follows:
-driver-level 1/2 vsync (in NVPI)
-RTSS external lock at 30 fps
-set maximum pre-rendered frames to 1 to decrease input lag.

The latter is the problem. If I follow all the steps, then I will seemingly achieve what I seek: a stable framerate with a stable frametime. However, should I open the menu or the inventory screen and then close it, then the input lag will change (it will increase, to be precise). It drives me up the wall, because I can't quite figure out what parameters I have to turn on or off or decrease or increase in order to nullify the occurence of the variable IL.

Now, I did find a post on Blur Busters dedicated to the exact same problem (that's where I picked up the name of it from, anyway), but there didn't seem to be a solution to it. People just pondered and shared whatever tests they'd conducted in various games.

Thanks in advance to whomever answers

Edit 1:
System specs are: Intel Core i5-12500 3.00 GHz ; Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 ti ; 2 x 8gb Kingston 3200mhz ; MSI PRO H610M-E DDR4.
OS: Win10 Lite 22h2

 

[Ralston18]

Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information,

What are the current stable framerates/frametimes?

This:

"should I open the menu or the inventory screen and then close it, then the input lag will change...".

After you make changes are you certain that that changes are being saved via some "SAVE" , "OK", or "YES" option being clicked?

Could be off screen and you must scroll to find the option.

 

[Tutuzu]

Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS information,

What are the current stable framerates/frametimes?

This:

"should I open the menu or the inventory screen and then close it, then the input lag will change...".

After you make changes are you certain that that changes are being saved via some "SAVE" , "OK", or "YES" option being clicked?

Could be off screen and you must scroll to find the option.

Like you asked, I updated the post. As for the framerates/frametimes : according to MSI afterburner, both seem to be stable at 30 and 33.3 respectively. That is with 1/2 refresh rate set in NVPI, max pre-rendered frames at 1 and FPS locked at 30 with RivaTuner. I'm testing everything in CP2077. Now, after the very loading, everything seems to be fine at first. The input lag is more than acceptable and everything feels smooth. The seemingly irreversible change happens after frametime dips whenever I open-close the inventory or apply whatever changes in the graphics options (I'm sure that any other reason for both the FPS dip and the frametime dip would result in the same outcome, it's just that I haven't found these reasons). I know, that I had just written that my frametime is stable and now I'm suddenly writing about dips. I'll stress that these dips occur not during the first-person gameplay itself, but only when I interact with menus of the game. I don't necessarily have to click any options - just opening the Map, and then switching from that layout to, let's say, Journal, is enough for the input lag to rise.

 

[Ralston18]

Make and model PSU? Wattage, age, condition (original to build, new, refurbished, used)?

Disk drive(s): make, model, capacity, how full?

= = = =

Referencing:

"(I'm sure that any other reason for both the FPS dip and the frametime dip would result in the same outcome, it's just that I haven't found these reasons)."

Try to discover the reason for the dips by using Task Manager, Resource Monitor, and Process Explorer (Microsoft, free).

Use all three tools but only one tool at a time.

Open the tool window and drag to one side or even to second monitor.

Then make the changes/do the things that cause the dips while observing the tool.

Watch what resources are being used, to what extent (%), and what is using any given resource.

Look for changes that occur just before or at the time of the dips. May take some trial and error to get a method into place but there is no rush. If the dips occur when some given resource spikes to a higher % then you can investigate further.

Process Explorer:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

 

[Tutuzu]

Alright, will do. Thank you for the answer. The testing will take a few days, though. Maybe even a week, with the schedule I have.