What exactly is Post Processing and why does it kill my CPU in BFV

[oktavbora]

Ok, so It was really disappointing to get horrible stuttering and fps drops playing BFV till i fiddled around with the graphics settings to find out that the only culprit was post processing being at ultra.

I also have BF1 and I play it smoothly with everything on ultra including post processing at 60 fps at all times.

My question is what exactly does this thing do and will i lose noticeable graphics quality when i lower it to medium or below. With PP turned down to medium, i'm getting 60 fps again.

All the other settings are on ultra and i play at 4k resolution.

specs:

i5 7600k OC'd to 4700 mhz

gtx 1080 ti

16 gb ram

SSD

 

[guanyu210379]

Try reduce it and see if you noticed quality difference.
It is faster just to test and see than to ask here actually ^o^

If you do not like it, just set it back!

 

[richiestang_78]

In a simplified nutshell, the frame after its rendered then has lightning effects applied to it before finally being displayed to you the user. Some games do this well, others do not, and since BFV is new, I'm sure performance improvements are still to come.

 

[photonboy]

CPU?
Seems more like a demanding GPU task, not CPU.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/battlefield-1-pc-performance-guide-how-to-maximize-fps/

"Apart from dropping the resolution scale, there are a few settings that will help slide your system into more playable framerates. Post processing is the most effective single setting in that respect, and its effect on the game isn’t as noticeable as you might think.

The images above show the marginal benefits of a higher post processing setting. You’ll mostly see it in the polishing touches that add to realism. Smoke looks fuller and murkier, and lighting effects appear to extend a bit further into the distance. Little details that aren’t immediately in front of the player also have more depth to them.

Basically, there’s a reason we suggest cutting this setting first. It provided almost a 14 percent increase in framerates by moving from Ultra to Low, and in the heat of battle, you won’t notice the little details as distinctly anyway."

That's not a CPU task. That's a GPU task.

Also, if you wanted to you can drop the RESOLUTION and gain a lot of FPS. Probably the only benefit is reducing jagged edges. If 2560x1440 with AA does that great already then you don't really need 4K resolution.

You can try varying the following:
1) 2560x1440 with full AA support
2) 4K with less AA support
3) 2560x1440 with Resolution Scale of say 50% or whatever sits in between 2560x1440 and 4K and some AA combo.

 

[oktavbora]

CPU?
Seems more like a demanding GPU task, not CPU.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/battlefield-1-pc-performance-guide-how-to-maximize-fps/

"Apart from dropping the resolution scale, there are a few settings that will help slide your system into more playable framerates. Post processing is the most effective single setting in that respect, and its effect on the game isn’t as noticeable as you might think.

The images above show the marginal benefits of a higher post processing setting. You’ll mostly see it in the polishing touches that add to realism. Smoke looks fuller and murkier, and lighting effects appear to extend a bit further into the distance. Little details that aren’t immediately in front of the player also have more depth to them.

Basically, there’s a reason we suggest cutting this setting first. It provided almost a 14 percent increase in framerates by moving from Ultra to Low, and in the heat of battle, you won’t notice the little details as distinctly anyway."

That's not a CPU task. That's a GPU task.

Also, if you wanted to you can drop the RESOLUTION and gain a lot of FPS. Probably the only benefit is reducing jagged edges. If 2560x1440 with AA does that great already then you don't really need 4K resolution.

You can try varying the following:
1) 2560x1440 with full AA support
2) 4K with less AA support
3) 2560x1440 with Resolution Scale of say 50% or whatever sits in between 2560x1440 and 4K and some AA combo.

well i'm getting constant 60 fps with everthing except for post processing on ultra at 4k.

the thing is that when i enable the performance graph with PP on ultra, CPU goes insane and goes spiking all over the place while GPU stays constant. so idk if PP is a gpu thing or not, it's weird

 

[photonboy]

Well, okay let's assume for some reason the CPU was the main issue...

My advice still stands. If you want to keep PP then find some combo of resolution and anti-aliasing that also keeps you mostly locked at 60FPS.

You can also force Adaptive VSYNC which keeps VSYNC ON unless you can't hit 60FPS (60Hz monitor) at which point it auto disables it so you get screen tear instead of added STUTTERING.

NCP-> manage 3d settings-> add game->

So I'd start by doing this:
1) 2560x1440
2) AA off (to start)
3) PP ON
4) Adaptive VSync

If no issues then I'd raise the anti-aliasing until you get issues then drop back. If no obvious jagged edges stay there. If so then maybe raise resolution go between 4K and 2560x1440 via the in-game scaling option. Start with AA on lowest and raise.

Basically you're trying to balance:
1) anti-aliasing (jagged edges) which is affected by resolution and anti-aliasing options (higher res needs less AA)
2) Post Processing benefits
3) Stuttering (VSYNC related?)

Having said that, based on stuff I've read PP may not be worth it. More info:
https://forums.battlefield.com/en-us/discussion/145928/the-ultimate-battlefield-v-alpha-graphics-performance-guide-under-construction-daily-updates

*STUTTERING may or may not be directly caused by having VSYNC ON but not being able to maintain the proper frame rate. It happens to me in a few games like GTA5 and Assassin's Creed Ultra... in both games I forced Adaptive VSYNC and it fixed that issue of stutter when I dropped below 60FPS (on 60Hz monitor).

 

[oktavbora]

Well, okay let's assume for some reason the CPU was the main issue...

My advice still stands. If you want to keep PP then find some combo of resolution and anti-aliasing that also keeps you mostly locked at 60FPS.

You can also force Adaptive VSYNC which keeps VSYNC ON unless you can't hit 60FPS (60Hz monitor) at which point it auto disables it so you get screen tear instead of added STUTTERING.

NCP-> manage 3d settings-> add game->

So I'd start by doing this:
1) 2560x1440
2) AA off (to start)
3) PP ON
4) Adaptive VSync

If no issues then I'd raise the anti-aliasing until you get issues then drop back. If no obvious jagged edges stay there. If so then maybe raise resolution go between 4K and 2560x1440 via the in-game scaling option. Start with AA on lowest and raise.

Basically you're trying to balance:
1) anti-aliasing (jagged edges) which is affected by resolution and anti-aliasing options (higher res needs less AA)
2) Post Processing benefits
3) Stuttering (VSYNC related?)

Having said that, based on stuff I've read PP may not be worth it. More info:
https://forums.battlefield.com/en-us/discussion/145928/the-ultimate-battlefield-v-alpha-graphics-performance-guide-under-construction-daily-updates

*STUTTERING may or may not be directly caused by having VSYNC ON but not being able to maintain the proper frame rate. It happens to me in a few games like GTA5 and Assassin's Creed Ultra... in both games I forced Adaptive VSYNC and it fixed that issue of stutter when I dropped below 60FPS (on 60Hz monitor).

hey man thanks for the replies. it seems like enabling adaptive vsync fixed the stuttering for me (with PP on ultra) but the CPU still goes chainsaw mode. i also get screen tearing every now and then but that's fine i guess. i didn't touch the resolution or AA options. I didnt even see any AA options in the game except for PP AA btw.

 

[oktavbora]

i honestly don't see a difference in quality when PP's on ultra or medium, maybe that's just me

i mean the performance loss in snowy maps is not worth it like the article you linked says.

yea this game has a problem with PP, it may get fixed in future patches because BF1 was not like that at all.

 

[photonboy]

To be clear,
The SCREEN TEARING happens now where the added STUTTER used to.

When VSYNC is ON you get added STUTTER if you can't maintain the target FPS (i.e. 60FPS for 60Hz monitor). So Adaptive VSYNC is simply turning VSYNC OFF to avoid that added stutter but then you get SCREEN TEAR like you always do with VSYNC OFF on a normal monitor... though how obvious the stutter or tear seems varies significantly between games and hardware.

To reduce screen tearing you need to drop the resolution or a setting that will cause the drops below 60FPS to be less.

 

[photonboy]

No AA settings?
Sure there are. It's under "Antialiasing Post-Processing" One of them is "TAA High"

Also, are you using DX12 or DX11?

Apparently DX11 works better?
https://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/battlefield-v-pc-performance-benchmarks,5.html

"So overall you can gain let's say 10% quite easily just by using DX11, which is more stutter free as well."

If using DX12 maybe that's causing the CPU spikes? (which is the opposite of what it is intended to do)