Low FPS issue in ArmA 3

Melons123

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Feb 16, 2017
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Hello everyone

I am getting this rather annoying Low FPS issue for ArmA 3.
I get about 20-30 fps on online servers (mainly life servers) on very low settings. But I also get 20-30 fps when I bump up the settings to ultra. ArmA tends to crash now and then with things like application_hung and such. But what is really confusing is that ArmA only use up an average of 40% of my CPU usage.

If it helps, I can run BF1 on ultra+ settings in either 1920x1080 or 2K resolution and I get 90-120 fps but does use 80-100% of my CPU usage.

If anyone could help me fix this annoying issue with the poor game engine I'd highly appreciate. And please don't suggest to invest in a new CPU like a I5 because I don't have the money :D
 
Solution
As stated, the problem is with Arma3. Just because you force it to use 6 cores, does not mean the thread (draw call thread most likely) is not already maxed out, with no hope of keeping up. Using more cores does not change that one core which is maxed out, and slowing everything down.

The reason the draw distance helps is because it reduces the number of objects that the CPU must keep track up and feed the GPU to render. Graphical quality settings won't help, but things that reduce the number of visible objects will.

Melons123

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***Edit***
Wouldn't let me fit my specs :(
---My Specs---

CPU: AMD FX-6300 @3.5ghz (watercooled between 30-40c)
GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1060-OC 6gb
RAM: 2x 8gb Hyper-X DDR3
PSU: EVGA 650w Gold
MB: Gigabyte GA-78LMT AM3+ ATX
Storage: 1.5tb Toshiba Hard Disk Drive
 

VoDkA29

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Your CPU isnt very good, while Arma 3 is very CPU intensive. To get better performance you're gonna have to upgrade that CPU. Btw the FX series was a pretty big letdown, as in they weren't very good.
 

ARICH5

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before you jump all over his cpu he says he gets 120fps in ultra in bf1.

 

Legitgamer1261

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pretty obvious youve never played arma 3

Arma 3 is very un optimized so in the launcher you want to launch with parameters to use all cores/threads/more ram and such. It was never optimized from 3 years ago and its engine just barely got 64bit support a few months ago. Lower your render distance to something like 1600 and shadows can be at 50 because I dont find them really important at range. Lower PIP quality and such
 

Melons123

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I've have tried everything to optimise ArmA from all of the parameters to the RTD's. And like I said, the is literally no point in turning down the graphics quality as I've actually proved I get a better performance out of having the graphics set to ultra and not turning everything down. I've been playing the ArmA series for a good 3 years by now and I've just had the same type of problem for ArmA 3 with my old setup, compared to this setup, was a potato. And obviously I have turned V-sync off. And a lot of people criticise the FX series for AMD, but like I said I run BF1 in ultra settings with 90-120 fps I can even run it in 2K resolution for the cost of a decrease in fps. So in reality my CPU is great. But like I said ArmA 3 does not use all 6 cores even though I have set the parameters for it to do so. It uses about 40% which is about 4 cores. BF1 uses 80-100% of all 6 cores...
 

Carnaxus

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ArmA 3 is FAR FAR FAR more CPU-intensive than BF1. A3's worlds are insanely bigger than BF1's, with insanely more going on at any given moment unless you're running on an empty mission (aka just you and maybe a tank or two). Comparing your performance in BF1 and A3 is like comparing the performance of a Ferrari on a track to the performance of that same Ferrari on an old logging road.
 

Melons123

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Like I said BF1 uses more of the CPU than ArmA does which I'm guessing this is the problem. I have set the launch parameters on arma 3 to use all 6 cores!
 

Melons123

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what do you think it is? I've set the launch parameters to all 6 cores, I've set it to use half of my RAM and to use 5gb of my VRAM and im still using 40% of CPU processing power. I've reinstalled the game to see if it fixed it and its not done anything.

*NOTE*
I looked into the Arma 3 CFG file in my documents. And its detecting my old AMD 6600k APU... I've Completely wiped the drivers but its still stating as the detected GPU "AMD-6600k APU". Which was utter trash.
 

Melons123

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I used DDU. Both for my CPU and GPU. and I did edit the config file but still, no progress.
 

Carnaxus

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That's really weird. When you upgraded from the old APU system, did you reinstall Windows or did you just stick the old HDD in and go? If you didn't reinstall, back up your game data and anything else you don't want to lose, and reinstall Windows from scratch.
 

Melons123

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Feb 16, 2017
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I took out the APU, motherboard, my 750TI and all the jaz, put in the new ATX AM3+ motherboard the new FX-6300 CPU and my 1060. Any other game runs beautiful.

I've discovered today that if I whack the Render Distance and Shadow Distance up on ArmA3 I get 30-40fps I even touch 55-60 for a bit, but its still only using 40% usage. Sooo I guess I'll leave the reinstalling my OS out of the picture as its only one game and not the majority of all games I own.
 
As stated, the problem is with Arma3. Just because you force it to use 6 cores, does not mean the thread (draw call thread most likely) is not already maxed out, with no hope of keeping up. Using more cores does not change that one core which is maxed out, and slowing everything down.

The reason the draw distance helps is because it reduces the number of objects that the CPU must keep track up and feed the GPU to render. Graphical quality settings won't help, but things that reduce the number of visible objects will.
 
Solution

Carnaxus

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Apr 18, 2017
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If you ever want to fully fix the issue, you'll have to do an OS reinstall; phantom drivers and devices can cause other issues, so the sooner you do that the better off you'll be in the long run.