Solution to framerate going to nearly 0 after patch on ati hd6000 series GPU's

[jamieswoish]

I'll give you the short short version of how to fix it (took me a couple days to figure out).

Start X3AP from steam
When menu pops up click "graphics settings"
then on the bottom right check both "disable vertex size optimisation" and "use alternative video playback"
Hit OK
start x3ap and she runs flawlessly
for some reason the vertexes are acting all weird since the last patch.

[Alan Phipps]

An interesting and maybe troubling discovery as this is a quote from the X3TC Instruction Manual (page 3):

Troubleshooting
Disable Vertex Size Optimization was a workaround for a specific problem with particular versions of ATI [now AMD] drivers. It can safely be ignored. Use Alternative Video Playback is a workaround for problems initializing DirectShow with some combinations of audio and video codecs installed. Most people should not need to use it but if you are getting crashes while trying to start the game then try this option.

Perhaps the former issue may possibly have reappeared in recent AMD drivers? [<- Conjecture only.] The latter issue was considered to have no impact on fps but only concern failure to start the game while also being directly related to the DirectX and codecs installed on the system.

I cannot see how a Steam game update would have impacted on these issues either - I am wondering whether something else is in play (maybe a Steam repair) and the option changes are just coincidence (in which case deselecting them would make no difference).

I would be interested if anyone else sees impacts (good or bad) from these options.

@ jamieswoish: Do you need both options checked to get the improvement or would just a specific one do the trick? Does game performance drop again if you deselect them? Would you be prepared to post a DxDiag so we can see the DirectX, drivers and codecs involved please?

[jamieswoish]

Sir,

I know they just went to a new version on the ati(amd) drivers as well at nearly the exact same time so this may have a part in the issue as well. I believe it went from 12.4 to 12.6 for catalyst drivers. I just know for this particular card the opening video was giving issues and was fixed by using alternative player and the framerate issue was fixed by checking the box for the Disable Vertex Size Optimization fixed the framerate.

If you deselect the Disable Vertex Size Optimization framerate drops right back down to the 2 to 7 fps range again (even in the main menu screen).

[Alan Phipps]

Thanks for the info and that does look like an old and previously-solved driver issue might have re-emerged from AMD. Would you be prepared to post a DxDiag as I mentioned so we can see why you might be affected by it where almost all others are not? Thanks.