Permanent FPS drop after hovering over quick menu icon - Devs aware.

[predator_red]

I'm encountering FPS drops when opening UI screens like the map: while having about 60 fps without any UI screen open it drops down to below 30 fps (usually around 24). As soon as I close the screen my fps increase back to normal. I understand that there are some inevitable drops when opening the map, however my main issue is that even if I only hover my mouse over the little triangle-like icon on top of the screen (Quick Menu) the fps also tank to below 30 and won't go back to 60 until I open and close another screen. Unfotunately, while fighting, I rather often "hit" this icon with my mouse.

Doesn't depend on the save or on modded/unmodded (tested it with an unmodded new game- same results). I also already tried with everything on my system disabled (clean windows start) and my drivers should be up to date as well. I also tried to reproduce it on my steam deck (which is running linux) and to my suprise it seems the issue occurs there as well. Due to the lower fps on the deck its just not that noticable.

Vulkaninfo https://pastebin.com/FUQTz9nS
DXDiag https://pastebin.com/2rsVdqni

A similar (I think its the same) issue is described in this post from some months ago:
viewtopic.php?f=180&t=448518&hilit=fps+drop+menu

Any ideas?

[chew-ie]

Curious - I just tested that hover-on-quick-menu and my fps indeed went done like yours. From ~80 to ~40 fps. Also the same behaviour - only if I open up the map and close it again immediately I "get my 80 fps back".

I'm generous - but eating half my fps and don't give it back, that's too much Egosoft

[predator_red]

I only realized whats going on after reaching a point in the game where larger battles occured more often (my fps are lower than the normal 60 within large battles- around 40-45, so is the drop down to 20). Enabling the fps counter showed that it wasn't just a feeling... after two more hours I identified the mouse-over-quick-menu as cause (I first thought it has something to do with the input device because it didn't happen when using the arrow keys to turn the ship).

And searching the forum for this behaviour returned the mentioned thread.

[Imperial Good]

Map screen is well known to lower frame rate due to how complex it is to render. Even if graphically it might not be that demanding to render, it certainly is demanding on the CPU to prepare to render.

[chew-ie]

Map screen is well known to lower frame rate due to how complex it is to render. Even if graphically it might not be that demanding to render, it certainly is demanding on the CPU to prepare to render.

This isn't about the map screen.

[predator_red]

Map screen is well known to lower frame rate due to how complex it is to render. Even if graphically it might not be that demanding to render, it certainly is demanding on the CPU to prepare to render.

Map screen drops would be acceptable. Keeping a lower framerate just by hovering over an icon without having any ui screen opened is weird… and probably not intended.

[Imperial Good]

This isn't about the map screen.

It seems to me it partly is?

I'm encountering FPS drops when opening UI screens like the map: while having about 60 fps without any UI screen open it drops down to below 30 fps (usually around 24).

As for the other issue. I will check it next time I play.

[chew-ie]

This isn't about the map screen.

It seems to me it partly is?

I'm encountering FPS drops when opening UI screens like the map: while having about 60 fps without any UI screen open it drops down to below 30 fps (usually around 24).

As for the other issue. I will check it next time I play.

I'm encountering FPS drops when opening UI screens like the map: while having about 60 fps without any UI screen open it drops down to below 30 fps (usually around 24). As soon as I close the screen my fps increase back to normal. I understand that there are some inevitable drops when opening the map, however my main issue is that even if I only hover my mouse over the little triangle-like icon on top of the screen (Quick Menu) the fps also tank to below 30 and won't go back to 60 until I open and close another screen. Unfotunately, while fighting, I rather often "hit" this icon with my mouse.

Doesn't depend on the save or on modded/unmodded (tested it with an unmodded new game- same results). I also already tried with everything on my system disabled (clean windows start) and my drivers should be up to date as well. I also tried to reproduce it on my steam deck (which is running linux) and to my suprise it seems the issue occurs there as well. Due to the lower fps on the deck its just not that noticable.

Vulkaninfo https://pastebin.com/FUQTz9nS
DXDiag https://pastebin.com/2rsVdqni

A similar (I think its the same) issue is described in this post from some months ago:
viewtopic.php?f=180&t=448518&hilit=fps+drop+menu

Any ideas?

[predator_red]

I did some more tests with my steam deck (Linux, X4 latest version, new game, not modified, first try native linux client, second try proton windows client) and i can confirm the same behaviour. Just hovering over the quick menu button halves the framerate until opening and closing another menu. Given that it also happens on linux with a completely different computer I think its a general issue/bug.

I doubt that this is intended- maybe a dev could look into it (or at least tell me that this is actually desired)?

[Alan Phipps]

The devs are aware of this type of problem and it was not an intentional in-game effect. I suggest that we leave it with them for now.

[chew-ie]

@OP

Can't reproduce it right now in 6.0 beta 2

[zerkish]

Hello. I decided to get back into X4 a few days ago, but noticed I had really bad performance drops whenever any UI was displayed in the game. That is anything not rendered "in world".
Based on my testing, it was introduced between 5.0 [Legacy] and 5.1 [Legacy] Steam versions accessible through the betas. It is present in the current steam main build, and also in 6.0.

Not specific to the map. Please no more map suggestions

I have 100+ FPS In space, depending on the system I'm in. Any kind of UI will cut it in half or more, commonly below 35 and make the game really choppy. Sometimes dipping into low 20s.

All tests done on a clean new save. It goes without saying but I have no mods installed.

Examples:

• Tutorial Promps
• Escape Menu
• Right click context menu in game
• Ship Menu

I did not have this problem last time I played, and it's mostly the same hardware so I did some investigation:

Issue is not present in 4.0 [Legacy].
Issue is not present in 5.0 [Legacy].
Issue is present in 5.1 [Legacy]
Issue is present in current steam main build
Issue is present in 6.0 beta 2.

Steps to Reproduce

• Install Version X4 Version 5.1 [Legacy] or later.
• Start a new game (Any Start, I used mainly Untested Explorer)
• Notice FPS in game
• Right click any ship, station or object, press escape or start any tutorial.
• Notice FPS Drops severely.

I've tried most reasonable combinations of in-game settings:

• Display modes: Fullscreen, Windowed, Borderless.
• Low, Medium and High settings for most settings.
• With and without the different types of Anti Aliasing.

Out of game I've tried:

• Windows 10 and Windows 11
• Changing GPU from Nvidia RTX 2080 to AMD 7900 XTX (First with just driver cleaning, then clean format).
• Adaptive Sync On/Off
• I have an Ultrawide monitor, so I tried running it in 1080p Windowed mode as well.
• Various AMD GPU Settings, everything disabled.
• Two latest versions of the AMD Drivers. (23.1.1 and 23.1.2).
• Latest NVIDIA Drivers before I upgraded my GPU 2 days ago.

System:
AMD Ryzen 7 3900X
AMD Radeon 7900XTX
Corsair Vengeance LPX Black 2x16gb DDR4 @ 3200 MHz (XMP #1)
OS and Game installed on Samsung 500gb NVMe SSD.
1000W Corsair PSU.
Asus ROG X570-e Gaming Motherboard, with latest firmware.
Creative Soundblaster Z
Windows 11.

All drivers are their latest version after a clean windows install done yesterday.
System Benchmarks ~10% above average for similar hardware on 3DMark steam version.

DXDiag: https://pastebin.com/pNpaR1Ry
VulkanInfo: https://pastebin.com/tCQ0gxtV

[CBJ]

I've merged your post with a closely-related thread that was just underneath it, but I would like to quickly thank you for the additional insights that you've brought to the discussion, which may well be useful when we look into this again.

[zerkish]

Alright, I wasn't sure if it was the same thing since it was mentioned that their issue could not be reprod in 6.0 Beta 2, but mine is still present. However chances are they are still related in some way.

[predator_red]

Alright, I wasn't sure if it was the same thing since it was mentioned that their issue could not be reprod in 6.0 Beta 2, but mine is still present. However chances are they are still related in some way.

It's propably the same issue- I could just live with it happening when using any actual menus. What really bothers me is the fact it's also happening when touching an UI item with the mouse (without opening menus) or, as described by you, bringing up any context menu.

But fwiw, it's still there for me- tried the latest beta (6.0 RC1).