30fps 100% random stutter

[thatsage]

This applies to both Wind Waker (GC) and Twilight Princess (WII) which I have but I think it happens with any 30fps title. Using 4.0-8766 64bit atm but it's been a thing on every version I tried.

Long story short, emulation is easily 100% and fps is constant 30 but random stuttering occurs every minute or two, lasts 5-6 seconds (meanwhile it's still 30fps) and then goes away. I don't have stuttering with 60fps titles.

I found this thread while researching the problem: https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-fixed-stutter-judder-slow-down-only-in-30-fps-games-fixed (he also mentions what he tried to change, nothing in settings helps, neither opengl or d3d make a difference on this).

Basically the fix that user found definitely works - setting the refresh rate of your monitor to 30hz makes it go away completely. But that workaround isn't perfect. The WII menu isn't designed for 30hz and the IR pointer and audio lag like crazy. In-game (talking about TP now) the IR pointer doesn't seem to suffer as much, but it still does lag more compared to when the screen is on 60hz. That might be placebo on my part but not likely IMO. Tested better, it's definitely lagging a lot more because of 30hz compared to 60hz.

I was thinking of maybe submitting a Dolphin Google Code issue but wanted to ask about this here first.
Did others notice it? Did anyone find a better solution if so?
Anyone has any idea why this is happening?

Windows 10 64bit
8gb ram
i5 4690k @ 4.5ghz
GTX 970

[Neui]

Google Code is shutting down (it is read-only atm) so they moved to https://bugs.dolphin-emu.org/ .
Did you tried VSync?

[thatsage]

(01-24-2016, 04:42 AM)Neui Wrote: Google Code is shutting down (it is read-only atm) so they moved to https://bugs.dolphin-emu.org/ .
Did you tried VSync?

Ah I didn't know that, thanks. And yep, tried vsync on/off driver/dolphin. Also tried things that help with "normal" games like frames to render ahead to 1 etc.
The only thing that made a difference was setting my TV to 30hz (my PC monitor doesn't even support 30hz). But IR lag in TP is pretty bad if I do that.
I am still trying all kinds of nonsense but am frankly desperate and I ran out of options.

[KHg8m3r]

You may be seeing the shader compilation stutter. Its an issue thats being worked on right now. If you go back and play the same area again, do you still get the stuttering?

[thatsage]

(01-24-2016, 04:58 AM)KHg8m3r Wrote: You may be seeing the shader compilation stutter. Its an issue thats being worked on right now. If you go back and play the same area again, do you still get the stuttering?

I do, it happens randomly just running around even back and forth between the water mill and the mayors house, for example.

I would say it is almost definitely not shader compilation (I am bitterly aware of it thanks to Metroid Prime :<) simply because the stutter is completely gone on 30hz (and the game is native 30fps so it's still 100%). And also shader stutter definitely impacts frame-rate very noticeably, and dolphin also shows as much if you tell it to show fps, when it happens in MP for example. But here I'm at a constant 30fps all the time. The issue also happens in Wind Waker and I presume it would in any 30fps title.

Thanks for replying guys and trying to help

[thatsage]

Hey, sorry to bump this but there's nothing else I can do really and I so want to get this resolved. Is anyone at least aware of this problem too?

You play for a minute or two and everything is smooth. You cross the same bridge in the first village of Twilight Princess as you did before while testing to see if it happens, and suddenly the game stutters quite bad for a good 5 seconds or so. It's like someone just randomly turned on a stutter now switch.

Edit: I am starting to think frame-limiting is the culprit. It's maybe not enforced right. Sadly since it's a 30fps game I can't turn on vsync and test my assumption since my refresh rate is 60.