Microstutter issue

Shadorino · 09-17-2018, 05:49 AM **#41**

Ok, I have a bit of free time now.
Guide me step by step to reproduce this issue.
I'll try RetroArch too, although it's been a few years since the last time.

Keep in mind that there is currently a micro stutter issue going on with G-Sync and every version of Windows 10, as well as with Pascal graphics cards when using power monitoring in GPU monitor tools such as MSI Afterburner.

https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/1070942/geforce-drivers/official-399-24-game-ready-whql-display-driver-feedback-thread-released-9-10-18-/1/

Tasoulios · (This post was last modified: 09-17-2018, 08:29 AM by Tasoulios.)

(09-17-2018, 05:49 AM)Shadorino Wrote: Ok, I have a bit of free time now.
Guide me step by step to reproduce this issue.
I'll try RetroArch too, although it's been a few years since the last time.

Keep in mind that there is currently a micro stutter issue going on with G-Sync and every version of Windows 10, as well as with Pascal graphics cards when using power monitoring in GPU monitor tools such as MSI Afterburner.

https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/1070942/geforce-drivers/official-399-24-game-ready-whql-display-driver-feedback-thread-released-9-10-18-/1/

Ok first of all, i tested this on Windows 7 with Afterburner closed. I don't have a gsync monitor.

Here's how to easily notice the issue:

Load Mario Kart Double Dash and select time trial. Go the the second stage of the first cup (the beach level). Right after the start, go back and you will see a fountain. You can drive circles around it. Do so while dashing and try to keep a steady course around it, without obscuring the camera, until you get the backgrounds of the level moving around at high and steady enough speed.

Now keep moving and after 30-40 seconds you should notice a slight sudden "jump". Or a stutter. Or a repeated frame. As if Dolphin can't sync perfectly with the screen at 60hz. You can see it on the backgrounds as they move smoothly and fast otherwise. It will repeat itself after another 30 seconds and so on. This isn't very noticeable during normal gameplay due to variable speeds and camera movement. But if you are sensitive enough you can notice it there too.

This happens in every 60fps game i tried, it's not just Mario Kart. I assume the same happens with 30fps games as well, although it would be even less noticeable.

Now, like i said, RetroArch version of Dolphin is smooth 100% of the time. No microstutters at all. I'm sure it has to do with the way RetroArch works in general, it alters the speed of the games ever so slightly so they can sync perfectly at 60hz. Although, i don't know why it would need to do this with Dolphin since these games were 60hz AFAIK, not 59 something. Not sure why standalone doesn't sync.

qwertyops900 · 09-18-2018, 09:22 AM **#43**

Do you have access to a computer with an AMD GPU? The problem could be isolated to NVIDIA chips.

**JonnyH** · 09-18-2018, 10:02 AM **#44**

If it's a single repeated frame every 30-40 seconds it's mostly likely the display slowly getting out of sync from the render. Even if it's 60.0 and not 59.something, there's always some error on such timing, especially if not explicitly using an external high-accuracy source.

(And wow on spotting a single repeated frame in that timescale. You must hate watching any video streams that show any rendered content)

Tasoulios · 09-18-2018, 09:44 PM **#45**

I don't have an AMD GPU to test unfortunately. I tested on a few Nvidia cards so far.

I'm pretty sensitive to these things but they only bother me when i play games.

The reason i'm posting is because it only happens with standalone Dolphin and one more emulator (Demul). Everything else is fine.

Also, i can't figure out what's the source of the issue. Is it the monitor? The TV? The graphics card? The drivers? I tested it on 3 different setups and 3 different screens/cards/driver versions/etc and the issue remains. So i can only assume it's the emulator itself that doesn't want to sync. Which means more people should have the issue, it's just that it's subtle and most of the time they don't notice.

That's why i would like for a developer to confirm whether they have a perfectly smooth scrolling or they also have this sync issue. So far nobody has confirmed they don't have the desync issue themselves, probably because they are not sure, dunno. I don't mind it being fixed, maybe it's a low priority thing. But i do like some confirmation that it's not just me (and the one other poster who noticed this) the only ones affected.

Tasoulios · 09-26-2018, 11:10 PM **#46**

Bump.

Since it looks like it's confirmed that this is an emulator issue and not of individual systems, should i assume it's low priority?

**mbc07** · (This post was last modified: 09-27-2018, 02:45 AM by mbc07.)

Did you open an issue report? Not all devs come to the forums, that would be the first step...

And probably unlikely to fix this but did you try overclocking the emulated CPU? Go to the advanced tab in Dolphin settings and put it at 125%, then test to see if the micro-stutter still is present...

Shadorino · 09-27-2018, 03:44 AM **#48**

Sorry for the delay.
I thoroughly tested, with and without G-Sync, with and without V-Sync, at 60 Hz, 120 Hz and 144 Hz. I couldn't see the repeated frame you're talking about. And I'm very sensitive to stutter and even the tiniest micro stutter.
I also have the RTSS OSD on, with the frametime graph, and no spike shows on this either.

Tasoulios · 09-27-2018, 05:47 AM **#49**

(09-27-2018, 03:44 AM)Shadorino Wrote: Sorry for the delay.
I thoroughly tested, with and without G-Sync, with and without V-Sync, at 60 Hz, 120 Hz and 144 Hz. I couldn't see the repeated frame you're talking about. And I'm very sensitive to stutter and even the tiniest micro stutter.
I also have the RTSS OSD on, with the frametime graph, and no spike shows on this either.

Ok, thanks for testing this.

I simply cannot understand what i'm doing wrong and i can't sync Dolphin properly on any system i tried. I always get that one pesky repeated frame and it drives me nuts, lol.

Overclocking the emulated CPU doesn't make a difference.

hyperspeed · (This post was last modified: 09-28-2018, 01:08 PM by hyperspeed.)

I still get this though I don't care that much for this since it takes almost 1min or so, didn't tried retroarch cause coudn't get that running here, dunno what to download and what to do to install.

I hate when the game strutters like hell but even that I could find a fix (The Evil Within at 60fps is a thing here now, there is a guide on Steam to help configure this now)