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Full Version: is it normal to stutter even with ubershaders + compile before startup
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This is probably a dumb question but I just wanted to check if its normal for dolphin to stutter with shaders for the first few minutes of gaming even with hybid ubershaders + compile before startup enabled. for instance with pokemon XD?

Not sure if this helps but Im using DX12, 3080ti, 64 gb ram, 12900k, windows 11
Would be interested to know this too, since I’m upgrading by the end of the year with the new high-end stuff coming out.
It shouldn’t stutter at all with Exclusive Ubershaders coupled with the DX11 backend with this kind of machine
(08-14-2022, 10:34 AM)Shadorino Wrote: [ -> ]Would be interested to know this too, since I’m upgrading by the end of the year with the new high-end stuff coming out.
It shouldn’t stutter at all with Exclusive Ubershaders coupled with the DX11 backend with this kind of machine

I would have thought the same thing but it definitely does. Even with compile shaders before startup enabled. You would think waiting 10 minutes for shaders to compile before the game starts would eliminate stutter with hybrid ubsershaders.

Either my understanding of these options is wrong,  the settings are not working as intended, or there is something wrong with my hardware (unlikely since this also occurs on my old rig with the same settings). Im guessing its the first option - hence the post.
Wait, you're killing my dream here lol, how long does it take for your 12900K to compile shaders (it depends on the game of course, what games do you have so I can compare with my 7700K)?
I was dying to know If the future 24-core 32-thread 13900K would compile those shaders in seconds, but the 12900K doesn’t…
Starting fresh with a new dev build, Mario Sunshine for example takes 50 seconds to compile Exclusive Ubershaders.

You have stutters on Hybrid AND Exclusive Ubershaders?
Your dumps are all perfect when you verify them?
I’m not sure if it matters much, or at all, but are the ROMs and Dolphin on an HDD or SSD?
(08-14-2022, 01:39 PM)Shadorino Wrote: [ -> ]Wait, you're killing my dream here lol, how long does it take for your 12900K to compile shaders (it depends on the game of course, what games do you have so I can compare with my 7700K)?
I was dying to know If the future 24-core 32-thread 13900K would compile those shaders in seconds, but the 12900K doesn’t…
Starting fresh with a new dev build, Mario Sunshine for example takes 50 seconds to compile Exclusive Ubershaders.

You have stutters on Hybrid AND Exclusive Ubershaders?
Your dumps are all perfect when you verify them?
I’m not sure if it matters much, or at all, but are the ROMs and Dolphin on an HDD or SSD?

So it turns out it was actually a 4th option. I didn't realize I had prefetch custom textures enabled - which is really why my games took so long to load. I turned off load textures and most of my stuttering is gone. I am using an HDD, even with prefetch enabled it looks like texture packs were actually what was actually causing most of the stutters. They haven't completely gone away but it seems like it's within the margin of error now. I'm sure dolphin doesn't pre-load every single shader on startup. it takes about a minute to load hybrid shaders, and another 5 or so to load custom textures. Even though most or all of my textures would have been in ram its still stutters a ton, I've opted to stop using texture packs on my PC until I can get an SSD to put everything on - I don't have enough space on the one I currently have for dolphin. My dumps are definitely perfect. I checked them when I moved to my new PC and re-dumped the games that were wrong. I was pretty surprised my Wii was still working since it's been sitting in an attic for the past few years. I forgot all the customizations I did to it lol.
(08-14-2022, 01:39 PM)Shadorino Wrote: [ -> ]Wait, you're killing my dream here lol, how long does it take for your 12900K to compile shaders (it depends on the game of course, what games do you have so I can compare with my 7700K)?
I was dying to know If the future 24-core 32-thread 13900K would compile those shaders in seconds, but the 12900K doesn’t…
Starting fresh with a new dev build, Mario Sunshine for example takes 50 seconds to compile Exclusive Ubershaders.

You have stutters on Hybrid AND Exclusive Ubershaders?
Your dumps are all perfect when you verify them?
I’m not sure if it matters much, or at all, but are the ROMs and Dolphin on an HDD or SSD?

In case you were still curious I have another update. It seems like most of my stuttering is caused by my HDD, for instance, if another process is trying to access it I seem to get stutters - especially during transitions. It's possible it's just getting old as well. If you switch to Vulkan Both Exclusive Ubershaders and Specialized Shader compilation is instantaneous - even compiling before startup takes < 1 second, you almost don't even see the compilation screen. All the issues I used to have with Vulkan back when I tested it a few years ago are gone, and it is just as stable as 3dx or OpenGL. I have been using x6IR + 8MSAA + LLE (for surround sound) with pretty much no issues when my hard drive is behaving. The only game I am getting a stutter from is rouge squadron during scene transitions - which again may be because of my HDD.
I see. That's great news. Placing Dolphin, the Documents folder and the ROMs on an SSD, doesn’t matter if it's SATA or NVME, should get rid of the remaining stutter. If not, could be because of MSI Afterburner if you have it running, anti-virus, or slight driver bug.
The first and last word on the street 5 years ago for Ubershaders, with NVIDIA, was to use D3D11 only for a 100 % stutter free experience. Don’t know how relevant it is today.

I will do extensive testing with my new rig in a couple months, if nothing bad happens to the PC market until then.