GTAVCS particle lag

[JohnE]

The game runs great at 60 Hz and I can even turbo it to 200. The problem comes with particle effects. Whenever there are some, the fps tank to less than 30. A simple exhaust of a car makes it unplayable.

Im using 1.7.2 on balanced. Tried agressive CRC, and even tried native resolution, but the fps wont get above 40 when there is smoke.

I tried touching almost all settings, but i dont know what im doing. Im using vulkan, but happens with opengl too. Tried skipdraw in 1, 10, 20, 100 and 10000, just for the sake of trying, but nothing.

Is there a fix for this?

Thanks you

[jesalvein]

Please post the contents of the emulog.txt file after the problem occurs. The file can be found in "My Documents\PCSX2\logs" for the installer version or in "PCSX2\logs" for the portable/binary version.

Please make sure to enclose your emulog in code tags like so (remove the empty space on the closing code tag!):
[code]
Pasted emulog goes here
[ /code]

[JohnE]

This log is from loading a save state directly into a car with smoke and getting the lag. The strange thing is that nor CPU nor the GPU are at full usage.

Code:

PCSX2 Nightly - v1.7.2755 Compiled on May 16 2022
Savestate version: 0x9a2c0000

Host Machine Init:
    Operating System =  Microsoft Windows 10, 64-bit
    Physical RAM     =  16322 MB
    CPU name         =  Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4570 CPU @ 3.20GHz
    Vendor/Model     =  GenuineIntel (stepping 03)
    CPU speed        =  3.192 ghz (4 logical threads)
    x86PType         =  Standard OEM
    x86Flags         =  bfebfbff 7ffafbff
    x86EFlags        =  2c100800

x86 Features Detected:
    SSE2.. SSE3.. SSSE3.. SSE4.1.. SSE4.2.. AVX.. AVX2.. FMA

The current power profile is 'Equilibrado'.
The current min / max processor states
AC: 5% / 100%
Battery: 5% / 100%

Reserving memory for recompilers...
HLE Host: Set 'host:' root path to: \

Patches: No CRC found, using 00000000 instead.
isoFile open ok: D:\Warehouse\PS2isos\GTA Vice City Stories NTSC.iso
    Image type  = DVD
* CDVD Disk Open: DVD, Single layer or unknown:
* * Track 1: Data (Mode 1) (2025968 sectors)
Vsync is OFF
No GPU requested, using first (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960)
2 vulkan queue families
VK_EXT_provoking_vertex is supported
VK_ARM_rasterization_order_attachment_access is NOT supported
Read 501 entries from 'C:\Users\jonathan\Documents\PCSX2\cache\vulkan_shaders.idx'
Vulkan Graphics Driver Info:
    Driver 512.308.0
    Vulkan 1.3.194
    Conformance Version 1.3.0.0
    512.77
    NVIDIA
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960
Using hardware for point expansion and hardware for line expansion.
Vsync is OFF
GS Lookup CRC:00000000
48000 SampleRate:
McdSlot 0 [File]: C:\Users\jonathan\Documents\PCSX2\memcards\personalMcd001.ps2
McdSlot 1 [File]: [disabled]
EE/iR5900-32 Recompiler Reset
    Bios Found: USA     v02.00(14/06/2004)  Console
    BIOS rom1 module not found, skipping...
    BIOS rom2 module not found, skipping...
    BIOS erom module not found, skipping...
# Initialize memory (rev:3.70, ctm:196Mhz, cpuclk:147Mhz detected)
Frame buffer size set to  512x512 (512x512)

PlayStation 2 ======== Hard reset boot
ROMGEN=2004-0614, IOP info (CPUID=1f, CACH_CONFIG=0, 2MB, IOP mode)
<20040614-100909,ROMconf,PS20200AC20040614.bin:11696>
# Total accessable memory size: 32 MB (B:2:8:0) (370:2:7c30)
# TLB spad=0 kernel=1:12 default=13:30 extended=31:38
# Initialize Start.
# Initialize GS ...
# Initialize INTC ...
# Initialize TIMER ...
# Initialize DMAC ...
# Initialize VU1 ...
# Initialize VIF1 ...
# Initialize GIF ...
# Initialize VU0 ...
# Initialize VIF0 ...
# Initialize IPU ...
# Initialize FPU ...
# Initialize User Memory ...
Frame buffer size set to  512x512 (512x512)
# Initialize Scratch Pad ...
# Initialize Done.

EE DECI2 Manager version 0.06 Feb  6 2003 08:38:48
  CPUID=2e20, BoardID=0, ROMGEN=2004-0614, 32M

Patches: No CRC found, using 00000000 instead.
(SYSTEM.CNF) Detected PS2 Disc = cdrom0:\SLUS_215.90;1
(SYSTEM.CNF) Software version = 1.00
(SYSTEM.CNF) Disc region type = NTSC
ELF (cdrom0:\SLUS_215.90;1) Game CRC = 0x4F32A11F, EntryPoint = 0x001DD6A0
(SYSTEM.CNF) Detected PS2 Disc = cdrom0:\SLUS_215.90;1
(SYSTEM.CNF) Software version = 1.00
(SYSTEM.CNF) Disc region type = NTSC

IOP Realtime Kernel Ver.0.9.1
    Copyright 1999 (C) Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Reboot service module.(99/11/10)
cdvd driver module version 0.1.1 (C)SCEI
Load File service.(99/11/05)
Multi Threaded Fileio module.(99/11/15)
iop heap service (99/11/03)
loadelf: fname cdrom0:¥SLUS_215.90;1 secname all
loadelf version 3.30
Input ELF format filename = cdrom0:¥SLUS_215.90;1
0 00100000 003cd0a8 ...................................Loading savestate from slot 0...
    filename: C:\Users\jonathan\Documents\PCSX2\sstates\SLUS-21590 - (4F32A11F)\SLUS-21590 (4F32A11F).00.p2s
EE/iR5900-32 Recompiler Reset

    Warning: BIOS Version Mismatch, savestate may be unstable!
        Current BIOS:   USA     v02.00(14/06/2004)  Console (crc=0xd778db8d)
        Savestate BIOS: Europe  v02.30(20/02/2008)  Console (crc=0x43afc2a6)
        
MTVU speedhack is enabled, saved states may not be stable
    Loading SPU2
    Loading USB
    Loading PAD
    Loading GS
[GameDB] Has not been initialized yet, initializing...
[GameDB] Duplicate serial 'slpm-60207' found in GameDB. Skipping, Serials are case-insensitive!
[GameDB] 10986 games on record (loaded in 55.43ms)
[GameDB] Searching for 'slus-21590' in GameDB
[GameDB] Found 'slus-21590' in GameDB
[GameDB] Searching for patch with CRC '4F32A11F'
[GameDB] No CRC-specific patch or default patch found
[GameDB] Enabled GS Hardware Fix: halfPixelOffset to [mode=1]
Overall 0 Widescreen hacks loaded
Loading patch '4F32A11F.pnach' from archive.
comment: Widescreen fix by nemesis2000 (pnach by nemesis2000)
(Wide Screen Cheats DB) Patches Loaded: 9
Applying GS settings...
Vsync is OFF
Vsync is OFF
Frame buffer size set to  640x512 (640x512)
> Selected savestate slot 1
Loading savestate from slot 1...
    filename: C:\Users\jonathan\Documents\PCSX2\sstates\SLUS-21590 - (4F32A11F)\SLUS-21590 (4F32A11F).01.p2s
EE/iR5900-32 Recompiler Reset

    Warning: BIOS Version Mismatch, savestate may be unstable!
        Current BIOS:   USA     v02.00(14/06/2004)  Console (crc=0xd778db8d)
        Savestate BIOS: Europe  v02.30(20/02/2008)  Console (crc=0x43afc2a6)
        
MTVU speedhack is enabled, saved states may not be stable
    Loading SPU2
    Loading USB
    Loading PAD
    Loading GS
(UpdateVSyncRate) Mode Changed to NTSC.
    ... with user configured refresh rate: 59.94 Hz
[GameDB] Searching for 'slus-21590' in GameDB
[GameDB] Found 'slus-21590' in GameDB
[GameDB] Searching for patch with CRC '4F32A11F'
[GameDB] No CRC-specific patch or default patch found
[GameDB] Enabled GS Hardware Fix: halfPixelOffset to [mode=1]
Overall 0 Widescreen hacks loaded
Loading patch '4F32A11F.pnach' from archive.
comment: Widescreen fix by nemesis2000 (pnach by nemesis2000)
(Wide Screen Cheats DB) Patches Loaded: 9

[jesalvein]

i think you actually get the ame kind of slowdows on real hardware.
lcs and vcs are ***** ports

[JohnE]

So I have been touching pretty much everything. For some reason it lagged less in the 1.6.0 version... Even copying all settings. I the lag reduced a lot by tunning both EE hacks to 1. The strange thing is that now when it happens the frames dont drop, but the game slows down about 30%.

In any case, it also wasnt the particles. Its a street that if you watch in the distance makes it slow down. And its not a distance thing either I think.

[jesalvein]

For some reason it lagged less in the 1.6.0 version

not surprising. 1.7 is more accurate

try the same parts on real hardware. i think it's laggy too.
i think enabling 8 bit textures helps kinda

[JohnE]

I left the game a couple of weeks, then restarted it from 0. I also downloaded the latest nightly build and for some reason there isnt any slow down. The two areas where the game went to crawl, gone. Fully 30 fps.
idk what happened, I didnt touch any config. Maybe it was something new in the nightly builds? Back then, I even tested starting a new game and going directly to those areas, and they lagged with a brand new save.

It runs so good that I even increased the load by selecting anti aliasing and texture filtering and having all CRC hacks in auto (I had them in aggressive) and the game runs flawlessly.