Help - Hot Pursuit 2 runs terribly

[DonCaballero]

Good evening friends, for the past 4 HOURS I'M LOSING MY MIND I've been trying to get Hot Pursuit 2 (USA) to run properly, but I'm getting frame drops to the mid 40s in certain areas. I can play every other game I tried perfectly at full speed locked and all at 1080p, this one doesn't work. And here's the thing: I tried messing around with EVERY setting. I set the resolution to native, underclock it, overclock it, skipdraw, the works. Everything I could mess around with I tried and it didn't make it better. The weird part is it didn't make it WORSE either. There was NO difference in performance from playing in 1080p from playing native. Widescreen or no widescreen, it lagged just the same. No difference in performance from disabling stuff that could weigh on the system. I even changed the bios. And yet the game always chugs on the same spots.

And no, I can't install the PC version. It didn't work and yeah I also tried a lot of things.

I have a GTX 1650, Intel i7 3,4 GHZ, 16 GB RAM. I know it's not PERFECT, but it works for me! It's damn near 5 AM here and I need some sleep, so I'm posting this in hopes of some redemption for this goddamn nightmare of an evening (I'm obsessive when stuff doesn't work).

[jesalvein]

what kind of i7 is this ?

[DonCaballero]

what kind of i7 is this ?

It's a 3770, which I know I should upgrade lol but it doesn't appear to be causing a bottleneck, using Afterburner I saw that its usage never went beyond like 40%, same for the GPU.

[jesalvein]

Please post a screenshot of the performance counters in the PCSX2 On Screen Display (OSD).

Where do I enable the counters?
Settings > Graphics > OSD

What boxes do I tick?
For best results, please tick all the boxes. This will add a lot of things to the screen, but you can turn them back off once we are done looking at the performance statistics.

Where do I take a screenshot?
Go to the part of the game where you are experiencing slowness/FPS drops, then take a screenshot with the counters on screen.

If the FPS loss is extremely short and hard to capture in a screenshot, record a short video instead. Windows users can record easily with Win + Shift + R.

but yes, a 3770 can be a bit weak for nfs games.
it may hammer your gpu too

---

maybe posting an emulog could help too


Check Tools > Enable File Logging. If it is already checked, ignore this step.
If you ticked the box in the above step, restart PCSX2.
Click Tools > Open Data Directory to jump to your PCSX2 folder.
Reproduce your issue.
Close PCSX2, and do not open it again.
Go back to your PCSX2 folder. Open the logs folder, and upload the emulog.txt file to this channel.

[DonCaballero]

Alright friend! I couldn't quite record a video for whatever reason, but I took some screenshots of what it looks like and it gets even worse (like it drops to 40 fps with severe stutter), but here's what I captured:









(it may look like I'm driving poorly to cause issues, but it's because I'm playing with a hand on the controller and another on the keyboard lol)

And here's the emulog:

[    0.0572] Loaded translation file for language en-US
[    0.0603] PCSX2 v2.1.55
[    0.0603] Savestate version: 0x9a4f0000
[    0.0603]
[    0.0604]
[    0.0604] Host Machine Init:
[    0.0604]  Operating System = Microsoft Windows 10+
[    0.0605]  Physical RAM    = 16348 MB
[    0.0605]  Processor        = Intel Core i7-3770
[    0.0605]  Core Count      = 4 cores
[    0.0605]  Thread Count    = 8 threads
[    0.0621]  Power Profile    = 'Alto desempenho'
[    0.0621]  Power States (min/max)
[    0.0622]    AC            = 5% / 100%
[    0.0622]    Battery        = 5% / 100%
[    0.0622]
[    0.0622] x86 Features Detected:
[    0.0623]  AVX
[    0.0623]
[    0.0623] Graphics Adapters Detected:
[    0.0651]  GPU              = NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
[    0.0702]  Driver Version  = 32.0.15.6070
[    0.0702]
[    0.0713]  GPU              = Microsoft Basic Render Driver
[    0.0713]  Driver Version  = 10.0.19041.4355
[    0.0713]
[    0.0746] SDLInputSource: Using Controller DB from resources.
[    0.2276] SDLInputSource: 820 controller mappings are loaded.
[    0.3251] (SDLInputSource) Controller 0 inserted
[    0.3268] (SDLInputSource) Opened game controller 0 (instance id 0, player id 0): XInput Controller
[    0.3268] (SDLInputSource) Controller 0 has 6 axes and 11 buttons
[    0.3268] (SDLInputSource) Rumble is supported on 'XInput Controller' via gamecontroller
[    0.5486] Scanning C:\Users\Pichau\Documents\PCSX2\games (recursively)
[    0.8932] Current version: v2.1.55
[    0.8933] Latest version: v2.1.56
[    0.8933] Last checked version:
[    0.8933] Update needed.
[    1.5021] (AutoUpdaterDialog) All HTTP requests done.
[  24.8555] Loading BIOS...
[  24.8559] BIOS Found: USA    v02.30(20/02/2008)  Console 20080220-175343
[  24.8590] BIOS rom1 module not found, skipping...
[  24.8591] BIOS rom2 module not found, skipping...
[  24.8594] Opening CDVD...
[  24.8599] isoFile open ok: C:\Users\Pichau\Documents\PCSX2\games\Need for Speed - Hot Pursuit 2 (USA).iso
[  24.8599]  Image type  = DVD
[  24.8600]  * CDVD Disk Open: DVD, Single layer or unknown:
[  24.8600]  * * Track 1: Data (Mode 1) (1524016 sectors)
[  24.8621] [GameDB] Has not been initialized yet, initializing...
[  24.9051] [GameDB] Invalid CRC 'C29911A79' found for serial: 'sles-54466'. Skipping!
[  24.9194] [GameDB] 12806 games on record (loaded in 57.33ms)
[  24.9195] Disc changed to Need for Speed - Hot Pursuit 2 (USA).iso.
[  24.9195]  Name: Need for Speed - Hot Pursuit 2
[  24.9195]  Serial: SLUS-20362
[  24.9195]  Version: 1.00
[  24.9195]  CRC: 1D2818AF
[  24.9198] Loading game settings from 'C:\Users\Pichau\Documents\PCSX2\gamesettings\SLUS-20362_1D2818AF.ini'...
[  24.9199] Applying settings...
[  24.9777] Reopening memory cards...
[  24.9782] McdSlot 0 [File]: Mcd001.ps2 [8 MB, UNFORMATTED]
[  24.9785] McdSlot 1 [File]: Mcd002.ps2 [8 MB, UNFORMATTED]
[  24.9796] HLE Host: Set 'host:' root path to: C:\Users\Pichau\Documents\PCSX2\games
[  24.9796]
[  24.9801] EE/iR5900 Recompiler Reset
[  25.2884] Opening GS...
[  25.3061] Surface refresh rate: 60 hz
[  25.5422] VK_EXT_provoking_vertex is supported
[  25.5423] VK_EXT_memory_budget is supported
[  25.5423] VK_EXT_calibrated_timestamps is supported
[  25.5423] VK_EXT_rasterization_order_attachment_access is NOT supported
[  25.5423] VK_EXT_swapchain_maintenance1 is supported
[  25.5423] VK_EXT_full_screen_exclusive is supported
[  25.5423] VK_KHR_driver_properties is supported
[  25.5441] Read 602 entries from 'C:\Users\Pichau\Documents\PCSX2\cache\vulkan_shaders.idx'
[  25.6964] Vulkan Graphics Driver Info:
[  25.6965] Driver 560.280.0
[  25.6965] Vulkan 1.3.280
[  25.6965] Conformance Version 1.3.8.2
[  25.6965] 560.70
[  25.6965] NVIDIA
[  25.6965] NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
[  25.7000] Opening SPU2...
[  25.7011] Creating Cubeb audio stream, sample rate = 48000, expansion = Disabled, buffer = 50, latency = 50, stretching enabled, driver = , device =
[  25.7569] Initializing Pad...
[  25.7569] Initializing SIO2...
[  25.7570] Initializing SIO0...
[  25.7570] Opening DEV9...
[  25.7610] Opening USB...
[  25.7610] Opening FW...
[  25.7750] VM subsystems initialized in 919.88 ms
[  26.0536] ELF Loading: cdrom0:\SLUS_203.62;1, Game CRC = 1D2818AF, EntryPoint = 0x00100008
[  26.7925] ELF cdrom0:\SLUS_203.62;1 with entry point at 0x00100008 is executing.
[  26.7926] ELF changed, active CRC 1D2818AF (cdrom0:\SLUS_203.62;1)
[  26.7936] Found 4 game patches in SLUS-20362_1D2818AF.pnach.
[  26.7938] Enabled patch: Widescreen 16:9
[  26.7938] OSD [LoadPatches]: 1 game patch is active.
[  26.7939] Applying core settings...
[  26.8151] Patch: Setting aspect ratio to 16:9 by patch request.
[  26.8151] (GameDB) Changing VU0 clamp mode [mode=2]
[  26.8151] (GameDB) Changing VU1 clamp mode [mode=2]
[  26.8151] (GameDB) Setting Speedhack 'eeCycleRate' to [mode=3]
[  26.8152] OSD [HWBlendingWarning]:  Current Blending Accuracy is Basic.
[  26.8152] Recommended Blending Accuracy for this game is High.
[  26.8152] You can adjust the blending level in Game Properties to improve
[  26.8152] graphical quality, but this will increase system requirements.
[  26.8152] [GameDB] Enabled GS Hardware Fix: recommendedBlendingLevel to [mode=3]
[  26.8152] [GameDB] Enabled GS Hardware Fix: halfPixelOffset to [mode=2]
[  26.8152] Updating CPU configuration...
[  26.8325] Updating GS configuration...
[  26.9309] EE/iR5900 Recompiler Reset
[  28.1758] (UpdateVSyncRate) Mode Changed to NTSC.
[  28.1760] (UpdateVSyncRate) Mode Changed to NTSC.
[  28.3756] [Pad] DS2 Config Finished - P1/S1 - AL: Off - AB: Usable - VS: Disabled - VL: Disabled - RB: D (0x00000000)
[  29.0431] [Pad] DS2 Config Finished - P1/S1 - AL: On - AB: Locked - VS: Disabled - VL: Disabled - RB: D (0x00000000)
[  29.2432] [Pad] DS2 Config Finished - P1/S1 - AL: On - AB: Locked - VS: Normal - VL: Normal - RB: D (0x00000000)
[  29.3767] [Pad] DS2 Config Finished - P1/S1 - AL: On - AB: Locked - VS: Normal - VL: Normal - RB: D (0x00000000)
[  29.6938] [Pad] DS2 Config Finished - P1/S1 - AL: On - AB: Locked - VS: Normal - VL: Normal - RB: D+A+P (0x0003FFFF)
[  29.8939] [Pad] DS2 Config Finished - P1/S1 - AL: On - AB: Locked - VS: Normal - VL: Normal - RB: D+A+P (0x0003FFFF)
[  163.7681] (VMManager) Pausing...
[  167.0023] Add 138 seconds play time to SLUS-20362 -> now 2736
[  167.2244] Skipping updating pipeline cache 'C:\Users\Pichau\Documents\PCSX2\cache\vulkan_pipelines.bin' due to no changes.
[  170.1232] Releasing host memory for virtual systems...

[NarooN]

I have an i5-11600k and sometimes I get framedrops at certain spots on certain tracks at about x6 or x7 native res, but that's with me using the 60fps code as well lol. The NFS titles have always been a bit heavy in the emu, so the 3770 might just be showing its legs here.

[Jgr9]

How frequent is it, really?

I have a 2600K and 1650. I think it's (unfortunately still) expected that your framerate will be terrible at the very start of the race while the opponents are all right in front of you, other times when a bunch of opponents are right in front of you, and... the Marina for some reason.

But most of the time it should be 30. Don't use the 60 patch if it's not handling it.

Is that not the case for you at default settings?

Oh wait, you are using the 60 patch aren't you? Disable that.
Or maybe you're not

Like I said, dips are expected with this game with lots of opponents right in front of you.

(Anyways, I hope PCSX2 gets built-in Local Online Multiplayer Netplay again at some point since the old plugin is only for old PCSX2)

[jesalvein]

(Anyways, I hope PCSX2 gets built-in Local Online Multiplayer Netplay again at some point since the old plugin is only for old PCSX2)

It already does ?

[Jgr9]

Where? I mean local/splitscreen muliplayer Online netplay. Not games that had Online

[jesalvein]

Where? I mean local/splitscreen muliplayer Online netplay. Not games that had Online

oh, ok. why "again" ?
it never had