Dark Souls Tearing... at 30fps?

[Majestic]

So this is weird. I wanted to start playing Dark Souls again, but I noticed (and hadn't before) that the game creates screentearing even at 30fps. I don't understand how that is even possible, is it some issue with the emulator the game is running on? 

 

I tried googling, but it's pages and pages of people complaining unlocking the fps causes tearing. I was using DXfix for the resolution/graphics bump, but I kept the fps @ 30 because the game just works better at 30 (in terms of mechanics/timing). But even without DSFix, the game tears at it's default 30 fps.

 

I'm confused.

[SolarNova]

Common misconception about screen tearing is that it only happens at certain FPS figures.

 

If you have Vsync off, screen tearing can and will happen at ANY FPS. Even at ur screen native refresh rate (60 for the majority of people)

 

Why ?  Frametimes & synchronisation.

 

Even at 60 FPS frametimes will be every so slightly different from each other and eventualy this will leade to a screen tear. As FPS figures get further away from ur screen native refresh rate more screan tearing will occure UNTILL u get a half way point of 30, at which point each frame will be shown 2 times per refresh and screen tearing will be as uncoom as at 60 FPS ,BUT again frametimes matter.

 

Darksouls 1 is terribly optimised for PC and there are places where FPS dips below 30 no matter ur PC specs, frame times are all over the place even when pegged at 30 FPS so u will get screen tearing.

 

Remember, screen tearing is what happens when a frame is pumped out of ur GPU and given to ur screen to show when ur screen is half way through showing another frame, at which point u get a portion of 1 frame and a portion of another, this displays as a screen tear. Since the refresh rate of ur screen is static, and the GPU, without vsync on, simply pumps out frames when its ready, nether is in sync with each other so u will always get screen tearing. Vsycn stops this by making the GPU wait for the screen to refresh BUT this can cause stuttering when the GPU cant produce  a frame in time for the next immediate screen refresh, when this happens the GPU holds back the next frame so the screen shows the same frame again and then the GPU sends the new frame, this causes the image to seem to stutter/jerk about.

 

Theres plenty of info online explain in greater detail with pictures and such on how Vsync and screen tearing works. This is just my way of explaining it.

 

TLDR; Turn Vsync ON

[IdortMasterRace]

TLDR; Turn Vsync ON

 

But V-sync is garbage and leads to things like frame rate drops and heavy frame and input latency.

 

Whereas, there's actual fixes for the screen tearing in DaS1 that do not require shit like V-sync. All OP has to do is a basic internet search.

[ThE_MarD]

Heyyo,

@Majestic

Use DSfix and try tinkering with the settings please:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=357056859

 

But V-sync is garbage and leads to things like frame rate drops and heavy frame and input latency.

 

Whereas, there's actual fixes for the screen tearing in DaS1 that do not require shit like V-sync. All OP has to do is a basic internet search.

Maybe if you're pushing your graphics so hard that your PC can't maintain 60fps sure... I've been playing with Vsync on for the longest time and I've never had massive stuttering issues.

[IdortMasterRace]

Maybe if you're pushing your graphics so hard that your PC can't maintain 60fps sure... I've been playing with Vsync on for the longest time and I've never had massive stuttering issues.

 

Except these issues apply even on games well exceeding 60 fps. "Doesn't happen to me!" isn't a valid response, either.

[Majestic]

If you have Vsync off, screen tearing can and will happen at ANY FPS. Even at ur screen native refresh rate (60 for the majority of people)

 

That's not how graphics cards work m8. Screen tearing can only occur if your graphics card buffer is refreshing faster than the monitor is scanning.

Lower fps than the scanfrequency can only result in "double scanning" or perceived shuttering. It cannot result in tearing since tearing is an update of the memorybuffer during a scancycle.

 

TLDR i know what tearing is, it's not supposed to happen below 60 fps. Besides, Vsync was on.

 

@The_mard the OP says i've installed dsfix. But enabling vsync and tinkering with the monitor refresh does not solve the issue.

[SolarNova]

I ALWAYS play with Vsync. have for years and years.

 

My eyes are super sensitive to visual artefacts, so screen tearing ..it makes my eyes bleed. .seriously I cant stand it.

 

Stuttering though, that is tolerable. Specially if u know how to limit it. So long as u have strong CPU and keep ur average GPU usage around 70%, u have enough horse power in reserve to deal with the odd frame that may require more grunt, thus stuttering is reduced.

Of course some games u just cant do anything with due to poor optimisation ..but u get my point I hope

 

Don't get me wrong I love how much smoother and more responsive a game can feel when It can reach 100+ FPS, its night and day, but the screen tearing is diabolical. I'd rather ave capped 60 FPS with the odd stutter.

 

And for games with a sub 60 fps cap .I mod it and un cap it. DS1 I unaped and I just dealt with the gameplay glitches caused by it.. like I never slid down a ladder, because if u did u could sometimes fall through the world due to borked collision detection at 60 FPS.

 

EDIT: iv had games where VSync is set to 'on' but its not actually working. Try setting it in NCP )if Nvidia), or CCC (if ur amd) game profile.

[Majestic]

I understand your affinity with vsync, but I don't see how that anecdote is helping me. I mean no offense.

 

The monitor is 60hz, the game runs at 30fps. It shouldn't cause screen tearing, and yet it does. I'm suspecting the emulator running the port is to blame. Since it does it vanilla and with dsfix. vsync or no vsync.

[ThE_MarD]

Heyyo,

 

That's not how graphics cards work m8. Screen tearing can only occur if your graphics card buffer is refreshing faster than the monitor is scanning.

Lower fps than the scanfrequency can only result in "double scanning" or perceived shuttering. It cannot result in tearing since tearing is an update of the memorybuffer during a scancycle.

 

TLDR i know what tearing is, it's not supposed to happen below 60 fps. Besides, Vsync was on.

 

@The_mard the OP says i've installed dsfix. But enabling vsync and tinkering with the monitor refresh does not solve the issue.

good answer amigo.

Oops to the second part! I didn't notice the dsfix is in use... hmm... Maybe use NVIDIA Inspector? Check that the profile is running on the right exe (launch the game, alt-tab and use task manager, right click dark souls and select "show process" and it'll give you a .exe, right-click that .exe and "open file location")

Next? Try forcing VSYNC on in there and then set the framerate target to 28fps. See if that helps.

If that doesn't work? I can always try downloading the game and tinkering with it too.

[Majestic]

I've even tried forcing adaptive vsync (half frequency) so it's forcing the application to run 30hz. To no avail..

 

I mean I can live with it, but the tearing is rather jarring. If someone knows a fix, it would still be benificial.

[ThE_MarD]

Heyyo,

I've even tried forcing adaptive vsync (half frequency) so it's forcing the application to run 30hz. To no avail..

 

I mean I can live with it, but the tearing is rather jarring. If someone knows a fix, it would still be benificial.

Tbh I've always found that adaptive-vsync doesn't work for screen-tearing, it only tends to fix stuttering when the framerate drops hard is all I've noticed with it. I always got screen tearing with that. Definitely try turning off adaptive vsync and just use vsync and cap the framerate at either 28fps or 30fps.

[ShadowCaptain]

I understand your affinity with vsync, but I don't see how that anecdote is helping me. I mean no offense.

 

The monitor is 60hz, the game runs at 30fps. It shouldn't cause screen tearing, and yet it does. I'm suspecting the emulator running the port is to blame. Since it does it vanilla and with dsfix. vsync or no vsync.

 

Again thats now how screens work

 

If a game is running at 30fps, then its showing a fame twice every second.. if those frames are drown out of sync you get tearing, doenst matter if its 20, 30, 40 60 etc etc

[Majestic]

Again thats now how screens work

 

If a game is running at 30fps, then its showing a fame twice every second.. if those frames are drown out of sync you get tearing, doenst matter if its 20, 30, 40 60 etc etc

 

I was going to make a rebuttal on this, but during which I realised I was wrong. Since the point of tearing (spot on the screen where it was visible) was always the same, out-of-sync didn't make much sense (since you'd expect random points). But since both frequencies (30 and 60) are fixed, the points of tearing are always fixed aswell. And then it also makes sense how I can move that point over the screen by increasing/decreasing the turnspeed of the camera.

 

 

So my theory is, the game is running on it's own timing because of the emulator and doesn't sync up with the computer. Since both through the game, DSfix and nvidia panel (and attempted seperately) it's being instructed to sync.