PhysX causing low framerates with AMD GPU (BL2)

[Daveeede]

I noticed that Borderlands 2 started running at much lower framerates on my system (in sig). I hadn't played it for a few months. Especially in gunfights where there are heavy explosions and stuff. When I first got my R9 290, I forced the game settings to keep using PhysX at high setting. I assumed the CPU would handle the PhysX stuff and I didn't have any problems at the time. Now, the fps has been dropping well below 30. I disabled PhysX and I no longer have any problems (but I can tell the difference it makes and I'd rather have it enabled).

 

My question is if anyone knows if anything has changed in recent driver updates that could have caused this problem? I really don't think my CPU is bottlenecking because of the PhysX, but I'm still not sure why this is happening. Any ideas?

[Fulgrim]

Maybe you had it off before, but forgot? 

[0ld_Chicken]

its common with borderlands 2 unfortunately. I still get issues with sli 980.  I even tried setting one of my 980's to physx only and got about the same thing   I just keep physx on medium for bl2 now, as painful as that is to see

[Boobies Sprinkle]

AMD GPU can use NVIDIA Physx?! Holy sh*t. 

[Daveeede]

Just now, Fulgrim said:

Maybe you had it off before, but forgot? 

Totally possible, but it's not something I can change in-game. I need to edit the game file to force it. I sure as hell remember not turning it on recently. 

[Moonzy]

Just now, Boobies Sprinkle said:

AMD GPU can use NVIDIA Physx?! Holy sh*t. 

i believe they use cpu to do the calculations though, so its not that great

[Daveeede]

1 minute ago, 0ld_Chicken said:

its common with borderlands 2 unfortunately. I still get issues with sli 980.  I even tried setting one of my 980's to physx only and got about the same thing   I just keep physx on medium for bl2 now, as painful as that is to see

You wouldn't think it would make much of a difference. but with how these games are made you really notice it. 

[Fulgrim]

3 minutes ago, Boobies Sprinkle said:

AMD GPU can use NVIDIA Physx?! Holy sh*t. 

AMD GPU's can't, mate. It'll run on the CPU and it'll run badly if you enable it whilst running an AMD GPU.

[Daveeede]

2 minutes ago, Fulgrim said:

AMD GPU's can't, mate. It'll run on the CPU and it'll run badly if you enable it whilst running an AMD GPU.

Must be something to do with the game itself since I see guys online enabling it on systems with weaker gpus and cpus and not having any issues (theres a bunch on youtube).

[0ld_Chicken]

5 minutes ago, Daveeede said:

You wouldn't think it would make much of a difference. but with how these games are made you really notice it. 

 

1 minute ago, Daveeede said:

Must be something to do with the game itself since I see guys online enabling it on systems with weaker gpus and cpus and not having any issues (theres a bunch on youtube).

hmmm, I've always heard it was just the way it was.  I've even tried tweaking other stuff in the .ini and I got some higher fps in general but got about the same dips.  I'll look around for some of the videos, I'm curious

[Daveeede]

13 minutes ago, 0ld_Chicken said:

 

hmmm, I've always heard it was just the way it was.  I've even tried tweaking other stuff in the .ini and I got some higher fps in general but got about the same dips.  I'll look around for some of the videos, I'm curious

He's got an i5 and AMD 7850 with only 4 gb ram. I dont see many fps drops.

[Daveeede]

Oh man... I think I found what was causing the issue. The gpu was struggling to sit at 100% because "disable ULPS" wasn't checked off in Afterburner. My fps would drop due to this, and not the PhysX setting. 

[0ld_Chicken]

 

2 hours ago, Daveeede said:

He's got an i5 and AMD 7850 with only 4 gb ram. I dont see many fps drops.

yeah, I dont really get drops in situations like that either, my fps stays pretty steady.  For me it is when you are in something like the 4th level of the slaughterdome and there are 20 different people wailing on you. 

 

1 hour ago, Daveeede said:

Oh man... I think I found what was causing the issue. The gpu was struggling to sit at 100% because "disable ULPS" wasn't checked off in Afterburner. My fps would drop due to this, and not the PhysX setting. 

I hope that solves your issue!  I've been trying to play around with mine but I'll need to do it tomorrow when I can do co-op since that is when it is the worst