Battlefield 4 Settings for GPU usage optimisation guide

[crystal6tak]

After being frustrated with how graphically unoptimized battlefield 4 is I decided to do a series of tests to find out just what specific settings decreased or increased gpu usage. I wanted a setting where my gpu is at its highest load possible with my setup.

 

Testing methodology:

1.) Join a 64 player server with the map Siege of Shanghai where the sky is clear and not foggy.

2.) Fly chopper to B

3.)

4.)

5.) Wait 20 seconds to let it stabilize.

6.) Log fps and gpu usage.

7.) Change settings and quit. (IMPORTANT, some settings do not take effect until game restarts)

8.) Repeat from step 1.

 

PC Specs:

FX 8350 at stock (4ghz)

7970 Overclocked (core clock 1230 mhz, mem clock 1600 mhz)

12gb RAM 1333mhz

Win 7 + cores unparked

Drivers: Catalyst 13.11 beta v8

 

For the settings:

Resolution: 1920 x 1200

Resolution Scale: 100%

Field of view: 90

All the settings on the right: Everything lowest with 1 at it's highest. (e.g one of the test would have all the settings on the right at it's lowest/off but only Texture Quality at Ultra.)

 

Results:

(Setting at highest) / (fps) / (gpu usage)

Texture Quality      / 68 / 44%

Texture Filtering    / 72 / 47%

Lighting Quality     / 64 / 52%

Effects Quality       / 70 / 48%

Post Processing     / 71 / 48%

Mesh Quality          / 63 / 45%

Terrain Quality       / 70 / 44%

Terrain Decoration /72 / 45%

Antialising Deferred/71 / 63%

Antialising Post       /72 / 46%

Ambient Occlusion / 72 / 52%

 

For comparison:

All settings at highest / 48 / 90%

All settings at lowest   / 72 / 45%

 

So now we all know what setting increases or decreases gpu usage we can adjust our settings to maximize gpu usage.

 

 

This is what I get with these settings

My settings / 60 / 93%

 

Don't take my settings as the be all and end all gpu usage optimized setting though, go tweak your own settings with the help of the results I got! And if you can, post your fps and gpu usage!

 

On a side note: 

I felt stupid and set all the settings to lowest and cranked resolution scale to 200% and got this:

63 / 96%

[MegaDave91]

Everything on ultra for me, but if I had to sacrifice settings, it wouldn't be mesh.

[Bentheguy]

I like your profile picture.

[LogicDeifying]

I want to eat his profile avatars kind.

[crystal6tak]

I like your profile picture.

Thank you!

I want to eat his profile avatars kind.

Ok I did not know cats were so fond of cheeseburgers.

[LogicDeifying]

Thank you!

Ok I did not know cats were so fond of cheeseburgers.

Yes  especially if they have bacon,Do you have bacon.

[crystal6tak]

Yes  especially if they have bacon,Do you have bacon.

There is never enough bacon.

[LogicDeifying]

There is never enough bacon.

Absolutely never.

[Bentheguy]

Thank you!

Ok I did not know cats were so fond of cheeseburgers.

 

[Mitrailleuse]

mesh quality LOW?

you are doing it wrong.

[crystal6tak]

mesh quality LOW?

you are doing it wrong.

From my test mesh quality only hurts fps, gpu usage didn't even budge...

[Mitrailleuse]

From my test mesh quality only hurts fps, gpu usage didn't even budge...

so what?

its a must have in a battlefield game,if you are in a jet you can't see people on the ground from far away,you must have mesh on high-ultra for the render distance.

[crystal6tak]

so what?

its a must have in a battlefield game,if you are in a jet you can't see people on the ground from far away,you must have mesh on high-ultra for the render distance.

I did not know about the render distance lol. Thanks! I'll keep it on ultra from now on.

[Mitrailleuse]

I did not know about the render distance lol. Thanks! I'll keep it on ultra from now on.

[Real_nimr0d_3]

After being frustrated with how graphically unoptimized battlefield 4 is I decided to do a series of tests to find out just what specific settings decreased or increased gpu usage. I wanted a setting where my gpu is at its highest load possible with my setup.

 

Testing methodology:

1.) Join a 64 player server with the map Siege of Shanghai where the sky is clear and not foggy.

2.) Fly chopper to B

3.)

4.)

5.) Wait 20 seconds to let it stabilize.

6.) Log fps and gpu usage.

7.) Change settings and quit. (IMPORTANT, some settings do not take effect until game restarts)

8.) Repeat from step 1.

 

PC Specs:

FX 8350 at stock (4ghz)

7970 Overclocked (core clock 1230 mhz, mem clock 1600 mhz)

12gb RAM 1333mhz

Win 7 + cores unparked

Drivers: Catalyst 13.11 beta v8

 

For the settings:

Resolution: 1920 x 1200

Resolution Scale: 100%

Field of view: 90

All the settings on the right: Everything lowest with 1 at it's highest. (e.g one of the test would have all the settings on the right at it's lowest/off but only Texture Quality at Ultra.)

 

Results:

(Setting at highest) / (fps) / (gpu usage)

Texture Quality      / 68 / 44%

Texture Filtering    / 72 / 47%

Lighting Quality     / 64 / 52%

Effects Quality       / 70 / 48%

Post Processing     / 71 / 48%

Mesh Quality          / 63 / 45%

Terrain Quality       / 70 / 44%

Terrain Decoration /72 / 45%

Antialising Deferred/71 / 63%

Antialising Post       /72 / 46%

Ambient Occlusion / 72 / 52%

 

For comparison:

All settings at highest / 48 / 90%

All settings at lowest   / 72 / 45%

 

So now we all know what setting increases or decreases gpu usage we can adjust our settings to maximize gpu usage.

 

 

This is what I get with these settings

My settings / 60 / 93%

 

Don't take my settings as the be all and end all gpu usage optimized setting though, go tweak your own settings with the help of the results I got! And if you can, post your fps and gpu usage!

 

On a side note: 

I felt stupid and set all the settings to lowest and cranked resolution scale to 200% and got this:

63 / 96%

But you're in a empty server, do you want us to join 64 player server while its empty?

[crystal6tak]

But you're in a empty server, do you want us to join 64 player server while its empty?

I used an empty server to make sure cpu bottleneck is at it's lowest, and I used a 64 man server. Btw, the tests done in this thread is several months old, so unless you want to test how optimized BF4 is now with and without mantle by comparing it with the results I got back then, the results I got back then is useless for the original purpose of this thread.

[191x7]

And what settings would you recommend for my configuration (in the signature)? In DX11 mode I get cpu 100% GPU 70-80%.

[crystal6tak]

And what settings would you recommend for my configuration (in the signature)? In DX11 mode I get cpu 100% GPU 70-80%.

I honestly don't know. I haven't played BF4 in months and don't plan to do so. So I don't know if any optimization was done. What you can do is follow what I did and find for yourself what settings works best.

[ShadowCaptain]

I don't find it that badly optimized, all the computers in my sig play it perfectly fine at the settings I expected. The 650m plays it on medium at 768 60fps, all high with no AA at 1080p on my 7979m crossfire, and everything Ultra 4xAA 110% res 1440p on my 780ti

 

I even ran it on all low on my old alienware with a celeron and 335m.... it ran at 30fps