[atsf37l]

Here's what I'm doing: I'm running Build 2462 as a stable source for just having fun and running trains. I moved up from 2460 'cuz of long save times. Then I'm running the latest and greatest to check out new enhancements and stuff, ever in search of a new stable version to replace 2462. Haven't found one without issues but keep searching as we get closer to the GOAL.

OK, so I'm running Builds 2462 and 2566 at the moment and I've noticed a profound difference: Much higher frame rates and much greater PC Heat! Test route and consist: Bob Wirth's Glorieta Pass route, heavy summer Super Chief/El Capitan with 24 Belanger cars pulled by 6 3DTrains' F Units.

Build 2462 FPS between 40 and 70, consistently in the 50's with no heat increase or change in the running of the fans in the case.

Build 2566 FPS between 90 and 120, consistently in the 100's! But the heat in the case has the fans running amok! After about 10 minutes of running Build 2566 my PC sounds like it is revving up for takeoff!

I'm rather afraid the thing is going to pop a cork! Anyone else having this problem? Love the frame rates but hate the heat. :cool3:

[Genma Saotome]

Keep in mind that whatever the CPU is up to your monitor is doing either 60 or 72 fps, with 60 fps almost a standard. That means if the CPU is spinning out 100+ fps, you see only 60 of them... the rest are pretty much as waste of heat.

Perhaps you could try the vertical sync option... it might successfully sync the CPU w/ the monitor and keep things cooler.

[atsf37l]

That did it Dave. FPS in the 60's and the box is running cool. Thanks for the tip. I may have found a new stable standard! :cool3:

[Genma Saotome]

Herb, do you run coretemp? It's a free CPU temperature monitoring program. Seems to me if your PC is hot at times you should know how hot it is getting.

[atsf37l]

Never been a problem until 2554! MSTS or Flight Sim X never made it heat up. But I'll be looking into it. :cool3:

[James Ross]

atsf37l, on 09 October 2014 - 03:44 PM, said:

Build 2462 FPS between 40 and 70, consistently in the 50's with no heat increase or change in the running of the fans in the case.

Build 2566 FPS between 90 and 120, consistently in the 100's! But the heat in the case has the fans running amok! After about 10 minutes of running Build 2566 my PC sounds like it is revving up for takeoff!

I'm rather afraid the thing is going to pop a cork! Anyone else having this problem? Love the frame rates but hate the heat. :cool3:

With the same settings, higher FPS will mean the GPU is doing more work and that almost certainly will mean more heat and more fan noise as the system tries to handle the heat. If you've got a pre-built computer, or you built your own carefully, the only downside will be the fan noise - nothing should actually "pop". Like Dave said, vertical sync is the best thing to enable as you'll get a smooth simulation (limiting it to ~80% or less of what it can manage gives really smooth results) and limit the work done by the GPU to just what's needed.

I would, however, be particularly interested in where in that range of versions this significant change occurred. If you use a binary search it should only mean downloading 7 other versions. Would you be able to do that?

[ATW]

Yea I gone through 2 video cards back when ORTS didn't have vertical sync to 60fps an am proud ORTS added that feature an hasn't burnt out my 4GB 8970M GPU. I showed the tip in a readme of one of my releases at T-s.

[atsf37l]

James Ross, on 10 October 2014 - 12:05 AM, said:

I would, however, be particularly interested in where in that range of versions this significant change occurred. If you use a binary search it should only mean downloading 7 other versions. Would you be able to do that?

I may be able to do that but with the schedule here this week I won't be able to get to it until the middle of next week.

[gpz]

I wonder if the switched on vsync has any drawbacks in cases when the fps is below the monitor's refresh rate. If no, it might be a good idea to modify the program to switch it on by default.

[James Ross]

gpz, on 10 October 2014 - 02:28 AM, said:

I wonder if the switched on vsync has any drawbacks in cases when the fps is below the monitor's refresh rate. If no, it might be a good idea to modify the program to switch it on by default.

I believe it makes no difference if you're not managing to get 60FPS at all, and only a small difference if you're straddling the boundary. The only thing that might be worth checking, if anyone here can, is whether enabling vertical sync correctly limits you to 120FPS on a 120Hz monitor (or similarly for any other non-60Hz monitors). If that works correctly, I don't see any obvious downsides to enabling it by default.