Low FPS/Great Computer Yor'sahj The Unsleeping

[Maveros]

Relative System Specs:

i7-2700k @ 4.8GHz
GTX 580
8GB 1600 RAM
1TB WD 7200 RPM HDD

Alright so here's the issue I'm having. I normally play WoW with on completely max detail; that is to say 8x multisampling, 16x texture filtering, everything on ultra etc etc. The lowest I ever get in a 25-man raid is around 40 FPS, and that's during things like Molten Seeds on Ragnaros. Recently we've been spending a lot of time on Yor'sahj, and the black phases with forgotten ones absolutely tear my FPS apart. I'm getting anywhere from 15-20 FPS during those phases, and while to some people that's perfectly playable... it absolutely is not to me.

My current theory is that it's a common addon causing the issue since a lot of my guild members have really bad spikes at that same point. At first, I thought it was just recount acting up, so I disabled it; that got me anywhere from 3-5 more FPS, so that's obviously not it. I then attempted to play on the absolute minimum settings, with recount off, and only saw about 7-8 more FPS on top of the 3-5 I gained from recount. Overheating came to mind, but my temps are always in the low 50s during raids so that's not it either.

The symptoms point towards my CPU choking from the AOE and spell effects, but I really can't imagine that being the case. Aside from the 3930k or 3960k, my CPU is basically the best option, AND it's overclocked to 4.8GHz. This fight is either horribly coded, it's a common addon causing the issue, or my CPU is degrading (the latter seems unlikely due to this being the only instance of poor performance).

MY QUESTION: Is anyone else having this problem that plays WoW on a PC that isn't branded with the Fisher Price decal?

IF YES: Have you tried troubleshooting? Disabling any addons? Any suggestions to offer at all?

[Djinni]

They do for everyone... lots of spell effects going on, lots of shadow's, lots of mobs.

[Vargur]

I have 10~ FPS during AoE and it's perfectly... well far from it, but playable. GTX560 2GB, X4 945, 3.5GB RAM
Don't complain. It's Blizzard's engine, unfortunately. Skyrim's engine would probably run better under those circumstances.. and look 100 times better.

[Xillian]

I have 10~ FPS during AoE and it's perfectly... well far from it, but playable. GTX560 2GB, X4 945, 3.5GB RAM
Don't complain. It's Blizzard's engine, unfortunately. Skyrim's engine would probably run better under those circumstances.. and look 100 times better.

So you're saying a modern day game engine outperforms one over 5 years old? Im shocked!

In all seriousness, have you looked into cooling? I have an i7-950 and was running into issues with the stock fan not working at all. I'd suggest installing hwmonitor an track your spikes. In my case I was hitting 100 degrees Celsius which wasn't helping. I installed a new fan and watched my low dps days disappear.

[Litesung]

This should help a bit. It's 'Autograph', an addon that adjusts your spell-detail depending on your raid size or solo.

[Vargur]

So you're saying a modern day game engine outperforms one over 5 years old? Im shocked!

In all seriousness, have you looked into cooling? I have an i7-950 and was running into issues with the stock fan not working at all. I'd suggest installing hwmonitor an track your spikes. In my case I was hitting 100 degrees Celsius which wasn't helping. I installed a new fan and watched my low dps days disappear.

Yeah I'll look into that.

[vesseblah]

It's Blizzard's engine, unfortunately. Skyrim's engine would probably run better under those circumstances.. and look 100 times better.

Ever stopped to think what might cause the difference? Maybe because there are 25 times more players on screen at raid times in WoW than Skyrim. That is what makes MMOs run slow and people expect something totally unrealistic.

So you're saying a modern day game engine outperforms one over 5 years old? Im shocked!

You're saying you didn't notice WoW engine getting graphics improvements in Cataclysm patch? I'm shocked!

In all seriousness, have you looked into cooling? I have an i7-950 and was running into issues with the stock fan not working at all. I'd suggest installing hwmonitor an track your spikes. In my case I was hitting 100 degrees Celsius which wasn't helping. I installed a new fan and watched my low dps days disappear.

Overheating is definitely one possiblity since Intel processors will start doing emergency downclocking at about 105C but your computer shouldn't have even started with CPU fan not working, something wrong with the motherboard too.

Besides I'm fairly sure that's not the problem with Moshic as Phenom X4 945 is rather slow in WoW. 10fps sounds about right during heavy aoe.

[Barracks00]

I've got a Q6600 (I know, not amazing by today's standards, but still plenty powerful) and a GTX 560ti and this fight and Ultraxion really hurt.

[vesseblah]

I've got a Q6600 (I know, not amazing by today's standards, but still plenty powerful) and a GTX 560ti and this fight and Ultraxion really hurt.

Q6600 was released Jan 2007 so it's 5th birthday is up in few days. That is 100% of the reason why your framerate sucks in raids. It's still playable with low enough settings, but all that is just life support for museum age technology.

[Xillian]

Ever stopped to think what might cause the difference? Maybe because there are 25 times more players on screen at raid times in WoW than Skyrim. That is what makes MMOs run slow and people expect something totally unrealistic.



You're saying you didn't notice WoW engine getting graphics improvements in Cataclysm patch? I'm shocked!



Overheating is definitely one possiblity since Intel processors will start doing emergency downclocking at about 105C but your computer shouldn't have even started with CPU fan not working, something wrong with the motherboard too.

Besides I'm fairly sure that's not the problem with Moshic as Phenom X4 945 is rather slow in WoW. 10fps sounds about right during heavy aoe.

Engine improvements versus designing from the ground up are 2 different worlds. Yes, they made it better, it wasn't a rewrite.

[Uggorthaholy]

I have the issue too. My system isn't epic, but I get by quite well, especially in the CPU market.

The fight has a TON of spell details going on. Too much for its own good. Best suggestion - turn down some settings and disable some mods for this fight, and cry silently while you rock yourself to detail sleep.

[Djinni]

I've got to ask actually... how is 20FPS for what? about 10seconds .... not playable?
If you didn't have an FPS counter would you actually even notice?
(This is why FPS and latency timers are actually bad for games... they create perceived problems that aren't actually there.)

In any case... the only thing you can really do at this point... is either
1) Ignore it (that phase only lasts a couple of seconds...)
2) Turn down your graphics for that fight (and ruin the experience for the rest of the fight...)
3) Turn off some background apps... In all seriousness I get the same FPS on the same fight with a 4.5GHz i7-2600k and a 560Ti.

(SS, note the FPS counter in the top left at 27FPS):

[Vargur]

You're saying you didn't notice WoW engine getting graphics improvements in Cataclysm patch? I'm shocked!

I don't think anyone did. Now let's get back to Age of Conan.......

[Deleted]

I have 10~ FPS during AoE and it's perfectly... well far from it, but playable. GTX560 2GB, X4 945, 3.5GB RAM
Don't complain. It's Blizzard's engine, unfortunately. Skyrim's engine would probably run better under those circumstances.. and look 100 times better.

Skyrim's engine wouldn't even hope to run a 10 man WoW raid, let alone 25 man. The engine is console ported, go figure.

[Imbashiethz]

turn down spell details etc. why do you care about how things look while raiding? you should be caring about performance.

[Static]

I don't think anyone did. Now let's get back to Age of Conan.......

The graphics improvements made in Cataclysm are (for me) very noticeable. Look at how beautiful Uldum is, really, as well as the Vortex Pinnacle, especially the clouds out there.

As for Yor'sahj The Unsleeping's encounter, there are a ton of stuff happening at the same time, so I think it'd be better to decrease the graphics settings a little bit at that encounter.

[Djinni]

turn down spell details etc. why do you care about how things look while raiding? you should be caring about performance.

Because it's easier to RESPOND to stuff you can actually see!!

[Deleted]

Because it's easier to RESPOND to stuff you can actually see!!

I raided for two years on all lowest possible settings at 1440x900. There's no such thing as "I can't see it on low!".

[Djinni]

I raided for two years on all lowest possible settings at 1440x900. There's no such thing as "I can't see it on low!".

No, but if your used to playing on high settings with stuff clearly visible... then suddenly going to low, isn't going to work well for you.

[Deleted]

There's not that much shit to move out of at Yor'Sahj now is there?.. -.-'