Simulator stutters when using TDS

[tebro]

Hello,

I really like the TDS GTN and how well it works in cockpit of my C310. However, my simulator is stuttering whenever I have the TDS GTN process running and the planes avionics on. The stuttering does not stop even if I change to just radio navigation in the airplane (hiding the GTN).

It however does stop if I stop the TDS software from the tray icon.

Is there anything that can be done to this? I would really like to use this setup as it provides a superior experience.

I have tried:
- the changes in the performance thread on these forums
- setting CPU affinity so that the garmin processes are on their own core separate from the simulator
- restarting the TDS software while the simulator is running

[adminOwner2]

Hello,

We are here to help. What are your full system specs? Is it possible to temporarily lower the MSFS settings and try the TDS GTNXi again?

Additionally, we have a panel.cfg for the C310 with slightly reduced resolution/only one GTNXI unit. If you are interested in testing this, please send us a PM with your email address. Thank you.

[tebro]

Hey thanks for the quick response.

My specs:
Intel i7 8700
RTX3080
16GB 32GB DDR4
All software installed on nvme drive.


I did some additional testing:

- JustFlight turbo arrow III -> still stutters
- Graphics preset from Ultra to High -> still stutters
- Graphics to low -> stutters
- Ultra graphics, DX11 to DX12 -> still stutters

Will send you a PM for that config file.

[JazzBird]

I think the 16GB Ram is the problem! 32GB is the minimum today, and the CPU is not necessarily the best choice either.

[tebro]

My mistake, not sure why I wrote 16GB, I do have 32GB RAM.

I am aware the CPU is getting old, but the symptoms are not low FPS, but stutters.

[tebro]

So after quite a bit of testing I have come to learn the following.

Even if you change the planes avionics to something else (like radio navigation only) the stutters remain as long as TDS and the gtn_simulator.exe processes remain.

The low resolution config did not help at all.

The single device config did reduce the severity of the stutters, but they are still there. This would seem to make sense as now there is only one gtn_simulator.exe running instead of the usual two.

I took this screenshot of the FPS display just as it stuttered:
 

The graphs, at least this is how I understand it, show that something in the integration between gtn_simulator.exe and the flight sim makes the MainThread stutter.

[adminOwner2]

Hello,

Can you re-confirm that NanoVG has been enabled and is running?

Unfortunately the CPU does seem dated for what you are trying to run. Perhaps there is another program like a process monitor that constantly keeps on using the CPU? We are interested in a device manager screenshot showing CPU usage.

This may seem like a tough one to fix due to the internal PC configuration.

[tebro]

So I reloaded the default panel.cfg, verified that NanoVG is enabled and started the plane up.

The following graph is of the CPU usage. The first part is with the avionics running, each dip in usage corresponds to a stutter. 

After turning the avionics off (switch in cockpit) the CPU usage goes down a little bit, and no more usage dips or stutters. (second part of the graph)



as for the CPU age: My friend who recommended the TDS system to me is running the same CPU with no issues.

[adminOwner2]

Hello,

What antivirus are you using? Additionally, we have this question: Perhaps there is another program like a process monitor that constantly keeps on using the CPU?

[tebro]

I use Windows Defender.

No additional monitoring software installed, this windows install is about two weeks old.