Turn OFF Shadows Increase Performance - Page 2

Flakz · 11-12-2011, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cha0s_St0rm

Ive looked through both the SkyrimPrefs and the Skyrim files in both locations and noticed that there is 'iShadowMapResolutionPrimary' and a secondary version but cant see one that is just 'iShadowMapResolution- edit the primary?

You're looking in the wrong location. Look for the SkyrimPrefs.ini file that's located in My Documents/My Games/Skyrim/SkyrimPrefs.ini.

Just change iShadowMapResolution=0. Usually this will be: iShadowMapResolution=4096 or 2048 or 512
Changing to 0 removes shadow completely.

Don't edit iShadowMapResolutionPrimary

Flakz · 11-12-2011, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gelbvieh

I'm gonna try it now. Just out curiosity, if I put a very high number into that field rather than 0, could I improve the shadows? I'd rather have some than none for atmospheric reasons, but the lego sets that are default are really irritating me.

Yes they are irritating. I guess you could raise it, but you would take a huge performance hit. At, Ultra the setting is 4096. So keep in mind you need to raise it double that, so 8192 would be the step up from there. So on, and so forth.

City Builder · 11-12-2011, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robotosis

i did this and lost 30fps. my brain melted

Yup, you are not alone. I lost 15fps when I set it to 0, I returned it to 512 and got back my lost 15fps.

I know for me shadows are almost always the biggest system hog in the games that I play and turning them off completely almost always makes a game that might be borderline playable, shoot up to ultra smooth fps, apparently doing this however does the opposite and actually loses me fps.

Strange.

Flakz · 11-12-2011, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by City Builder

Yup, you are not alone. I lost 15fps when I set it to 0, I returned it to 512 and got back my lost 15fps.

I know for me shadows are almost always the biggest system hog in the games that I play and turning them off completely almost always makes a game that might be borderline playable, shoot up to ultra smooth fps, apparently doing this however does the opposite and actually loses me fps.

Strange.

Hmmm, what kind of video card are you using?

Just asking cause, it essentially doubles my fps with the shadows turned off (testing with V-sync off).

I'm using a GTX 560Ti.

Pat1487 · 11-12-2011, 02:04 PM

When shadows are at Ultra they look good (with any other setting they are blocky) but the game performs pretty bad for me

I found setting shadows to Medium and then going to the INI (in my games\skyrim) and changing/adding these lines to this:

iShadowMapResolution=4096
iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=4096
iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=4096

It makes the shadows look almost as good as Ultra (they arent all blocky) but the performance runs as if it were still set to Medium
I dont know why this works like it does

Flakz · 11-12-2011, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat1487

When shadows are at Ultra they look good (with any other setting they are blocky) but the game performs pretty bad for me

I found setting shadows to Medium and then going to the INI (in my games\skyrim) and changing/adding these lines to this:

iShadowMapResolution=4096
iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=4096
iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=4096

It makes the shadows look almost as good as Ultra (they arent all blocky) but the performance runs as if it were still set to Medium
I dont know why this works like it does

Will give this a shot then report back

EDIT: Gave this a shot, FPS went from ~115fps to ~25fps.....

City Builder · 11-12-2011, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flakz

Hmmm, what kind of video card are you using?

Just asking cause, it essentially doubles my fps with the shadows turned off (testing with V-sync off).

I'm using a GTX 560Ti.

Nvidia GTX 460

Flakz · 11-12-2011, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by City Builder

Nvidia GTX 460

Very strange. It works for me like a charm. Sorry it's not helping you out!

City Builder · 11-12-2011, 02:17 PM

No biggie, I'm getting a solid 60fps when I turn SLI in the nvidia control panel, or maybe it's not turned on, specifically for the game, well whatever, it's a solid 60 fps in the game right now so no need for me to go up more than that. If it starts to bog down at some point in the game then I'm sure I'll start frantically looking for help.

Pat1487 · 11-12-2011, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flakz

Will give this a shot then report back

EDIT: Gave this a shot, FPS went from ~115fps to ~25fps.....

Thats weird, it works for me
When i did what you said, to turn them off, i lose FPS, like others here

For those that lost FPS by turning off shadows like what was said here
Try doing what i said in my last post

gueber · 11-12-2011, 02:27 PM

If you don't want to turn off your shadows completely try playing with

iBlurDeferredShadowMask=3

Setting it lower will make the shadows sharper, this may make them look nicer if your pc can handle higher res shadow maps.

iBlurDeferredShadowMask=1
iShadowMapResolution=4096
iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=4096
iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=4096

If your pc can't handle 4096 shadow maps, and I know mine cant then try actually turning up the blur mask it will help cover the jaggedness of lower res shadows.

iBlurDeferredShadowMask=6
iShadowMapResolution=2048
iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=2048
iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=2048

Gelbvieh · 11-12-2011, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat1487

When shadows are at Ultra they look good (with any other setting they are blocky) but the game performs pretty bad for me

I found setting shadows to Medium and then going to the INI (in my games\skyrim) and changing/adding these lines to this:

iShadowMapResolution=4096
iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=4096
iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=4096

It makes the shadows look almost as good as Ultra (they arent all blocky) but the performance runs as if it were still set to Medium
I dont know why this works like it does

Ah this all certainly does work quite well, just murders FPS. Thanks though, I'll just have a play around with different values.

Ah brilliant! iBlurShadowMask=6 and the resolutions at 2048 works excellently and makes shadows bearable. Thanks!

PereKermann · 11-12-2011, 02:30 PM

I've got a GTX 560 Ti, and the first suggestion dropped my FPS by about 30.

The second (increasing the values to 4096), however, made my FPS more stable... It just evened out. Slightly lower max number, and no drops so far. And the shadows look amazing.

This game is weird.

Flakz · 11-12-2011, 02:32 PM

Ok guys I figured it out. Disabling shadows completely increases FPS INDOORS. OUTSIDE it actually lowers FPS. I'm not sure why this is. I was testing in a dungeon because that's where it seemed I lost most of my FPS.

EDIT: I'm guessing it has something to do with the dynamic shadows from the Sunlight/Moonlight outside. Weird tho.

HorseRotorvator · 11-12-2011, 02:36 PM

By turning off shadows I went from 60 fps outside Riften and 90 fps inside a dungeon on 8xaf, medium textures, medium radial to 15 fps outside Riften and 30 fps inside a dungeon with everything on low.

Radeon HD 5670

Pat's method did pretty much the same thing.

11-12-2011, 02:30 PM	#28
PereKermann Join Date: Apr 2011 Reputation: 24 Posts: 148	I've got a GTX 560 Ti, and the first suggestion dropped my FPS by about 30. The second (increasing the values to 4096), however, made my FPS more stable... It just evened out. Slightly lower max number, and no drops so far. And the shadows look amazing. This game is weird. Last edited by PereKermann: 11-12-2011 at 02:36 PM.

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11-12-2011, 02:04 PM	#20
Pat1487 Join Date: Jan 2008 Reputation: 72 Posts: 310	When shadows are at Ultra they look good (with any other setting they are blocky) but the game performs pretty bad for me I found setting shadows to Medium and then going to the INI (in my games\skyrim) and changing/adding these lines to this: iShadowMapResolution=4096 iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=4096 iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=4096 It makes the shadows look almost as good as Ultra (they arent all blocky) but the performance runs as if it were still set to Medium I dont know why this works like it does

11-12-2011, 02:17 PM	#24
City Builder Join Date: Mar 2009 Reputation: 41 Posts: 1,341	No biggie, I'm getting a solid 60fps when I turn SLI in the nvidia control panel, or maybe it's not turned on, specifically for the game, well whatever, it's a solid 60 fps in the game right now so no need for me to go up more than that. If it starts to bog down at some point in the game then I'm sure I'll start frantically looking for help.

11-12-2011, 02:27 PM	#26
gueber Join Date: Jun 2011 Reputation: 11 Posts: 25	If you don't want to turn off your shadows completely try playing with iBlurDeferredShadowMask=3 Setting it lower will make the shadows sharper, this may make them look nicer if your pc can handle higher res shadow maps. iBlurDeferredShadowMask=1 iShadowMapResolution=4096 iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=4096 iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=4096 If your pc can't handle 4096 shadow maps, and I know mine cant then try actually turning up the blur mask it will help cover the jaggedness of lower res shadows. iBlurDeferredShadowMask=6 iShadowMapResolution=2048 iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=2048 iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=2048

11-12-2011, 02:32 PM	#29
Flakz Join Date: Oct 2011 Reputation: 30 Posts: 293	Ok guys I figured it out. Disabling shadows completely increases FPS INDOORS. OUTSIDE it actually lowers FPS. I'm not sure why this is. I was testing in a dungeon because that's where it seemed I lost most of my FPS. EDIT: I'm guessing it has something to do with the dynamic shadows from the Sunlight/Moonlight outside. Weird tho.

11-12-2011, 02:36 PM	#30
HorseRotorvator Join Date: Jun 2009 Reputation: 168 Posts: 1,243	By turning off shadows I went from 60 fps outside Riften and 90 fps inside a dungeon on 8xaf, medium textures, medium radial to 15 fps outside Riften and 30 fps inside a dungeon with everything on low. Radeon HD 5670 Pat's method did pretty much the same thing.