Forza Horizon 3 PC Performance Patch out

[Bacon1]

PC Update Improvements

Alongside the release of the Forza Horizon 3 Hot Wheels expansion we are pleased to announce numerous critical improvements included in the Windows 10 PC version of the game. These improvements are included in today’s automatic update, and do not require the Hot Wheels expansion to take advantage of.

Expanded Driving Wheel Support

With the most recent update of Windows 10, Windows Creators Edition, we have expanded our list of officially supported steering wheels for PC. The full list of newly supported wheels:

· Logitech Driving Force GT
· Logitech MOMO Force Feedback Racing Wheel
· Logitech G920
· Logitech G29
· Logitech G25
· Logitech G27
· Fanatec ClubSport Wheel Base V1
· Fanatec CSV2
· Fanatec CSR
· Thrustmaster TS-PC
· Thrustmaster T150
· Thrustmaster T500 RS
· Thrustmaster TMX V1
· Thrustmaster TMX V2
· Thrustmaster T300RS
· Thrustmaster TX 458 Edition
· Thrustmaster TX 599 Edition
· Thrustmaster TX Leather Edition
· Thrustmaster TX F1 Edition
· Thrustmaster TX GTE Edition
· Thrustmaster RGT

Improved CPU Performance

We have observed that a large portion of players are CPU limited when trying to run Forza Horizon 3 at high frame rates, including locked 60 FPS and unlocked. By analyzing telemetry, we have developed targeted optimizations for this group of affected players by increasing the number of concurrent threads used by the render architecture. We have taken further advantage of DX12 capabilities to allow the visuals to be processed out of order during the frame, in order to reduce synchronization stalls and decrease CPU execution duration. These changes result in a significant CPU performance gain on High or Ultra settings when running on PCs of Recommended spec or better.

Updated Thread Model

We have updated our threading affinity model to make better use of all available cores. Along with this change, we have added a new graphics option to disable the new model, should you prefer. This option can be found in the Video Settings menu under “Threaded Optimization”.

More Graphical Options

We have also added some additional graphical options to improve framerate for those playing on lower specification PCs. These include:

· Dynamic Geometry Quality now has a Very Low option
· World Car Level of Detail now has a Very Low option

These are combined with some existing options to create a new “Very Low” preset that can be used with dynamic optimization.

Additionally, all options have had their descriptions updated to include information on how each setting affects the CPU performance, GPU performance, and available VRAM, so that players can better understand the performance impact that tweaking each setting will have.

People on reddit have found some huge improvements:

https://www.reddit.com/r/forza/comm...ing_significant_gains_byron_bay_town/dhcdijn/

Looks like the cities are much improved.

 

[moonbogg]

Holy carp fish batman! At the worst area in the game, I went from 35-40 to 100fps locked with a split second dip or two down to 85fps. Gsync locked at 100fps all the damn time now. Insane. They fixed the crap out of this game. I'm buying that cool looking hot wheels expansion and all the rest of them now.

 

[Krteq]

THX for info - have to test it.

 

[Bacon1]

I went from 35-40 to 100fps locked with a split second dip or two down to 85fps.

Wow thats awesome glad to see more people are having that huge of a boost. Glad to see they fixed the issues where it was CPU bound.

 

[psolord]

By analyzing telemetry, we have developed targeted optimizations for this group of affected players by increasing the number of concurrent threads used by the render architecture.

Seriously now? They had to "analyze telemetry" to see their stupid game was essentially single threaded?

This is the cpu usage from my benchmarks with the GTX 1070 on the 2500k@4.8Ghz and the i7-860@4Ghz. It's not even funny.





No wonder no Ryzen reviewer bothered benchmarking this sorry excuse of coding. What good is a 8/16 cpu if you take advantage of its 1/8th? Maybe now that the shame is less, it would be a good time to see some before and after tests.

The 2500k gave me 64fps, the 860 gave me 55fps, but both systems had very bad stuttering and framerate variability.



Especially on the 860, the stuttering was horrendous. See the green frametimes in the following graph and notice its spikes.



I could actually feel the stupid game slowing down at some parts on the 860. And no the 860 is no slouch. It even beat the 2500k in a couple of games, the cpu hog Watchdogs being one of them. I have done like 50-60 benchmarks on both systems, which I will publish soon, once I get them sorted out.

Btw if you feel like being clickbaited these results came from these videos I have uploaded. (ultra minus means no MSAA-spicy wallpaper alert,don't ask, it's my trademark )

Forza Horizon 3 1920X1080 Ultra (-) GTX 1070 @2Ghz CORE i5-2500k@4.8GHz - 64fps

Forza Horizon 3 1920X1080 Ultra (-) GTX 1070 @2Ghz CORE i7-860 @4GHz - 55fps

 

[moonbogg]

Again, this happened with Rise of the Tomb Raider as well. It ran like crap and they fixed it later. Everyone's all thinking if they only had a 5ghz 7700K they might get 50fps in these stupid games. Then the developers fix their broken code and bam, everyone gets 100fps. Brilliant. Why didn't they do that before? Honestly, I think they let the games suffer in the beginning only to "fix" them with DX12 later so Microsoft can brag about DX12 and wow us with its amazing FPS increases. I smell a scam.

 

[nathanddrews]

1. Release beta software
2. Patch it
3. Extol virtues of telemetry and DX12

 

[TheELF]

Honestly, I think they let the games suffer in the beginning only to "fix" them with DX12 later so Microsoft can brag about DX12 and wow us with its amazing FPS increases. I smell a scam.

Forza is a windows 10 store game only and it was dx12 only from even before it came out since the apex 6 beta/tech demo was dx12 only as well.

 

[AntonioHG]

5K with DSR, Ultra Settings minus MSAA/FXAA. Somewhat doable on a GTX 1080. Dips into the 40s at times.

 

[Raduque]

I guess the patch hasn't hit the demo yet. I'm still pulling 57fps at 1080 medium on my laptop. =/

 

[Bacon1]

This is the cpu usage from my benchmarks with the GTX 1070 on the 2500k@4.8Ghz and the i7-860@4Ghz. It's not even funny.

Have you tested post patch? Would be interested in some updated charts / screenshots of afterburner

 

[2is]

Would love to hear more from people who own the full game. I really wanted to buy it but have stayed away due to the performance issues.

 

[dogen1]

Seriously now? They had to "analyze telemetry" to see their stupid game was essentially single threaded?

Don't be stupid. You always profile before you make invasive optimizations.

 

[moonbogg]

Would love to hear more from people who own the full game. I really wanted to buy it but have stayed away due to the performance issues.

I own the full game and just bought the expansions. I stopped playing because the game performed bad in some areas. Not the case anymore. I haven't actually tried the expansions yet, but performance in the main game has seriously gone bonkers from where it was.

 

[psolord]

Have you tested post patch? Would be interested in some updated charts / screenshots of afterburner

It's on my todo list, once they update the demo and then decide that maybe just maybe I buy the full version, although chances are slim, since I don't support such practices.

 

[moonbogg]

Hotwheels expansion runs great. same high fps as the base game.

 

[Carfax83]

According to DSOgaming, Forza Horizon 3 will nearly tap out a 4930K with HT disabled in an area called Surfer's Paradise in the game after the patch.

Now I'm wondering what on Earth about this game is so taxing, that it can nearly max out a Core i7 hex core CPU (albeit an older core with HT disabled), and in DX12 no less?!

bogg, what is your average CPU usage like after the patch?

 

[Raduque]

Now I'm wondering what on Earth about this game is so taxing, that it can nearly max out a Core i7 hex core CPU (albeit an older core with HT disabled), and in DX12 no less?!

I'm thinking probably the physics. Horizon is supposed to have the same "simulation" as the mainline Forza games. Only now it has to model trees, water, etc.

 

[TheELF]

According to DSOgaming, Forza Horizon 3 will nearly tap out a 4930K with HT disabled in an area called Surfer's Paradise in the game after the patch.

Now I'm wondering what on Earth about this game is so taxing, that it can nearly max out a Core i7 hex core CPU (albeit an older core with HT disabled), and in DX12 no less?!

bogg, what is your average CPU usage like after the patch?

Multithreaded rendering uses up all available cores no matter if it needs to (gpu is able to show all fps rendered) or not.

 

[AntonioHG]

Here's what it looks like in what used to be the most taxing area of the game with an i7 6700k 4.4GHz, GTX 1080 at 4K with Ultra Settings:

 

[EXCellR8]

wouldn't mind giving this a shot on PC... dumped quite a few hours into it on Xbox.

actually, does owning it on console net a copy on PC? never really looked into the whole "play anywhere" thing...

 

[Bacon1]

"play anywhere" thing...

Yes that is how play anywhere works. However you need the digital copy not disc, as the disc copy doesn't give you a digital copy which is linked to your account

 

[dogen1]

What does CPU load look like at 30 fps? Anyone done any tests?

 

[EXCellR8]

Yes that is how play anywhere works. However you need the digital copy not disc, as the disc copy doesn't give you a digital copy which is linked to your account

ack... mega dumb. why doesn't installing the disc-based game get linked to my account? actually nvm... it's Micro$oft

 

[Bacon1]

ack... mega dumb. why doesn't installing the disc-based game get linked to my account? actually nvm... it's Micro$oft

Because then you'd just resell the disc / return it and have a free game?