GPU usage in GTA4

[vj8usa]

I started messing around with settings after getting the patch that came out recently (1.0.3.0) to see if it really improved performance over the last version (rig in sig). My framerates skyrocket when I turn settings waayy down, but my GPU usage is always 50ish%, and never gets anywhere near max. I know I'm CPU limited, but why isn't GPU usage increasing when I change settings like shadow detail/density? Isn't that entirely GPU? My framerates plummet when I increase shadow settings, but GPU usage still isn't anywhere near max.

Is there some obscure driver setting I'm forgetting? Cat AI is on standard, by the way.

 

[TC91]

i believe shadows are much more dependent on cpus rather than gpus

 

[zerocool84]

GTA4 uses the CPU much more than the GPU.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

Your 2160 is a pretty huge bottleneck for this game, and certainly some bottleneck for a lot of other games as well.

 

[dug777]

That's my Q6600 (effectively stock) and my 4850 (775/1008) during a random blast around town in a 'vette:

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/dug777/GTAIV.jpg

1600x1200 75Hz and everything maxed that I can with 512mb (medium, very high, very high, high, highest , plus some auto settings with the numbers (25, 37, 26, 3)

CPU looks pretty lazy...

 

[TC91]

Originally posted by: dug777
That's my Q6600 (effectively stock) and my 4850 (775/1008) during a random blast around town in a 'vette:

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/dug777/GTAIV.jpg

1600x1200 75Hz and everything maxed that I can with 512mb (medium, very high, very high, high, highest , plus some auto settings with the numbers (25, 37, 26, 3)

CPU looks pretty lazy...

thats an excellent oc on your 4850

 

[vj8usa]

Ah, I didn't realize that shadows relied more on the CPU than the GPU. That's interesting.

 

[Munky]

Originally posted by: vj8usa
Ah, I didn't realize that shadows relied more on the CPU than the GPU. That's interesting.

Actually it's false. Most modern shadowing techniques, like shadow mapping, rely heavily on the gpu. Unless of course GTA4 implements them differently.

 

[KIAman]

GTA4 is a one of the worst port from console I have ever played. Many of the graphic features were lazily coded to utilize CPU rather than GPU.

Lazy coding from such a rich company as Rockstar games drives me nutty.

And yes, I've got 2xHD4850 and my GPU hovers around 40%.