Horrible Fps since 3.0

I've noticed that between the times I played at launch, 1.2, 2.3, and now 3.0, all of the old particle effects for spells, MTX, and environments were never optimized. Some of the newer visuals don't lag, things introduced much more recently. However, older effects like any ground effect on a map mod, crush my framerate to this day. It runs exactly like it did on release day. I've conducted all the same optimizations back then as I did now, including more with the new graphics features. To no surprise, no graphics option affects this. Breaches, Harbingers, party play in general, MTX heavy players, and any other old effect from the older days of this game still destroys my frame rate. The only thing I haven't done is RAMdisk the entire game, which is a ludicrous notion in and of itself to fix an FPS problem. I quit hardcore in this game because I dislike conducting combat at 20-40 FPS, sometimes less.

Windows 7 64-bit (in all setups)
My specs back during 1.2 and earlier with the same effect/particle-related lag:
AMD Phenom II X4 945
Old MSI MOBO (cannot recall the model, but it wasn't bad)
6 gigs of 1333 Mhz Kingston HyperX RAM
Radeon 4850 HD
SB Audigy 2 ZS Gold
The game was installed on a Kingston SSD Stripe (Raid 0) for instant loads. I had the Shader cache on a RAMdisk, but it didn't really help. GGPK was defragmented, and the config file was heavily tweaked for performance.

Currently, including some overlap with 2.3:
i5-4690k
MSI Z97 Gaming 5
8 Gigs of Corsair 1333 Mhz RAM (9-9-9-24 iirc)
GTX 970 4 Gig Windforce (stock clocks with boost enabled)
Samsung EVO 500 gig SSD (TRIM enabled, ofc)
ASUS Xonar DGX

I had also used a Phenom II X6 1100T BE at stock (3.3ghz) and overclocked (as high as 4.0 ghz) with a Radeon 7870 prior to doing a full upgrade..

I've tweaked up and down Nvidia Inspector and the Control Panel. GGPK is defragmented, I've played with the graphics options in-game. Drivers are updated (including BIOS), and I only have my GPU driver (no GeForce Experience crap). I've played with HPET settings (properly; CMD console as well as BIOS settings). I've used software sound and standard. I've tried Windowed and Fullscreen. VSync and just a frame limiter. Config file tweaking just like before. I run virtually nothing but necessary system processes in the background, as I've disabled all unnecessary system services. I've gone and removed all of Microsoft's burdensome telemetry updates to windows. I've used Lockstep (stable 50 FPS to Washington and Texas servers), and Predictive (much less sluggish and not prone to random stutters). DirectX9, DX9EX, DX11, all the same. Engine multithreading functions, but its impact for me is minor. It alleviates some stutter, but doesn't help overall framerate. I've disabled the chat logging function and cleared the map cache as well.

Heat isn't an issue (and never has been), as I always check that if I'm getting performance problems. I rebuilt my PC with additional air flow and watercooling, so no surprise that isn't causing trouble now, either.

There isn't much else I could do to try and make this game run better. It has always run terribly, and continues to do so. Framerate is erratic, and the only place I even get good FPS anymore is in my hideout. Even in town it tanks due to all of the MTX players have now. Just firing my Lightning Arrow into a pack of mobs causes a small hiccup/dip in FPS.

I've played this game off and on for years, from its official release, and here and there, to now. Mostly, I played hardcore leagues in the beginning. But the awful performance of this game is a huge downer and saps the enjoyment from the endgame. Playing with others is actively discouraged because of this performance. Running in 6 man parties for master rotations is all I can stomach because 13-20 FPS is not enjoyable.

I didn't play in 2.6, so I don't know if it ran better then. This is really the only game I can't get a stable 60 FPS out of in all but the most desolate of places, and only the second game I've ever quit purely on the basis of performance issues. If this game ran like Diablo 3, it would be a much nicer experience.