Performance Problems - Shader Maxing Out, Extreme Lag, Texture Problem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg6oVeNo4D0

Barrows ground map texture is messed up, opening breach causes immense lag, going into the underground zone in Barrows Map instantly returns FPS to normal though still some lag but much smoother than when on main level of Barrows zone.

Opening Breach
https://youtu.be/xg6oVeNo4D0?t=27

Entering underground area:
https://youtu.be/xg6oVeNo4D0?t=90

CPU: FX 8350
GPU: NVidia GTX 1080 Ti
RAM: 32 GB

Current settings:

Renderer: DX12
Triple Buffering: Disabled (Default)
Multithreading: Enabled

Changing any of the settings above did not really help.

-Vulcan appears to perform the worst of all 3
-DX 11, more or less the same as DX 12
-shader bar still goes crazy when starting a loading a new zone (that I have played before multiple times), or if I'm opening a breach, legion. Example, running desecrated chambers over and over again still for some reasons procs alot of shader activity on F1 bar


Image of shader bar still procs in hideout even though I am just zoning in out of my hideout...not sure why, shouldn't all these shaders be created already?

Hideout Zoning in #1


Hideout Zoning in #2


Act 10 Desecrated Chambers Zone in #1


Act 10 Desecrated Chambers Zone in #1 (New Zone)


In all cases above, I simply zoned in and didn't move my character at all. So not exactly sure why the shader bar is loading.

Video example of shader bar during loading into same zones (not moving)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOjT6WCTn1M

PC specs should be more than enough to handle the game content and was completely fine before 3.21.2 patch.

Hope that helps!

EDIT - Adding additional notes:

My understanding is that, shader files need to be compiled into a format that your graphics card can understand and execute. And this "compilation process" takes time and can cause stuttering and slowdowns during game play if done on the fly. Thus, this is why we have a shader cache, so it saves the compiled shader files (programs) on a storage drive after they have been compiled for the first time.

From this patch note post: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3144542, it states the shader bar is a graphical indication that shader files are being compiled.

If I am simply zoning in and out and not moving my character at all, shouldn't I achieve a state where the shader bar no longer needs to compile anything? Then why is it that I still see it compiling when I am simply zoning and out of the same area and not moving my character at all. Especially in Act 10 Desecrated chambers or hideout, where nothing new is coming into my field of view...

Edit#2

I am currently using DX12 as my renderer. If the shader is indeed compiling new shader files as indicated by the shader bar activity, shouldn't I see new files in my D3D12 cache (ShaderCacheD3D12) folder? Based on the date modified, I do not see any new files being generated upon doing the zone in/out not moving test test even though I see the shader bar "compiling". It will however show new files if I start going through the zone or mapping. This does not make any sense.

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vietknight wrote:

I am currently using DX12 as my renderer. If the shader is indeed compiling new shader files as indicated by the shader bar activity, shouldn't I see new files in my D3D12 cache (ShaderCacheD3D12) folder? Based on the date modified, I do not see any new files being generated upon doing the zone in/out not moving test test even though I see the shader bar "compiling". It will however show new files if I start going through the zone or mapping. This does not make any sense.

I'm having a similar issue. Although in my case, the whole game freezes completely.
What helped a lot is setting the minimum processor state in power options to 100%, but it's not perfect. Also, Windows 8 compatibility mode seems to run a bit better.

I think that what you wrote here is actually the problem. The game client is failing to populate the cache with the compiled shaders to be reused later and has to compile them over and over again each time it needs them.
I suspect that it's just failing to compile them for some reason, and the default behavior is to just keep trying, which causes the lag.

I have the same problem with shaders, but without lags when opening a breach for example. On top of that i get constant errors: "device lost".

GPU GTX 1070 TI
CPU Ryzen 5 2450
Ram 8GB

did oyu ever figure out what the problem was?? this is happening to me currently and i cant play

I am (and have been) having similar issues. They aren't "machine spec" issues -- This is a healthy, high-end, AMD-based computer, no components of which break anything resembling a sweat when running the game. Something else is struggling, whether it be the game client itself, server, or a network (internet) issue. Any time there are a large-ish number of enemies around, the game progressively grinds to an fps / character-action halt. At that point, desync is common, and either the game recovers (due to enemies disappearing) or game-client crash ensues.

Internet service here is solid, with 100mbps/20mbps, vastly exceeding the needs of game throughput.

Again, hardware isn't even remotely strained, with the CPU, GPU, and RAM sitting at about 25% - 50% usage consistently while the game inexplicably, feebly attempts to run. I have another (dissimilar with respect to hardware, with Intel/ Nvidia) system which exhibits the same issue, and while that one has to work harder to run the game, the phenomenon is clearly recognizable as stemming from something other than system resources.

Interestingly, (on my primary machine) after the most recent crash, the client is now stating: "Login Error There has been a patch that you need to update to. Please restart Path of Exile." No patch downloads. No problems in PackCheck.exe. I ran the installer again. Still getting the error.

I have not attempted any tweak, such as pinning the CPU to 100%, as a workaround for the primary issue.

There's a difference between "FPS drops to 0 and client is frozen" and "all actors stop moving, then after some time, speed and catch up." Check the graphs in-game for FPS measurement to better understand the issue.

If it's the latter problem, then it's a server lag/network issue, and you can confirm this by switching to predictive mode instead of lockstep.

If it's the former, then you'll need to go through standard troubleshooting to find the problem. Monitor hardware temperatures, update drivers, post specs, ensure there are no other conflicting software applications open in the background, etc. Make sure the game is on a fast storage medium such as an SSD. Just because the hardware is good does not mean there is not a problem occurring due to the computer.

Also, 25% CPU is meaningless as the game can only use so many threads.