FPS issues after update to v.1.25.0 while doing workout

[Mike_Medwed (Mike)]

Did a few rides (while a workout was in progress) in Makuri yesterday and today. I had a few issues where the framerate dropped massively to around 30-40 for no obvious reason, just a few riders where present. Normally, my setup performs pretty solid around 70-120fps. I didn’t experience that drops while on v1.24.2, they only emerged after v1.25.0. It was on different locations today, so it seems that it’s not tied to a specific location on the map.

It must be somehow related to the CPU code, my RTX3060 isn’t even maxed out. It just emerges when doing longer sessions. Screenshot from todays ride:

Framerate even drops below the 49 stated above, and my VRR had lots of problems to compensate.

It only happens when a workout is in progress, didn’t encounter it during a normal ride so far.

[Mike_Medwed (Mike)]

Today I also experienced it while doing a workout in Watopia. Was a really bad experience.

I don’t have this when riding in freeride mode, even riding whith a crowded pace partner gives a better fps value.

[Rich_Wood_VCWalcot (Rich)]

I’m seeing the same on workouts especially in Makuri. My setup is limited to 60fps max as there’s no VRR, but it keeps dropping down to as low as 12fps with the GPU virtualy idle, and the CPU at no more than 30% (6-core i5 8th gen, GTX-1060).

With that and the workouts failing to give stars, and when they do giving mininal XP, v1.25 has made Zwift pretty much useless for me, so I’ve just paused my membership which was due to renew this week until things are fixed.

[Dave_ZPCMR (Dave)]

@Rich_Wood_VCWalcot

the CPU at no more than 30%

FWIW this doesn’t mean anything; Zwift doesn’t come close to utilising the full capacity of any CPU apart from very old/slow ones. You’re still CPU bound if the frame rate is less than target and GPU isn’t maxed out. Happens a lot in Zwift, this latest issue is a particularly bad example.

[Mike_Rowe1 (Mike)]

zwiftalizer during workout 1st pic, 2nd pic was from a group ride 2 days ago.

[Dave_ZPCMR (Dave)]

Yeah that’s ridiculous. Can tell I don’t do workouts.

[Mike_Medwed (Mike)]

Here’s another one riding Watopias Waistband while a workout is active:

This is ridiculous, even riding with a crowded pace partner gives better fps results than riding solo and doing a workout.

[Gerrie_Delport_ODZ (Gerrie)]

@Mike_Rowe1

Is that the effect of the Pain effect setting?

[Mike_Rowe1 (Mike)]

No, I have that turned off… I hate that effect

[Mike_Medwed (Mike)]

I have it enabled but the pain effect doesn’t contribute to the fps issue. It occurs whether it’s active or not. The fps drops I had today even occured while a recovery step was active.

[CouchTo1200K]

Just wanted to chime in and say this happened to me yesterday too during a workout in Makuri, similar circumstances to the OP. I run Zwift on a potato (Windows 10, Core i7-8700, RX 550) but it was much worse than usual - noticeably choppy. I don’t have a Zwiftalizer account but could create one and post the log here if it’d be helpful.

Off-topic: @Mike_Medwed how do you like the RTX3060? I’ve been thinking of building/buying a system with one. I know it’s overkill for Zwift but would like to run driving sims and other games as well, ideally in VR.

[Dave_ZPCMR (Dave)]

Use https://classic.zwiftalizer.com if you just want a quick check.

[CouchTo1200K]

Good tip, cheers!

For what it’s worth, I think I quit the workout around 5:55-6:00 PM and completed the ride in freeride (normal, open-world) mode.

[Mike_Medwed (Mike)]

Another example here: During the first 20 minutes, a workout was enabled, i had hard drops, see red circle. Yellow circle was where I got into a pace bot. Rest was just solo riding without Workout enabled around Triple Flat Loops:

My workout pain effect seems to look normal though, looks not that blurry like @Andrew_Nuse

[shooj (Shuji)]

@Mike_Medwed @CouchTo1200K @Rich_Wood_VCWalcot thanks all for the detailed reports. The zwiftalizer charts are useful. We’ve started a ticket to investigate why this is happening.

[Dave_ZPCMR (Dave)]

Dug out a log file from February. First hour was a workout.

So whatever’s causing it, this isn’t a new problem. This file was from game version 1.22.1.

[Dave_ZPCMR (Dave)]

Also February, game version 1.0.100353 (1.21.2 in the new naming format, so a full release earlier):

[Andrew_Nuse (Andrew)]

So unfortunately by reinstalling Zwift I sabotaged myself and I have none of my logs anymore, OOPS!

I looked at one of them right after reinstalling and still seeing the frame drops, and as expected, yeah, down into the 20s!

Had to rush to work this morning, so didn’t get to snag a screenshot and upload it.

But… can someone here do me a favor or, just test something for the heck of it?

I did a workout last night in Richmond, and my log is smooth sailing, not many people were on the route at all; BUT, there also aren’t very many routes either. I know this kind of ties into my question about the CPU spikes when turn signals load, so I’m not sure if there is a connection to it and what’s going on with workouts.
I uploaded it to Zwiftalyzer and looked at it, and it was at my limited FPS the whole time, no drops… no issues,

SO, what I’m wondering:
Is the issue’s we’re trying to show here JUST on the big maps?
Is it JUST Watopia and Makuri?
New York has a lot of routes, but is a considerably smaller map.

Anyways, throwing that out on the table, if anyone wants to do some experimenting as well.

I was also curious if there is any relation to the drops in performance to what’s happening in a workout; ie, timer bar…
(I’m still a little curious if there is something up with the animation layer causing these issues, or at least… happen to be at the same time these issues occur)

And I don’t want to sound crazy, but looking at Mike’s post, and the frame drops comparing to his power chart on the Dirty Teeth Drills workout… almost match.

[Andrew_Nuse (Andrew)]

Makuri again, this time not in Neokyo however; but I did notice some massive drops again.
Took the log and inlined it with my ride chart; and as suspected, once the workout was over… FPS went back to my set max and sat there with no issues.

Green bar is for easy reference of when my workout ended.

So I guess the only question that remains; 1. does ZHQ care enough, and 2. what does ZHQ need from us?

I guess Dave is pretty set on the realization this isn’t a new issue (which I believe, I recall it happening before, perhaps just not nearly as much)

[Dave_ZPCMR (Dave)]

@Andrew_Nuse

I guess Dave is pretty set on the realization this isn’t a new issue (which I believe, I recall it happening before, perhaps just not nearly as much)

It might be worse by being related to the overly blurry workout pain screen some people are reporting.

In the last couple of updates there have been a few things crop up that seem to have gone backwards (having been fixed/improved previously), I suspect this might be one of them.