The Witcher 3 - Wild Hunt [PC Edition]

Moon54 · 19-05-2015 04:20PM #1

I just started playing The Witcher 3 - Wild Hunt and it looks absolutly fantastic!

However, graphically, the game is fairly resource intentive and I'm running
it @ 2560x1440 resolution on a R9 290 card with i5 2500k CPU,
but I was only getting 25-30 fps on "High" setting.

So, I started messing around with the graphic options to get the best performance
and found that by just turning "NVidia Hairworks" Off , I got a huge FPS boost.
I'm now getting 45-50 fps in-game, with no major difference visually.

I just thought I'd share that quick tip for anyone looking to squeeze more
performance out of the game, as this Hairworks seemed to be enabled by default.

Genghiz Cohen · 19-05-2015 04:31PM

Ubersampling or GTFO

Revoker88 · 19-05-2015 04:34PM

The hair is a product of Nvidia Gameworks so should be off on an AMD rig as it will aversely affect performance. One of the devs tweeted AMD cards will run the feature but performance will tank.

Even though i have a Nvidia card i hate all this proprietery rubbish. Gamesworks needs to die....

Completionist · 20-05-2015 01:42AM

Thought my 2gb 6950 might last a while longer as I didn't have too much trouble with games so far (Had it 4 years) but only getting ~30fps at 1080p with everything turned off/at the lowest setting...

Amazing game though, 10/10

Ri_Nollaig · 20-05-2015 06:53AM

I am running it with everything on High on 1440p with AA off, getting around 50~ fps. 780ti, 16gig, 4770k.
I had to disable that nvidia hairworks features as well, turning it off added about 10 fps straight away.

Skerries · 20-05-2015 08:11AM

Completionist wrote: »

Thought my 2gb 6950 might last a while longer as I didn't have too much trouble with games so far (Had it 4 years) but only getting ~30fps at 1080p with everything turned off/at the lowest setting...

Amazing game though, 10/10

yeah this is the first game that has tested my 6970 so may be time to upgrade

Ri_Nollaig · 20-05-2015 08:34AM

Hard to tell exactly what some of the graphics options actually do.
I had no idea what vignette did

Nvidia have a good tweak guide here: http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/guides/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-graphics-performance-and-tweaking-guide

They have a similar tweak guide for GTA5, obviously written for their cards but its the same info either way.

dreamers75 · 20-05-2015 01:13PM

Finished 2 last night so getting this today or morrow, anyone seen it for Steam in around the 30 quid mark?

G2play have the GOG version for 33.

abbir · 20-05-2015 01:29PM

EoinHef wrote: »

The hair is a product of Nvidia Gameworks so should be off on an AMD rig as it will aversely affect performance. One of the devs tweeted AMD cards will run the feature but performance will tank.

Even though i have a Nvidia card i hate all this proprietery rubbish. Gamesworks needs to die....

Hairworks also uses a lot of performance on Nvidia cards. Disabling it gives me an extra 10-15 fps on a GTX 970.

Revoker88 · 20-05-2015 01:54PM

abbir wrote: »

Hairworks also uses a lot of performance on Nvidia cards. Disabling it gives me an extra 10-15 fps on a GTX 970.

Yeah it just seems to be a waste all round when the performance hit on both brand cards is pretty big. I can appreciate that with so many animals in the game its nice that they tried to animate there fur but its the shi**y way nvidia go about this type of stuff that annoys me. Its anti consumer imo as it diminishes choice.

AMD had tressfx in tomb raider a few years ago but released the source code so nvidia could optimize for it so owners of both makers cards could enjoy the feature. Fat chance Nvidia will ever do the same.

Kiith · 20-05-2015 02:17PM

While nVidia may not release the code, you can do it yourself without much of a performance hit apparently. Set Tessellation to 8x (or 4x if your card isn't that good). Just don't use 2x, if it looks awful (http://i.imgur.com/2wyxv90.jpg)

I've not tested it myself, but it's supposed to work well enough.

yoshiktk · 20-05-2015 02:45PM

Quick one. Does anyone have the box edition? I wanted to get it in next few days but I just found topic on CdProjekt where loads of ppl are unable to install the game because of faulty Dvd. Would lrefer not to spend money just for bunch of useles plastic.

Spear · 20-05-2015 03:03PM

I'll have my boxed edition tomorrow, but last I recall you can still use the serial on Gog.com and download from there, as you could with past Witcher titles.

yoshiktk · 20-05-2015 03:24PM

I know about Gog. I could get the Witcher straight from it but I prefer the Dvd version. Box looks better on shelf.

KonFusion · 20-05-2015 03:31PM

I've got a HD 6850...

Should I even bother? Or just wait til I scrape together a few pennies for a new build.

Just finished Witcher 2 for the 2nd time, and dying to play this.

Digital Solitude · 20-05-2015 03:34PM

yoshiktk wrote: »

I know about Gog. I could get the Witcher straight from it but I prefer the Dvd version. Box looks better on shelf.

Get the DVD then. If you've a faulty CD you can use the supplied GOG code anyways, and keep the CD on your shelf

Spear · 20-05-2015 05:06PM

yoshiktk wrote: »

I know about Gog. I could get the Witcher straight from it but I prefer the Dvd version. Box looks better on shelf.

I mean the serial from the boxed copy also works on GOG for a downloadable copy.

TetraxShard · 20-05-2015 05:10PM

yoshiktk wrote: »

Quick one. Does anyone have the box edition? I wanted to get it in next few days but I just found topic on CdProjekt where loads of ppl are unable to install the game because of faulty Dvd. Would lrefer not to spend money just for bunch of useles plastic.

The disc isn't faulty, you still need internet to install the game because you have to download an unlock key.

I would have bought the disc version, but hey, free key with my 970. Can't beat free, even if I'd really have liked the little compendium book.

yoshiktk · 20-05-2015 05:55PM

TetraxShard wrote: »

The disc isn't faulty, you still need internet to install the game because you have to download an unlock key.

I would have bought the disc version, but hey, free key with my 970. Can't beat free, even if I'd really have liked the little compendium book.

Unfortunate a lot of polish players have problem with Dvd disc 2, looks that the company which made discs for CDP didnt had the best standard.
Only few on English site stating having the same problem. With my luck probably I would be in that group.
I thought about picking it in Poland now as my wife is there now but I would risk buying a faulty one. Whats the funniest is that box is cheaper then cd key

TheDoc · 21-05-2015 11:22AM

More Witcher related stories and accusations this morning. Latest claims that NVIDIA have optimization purposefully degrades performance of sub 900 series cards. Serious feedback that the vastly superior high end 700 series, performing worse then the low-mid range 960's.

With most things in recent weeks, probably best for the dust to settle to see whats going on, but seems bad headline after bad headline lately for NVIDIA (more so then AMD imo).

General consensus us turn of the hairworks, especially if you are AMD, but even NVIDIA users are reporting bumps from disabling. Looks a horribly optimised library.

Mr Bloat · 21-05-2015 11:44AM

TheDoc wrote: »

General consensus us turn of the hairworks, especially if you are AMD, but even NVIDIA users are reporting bumps from disabling. Looks a horribly optimised library.

I have a GTX 970 and was trying out different settings last night. I can get a constant unwavering 1080/60 with hairworks turned off but it drops to 30-40 FPS with it turned on.

yoshiktk · 21-05-2015 11:45AM

TheDoc wrote: »

More Witcher related stories and accusations this morning. Latest claims that NVIDIA have optimization purposefully degrades performance of sub 900 series cards. Serious feedback that the vastly superior high end 700 series, performing worse then the low-mid range 960's.

With most things in recent weeks, probably best for the dust to settle to see whats going on, but seems bad headline after bad headline lately for NVIDIA (more so then AMD imo).

General consensus us turn of the hairworks, especially if you are AMD, but even NVIDIA users are reporting bumps from disabling. Looks a horribly optimised library.

If anyone decides to give a try to hairworks should be aware that default settings for it are at least improperly designed. By default hairworks is working with 8x msaa for EVERY STRAND of hair! Via editing config files it is possible to lower or disable completely msaa for hair, just put proper value (0, 2 or 4) in proper ini file to get performance boost for hairworks.

When You go to x:\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\config\base and check rendering.ini You can see that Hairworks have AA turned up to 8, changing it to 0,2,4 should help. Kinda like they want us to get Titans just for it

Someone posted this settings .

cherryghost · 21-05-2015 01:45PM

Anyone on 7xx/6xx/5xx, use older drivers, apparently performance is better than these 'Witcher 3 ready' ones.

dreamers75 · 21-05-2015 02:05PM

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-05-19-cd-projekt-red-tackles-the-witcher-3-graphics-downgrade-issue-head-on

Cd projekt respsonds.

dreamers75 · 21-05-2015 04:37PM

290 running everything on Ultra (hair off) 1080p at 50 fps.

Pretty game until you see the edges of the foliage.

DARK-KNIGHT · 22-05-2015 01:24AM

dreamers75 wrote: »

290 running everything on Ultra (hair off) 1080p at 50 fps.

Pretty game until you see the edges of the foliage.

Was gonna upgrade gpu to a 290.. any good? worth the money?

Skerries · 22-05-2015 09:23AM

so what are the recommended changes people have made to their settings or to get the FOV working that are necessary to get it going at a decent fps?

Ri_Nollaig · 22-05-2015 10:08AM

cherryghost wrote: »

Anyone on 7xx/6xx/5xx, use older drivers, apparently performance is better than these 'Witcher 3 ready' ones.

This has to be a bug with the latest drivers right?
I can't believe the conspiracy theories that nvidia are trying to cripple hardware that is only a year old.

yoshiktk · 22-05-2015 10:30AM

Ri_Nollaig wrote: »

This has to be a bug with the latest drivers right?
I can't believe the conspiracy theories that nvidia are trying to cripple hardware that is only a year old.

This could be Your answer.
It's all about the money, if they will be able to squish few more $$$ they probably will do it. Look how many ppl did upgrade for Witcher.

Venom · 22-05-2015 11:00AM

AMD driver for Witcher 3 and Project Cars due in the next few days.

http://www.techspot.com/news/60751-amd-working-catalyst-beta-drivers-witcher-3-wild.html

As much as Iv been impressed with my R9 280 and previous 5870 for bang for buck, next card is so going to be an Nvidia (unless they totally screw the pooch) as team green are light years faster for driver updates.

Ri_Nollaig · 22-05-2015 11:20AM

yoshiktk wrote: »

This could be Your answer.
It's all about the money, if they will be able to squish few more $$$ they probably will do it. Look how many ppl did upgrade for Witcher.

While that wouldn't fill anyone with confidence. I am slow to assume any of the usual internet whinging or theories are correct. I have had ATI/AMD cards in the past and to be honest I have found their drivers/software shocking. So where does this leave us? Intel :P ?

The Witcher 3 - Wild Hunt [PC Edition]

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