Easiest way of increasing your Crysis Warhead performance on enthusiast mode by 20%.

[DarkMatter]

I finished the game on enthusiast mode, changing to gamer when performance was not pleasing and as I always do, on games that is possible, it was the time to make some tweaking to Cvars and see how much performance I could squeeze out of the game. Many Cvars increase performance a bit, but the result with two of them was shocking. I found an easy way to increase framerate by as much as 20% (or 5-10 fps depending actual framerate of 25-50fps, good scaling up to 100 fps) changing only two values that have a little inpact on image quality. This is subjective, so test it yourselves. You know how to do it:

- Create an autoexec file on the game directory.
- Write this into the file:

con_restricted=0 - Enables you to change many values in the console. I don't actually know if it is required, but won't hurt if you write it.

r_displayinfo=1 - Will show many info on the screen, fps included.

- Save.

Once you made that, you can try changing any cvar on the console. To enter the console press "~" key (the one below Esc).

The two values in question are the next:

- r_DepthOfField [0,1,2] - You have to put it to 1. Default is 2 when on enthusiast, 0 on lowest setting and 1 on others. It does impact the quality of depht of field in outdoor scenes, but it's not too noticeable when you are actually playing. Indoor you will not see the difference in the image, but the impact in performance is notorious.

- r_colorgrading [0,1] - 1 only on enthusiast mode. Put it to 0 to dissable it. Ok, there's a big difference in the color of the image, but the image still looks great without it. Better than gamer mode and performance is close to gamer once you dissable this and DOF.

This is intended for those who can play the game on enthusiast mode, but they need some extra fps on some places and don't want to lower the graphics to gamer settings. Those who cannot just play it at enthusiast mode by a few fps can give this a try too, but performce will be compromised on many places, it will be up to them if they can stand playing at below fluent framerates.

EDIT: Of course I can't assure this will work for every system or operating system. Send some feedback so we can help as many people as we can.

[DarkMatter]

Ok, here are some screenshots so you can see what I'm talking about.

Don't pay too much attention to lighting and shadows, none of the 2 cvars change that. It's impossible to make two SS in the same exact moment.

Also it says CUSTOM in every image (also in default one) because I have this other minor changes:

e_precache_level=1
r_TexturesStreaming=0

Both make the complete level and textures load at startup, instead of streaming them all the time. No slowdowns when entering new areas, but no aparent or small fps increase. Loading times are longer.

s_MaxChannels=128 - It's obvious, 128 sound channels for my X-Fi. Only change if the sound card is capable. I found increasing this value improved my framerate in original Crysis by a pair of frames. Yeah...

r_ShadowJittering=1.8 - The higher the value the softer the shadows look. It has tiny performance impact. Enthusiast mode is 2.5, other modes are 1.
I lowered it because I think default shadow edges are way too soft and bland.

Default: r_colorgrading 1, r_DepthOfField 2



r_colorgrading 1, r_DepthOfField 1



r_colorgrading 0, r_DepthOfField 2



r_colorgrading 0, r_DepthOfField 1



Indoor screens.

r_colorgrading 1, r_DepthOfField 2



r_colorgrading 1, r_DepthOfField 1



r_colorgrading 0, r_DepthOfField 2



r_colorgrading 0, r_DepthOfField 1

[ShiBDiB]

so much sexier with colorgrading imo

[Jmatt110]

Thats what I thought, without colorgrading it looks a bit dull. Havn't got the game yet but I'll turn down DOF if it dosn't run well.

[DarkMatter]

I agree guys. Without colorgrading it doesn't look so gorgeous. I wouldn't go as far as saying it looks dull though. IMO is the biggest difference between high and very high settings and it truly is what makes the game look so sweet at very high. That's one of the reasons I even went so far as playing some of the levels at 1152x864 pixels , in order to not have to lower the settings to high. (Keep in mind my CRT with that res looks better than any 22" LCDs I've seen though)

But most people just can't lower the resolution and have to use high/gamer in order to play the game. This is a quick solution they can change on the fly whenever they feel they need some extra frames.

[Mussels]

this thread is interesting - any chance you could just upload that autoexec file? not having modded the original game, i dont know what i'm doing there.

same for me mussels - i got warhead yesterday and have had to lower it to the level below gamer for the hovercraft section

Time to chop in the GT methinks

[Mussels]

i just started again, on enthusiast with no AA and no motion blur. ran fine during the intro level at least, we'll see how it goes later on.

I can remember on the first game that after I had done the no - gravity trippy place thing and came out into the snow, i hit epic lag, and had to lower everything right down. I guess my system hates snow

Ill try this "fix" tonight and probably post some results later.

[Hayder_Master]

so darkmatter i have same of your card im play on enthusiast 1280x1024 and i got 20-25 and sometimes drops to 15-20 , did this normal

[DarkMatter]

Originally Posted by hayder.master

so darkmatter i have same of your card im play on enthusiast 1280x1024 and i got 20-25 and sometimes drops to 15-20 , did this normal

There are many factors that can make for the difference.

First of all, I played it on 1280x960 which is the real 4/3 resolution, 1280x1024 is 5/4. Even if both look like they are the same, and do look almost identical, they are not. There is a 7% pixel count difference and that translates to 2 fps in your case. Not much but it is something you have to take into account.

Then there's the CPU. Before I got this Quad I thought it was not so important, because on benchmarks and when idling I had the same fps than others with better CPU. Overall frames are the same as similarly cloeked cards around the web, no matter what CPU you use, but on actual gameplay the CPU helps a lot mantaining higher lower frames. In Crysis the CPU sometimes is the bottleneck. With the X2 4800+ I used to have 15 fps lows many times, now it rarely goes below 20. There is an exception that is related with the AI and memory, I think. Happened sometimes on original Crysis on both CPUs and also on Warhead, after playing some hours on very crowded areas. When that happens fps' can go as low as 10-15. I almost could replicate it, you just have to make an entire enemy base look for you without killing them. If you manage to reunite them in a relatively small area you got it. Only quiting to main menu and loading the entire level again solved this for me.

[DarkMatter]

Originally Posted by Mussels

this thread is interesting - any chance you could just upload that autoexec file? not having modded the original game, i dont know what i'm doing there.

Originally Posted by Mussels

i just started again, on enthusiast with no AA and no motion blur. ran fine during the intro level at least, we'll see how it goes later on.

I don't know if that second one means you already did it.

If you didn't, don't be lazy and make the autoexec yourself.

You can't go wrong. Just do this:

- Enter the Game folder in your Crysis Warhead install folder (i.e. D:\Steam\steamapps\common\crysis warhead\Game)
- Right click > new > text file
- Copy the lines you want:

con_restricted=0
r_displayinfo=1
r_colorgrading=0
e_precache_level=1
r_TexturesStreaming=0
r_DepthOfField=1

- Save as "autoexec.cfg".

Just make sure DOF is the last one otherwise you will not be able to change it on the console, I really don't know why.

[Wartz]

What I did was just run in DX9. You get Gamer DX10 performance and you can still use Enthusiast which looks 100% exactly like DX10 Enthusiast.

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by DarkMatter

There are many factors that can make for the difference.

First of all, I played it on 1280x960 which is the real 4/3 resolution, 1280x1024 is 5/4. Even if both look like they are the same, and do look almost identical, they are not. There is a 7% pixel count difference and that translates to 2 fps in your case. Not much but it is something you have to take into account.

Then there's the CPU. Before I got this Quad I thought it was not so important, because on benchmarks and when idling I had the same fps than others with better CPU. Overall frames are the same as similarly cloeked cards around the web, no matter what CPU you use, but on actual gameplay the CPU helps a lot mantaining higher lower frames. In Crysis the CPU sometimes is the bottleneck. With the X2 4800+ I used to have 15 fps lows many times, now it rarely goes below 20. There is an exception that is related with the AI and memory, I think. Happened sometimes on original Crysis on both CPUs and also on Warhead, after playing some hours on very crowded areas. When that happens fps' can go as low as 10-15. I almost could replicate it, you just have to make an entire enemy base look for you without killing them. If you manage to reunite them in a relatively small area you got it. Only quiting to main menu and loading the entire level again solved this for me.

So I take it my lil ole x2 4200+ is going to screw me six ways from sunday.

[ShiBDiB]

i lag like a bitch on the snow levels

[Sc1mitar]

i actually found it was the least laggy on the snow for me.

liek seriously, it was chillin at liek 25-35 fps in the snow w/ all enthusiast and 2x AA @1680x1050

i found the level "from hells heart" to be the laggiest, was like 15 fps. :/

[ShiBDiB]

i just got to the sub explodeing snow level... thing... and im laggy as hell haha

[EastCoasthandle]

r_TexturesStreaming=0 doesn't work for me when I use the "~" key to see what commands are active when using Enthusiast mode. I've found the following to offer the best frame rates with little to no difference in image quality depending on what's being used:

r_ssao = 0; = 1 enables self shadowing which makes objects more life like
r_usePOM = 0; replace this with AF instead
r_TexMaxAnisotropy = 8; or =16 (replaces r_usePOM with sharper textures)
r_DepthofField = 1; when = 0 there is a slight difference in IQ
e_precache_level = 1; level is loaded up beforehand or a potential drop in any in-level stuttering.
r_MotionBlur = 0; this is simply not needed and not realistic
r_Glow =0; Removes the excessive glow on distant objects


Optional
e_phys_foliage =1; This will make foliage static and will not react to your movement
cl_fov = 55; instead of default of = 60
r_UseEdgeAA = 1; instead of = 2 makes palm tree leaves, etc look more fuller
e_lods = 1; uses less detail on objects as they recede into the distance

Example:
Create autoexec.bat file using notepad and save it:
Electronic Arts\Crytek\Crysis WARHEAD\

con_restricted = 0
r_ssao = 0
r_usePOM = 0
r_TexMaxAnisotropy = 8
r_DepthofField = 1
e_precache_level = 1
r_MotionBlur = 0
r_Glow =0
e_phys_foliage =1
cl_fov = 55
r_UseEdgeAA = 1
e_lods = 1

Once the autoexec.bat file is created go to:
\My Documents\My Games\Crysis_WARHEAD\Shaders\Cache
and delete all the *.cfxb files
then go to
\My Documents\My Games\Crysis_WARHEAD\Shaders\Cache\D3D9\CGPShaders
and delete all *.cfxb
\My Documents\My Games\Crysis_WARHEAD\Shaders\Cache\D3D9\CGVShaders
and deleta all *.cfxb

Next defrag the harddrive that these files are stored in (usually C:\drive). Then start Warhead. Make sure you defrag the harddrive after you delete those cache files.

[Zehnsucht]

Good info. Gonna try it tomorrow.

Edit: How do you take screenshots in Crysis: WH? I pressed printscreen but it didn't work.

[DarkMatter]

Originally Posted by EastCoasthandle

...

Eek.. most of those changes have far greater IQ impact than those two I said and will make the game look more like MEDIUM mode.

IMHO:

- POM in Warhead, now that it works properly is indispensable.

- SSAO has an incredible impact in image fidelity. r_ssao to 1 might be an option but is the one for gamer mode.

- Motion blur, glow, static physics? Come on... If you want to play Farcry go play Farcry...

But that's only my opinion, of course. Anyway if those have a little to no impact in image quality for you, I now really am embarrased for taking seriously many IQ comparison discusions with you in the past. Sorry but it's true, don't want to discuss or anything, but come on...

EDIT: r_TexturesSteaming = Load textures when level loading, just like precache. Actually I never knew if it works as I always put it alongside the precache one. Both are related. Of course, changing it in the console does nothing. Quick loading after changing it does nothing either. A full level loading must occur.

[DarkMatter]

Originally Posted by TheMailMan78

So I take it my lil ole x2 4200+ is going to screw me six ways from sunday.

Well when you have old CPUs you have to make some compromises on the CPU side of things. Lowering physics to medium helped me, but there are probably other ways. IMO it was not a problem of the CPU itself with the X2 as OCing it didn't really help me, maybe the platform, memory... What I mean is you shouldn't expect a worse scenario than what I got and your GPU will help mantaining higher overall frames. IMHO HD4850+4200+ > 8800GT+4800+

Originally Posted by ShiBDiB

i lag like a bitch on the snow levels

Originally Posted by Sc1mitar

i actually found it was the least laggy on the snow for me.

liek seriously, it was chillin at liek 25-35 fps in the snow w/ all enthusiast and 2x AA @1680x1050

i found the level "from hells heart" to be the laggiest, was like 15 fps. :/

Originally Posted by ShiBDiB

i just got to the sub explodeing snow level... thing... and im laggy as hell haha

Quiting and entering again doesn't solve the problem? As I said above I found those slowdowns related to AI or maybe physics in my case.

[EastCoasthandle]

Originally Posted by DarkMatter

Eek.. most of those changes have far greater IQ impact than those two I said and will make the game look more like MEDIUM mode.

IMHO:

- POM in Warhead, now that it works properly is indispensable.

- SSAO has an incredible impact in image fidelity. r_ssao to 1 might be an option but is the one for gamer mode.

- Motion blur, glow, static physics? Come on... If you want to play Farcry go play Farcry...

But that's only my opinion, of course. Anyway if those have a little to no impact in image quality for you, I now really am embarrased for taking seriously many IQ comparison discusions with you in the past. Sorry but it's true, don't want to discuss or anything, but come on...

EDIT: r_TexturesSteaming = Load textures when level loading, just like precache. Actually I never knew if it works as I always put it alongside the precache one. Both are related. Of course, changing it in the console does nothing. Quick loading after changing it does nothing either. A full level loading must occur.

As I've stated those changes provide minimal IQ change to none. A person can pick and choose what they want to achieve a reasonable frame rate:
-Disabling POM in favor of AF is a common practice that has been used since the release of Crysis. The effects are minimal and from what I've seen hard to distinguish. In any case it's either POM or AF you can't have both.

-SSAO does not have a high impact on objects as much as you make it out to be. It only adds shadows to the object itself. This can be minimized to a degree where FPS can be increase.

-Motion blur is very overrated and many disable this without me posting it. The amount of blur induced with moving objects and just turning 90 degrees is in far excess to real life. If there is nothing wrong with your vision turning your head 90 degrees does not induce blur. Objects moving about as they do in this game do not induce blur as it does in this game. For me as well as many others this feature is turned off.

-Glow is something that can be turned off and would actually sharpen objects in the distance instead of blurring them with a glow effect.

-Static physics is part of the optional selection and it's a personal taste if a person wants it on or off. Depending on frame rates if it's not important it's something that can be turned off. This has no effect on IQ that's why I added it as an option.

In all what I suggest does offer some IQ trade offs but from what I've seen are minimal. Unlike the r_colorgrading=0 depending on where/what you looking at the IQ can be drastically changed. For example 1 and

Example 2 from another user:


The use of color grading as you suggested offer as much change to IQ if not more then what I suggested when a person is in shaded areas. Don't get me wrong, reducing/removing colorgrading offers little IQ change when it's sunny outside but when you are in shaded areas IQ is altered. Now don't take this the wrong way, the photo does show a 1.0 FPS improvement. However, when in shaded areas without sunlight is this the level of IQ people are willing to deal with? IMO, they would look for other alternatives and perhaps use this as a last resort.

I think we can agree that the goal is to offer some level of performance boost with as little to no IQ changes as possible. However, it's unavoidable that IQ will change to some degree. In the end it will be up to the end user to decide on how they will balance the scale of IQ vs performance if they are having a problem.

[ShadowFold]

I play DX10, would I clear the DX10 cache too?

[EastCoasthandle]

Originally Posted by ShadowFold

I play DX10, would I clear the DX10 cache too?

I am playing on XP so I would assume the same would apply with Vista.

[Xzero]

Originally Posted by TheMailMan78

So I take it my lil ole x2 4200+ is going to screw me six ways from sunday.

Nope. Same processor here, 8800GT, and I'm running all enthusiasts no AA 1280x1024 at 30 - 50 FPS, dips to 24 or so on harsh cutscenes and such.

Object quality is by far one of the most demanding settings. I lose nearly 10FPS for every increase in setting. I just leave it at mainstream.