Framerate limit when out of focus?

Hello,

Currently RTSS 7.2.2 can do a framerate limiter on games, but I was wondering if it's also possible to apply a secondary framerate limiter should the game be out of focus. I know games like StarCraft 2, HotS can do this themselves, but there are a number of other games which don't have this feature implemented. I'd like to see if something like this could be possible.

 

If you are saving evergy, just set power mode in the Nvidia settings to "balanced". It limits performance for games which are in the background.

 

There isnt a balanced setting.
I can see Optimal, adaptive and max.

 

You don't like to read documentations coming alongside the app you're using, do you?

Hint: In the RTSS profile for your game in section [framerate] add a line with IdleLimitTime=xxxx where xxxx is the time in microseconds e.g. 15fps=66666, 20fps=50000 microseconds.

 

Thank you so much!

 

Thanks, but none of the documentation explained the way to actually use this feature which you showed. It just described the feature. What document did you read to find the name "idlelimittime=xxx" etc???

Anyway it is a pain... some games that are windowed borderless run persistently in the slow mode all the time.
It wouldve been better to have a hotkey! But again, documentation says something but not how it works in the ini???

 

Unwinder wrote the first sentence not without a reason: "Added power user oriented idle framerate limiting mode."

If such a notice exists, then it is not an option in the GUI and no further instruction in the official documentation. I peeked into the global config file in the templates folder and there I found the line

Code:

[framerate]
...
IdleLimitTime               = 0
...

Then I made the calculations:
1s = 1000000 microseconds
1000000mics / 20 frames = 50000mics per frame

I opened a game profile, added that line in the framerate section, saved it, started the game while logging fps and framerates, switched to my browser, back to game, switched to MSI AB and watched the fps and framerate graph. Worked as intended.

Not that difficult, or is it?

 

Thanks for the clarity.
I run dual monitors, secondary on intel HD onboard. Any idea why this throttle doesn't cease when I am in fullscreen or windowed borderless? I'd settle for a toggle, and am using AMD's chill, unfortunately the AMD catalyst "chill" feature has a lower limit of 30 fps.

Found the keys for AMD users to use chill as a hotkey to reduce power usage when not playing the game:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\AMD\Chill
maxframeratedefault minframeratedefault minframeraterange
I'm using 10 now with no problems. Good for now

 

The throttle gets active for each individual 3D application not in focus. This is not a global throttle to the whole "system".
hint: do NOT add IdleLimitTime to the global profile but only to specific game profiles!

If you want to exclude some apps wrongly detected as active 3D apps then open up the RTSS window, shift+click Add and checkmark every app to exclude.
You may need to restart your computer for RTSS hooking the right ones only, closing and restarting RTSS may work but is not guaranteed.

 

Tried that in specific profile cfg and no luck.
It keeps the 3d app (Assetto Corsa) at my setting =200000 or 5 fps whether focused or not.
Only think I see is that the frametimes jump down for a split second when window is activated and then quickly go back to 200ms.
I've read elsewhere that the latest windows 10 update messed up 3d detection for Discord. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the reason why. I tried with game mode on and game mode off in windows settings.

 

I'm confused. Keyboard focus, meaning the app is active in using the keyboard, correct?

In that case, yes the game being focused as in, me being able to control it via kb,mouse, and game controller, yet it's still running at the 200 ms/5 fps. I've tried 4 other games in full screen and windowed borderless. I've tried alt-tab, using the taskbar and so on.

Sorry, did I miss something? Could it be because my secondary monitor is using onboard intel HD3000?

 

????
But what if it is a driver issue or windows 1809 issue? How can I know when you cannot tell me if the definition of keyboard focus is correct or not. I looked it up and quite a few pages are saying that the app that gets the keyboard input. Is my understanding wrong? If I am correct on the definition, why are you saying that I cannot understand it? I appreciate RTSS and your hard work on it. It's your choice, but you are being obtuse here.

Anyone else see if I am missing something? I'm using specific app profiles for chosen games with IdleLimitTime=200000 for 5 fps. The limit of 5fps stays. In the first activation of the game window I see in the frametime graph a blip down to 16 ms which quickly goes back to the idlelimittime of 200ms. Game is still IN FOCUS.