EVERSPACE 2 – Performance / FPS Guide

A guide to get more FPS by switching to DX11, settings and their FPS impact.

How-To: Performance / FPS

Graphical Settings, and Their Impact

V-Sync, turn it off!

It prevents screen-tearing – Always the first thing to go in my games, if you ever want more frames. It locks your max framerate to 30,60,120+ FPS (Depending on the game tech and monitor Refresh Rate. (Usually 30 FPS, 1/2 or 2/3 of your R.R.)). No changes will make your FPS go past this limit, without first turning V-Sync off or using a V-Sync mode (like Tripple Buffering) to increase the limited FPS a bit.

Ordered by FPS impact.

1. Volumetrics: Extreme impact. Depending on location.
   Low->Medium: ~2 FPS
   Medium->High: 12 FPS
   High->Epic: 6 FPS
   Total: 20 FPS.
   
2. Shadows: Very variable impact.
   Epic: Seems like high shadow areas tank the fps by as much as 10 FPS. Especially hangar.
   High: Extreme varience in FPS. As much as 7 FPS.
   Low->Medium: Stable ~3 FPS drop in most areas.
   Recomended setting: Medium.
   
3. Effects: High impact.
   Low->Medium: 0 FPS
   Medium->High: 10 FPS
   High->Epic: ~1 FPS
   Total: 11 FPS
   
4. Post Processing: High impact.
   Low->Medium: ~1 FPS
   Medium->High: 4 FPS
   High->Epic: 6 FPS
   Total: 11 FPS
   
5. SSGI: High impact.
   9 FPS total.
   
6. Lens Flares: Medium impact.
   4 FPS total.
   
7. View Distance: Low impact. Depending on location.
   Only ~3 FPS total.
   
8. Anti-Aliasing: Very Low impact.
   Only ~2 FPS total.
   
9. Shading: Very Low impact.
   Only ~2 FPS total.
   
10. Textures: Very Low impact.
    Only ~1 FPS total.

Chromatic Abberation and Morion Blur are unnoticeable on the graphs.

• *FPS values tested on my rig. They may differ on yours.
• **Tested in “Alcyone Station” location with MSI Afterburner, while making loops arround the map.
• ***Values are an avarage of the peaks and bottoms on a graph. In case of almost unnoticeable/uncertain impact I put up the “~” mark.
• ****Sorry for the bible at the start… People seem to be mad at me making a condensed statement about V-Sync, and not making a somewhat extensive explanation.

Running with Nvidia GPU and V-Sync

In the process of acquiring necessary info to complete this section. Here is what i assume was done to achieve GREAT SUCCSESS with V-sync.

1. Toggle V-Sync to the “Low-Latency” mode in-game.
2. Go to the Nvidia Control Panel (Not GeForce Experience).
3. Choose if you want to apply it to all apps or only this game.

Turn on the following:

• Low Latecy Mode – On
• Max Framerate – On – [Desired FPS] + 1
• Vertical Sync – Fast OR Use the 3D application Setting

Switching to DX11 for the Biggest FPS Boost

Step 1

Right click on Everspace 2 in the steam library and click on “Properties”.

Step 2

Now type “-dx11” without the quotes into the box, as shown on the immage.

That’s it! Start it up, and hopefully it humms.

Graphical Settings, and Their Impact

Ordered by FPS impact

Volumetrics: Very High impact. Depending on location.

• Low->Medium: ~1 FPS
• Medium->High: 5 FPS
• High->Epic: 7 FPS
• Total: 13 FPS.

Effects: High impact.

• Low->Medium: 0 FPS
• Medium->High: 6 FPS
• High->Epic: ~1 FPS
• Total: 7 FPS

View Distance: Very Low impact. Depending on location.

• Only ~3 FPS total.

Textures: Very Low impact.

• Only ~2 FPS total.

Anti-Aliasing: Very Low impact.

• Only ~1 FPS total.

Post Processing: Very Low impact.

• Only ~1 FPS total.

Shading: Very Low impact.

• Only ~1 FPS total.

• *FPS values tested on my rig. They may differ on yours.
• **Tested in “Alcyone Station” location with MSI Afterburner, while making loops arround the map.

Testing Rig

A very modest, low-medium end PC.

• GPU: MSI GamingX Gtx 970 – STILL waiting for 3080’s prices to be reasonable or in stock.
• CPU: i7 9700k.
• Game storage: WD Red SA500 2TB M.2 SSD.
• RAM: 32GB Hyper-X Fury 2666 MHz (Although 16 GB of this I use as Ram Cache).
• OS: 2x2TB Seagate Baracuda HDD (Raid 0).
• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B365-F GAMING.