HD 8670M display issue in Dead Space 2 gameplay Laptop graphics performance problems
HD 8670M display issue in Dead Space 2 gameplay Laptop graphics performance problems
Hey everyone, this is my first post here. I've noticed these odd frame rate drops in Dead Space 2. It swings from 60 fps at medium to 19 fps in seconds, then jumps back up to 60 again after a second. The drops happen regularly and follow a predictable pattern, usually every 2 to 3 seconds. Trying Radeon Pro with Flip Queue Size set to zero didn't help, and forcing Vsync or locking framerate at 30 fps also failed—the game still drops to 19 fps no matter the graphics setting. I'm sharing my system details in case anyone can assist:
- Machine: Dell Inspiron 15R
- CPU: i5-4200U
- RAM: 12 GB DDR3L
- GPU: HD 8670M (1 GB)
- HDD: 500 GB
- OS: Windows 10 x64
- Driver: Radeon Crimson 16.5.3
P.S. I can run DS1 at 30 fps without issues, and my old laptop handled similar games like Batman Arkham City, Deus Ex HR, and CoD: MW3 well. It seems DS2 might not be optimized as much.
Updated: I upgraded the graphics driver to 16.6.2. The dips stopped, but now I'm getting only 14-24 fps even at low settings. This is really frustrating. — Edited July 1, 2016 by Maverick4407
Hmm... Dead Space 2 isn't particularly tough because it's just a direct console port. The problem might be related to RAM or VRAM—your 12GB system RAM is more than enough, and the VRAM should be around 1GB, which usually works fine. It could be that the game or AMD Catalyst Control Center is applying anti-aliasing, which you didn't notice. Look at the in-game settings for anti-aliasing and turn it off, then go to CCC > Gaming > 3D - applications > Use application settings or similar options.
Thanks for the feedback. The game performed well without driver tweaks, though it still experienced dips. In intense smoke or fire scenes, frame rates dropped slightly, but the lowest remained steady at 19. I can play smoothly at around 24 fps, but the frequent fluctuations are quite bothersome.
It's strange you recall playing Deadspace 2 on a laptop from that era. The setup sounds solid—2007/8, Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, and an NVIDIA 9x16M GPU without any problems. Could it be related to a driver issue or something else?
I will attempt to lower the graphics driver to Catalyst version. Thanks for your response. Update 1: I use Windows 10, so I can't upgrade the driver below 15.12. Even at that version, performance remains poor. To believe current drivers couldn't run a game from five years ago properly... Update 2: I played the game using only the Intel HD Graphics driver on my iGPU (Intel HD 4400). The experience was similar: brief smooth play followed by a sharp drop in FPS (from around 50 to 19) when switching to High settings. This isn't just an AMD issue; it seems the game becomes unstable with newer drivers, possibly due to Windows 10 itself. Update 3: It's not Windows—it's the transition between Intel and AMD graphics. I switched back to the Catalyst driver and adjusted the PowerPlay setting for Dead Space 2 to "High Performance." The FPS drops happened because my laptop didn't switch to AMD once the game started, sticking with Intel HD. Only Catalyst Center drivers (15.11 and earlier) allowed app-specific control over graphics. If anyone faces the same issue, consider reverting to CCC, as Crimson doesn't support PowerPlay settings. Updated July 6, 2016 by Maverick4407