7.31d Introduced Micro Stutters All Game

[eshin087]

Description

The latest patch introduced micro stutters throughout my game. Others on reddit are also reporting this. It happens throughout the whole game. Played 6 games and it was in every game. Introducing more summons and illusions causes it to get worse. Doesn't seem to be a FPS issue as its a constant 130+.

Please let me know if you need more information.

-Intel® Core™ i7-10700K (3.8 GHz) -NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3090 (24 GB GDDR6X) -Kingston HyperX® DDR4-3200 XMP SDRAM (32 GB) -WD Black 1 TB PCIe® NVMe™ TLC M.2 SSD -Windows 10

Example Match ID (and possibly Timestamp)

Screenshots

No response

[FazyDota]

I recall JeffHill mentioning how this diagnostic tool https://github.com/google/UIforETW is incredibly helpful to devs for debugging these kind of issues. I am not hundred percent sure it is relevant here and do not have Dota 2 on this machine, but maybe someone else could try.

[Misezicedark]

The same applies for Mac M1 (Max). In the first game I played I have also seen that when you usually cast a spell (or a spell is casted) for the first time, the game will freeze. The problem is that this keeps repeating. This can easily be reproduced in demo, though due to heroes and multiple assets the issue is more prevalent in a regular game.

Thank you a lot Jeff and all the devs for this tracker and for all the hard work. It's good to have a place where to come and report an issue like this whenever it happens.

Screenshots

https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/014Lx6LLB332RbJ5e8zGooe5g#IMG_5857 - it's a video but it's too big to attach it here

[hallsteinx]

Having the same issue with the following hardware setup:

AMD Ryzen 3950X Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080 Kingston 1TB A2000 M.2 2280 Nvme (Game is installed on this drive) 32GB 3200Mhz RAM

[jamesharling]

If you are using the Vulkan graphics API then you will get stutter as the game does some pre-rendering or something like that, but it should only happen once as the results are cached. I wonder if the patch removed/reset the cache, or parts of it?

[hallsteinx]

If you are using the Vulkan graphics API then you will get stutter as the game does some pre-rendering or something like that, but it should only happen once as the results are cached. I wonder if the patch removed/reset the cache, or parts of it?

I won't speak on OP's behalf, but Nvidia GPU users tend to steer away from Vulkan for performance reasons. I'm using DX11. For what it's worth, the kind of stuttering I am experiencing, which is presumably what the others are experiencing also is not the type of stuttering observed when caching in Vulkan. And that specific type of stuttering tends to go away once the cache is built, which is a one-time occurrence.

[Misezicedark]

For Mac users Vulkan is the option. I will test if it’s the caching tho’. It may be this but it feels like this plus more.

[daeayang]

I'm having the same issue. The last match I played where I didn't have this issue was 6/5 at 10AM. Since the patch, all 3 games I've played have had lag/stutters throughout the entire game. I've always had the game on "best looking" option for video settings without any issues. I tried decreasing the slider to "fastest" and it did not help at all.

[tick373]

I'm having stutters throughout every game of dota since the patch, additionally i seem to get BONUS stutters when global ults are used.... NEVER had issues before patch.

Operating System Windows 10 Home 64-bit CPU Intel Core i7 @ 3.60GHz Coffee Lake 14nm Technology RAM 32.0GB Motherboard Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd. Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI-CF (U3E1) %1 Chipset Graphics ROG PG259QN (1920x1080@360Hz) M2A1R-H (1920x1080@60Hz) 4095MB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (MSI) 45 °C Storage 1863GB Samsung SSD 980 PRO 2TB (Unknown (SSD)) 931GB Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB (Unknown (SSD)) Optical Drives No optical disk drives detected Audio NVIDIA Virtual Audio Device (Wave Extensible) (WDM)

[Seitei]

Same here. Never had issues before, this seems to be a new development.

[vishnyo]

Same for me.

But good thing is since I'm playing from Georgia - ping reduced by 20ms. Not sure it's due to this update or not.

[Zedris]

same having micro stutters/lag i have 22 ping. latest nvidia drivers didnt have this issue before directx11. 2080 ti 9th gen i7 cpu. super weird

[psychoman1]

its unplayable for me, you cant see half the animations and the hero movement is not smooth.

[sMc-cMs]

Played 3 games last night. Had lag/stutters in all 3 games. Didn't have these issues prior to the patch.

System:

i9-10900KF RTX 3090 32 MB Ram, CL16 at 4000mhz Windows 10

[codeMatt]

Played a few games today and noticed it immediately (also played last night before patch with no issues)

Specs: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Nvidia geforce RTX 3070 unsure of ram build but its 32gb gfx driver: DX11

I also noticed larger stutters at random times (potentially global spells with AA), and I seemed to run into teammates far more, the teammate even said his hero model was far from mine while I'm watching my hero recalculate paths to get around him.

[jeffhill]

If someone could collect an ETL file using UI for ETW (https://github.com/google/UIforETW/releases) during the micro-stutters and share that, it would be incredibly helpful. An ETL file is basically a whole-machine process trace for where the time is going and the annoying micro-stutters will announce themselves on the graph (along with a reference to the code responsible).

Thank you!

[md97x]

@jeffhill Here's also a comment I made earlier on a similar issue: https://github.com/jeffhill/Dota2/issues/946#issuecomment-1151179927

Sharing because I think the console output could help.

[jeffhill]

Thank you, @md97x! Sadly, that message just means the networking code has detected that something, somewhere is being slow, it doesn't really point to where the problem is (like an ETL would).

[Misezicedark]

Regarding the Mac (M1 Max), I suppose to a degree is related to the Vulkan cache, but everytime a neutral item dropped, the animation of the item dropped on the ground stuttered very badly.

@jeffhill is there an option to collect the ETL file on a Mac?

[Turmfalke2]

feels like the rendering pipeline stalls every time it has to build a new shader. I guess the update nuked the shaker cache? Been spectating a few games and the performance is gradually recovering.

[vishnyo]

@jeffhill I wish to help. But dont know how to use this util ETL file using UI for ETW. I can share access to my machine if it can help you.

[pontuslaestadius]

@jeffhill Even when browsing heroes, the UI studders and lags using Vulcan. Here is an ETL if it helps. https://www.mediafire.com/file/29cr4f331r7t5d8/2022-06-09_20-08-44_pontu.etl/file I can try to get an in-game ETL if that is better, but I noticed the size of those ETL's become enourmous.

[teddybee-r]

I've had issues on Vulkan Linux for ages. This got fixed before the update for me. No issues now

POP_OS 20.04 Ryzen 2600, GTX 1080

Previous issues: Game freezing on every Hero first render in the menu. Game freezing post game for 1-2min! with Pre-shader-cache enabled

[anupchand]

After the new update 7.31d

1. Hero moves with a micro-stutter. It is not a constant periodic stutter but it kicks in randomly. Cannot move around creeps, units, or trees gracefully due to sudden micro freezing while trying to move the hero.
2. Also cannot last hit properly due to improper micro-freezes.
3. The game gets awkwark/more stuttering with respect to time. More units = more stuttering.
4. During ganks, the above issues are more noticeable. Example Match ID (and possibly Timestamp) 6608592641, 6609241941, 6608717153

[TheRealWitblitz]

I have this exact same issue, but even before the patch. The game was fine up until about a week ago I started to notice some extreme micro stutters. Some people said it might be a Steam update, or that it was a beta build of steam and now that they incorporated the beta changes into the main client there is a problem? It's just horrible at the moment.

command line: -novid -map dota -high -dx11 +fps_max 60 +exec autoexec

autoexec: engine_no_focus_sleep 0 cl_forcepreload 1 sv_forcepreload 1

[Fnrod]

Same here, only heroes and creeps are stuttering

[AmanovAkbar]

Same for me, in my last game not only me, but also my teammates and opposing team mentioned those stutters, what is interesting, there was no fps drops or high ping. It was a perfect internet connection and my comfortable 120 fps, but the game freezing pretty hard.

[JJdev95]

Same issue here game feels like 30 fps even tho i have 110

[JoelYourstone]

@jeffhill

ETL file https://www.dropbox.com/s/u9jk1zu2xspav8k/2022-06-09_22-54-43_jorel.etl?dl=0

Screen capture of what you see when the trace was running https://www.dropbox.com/s/l1re7o3pjojq2qo/Dota%202%202022-06-09%2022-57-24.mp4?dl=0

I can reproduce this very easily on my machine, I just start a custom lobby, pick snapfire (prolly not relevant), then watch the lane creeps stutter towards the lanes.

If you need any more info about system or so, lmk, I don't know what exists in ETL files :D

[Enivoke]

I am unable to play the game currently but I have very similar build.

One time it was lagging for me and I've disabled overwolf Dota plus and msiafterburner and it was fine for me afterwards. I can't say anything for now.

[00050]

Same here

[eshin087]

@jeffhill

Please see the ETL file of my trace. Thank you as always!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wjWhqXxent8cjHZyELGIvgId46zH_ptj/view?usp=sharing

[xuanwuuu]

@jeffhill This is the ETL file for my machine. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EaITDiYn8PoY9tnw7zZTQOzbi--r6PVL/view?usp=sharing

It only happen when I'm in game. Demo/Private Lobby or Watching game doesn't happen at all. I have to create a private lobby and select a server(cannot be local server), then i can simulate this.

The FPS is running at 144 but will drop drastically and goes back up to 144. But with 144 FPS the game graphic are still stuttering.

[nikitades]

Played a bunch of games yesterday, all of them vary from totally unplayable to barely playable. E.g. you can't see Roshan dying due to the packet loss (or what is it?), you only hear the sound. Or you teleport to the outpost and there's no moment of teleport arrival. You just appear nearby.

System:

Mac M1 Max 16" 32 Gb Ram Mac OS

[Jewst]

Same issue, 3/4 of us have this, some games are near unplayable it is so choppy. No issue before this, and no issue with our internet.

[shubhrathi]

I have to tell that even after recent update micro stutter still happens.

[apollorust]

I nearly started debugging my system because of this but Reddit randomly showed the bug thread. Still stuttering, just played a game.

[BenjinZA]

While I have not encountered this myself, looking at this video on reddit shows that the stuttering is not game wide. Look at the couriers that are idle in the base as Marci is leaving. Both Marci and Night Stalker's courier stutter, but the couriers in base do not.

It's harder to spot but the towers idle up and down bob are also not stuttering while Marci is.

[apollorust]

The problems seem to be even worse today, 3 times I have queued so far, first time I could't connect -> banned, second worked & stutters, third time crashed & couldn't connect -> banned.

[NumberChiffre]

sudo apt upgrade my GPU drivers and it worked on ubuntu 20.xx using GTX 1080, no more stutters in game. I'm still using lowest resolution setup btw.

[buffakee]

Match ID: 6610793518

Didn't note of exact moments when it happened, but I remember it happened throughout the game. I did ask my teammates if anyone else is lagging, and they said no. They might have just not noticed, but it also could suggest the stutters were isolated to me alone.

Also my FPS was p consistent on my PC (no abnormal 1% lows), and I had 0 packet loss during the stutters.

I was the windranger in this game.

[psychoman1]

this is the kinda consol errors I get right when stutters happen. usually it says unable to load texture/particle/model etc.

[eshin087]

@jeffhill

Hello Mr. Hill. I've played a few games tonight and the games are much better if you've been making changes.

I wasn't able to play in borderless window before 7.31d (I was experiencing these mini stutters only in borderless window in the previous patches), but now I feel like the stutters aren't happening as much in borderless as well. Will keep on playing to test more. Thank you for all your help!

[nobling]

@jeffhill I just tried 1 more game today, and I instantly abandoned it.

180 fps 20 ms latency 0% packet loss but cant move at all since 7.31d lmao

[wdttwdtt]

Here is the match ID: https://www.dotabuff.com/matches/6608743326

This happened throughout the game. I did have a firmware update on my PC which i thought was the issue. But after rebooting my PC, the next games I played were completely fine. I was the Disruptor if it matters

EDIT: my ping was completely fine. But the FPS did hover around from 80-90

[mk30a]

hello @jeffhill will you check this one try to make lobby with server not local host, enable cheat -wtf then pick pl and buy aghs after that spam his ulti you will notice stutter.

[Aluerie]

is this issue closeable ? does anybody still suffer stutters/lags/etc ?

Myself, I only have some lag spike at versus screen + first seconds in fountain (which was not the case before the patch) but it's probably new issue material

[md97x]

@jeffhill could you please let us know what was the issue? It seems interesting; I even tried debugging the game myself :)

[shubhrathi]

@eshin087 You can close this ticket. Issue is fixed. Confirmed by Jeff

[Seitei]

I played a game after the fix, no stuttering, thanks for the fix.

Btw, any tl;dr on what caused it if you can disclose? just curious.

[Misezicedark]

Right in time for a rainy weekend! Mac M1 Max, no problems anymore. Thank you @jeffhill and the dev team. You guys are the best!