Automobilista 2 triple 4k screen settings required with RTX 3090

[Emery]

My fifth review of 4k triple screen simracing with an RTX 3090. Not surprisingly, Automobilista 2 graphic settings and performance are very similar to Project CARS 2. You can't crank the graphics to maximum and have to choose between better antialiasing or better textures.

System specs
Monitors: Dell U4320Q (4k 43" IPS, 60 Hz)
GPU: EVGA RTX 3090 FTW3 Ultra
CPU: i9-10850K @ 3.6 GHz
RAM: 32 GB

Automobilista 2 graphics settings
Alternative: Increase MSAA to Medium and change the other "Medium"s to "Low" (except Detailed Grass, Particle Level, & Particle Density)

Cars tested
Formula Reiza
Copa Classic
1960s Touring Cars
P1-P4
GT3

Tracks tested
Adelaide Historic 1988
Kansai East
Nurburgring Veedol 2020
Nurburgring Nordschliefe 2020


Results
Let's get weather performance out of the way: Storm and Thunderstorm graphic performance are not going to be possible. Night with any precipitation is not possible. Everything else will stay above 60 fps with 29 AI.

Once you rule out the bad weather combinations, the RTX 3090 is just enough for triple 4k 60 Hz monitors. If you've got to have higher fps or high refresh rates at this resolution, then it will take another generation or two of video cards to get there. I'm mostly satisfied because Automobilista 2 looks pretty good at Medium, even though slightly disappointed by the limitations of weather & night performance.

 

[b)b]

Thank you for that write up.
I thought I was in the minority playing on a single 4K 27" 60Hz monitor with graphics maxed out, but triple 4K is absolutely crazy !
For better performance, it would be interesting if the game allowed you to use 1080p on the side monitors that your RTX would upscale to 4K using integer scaling. Or DLSS but that's a pipe dream.

 

[M D Gourley]

Once you rule out the bad weather combinations, the RTX 3090 is just enough for triple 4k 60 Hz monitors. If you've got to have higher fps or high refresh rates at this resolution, then it will take another generation or two of video cards to get there. I'm mostly satisfied because Automobilista 2 looks pretty good at Medium, even though slightly disappointed by the limitations of weather & night performance.

Holy Moly ...even the 3090 is brought to it's knees slightly with Triple 4K, thanks for taking the time to post this info .
I did think of upgrading to Triple 4K for getting the most out of taking Screen Shots, but this has shown me that the top Graphics Cards are not quite powerful enough as yet to have everything on Ultra for maximum image quality that I would prefer for taking screen shots .

 

[BazzaLB]

The aliasing in this engine is really bad. Even high resolutions don't seem to alleviate it. In the end its either good performance or anti-aliasing. If I even think about turning on MSAA my frame rate plummets (VR). I think Nurburgring needs a couple of optimisation passes as well tbh.

How much VRAM is required for triple 4K?

 

[Emery]

How much VRAM is required for triple 4K?

There's a lot of "it depends" because different games managed VRAM differently. Most VRAM used is experienced in rF2 at Nurburgring Combined with 42 AI: 12+ GB. If you were to go past 42 AI, it's another 600 MB per car.

For AMS2, it stops requesting at 6.351 GB and AMS2 does its own paging rather than continuing to request more... most sims have similar limits, though I think ACC goes to 8 GB.

 

[Emery]

Now that I know what works, I'll be capping fps. The 3090 runs cool enough in my case, but maybe I can save a few degrees.

 

[Mekonrider]

At first I was like 'this 3090 seems crap'. Then I noticed it was triple 4k.

 

[F1Aussie]

Now that I know what works, I'll be capping fps. The 3090 runs cool enough in my case, but maybe I can save a few degrees.

What temps do you get, I have the same card and depending on room temp I seem to get between 67-74 Celcius.

 

[Emery]

What temps do you get, I have the same card and depending on room temp I seem to get between 67-74 Celcius.

Max of 70C. I altered the fan curve so it's going 10% at 30C, 50% at 40C, 80% at 65C, and 100% at 80C.

 

[F1Aussie]

Max of 70C. I altered the fan curve so it's going 10% at 30C, 50% at 40C, 80% at 65C, and 100% at 80C.

Yeah I did my fan curve very similar

 

[BillyBobSenna]

I am running triple 2K displays and run Automobilista 2 with all graphics maxed. On my RTX 2070 I can race in the rain at 45 fps. I am surprised how nice it looks at this fps. The displays have freesync 2 Maybe this helps it look good. Will be interesting to see the difference when I find an RTX 3080. I am expecting a doubling of the fps with and RTX 3080.

 

[lblando]

FWIW, I've gone down the triple 4k rabbit hole as well, but with a 3080. Did only bookend measurements (lowest graphics, maxxed graphics). Documented it here (https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0bLNz01ig6lo09fkK4Qq4LTMw#AMS2-4KPERF). Settings and all.

If you want the punchline, though:

Not sure it matters but, fwiw, I was *not* running NV Surround (noticed the OP was).

Hope this helps,
Luis

 

[dwightyone]

I am running triple 2K displays and run Automobilista 2 with all graphics maxed. On my RTX 2070 I can race in the rain at 45 fps. I am surprised how nice it looks at this fps. The displays have freesync 2 Maybe this helps it look good. Will be interesting to see the difference when I find an RTX 3080. I am expecting a doubling of the fps with and RTX 3080.

I'm running freesync 75fps on my triples 1080p in the dry. What FPS are you getting in the dry?

(i7 6700k/rtx 2070 super)

EDIT: nvm - I thought 1080p was 2k for a sec' so we have different resolutions

 

[BillyBobSenna]

I'm running freesync 75fps on my triples 1080p in the dry. What FPS are you getting in the dry?

(i7 6700k/rtx 2070 super)

EDIT: nvm - I thought 1080p was 2k for a sec' so we have different resolutions

When I start from the back of a full grid with max settings I get:

Dry = 48-50 fps
Rain = 30 fps

I don't run in the rain much. In the dry, 48-50 fps looks good to me in AMS2.

 

[dwightyone]

If you have 27inch triples 1440p must look pretty darn good as I'm real happy with 1080p triples. I would imagine you'd double your fps with a 3080

 

[BillyBobSenna]

If you have 27inch triples 1440p must look pretty darn good as I'm real happy with 1080p triples. I would imagine you'd double your fps with a 3080

I have triple 32" displays and think they look great in 1440. I would purchase a 3080 if they were available. I check Best Buy, New Egg, Micro Center, and Amazon a couple times a week and they are always sold-out. I am on the EVGA wait list and hope my number comes up in a couple months.

 

[dwightyone]

It's a right pain when you want something and it sells out again and again. I think for 1440p the 3080 would be a no brainer. I wanted 32 inch 1440p triples but couldn't justify the extra cost of a 3080 etc on top of the extra monitor cost compared to 1080p triples. But if I could have hid the purchase from the wifey I would have...

 

[Emery]

I have triple 32" displays and think they look great in 1440. I would purchase a 3080 if they were available.

That's definitely a $$$/fps/graphics sweet spot, provided you can place the 32" screens where they don't interfere with your steering wheel base and yet be as close as you can get 27" screens. Careful testing with cardboard proved it didn't work for me in my rig, that 32" interfered and would end up with the same FOV as 27", hence going to 43" screens.

 

[BillyBobSenna]

That's definitely a $$$/fps/graphics sweet spot, provided you can place the 32" screens where they don't interfere with your steering wheel base and yet be as close as you can get 27" screens. Careful testing with cardboard proved it didn't work for me in my rig, that 32" interfered and would end up with the same FOV as 27", hence going to 43" screens.

I agree with your comments. I would like to get my screens closer. They are currently 810 mm from my eye.