{"id":33060,"date":"2012-12-30T04:24:56","date_gmt":"2012-12-30T04:24:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=33060"},"modified":"2013-08-02T16:31:14","modified_gmt":"2013-08-02T15:31:14","slug":"exploring-frame-time-measurement-part-1-is-fraps-a-good-tool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/exploring-frame-time-measurement-part-1-is-fraps-a-good-tool\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring &#8220;Frame time&#8221; measurement &#8211; Part 1 &#8211; Is Fraps a good tool?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"left\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/\/ < ![CDATA[\ngoogle_ad_client = \"pub-7021221536180758\"; \/* 468x60, created 11\/11\/09 *\/ google_ad_slot = \"1949837292\"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60;\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n\n\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Faster.\u00a0 Smoother.\u00a0 Richer.\u00a0 These three words define Nvidia&#8217;s Kepler marketing campaign which attempts to convey what a gamer wants to experience &#8211; (1)<em> Faster<\/em>; more raw frame rates as measured as frames per second (fps). (2) <em>Smoother<\/em>; the gamer should not experience hiccups or stuttering which we are now able to easily measure and chart.\u00a0 And (3) Richer; the overall gaming experience should be excellent and fully-featured.<\/p>\n<p>One of the tools most often used to convey the performance differences between video cards is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fraps.com\/\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.fraps.com\/', 'Fraps']);\" >Fraps<\/a>.\u00a0 Most commonly, it is used to measure fps (frames per second), or frame rates\u00a0which convey\u00a0how\u00a0evenly the frames are delivered.\u00a0\u00a0 Fraps is quite popular among enthusiasts and there is a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fraps.com\/download.php\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.fraps.com\/download.php', 'free version']);\" >free version<\/a> that can also measure frame times as well as frame rates.\u00a0\u00a0 It is a versatile tool as seen from the Fraps website:<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/i1.fraps.com\/images\/fraps_win33.gif?resize=320%2C202\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It has been <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mvps.org\/directx\/articles\/fps_versus_frame_time.htm\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.mvps.org\/directx\/articles\/fps_versus_frame_time.htm', 'noted for\u00a0nearly']);\" >noted for\u00a0nearly<\/a> a decade\u00a0that just measuring fps does not convey the full experience if the frames are delivered unevenly\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0if there is stutter, micro stutter, or jitter.\u00a0 Recently, Scott Wasson of <a href=\"http:\/\/techreport.com\/review\/21516\/inside-the-second-a-new-look-at-game-benchmarking\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/techreport.com\/review\/21516\/inside-the-second-a-new-look-at-game-benchmarking', 'the Tech Report']);\" >the Tech Report<\/a> began to measure &#8220;frame times&#8221; which are also measured by Fraps.\u00a0 He is not the first, as <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lostcircuits.com\/mambo\/\/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=34&amp;Itemid=1&amp;limit=1&amp;limitstart=4\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.lostcircuits.com\/mambo\/\/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=34&amp;Itemid=1&amp;limit=1&amp;limitstart=4', 'Lost Circuits']);\" >Lost Circuits<\/a> experimented with this\u00a0in 2008\u00a0but returned to fps charts for simplicity sake.<\/p>\n<p>It is pretty well-established that Fraps is a very good measure of frame rates (fps), but what about its ability to measure frame times?\u00a0 Fraps also outputs these results that can be charted in Excel or a similar spreadsheet program if &#8220;frametimes&#8221; is checked (along with &#8220;FPS&#8221; and &#8220;MinMaxAvg&#8221; which are usually measured, under the &#8220;FPS&#8221; tab).<\/p>\n<p>We are going to look at two in-game benchmarks that also measure frame times and we will compare them using Fraps frame time measurements.\u00a0 We are using the <em>STALKER, Call of Pripyat<\/em> stand-alone benchmark and <em>Metro 2033&#8217;s<\/em> official benchmark, and we shall also look at <em>Far Cry 2<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>We are using\u00a0the stock-clocked GTX 680 and if our testing shows Fraps to be a useful tool,\u00a0later benching will pit its frame time smoothness of delivery versus the HD 7970 at GHz edition clocks.\u00a0 Raw frame rates simply do not convey the complete gaming experience and this can be easily illustrated with multi-GPU &#8211; where otherwise satisfactory frame rates may feel much slower than then they should due to uneven delivery of frames.\u00a0\u00a0 <em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/7970-gtx680.jpg?resize=300%2C179\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/em><\/p>\n<p>One thing to note is that we overclocked our Core i7-3770K CPU to 4.5GHz to make sure that there is no CPU bottleneck.\u00a0 We are testing at 1920&#215;1080. Although we are only testing three games in this Part 1, generally we use 2x\/4xAA or 8xAA plus 16xAF and with maximum (ultra) DX11\/10.1\/10\/9c details whenever it is available.\u00a0\u00a0We are benching with GeForce 310.70 WHQL\u00a0drivers.<\/p>\n<p>Please continue on to the next page for the complete hardware and software setup of our testing platform.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--pagetitle: Introduction--><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><strong>Test Configuration <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ffff00;\"><strong>Test Configuration &#8211; Hardware <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Intel Core i7 3770K (overclocked to 4.5GHz); Turbo is on.<\/li>\n<li>EVGA Z77 FTW motherboard (Intel Z77 chipset, latest beta BIOS, PCIe 3.0 specification; CrossFire\/SLI 16x+16x using Plex chip.)<\/li>\n<li>8GB Kingston DDR3 PC1866 Kingston RAM (4&#215;2 GB, dual-channel at 1866MHz; supplied by Kingston)<\/li>\n<li>Power Color Radeon HD 7970 (3GB, overclocked to GHz Edition speeds 1050\/6000MHz)<\/li>\n<li>Nvidia GTX 680 (2GB, 1006\/6008MHz, reference clocks), supplied by Nvidia<\/li>\n<li>Onboard Realtek Audio<\/li>\n<li>Two identical 500 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 hard drives configured and set up identically from drive image; one partition for Nvidia GeForce drivers and one for ATI Catalyst drivers<\/li>\n<li>Kingston 240GB HyperX SSD used for AMD partition, supplied by Kingston.<\/li>\n<li>Kingston 240GB HyperX 3K SSD used for Nvidia partition, supplied by Kingston<\/li>\n<li>OWC 240GB Mercury EXTREME Pro 4G used for both AMD and Nvidia, on loan from OWC.<\/li>\n<li>Thermaltake ToughPower 775 W power supply unit supplied by Thermaltake<\/li>\n<li>Thermaltake Overseer RX-I full tower case, supplied by Thermaltake<\/li>\n<li>Sapphire Vapor-X CPU cooler on loan from Sapphire<\/li>\n<li>Philips DVD SATA writer<\/li>\n<li>ASUS VG278 27&#8243; Light Boost enabled 3D Vision 2 ready 120Hz display<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ffff00;\">Test Configuration &#8211; Software<\/span><\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fraps 3.5.9 full version<\/li>\n<li>ATi Catalyst 12-11 Beta11 drivers; highest quality mip-mapping set in the driver; use application settings; surface performance optimizations are off.\u00a0 Latest CAPs used.<\/li>\n<li>Catalyst Control Center used to set power draw to maximum for the HD 7970; clocks, voltage and fan profiles are stock<\/li>\n<li>EVGA PrecisionX used to set power draw to maximum for Nvidia cards; clocks voltage and fan profile are stock<\/li>\n<li>NVIDIA GeForce WHQL 310.70\u00a0 High Quality<\/li>\n<li>Windows 7 64-bit; very latest updates<\/li>\n<li>Latest DirectX<\/li>\n<li>All games are patched to their latest versions.<\/li>\n<li>vsync is forced off in the control panels.<\/li>\n<li>Varying AA enabled as noted in games; all in-game settings are specified with 16xAF always applied; 16xAF forced in control panel for <em>Crysis<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>All results show average frame rates and frame times<\/li>\n<li>Highest quality sound (stereo) used in all games.<\/li>\n<li>Windows 7 64, all DX9 titles were run under DX9 render paths, DX10 titles were run under DX10 render paths and DX11 titles under DX11 render paths.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ffff00;\">The Benchmarks<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div><strong>DX11<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>STALKER, Call of Pripyat<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Metro 2033<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Far Cry 2<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Let&#8217;s head to the charts and see the frame time comparison between Fraps results and the <em>Call of Pripyat<\/em> and <em>Metro 2033<\/em> engine results.<br \/>\n<!--pagetitle: Test Configuration--><!--nextpage--><br \/>\n<strong>Metro 2033<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s first look at Metr<em>o 2033<\/em>.\u00a0 Everything is maxed out at 1920&#215;1080 except for DOF which provides very little in the way of visuals but takes a large performance hit.\u00a0 We are going to examine one representative run and compare the frame time chart as reported by the engine and made into a chart as compared to a Fraps run of the same run and compared with\u00a0the frame time chart as reported by Fraps.<\/p>\n<p>First up is the fps chart that the game engine reports:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #ffff00;\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33061\" title=\"2033-FPSresult\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/2033-FPSresult.jpg?resize=589%2C447\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Now\u00a0here is an\u00a0Excel fps\u00a0chart of the very same run as charted by Fraps.\u00a0 Thanks to Grstanford of ABT forum for making the calculations\u00a0for all of the following charts!<a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/2033-FPSresult-Fraps1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-33070\" title=\"2033-FPSresult-Fraps\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/2033-FPSresult-Fraps1.jpg?resize=529%2C342\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/2033-FPSresult-Fraps1.jpg?resize=529%2C342 529w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/2033-FPSresult-Fraps1-300x193.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">We note that in both cases, the results are very similar.\u00a0 What about Frame Times?\u00a0 Here is a comparison of how the\u00a0Fraps\u00a0and the <em>Metro 2033<\/em> game engine displays\u00a0 frame times in Excel:<a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Metro-frame-times.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33063\" title=\"Metro-frame-times\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Metro-frame-times.jpg?resize=527%2C269\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>On the left are the frame times as reported by the game engine opened in an Excel spreadsheet.\u00a0 In the center is the same run as reported by Fraps; and on the right is the <em>Metro 2033<\/em> game engine&#8217;s individual frame times after being recalculated.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the Excel charts that were produced &#8211; first the <em>Metro 2033<\/em> frame times as reported by the game engine:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/MetroCht-frametimes1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-33071\" title=\"MetroCht-frametimes\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/MetroCht-frametimes1.jpg?resize=529%2C332\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/MetroCht-frametimes1.jpg?resize=529%2C332 529w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/MetroCht-frametimes1-300x188.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Now the same run as reported by Fraps:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/MetroCht-frametimesFraps1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-33072\" title=\"MetroCht-frametimesFraps\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/MetroCht-frametimesFraps1.jpg?resize=529%2C345\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/MetroCht-frametimesFraps1.jpg?resize=529%2C345 529w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/MetroCht-frametimesFraps1-300x195.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As you can see, Fraps reports very similarly to Metro 2033 in both frame rate and frame times.\u00a0 The Fraps run would be a second or two\u00a0different\u00a0from the official benchmark due to\u00a0starting Fraps benching\u00a0immediately before or\u00a0after the bench actually begins and stopping it slightly before or after it ends.\u00a0 When watching this benchmark, one can actually see the stutters.\u00a0 It appears to have been optimized for performance and higher fps, not smoothness.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s now look at <em>STALKER, Call of Pripyat<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>STALKER, Call of Pripyat<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We use maxed out settings but only used 2xAA as we want to average over 60 fps.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-options.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-33081\" title=\"CoP-options\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-options.jpg?resize=480%2C497\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-options.jpg?resize=480%2C497 480w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-options-289x300.jpg 289w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Here\u00a0are our fps averages as reported by the SunShafts benchmark:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em><a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/GamEngine-av-max-min.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33078\" title=\"GamEngine-av-max-min\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/GamEngine-av-max-min.jpg?resize=430%2C350\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/GamEngine-av-max-min.jpg?resize=430%2C350 537w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/GamEngine-av-max-min-300x244.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 430px) 100vw, 430px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As with Metro 2033, we are going to examine one run and compare the frame time chart as reported by the engine and made into a chart as compared to a Fraps run of the same run and the frame time chart as reported by Fraps.\u00a0 First up is the chart that the game engine reports:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-frametimes1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-33073\" title=\"CoP-Cht-frametimes\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-frametimes1.jpg?resize=529%2C339\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-frametimes1.jpg?resize=529%2C339 529w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-frametimes1-300x192.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Now the same run as reported by Fraps:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-FRAPS-frametimes1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-33074\" title=\"CoP-Cht-FRAPS-frametimes\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-FRAPS-frametimes1.jpg?resize=529%2C338\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-FRAPS-frametimes1.jpg?resize=529%2C338 529w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-FRAPS-frametimes1-300x191.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>And again, the runs are so similar as to convey approximately the same information.\u00a0 It fits very well in with the experience of watching this benchmark &#8211; a\u00a0small chug at the beginning, then it settles down until the scene changes and lighting comes into play &#8211; smoothness alternates with slight jitter until we reach the last scene that settles down nicely.\u00a0 There is a better balance of\u00a0good performance with overall smoothness compared with <em>Metro 2033<\/em> which jitters more noticeably.<\/p>\n<p>These frame time charts are\u00a0all well and good in supporting frame rates, but who is going to want to spend the time to make the calculations necessary\u00a0to create these individual frame time charts?\u00a0 Fortunately there is an easy solution.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Enter Frafs Bench Viewer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lindsay Bigelow, an established member (raffriff) of <a href=\"http:\/\/frapsforum.com\/threads\/new-tool-for-viewing-fraps-benchmark-files.2121\/\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/frapsforum.com\/threads\/new-tool-for-viewing-fraps-benchmark-files.2121\/', 'FrapsForum.com']);\" >FrapsForum.com<\/a>, developed an uncomplicated tool for simply dragging and dropping Fraps frame time csv files into a program, named Frafs Bench Viewer, that quickly makes a chart.\u00a0\u00a0 We would like to support his efforts by also using his tool and encouraging our readers to also make these simple charts and perhaps share them on ABT forum.<\/p>\n<p>Frafs Bench Viewer can be downloaded at <a href=\"http:\/\/sourceforge.net\/projects\/frafsbenchview\/files\/\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/sourceforge.net\/projects\/frafsbenchview\/files\/', 'SourceForge.com']);\" >SourceForge.com<\/a> or from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.softpedia.com\/get\/Multimedia\/Video\/Other-VIDEO-Tools\/FrafsBenchViewer.shtml\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.softpedia.com\/get\/Multimedia\/Video\/Other-VIDEO-Tools\/FrafsBenchViewer.shtml', 'Softpedia.com']);\" >Softpedia.com<\/a> as freeware.\u00a0 All you do is drag and drop a Fraps frametimes.csv file into the program and it automatically creates customizable graphs!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/frafsbenchviewer.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33085\" title=\"frafsbenchviewer\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/frafsbenchviewer.jpg?resize=480%2C253\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/frafsbenchviewer.jpg?resize=480%2C253 600w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/frafsbenchviewer-300x158.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Here is a\u00a0graph produced by the Frafs Bench Viewer\u00a0of the same <em>Call of Pripyat<\/em> benchmark as the last graph above:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-frametimesBV.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33079\" title=\"CoP-Cht-frametimesBV\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-frametimesBV.jpg?resize=480%2C74\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-frametimesBV.jpg?resize=480%2C74 1000w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-frametimesBV-300x46.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It may look different from the frame time Excel graph that we are repeating again here\u00a0 . . .<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-frametimes1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"CoP-Cht-frametimes\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-frametimes1.jpg?resize=529%2C339\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0 . . . until we compress it:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-frametimesBV-compre.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-33080\" title=\"CoP-Cht-frametimesBV-compre\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/CoP-Cht-frametimesBV-compre.jpg?resize=396%2C210\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>The Frafs Benchmark Viewer is a very useful\u00a0and easy-to-use tool\u00a0to\u00a0display frame times and we encourage our readers to submit their own graphs and experiences on ABT forum.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s look next at <em>Far Cry 2.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Far Cry 2<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Far Cry 2<\/em> benchmark also reports the frame times but it rounds them off quite differently so that the spikes are not as apparant as they are with Fraps.\u00a0 Here is the game engine frame times\u00a0(in brown)\u00a0superimposed over the Fraps frame times (in blue):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/FC2-compare-copy.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-33084\" title=\"FC2-compare-copy\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/FC2-compare-copy.jpg?resize=480%2C252\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/FC2-compare-copy.jpg?resize=480%2C252 480w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/FC2-compare-copy-300x157.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In all three\u00a0cases, Fraps frame times follows the three game engine frame times closely enough to be useful in conveying the experience of &#8220;smoothness&#8221; and\u00a0some of the spikes in the chart can be noticed by a careful observer &#8211; or as we shall show in this continuing &#8220;smoothness&#8221; series &#8211; by a high-speed digital camera.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s head to our conclusion about Fraps frame time measurements.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--pagetitle: Fraps frame time vs game engine reporting--><!--nextpage--><!--pagetitle: Conclusion--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This has been quite an enjoyable hands-on experience comparing Fraps frame time runs with three game engines actual reporting of frame times.\u00a0 We feel reasonably confident as we proceed that Fraps is as useful a tool in reporting frame times as it is\u00a0is for\u00a0frame rates.\u00a0 It is not perfect, but it conveys a reasonable assessment of what is actually being experienced in-game by the user regarding smoothness or its lack.<\/p>\n<p>We also like Frafs Benchmark Viewer as a simple and easy tool to create nearly instant graphs out of\u00a0Fraps frame time runs.\u00a0 We plan to continue to use this tool as we explore &#8220;smoothness&#8221; by measuring frame times, relating them to frame rates and perhaps posting Youtube videos of our own GTX 680 versus Radeon HD 7970 side-by-side runs at 60 fields per second, 120 fps, and 240 fps.<\/p>\n<p>If you would like to weigh in\u00a0on our future testing methods or to specifically discuss micro stutter and frame time\u00a0testing methods, feel free to comment below, ask questions, make requests, or have a detailed discussion\u00a0at <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/abt\/\">ABT forum<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Stay tuned, there is a lot coming from us at ABT including Part Two of &#8220;Exploring Frame Time Measurement&#8221;. \u00a0Don&#8217;t miss it this week as we compare the GTX 680 versus the HD 7970 as to smoothness.\u00a0 Stay tuned to ABT for the latest regular news and Top Apps, as well as a Genius PC 2.0 and 4.0 speaker\u00a0evaluation as well as a Newer Technology Voyager USB 2.0\/3.0 Drive Dock test drive.<\/p>\n<p>Happy gaming and Happy New Year!<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Please join us in our <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/abt\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\">Forums<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Become a Fan on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/AlienBabelTech\/123268467142\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/AlienBabelTech\/123268467142', 'Facebook']);\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Follow us on <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/alienbabeltech\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/twitter.com\/alienbabeltech', 'Twitter']);\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For the latest updates from ABT, please <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?feed=rss2\" target=\"_blank\">join our RSS News Feed<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Join our Distributed Computing teams<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Folding@Home &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech &#8211; 164304<\/li>\n<li>SETI@Home &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech &#8211; 138705<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldcommunitygrid.org\/reg\/viewRegister.do?teamID=3P39R3SRV1\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.worldcommunitygrid.org\/reg\/viewRegister.do?teamID=3P39R3SRV1', 'World Community Grid &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech']);\" target=\"_blank\">World Community Grid &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=33060\"><img decoding=\"async\" align=top title=\"Author: Mark Poppin\" src=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/FT-Fraps-ImageLink.jpg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":33061,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2533,7814,5],"tags":[163,5997,5996,5994,3118,5122,5012,5995,5993],"class_list":["post-33060","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abt-news","category-articles","category-gaming","tag-fps","tag-frafs-bench-viewer","tag-frame-rates","tag-frame-time","tag-fraps","tag-gtx-680","tag-hd-7970","tag-measurement","tag-smoothness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33060","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33060"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33060\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}