HUGE FPS/Performance Drop w/Patch 9.1.5

Support Mac Technical Support
21

50% render scale with FSR improved my fps a good bit.

22

Same here. Not much help from the Bliz side on this. Changed Render Scale, UI Reset, etc. Not pleased at the moment with lack of attention this is getting.

1 Like
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2015 iMac running BigSur, 3.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon R9 M380 2 GB, 6 GB 1867 MHz DDR3. Getting reliable 60 FPS before patch, now can’t get above 40, I tried the suggestion above and then lowered other settings. Nothing has helped. It was the difference between live and die in our raids this weekend. If Blizzard did not implement this graphics change for Macs correctly, they need to supply a real fix. I do not want to unsub but if i can’t play why pay? just because we are on Macs doesn’t mean we should get sub-standard support and service for the same subscription price their pc users pay. Apparently add ons like DBM and others base their timers and warnings off a 60 FPS formula which means those warnings no longer work in a timely fashion with FPS lowered so dramatically. I am GM of Vanquishers on Dawnbringer and we have been around for 10+ years playing and raiding well. It really hurts to think I may have to give that up due to programmers at Blizzard dropping a ball. Please PRIORATIZE this so you do not force loyal subscribers out of WOW. Thank you

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I feel for you I also have a huge Drop in performance again Oribus was easy 70 -90 fps now its 48-60fps

seems they work on an intel based fix for macs and hurt the m1 users and vice versa, happens when you have someone there not transferring the coding correctly for macs

They did get on this pretty fast to fix so I still have faith , its very annoying for sure but my faith in them to fix is still here.

also sad no real mac team… I hope they rethink considering M1 is starting to get more people and we spend more cough cough ACTIVISON

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Alright, I do not personally play on a Mac, but one of my best friends does and we’ve went through carefully testing option after option.

We hit every single graphics option, both presets and individual applications of settings from each level, high and low. Draw distances, clutter, etc. all tested. Advanced settings also all tested and there was precisely zero difference in performance change from the awful 15-30fps in Oribos and specifically dungeons.

Now, the performance drops are based on active animations, players, etc. on the screen since we experienced a single moment in Spires of Ascension where the framerate recovered from the low fps lock. This occurred when we rode up to the last boss since you stare at wall during the ride up. Staring at the floor in Oribos also helped recover the framerate. These suggest that the issue is indeed linked to the game just not properly using the Mac’s hardware to render and compute in-game objects, NPCs, and PCs.

But most importantly, which is why I decided to actually make a reply, we specifically focused on playing around with the supposed render quality & resample solution. I would like to personally ask the MVP poster to stop going through each of the topics and posting the most generic, untested customer service response of downgrading the render quality since “no Mac can run at 100% render”.

I’m not a Mac fan, but it simply sounds like anti-Apple type sentiment since there ARE Macs with more than enough power to run WoW at 100% render on their high res internal displays. They are designer Macbook Pros, the 5500M Pro is more than capable of this at 60fps. The player in question plays specifically at 60fps, not higher and was already able to maintain that framerate at max settings since the CPU bottlenecking rarely limits WoW performance past the 60fps mark even in high count raiding.

But most importantly, we tried her game at extremely low settings…on a 5500M Pro…which should easily cap to 60 at 40% render quality. But it simply locked to the 15-30 range the entire time besides that one instance described above.

Yes, almost no Mac can run the game at max settings at 100% at native res BUT many Mac users play at 60fps, not 144hz…which is completely attainable on even the mid-range designer models. These aren’t budget models from Walmart.

Sorry. But falsely confident solutions actually negatively affect Blizzard’s ability to locate priority problems since they need to carefully focus resources. Having an MVP wave off a serious technical issue with a solution that cannot work since it’s not tied to the issue to begin with as is proven by our testing and about 100 or so others before me. Yes, there may be a few user that falsely believed their Macs could run at higher setting before, but not every single person.

This almost exclusively affecting Shadowlands content, which does have a higher resource demand of course. It wouldn’t be stretch to say that the game is not properly pulling enough computing power from the hardware due to a bug. This CANNOT be fixed by the end-user and Blizzard must step in, no amount of pseudo-solutions will fix this type of problem. Seriously annoying to see a person trying to sweep an issue under a rug. I rarely post, but this required it.

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Those specific drops are well known and well documented. Even had websites do technical analysis, but they aren’t drops added by 9.1.5, they were in fact caused by 9.0.5.

I’ve never disputed those drops. I don’t want anyone to get impression that there aren’t problems. I’ve just seen no solid evidence of NEW ones caused specifically by 9.1.5 (minus one that was already fixed with crashing). If someone can post something definitive that says otherwise documenting new issues that aren’t just the old 9.0.5 ones (that never got fixed), I’m happy to test them. So far though, I can’t confirm any new issues, just same ole ones that even I have experienced since 9.0.5

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this is depressing in a way since I have a very strong feeling that if it was a Windows problem it would have been resolved much sooner.

I don’t think they are purposefully delaying a solution but more so a lack of technical know-how

but as a Mac user it feels like we are at very low priority right now =(

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Certainly escalated with 9.1.5. 25 fps on a flight path doesn’t seem optimal.

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A lot of these are also present on Windows computers as well (the conductors and Spires of Ascension especially). It’s anyone’s guess as to why those are still present after all this time. Unless their entire platforms “team” is now just a one-man show that handles every last game (we know the Mac side is one person, but I wouldn’t put it past ABK to force Blizzard into just such a scenario on the whole).

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Ok. I’m going to refrain from ripping into this wannabee tech support “guru” to maybe prevent a ban, but the self restraint as someone that’s literally worked within the industry on this type of stuff… breath

Ok, there might have been issues since 0.5, but these issues…causing drops on powerful hardware to 20fps specifically began with 9.1.5 this past Tuesday. Not before. Simply waving off literally hundreds of users now and essentially saying that we are lying is not only annoying, but also extremely detrimental to the bug fix process employed by Blizzard.

Contrary to some peoples’ belief, game companies DO actually take public discussion into account and having an “important” member of the community sweeping an issues under the rug that’s making the game unplayable for a massive amount of the community is unconscionable. Typing like a robot and claiming there’s no “solid” evidence of the issue is odd to say the least since there are hundreds of claims here now with the exact same issue.

And when the “solution” has been given to them, they try it, and it doesn’t work…why keep repeating it as if they are lying? It’d be much better to let people discuss the problem, giving their experiences, and then allowing actual professionals to post solutions instead of the WoW equivalent of “have you tried turning it on and off?”

And if you are asking for literal proof, as in FPS tests from before and after, it’s simply unrealistic in this case since people don’t record FPS tests without reason. The only proof like that are FPS test on Youtube on M1 hardware before the test and now people’s experiences in the current patch.

I really have nothing against ya, but this type of “it’s solved, move on” mentality actually does negatively affect issue management in-studio. There ARE new drops, we’re talking into the 20fps range. Reported by hundreds and not solvable with render scaling. Please, let Blizzard handle this and people report the issues without interference or mudding the waters.

Anyway, returning to topic, we’ve did also test on another Mac, older with significantly worse specs, but with an Intel chip. This one did not do the same non-sensical drops to the 20fps, but I’ll need to test more to ensure this. After 2 dungeons, the framerate remain stable at it’s recommended settings.

4 Likes
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Waving off 100s of users? I’ve seen a handful but not 100s and the chief issue is most of it is incoherent/non useful reporting. This makes for no conclusive test that either I or QA can reproduce these issues, and believe me I’ve tested 9.1.5 a bunch with both intel and M1. Performance of 9.1.5 remains unchanged from 9.1.0 in my testing.

I just find same issues that were already there before, which include

I know it’s really not helpful at all when blizzard nukes settings/changes them either, without asking users. I’ve given feedback on issue suggesting that it should ASK “hey we’ve made changes and recommend updating default settings, do you wish to do so now?” and let user say no. Or at very least when they update config.wtf with new graphics settings. archive config.old first. That truly does make it difficult to know if we’re testing apples to apples or apples to oranges.

Also, conditions of experience may also be different too even if user thinks they’ve matched their previous settings. maybe there were 5 people in korthia and now there are 20 near them because new patch type deal, etc). The details of test conditions matter

Have never said “it’s solved move on” or tried to sweep under rug. I literally text with members of engineering team daily about all issues I or users on forums find. half the bugs in metal engine are found and reported by me directly. I should be in game credits at this point.

So yes, people should continue to report performance issues but do so with more than just “it’s worse now”

Where? What is every single setting, hardware configuration, addons, what character, etc. You can’t just go “it’s worse”

Do you go to doctor and just go “I’m sick, fix me” and when they go “well what’s wrong with you” you reply “I just feel worse than before, that’s all, fix me.”

I know users are filled with outrage and some of posts have been winded rants or angry posts of little information other than “me too” or “fix this” or “still not yet” and none of it is helpful is what I’m getting at, not when it’s posted like that.

I encourage users to post their issues, but understand that mac support is limited and users are basically our man source of QA and even then, if an issue can’t be reproduced quickly with limited effort, it might not even get looked at half the time over a half a dozen other issues at any given time that are just always going to be higher priority than the minority of mac users. Users should be mad about that too and voice for change there, I really hope the apple silicon improves so much that users are brought back to the mac and companies like blizzard reinvest again, like they used to.

I also still encourage users to be outraged that the .0.5 issues have been almost entirely ignored as well. That one actually does baffle me considering it is also a windows issue. They have been around inexcusably long and wouldn’t be surprised if that’s some of current reports too. Remember, 9.1.5 enabled massive speedup to things like conductor. You know what craps on fps? the conductor. People in 9.1 might have had less flows running and now have more. So you can see how an old issue in that example alone could make it feel like a 9.1.5 issue.

So again, every detail matters.

Also recognize that many developers at blizzard do care about mac and recent reduction of quality on mac side is not unnoticed by them as well. I literally know of employs who’ve begged their project managers for time to improve things and been denied because at higher levels of blizzard they have shifted mac support to dead bottom of priorities. When you speak up about this though, don’t attack forum blue posters or call devs idiots for executive problems.

So TL/DR

  1. If you’re outraged or catch yourself making a post that isn’t constructive, take a breath and go “this isn’t helping me or my fellow users”
  2. Don’t attack the messenger because the message sucks. I get attacked a lot for speaking truths, so do the forum blues.
  3. Better reporting
  • a. Report very specifically hardware (memory, gpu, cpu, mac model)
  • b. Report settings. Graphics and advanced graphic tabs in complete detail. Try to recall whether any of these changed since update.
  • c. report addons on or off
  • d. Report areas tested, player density. Relative notes to performance expectation of same area previously and if player density of that area was similar or less before. As well as on which character. It’s been case before issues may only affect a certain class or ability so if that information isn’t known, it’s possible to test everything else and not see issue.
4 Likes
32

not as bad a M1 , my windows works much better but I use Mac more often

33

Same issues. I basically have nothing else on my computer other than WoW. No add ons.

This has to be fixable.

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FPS drops as I get into combat with many players or mobs, though the crashing was fixed with the latest build. My settings are very low compared to before patch.

I just 9.1 performance back on my 27" i5

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Something tells me no one read this part. Want to help, really. Please provide a lot more information.

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Model Name: Mac mini
Model Identifier: Macmini9,1
Chip: Apple M1
Total Number of Cores: 8 (4 performance and 4 efficiency)
Memory: 8 GB
System Firmware Version: 7429.41.5
OS Loader Version: 7429.41.5

All these are at 1440p

pre 9.1.5

Arena FPS average 80 settings were set to 7 and at 75%

now 9.1.5. 50-60fps not stable settings are at 5 with 50% FXR on per your advice

Oribus
Pre 9.1.5. 60 same settings as arena
post 9.1.5. 80 fps settings at 6 with 50% and FXR on per your advice

Shadowlands World

Revendreth
Pre 9.1.5 (setting set same as arena) 120 FPS
Post 9.1.5 88 fps settings at 6 with 50% and FXR on per your advice

Ardenweld
Pre 9.1.5 (setting set same as arena) 120 FPS
Post 9.1.5 54 fps settings at 6 with 50% and FXR on per your advice

I dont think all these people are imaging some kind of fps drop it is real

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That’s good info. ardenweald is telling of a bug i discovered where the compute effects got turned back on by options reset in 9.1.5 without actually SHOWING they got turned back on in gui (ie gui says they are off but they are actually at full). Do that test again but toggle compute on, then back off again. Considering ardenweald is biggest loss and it’s also zone with most compute effects, i’m hoping this is it.

That may actually explain issue for other spots as well.

Nice gains in oribos, that’s how patch should have affected most zones

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Update

Oribus now getting 90 fps average
Ardenweld with Compute off nets me 5 fps more so I hover around 59-60 fps

the compute off does make it much smoother for Ardenweld but it is much lower than it was before 9.1.5

thank you for such fast responses and for being a conduit to tech support

1 Like
39

This is almost certainly a broken addon. You’ll need to troubleshoot and determine which addon is not up to date and either get the latest version or disable it if there is no version for 9.1.5.

This is a regression that was in 9.1 as well. Remember how I told you about Bastion’s pixelated objects in the distance that glowed red? They would return to normal (albeit very dark) after I turned compute effects “on” and then “off” again. This was despite my compute effects having been turned off to start with. The client is not honoring that setting, and it gets turned back on whenever you log in or even just switch characters. Every time you change characters you have to turn it on and off again to disable it, and in some zones it still isn’t disabled entirely (Korthia is a very reproducible instance of this).

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Admittedly, the discussion is truly moving towards an actual solution above simply waving things off. Awesome, all for it and I absolutely agree that more data is needed. Due to our situation (me not playing on Mac lol), I’ll need to guide my friend through some specific testing. We already did most of this testing, but the latest posts could provide a different result and we’ll document the exact framerates since the terminology here has taken a more serious tact.

Will provide similar tests to the Priest once we get the chance to sit through settings flips again (probably today/tomorrow). Will also provide specs on the Mac, did not have those last time. Sorry on that.

The main issue for her gameplay popped up exclusively in SL zones, mainly Oribos and really bad (the framerates are generally in 20-25 range, but hit a low of 17fps in our Heroic kill on Sylvie last night) in SoD and SL dungeons. We played older content in Legion with problems, a solid 60fps throughout. Same with Warlords content, including dungeons. Tried a single BFA dungeon as well and no problems. SL does make significantly more use of compute effects, so maybe we can get some results with the setting. Til then, best of luck to everyone.