Systematic approach to diagnosing VR performance problems.
Verification Status
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Last verified | 2026-01-28 |
| Headset | Pimax Crystal Super |
| GPU | RTX 5090 (powerflux) |
| GPU driver | 580.x |
Symptom Index
Consistent High Frametimes
Symptom: Frametimes consistently above target (e.g., 14ms at 90Hz target of 11.1ms)
| Cause | Diagnostic | Resolution |
|---|
| GPU bound | GPU usage 100% | Reduce render resolution or detail |
| CPU bound | GPU < 90%, CPU thread maxed | Reduce physics, AI, crowd settings |
| VRAM exhaustion | Stutters after load, VRAM full | Lower textures, close background apps |
| Thermal throttle | Degradation over time | Check temps, improve cooling |
Diagnostic Steps
- Open Task Manager → Performance
- Launch VR title
- Observe GPU and CPU utilization
- If GPU 100%: GPU bound
- If GPU < 90% with poor performance: CPU bound or driver issue
Periodic Spikes
Symptom: Stable frametimes with intermittent spikes
| Cause | Diagnostic | Resolution |
|---|
| Background process | Spikes correlate with app activity | Disable startup apps, check scheduler |
| Asset streaming | Spikes when entering new areas | Move to SSD, adjust streaming settings |
| Driver overhead | Random pattern | Test different driver versions |
| USB bandwidth | Spikes with tracking glitches | Different USB controller or port |
Diagnostic Steps
- Note spike timing and pattern
- Correlate with:
- Game events (area transitions, combat)
- System events (notifications, updates)
- Tracking behavior
Reprojection Artifacts
Symptom: Visual doubling, smearing, or wobble
| Cause | Diagnostic | Resolution |
|---|
| Forced reprojection | Smart smoothing active | Reduce settings for native framerate |
| Tracking issues | Artifacts follow head movement | Check base station visibility |
| Dual smoothing | Both PiTool and SteamVR enabled | Disable SteamVR Motion Smoothing |
Built-in
- PiTool overlay: Frametime graph, reprojection status
- SteamVR Frame Timing: Settings → Developer → Display Frame Timing
- fpsVR: Third-party overlay with detailed metrics
System
- Task Manager: Per-process utilization
- HWiNFO64: Temperature and throttling
- LatencyMon: DPC latency analysis
Version-Specific Issues
| Version | Known Issue | Status |
|---|
| — | — | — |
Revision History
| Date | Change |
|---|
| — | Initial document |