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How to Profile Modern PC Games with NVIDIA Nsight Graphics
AppWizard
April 6, 2026

How to Profile Modern PC Games with NVIDIA Nsight Graphics

Performance analysis in PC gaming has become more complex with the introduction of DirectX 12 and Vulkan, incorporating technologies like asynchronous compute, hardware ray tracing, and machine learning-assisted denoising. Understanding GPU performance requires advanced tools to analyze workload distribution and shader behavior, with NVIDIA Nsight Graphics being a key resource. NVIDIA Nsight Graphics is a graphics debugger and profiler for modern graphics APIs, featuring the GPU Trace Profiler, which provides detailed insights into GPU execution and performance bottlenecks. Recent updates have improved its utility, including a Flame Graph for the Shader Profiler and support for NVIDIA's DLSS in D3D12 applications. The Peak-Performance-Percentage analysis method focuses on identifying GPU workload constraints and optimizing utilization rather than relying on assumptions about performance bottlenecks. This methodology is applied using Nsight Graphics to analyze GPU traces from the game Cyberpunk 2077, contrasting traditional rasterization with path tracing enhanced by DLSS Ray Reconstruction. The test setup included an Intel Core i7-14700K CPU, 32 GB RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, capturing two scenarios: one with raster-only settings and another with path tracing and DLSS. The analysis revealed that the rasterized frame's most costly aspect was lighting processing, while the path-traced frame showed increased total frame cost and a hybrid workload involving rasterization, ray traversal, and AI-driven processes. Key findings indicated that modern GPU performance is heavily influenced by memory behavior rather than just shader arithmetic, with significant time spent on compute-driven lighting processing and data movement. The analysis also highlighted that ray tracing performance is constrained by memory efficiency, indicating that performance does not scale linearly with RT-core throughput.
Arc Raiders crafting just got much faster: "Your time matters, we don't want you spending it clicking through menus"
AppWizard
April 5, 2026

Arc Raiders crafting just got much faster: “Your time matters, we don’t want you spending it clicking through menus”

Crafting is essential in Arc Raiders, where players gather resources to create weapons, gear, and consumables. Embark Studios is working to improve the crafting experience by addressing the time-consuming nature of resource gathering. They have introduced a new 'Acquire Resources' button in the crafting screen, which provides a list of available sources for required materials, including recyclable items from the player's inventory and options from traders. This feature aims to reduce interruptions and streamline the crafting process, although it does not guarantee immediate access to all materials. The studio acknowledges that further improvements are needed and is committed to addressing additional player concerns in future updates. They also encourage ongoing community feedback to shape their development priorities.
Realistic FPS Gray Zone Warfare bounces back as a transformative, community-led update boosts players by 1000%
AppWizard
April 5, 2026

Realistic FPS Gray Zone Warfare bounces back as a transformative, community-led update boosts players by 1000%

The recent update to Gray Zone Warfare, named Spearhead, has generated significant enthusiasm for the tactical first-person shooter developed by Madfinger Games. The update includes a dedicated onboarding zone for newcomers, a comprehensive 110-page Field Manual, and an expansion of the island of Lamang with over 25 new locations and diverse biomes. The game features a restructured terrain and vegetation for enhanced player strategy, reorganized computer-controlled adversaries into seven factions, and a revamped progression system with over 250 replayable tasks. Spearhead introduces eight new weapons, over 380 weapon parts, and more than 150 gear pieces, along with a revamped vendor system and extensive changes to the loot system, doubling the number of distinct loot items. An animation overhaul has improved movement fluidity, and new sprinting options have been added. Audio quality has been enhanced with natural sounds and new enemy voiceovers. The health system has been refined for better combat clarity, and updates to the HUD and tactical map have improved user experience. Player engagement has surged, with active user counts increasing to over 40,000 and a total player count of 160,000. The game is currently available on Steam at a promotional price of £23.44 / .79. Future updates and an updated roadmap will be provided by Madfinger Games.
Linux 7.0 Cuts PostgreSQL Performance in Half
Tech Optimizer
April 5, 2026

Linux 7.0 Cuts PostgreSQL Performance in Half

An AWS engineer reported a significant drop in PostgreSQL throughput on Linux 7.0, with performance reduced to approximately half of its previous capability. Benchmark tests showed that the removal of the PREEMPT_NONE scheduling option was the main cause of this regression. On a 96-vCPU Graviton4 instance, throughput measured at just 0.51x compared to earlier kernel versions. Salvatore Dipietro from Amazon/AWS conducted benchmarking analysis of PostgreSQL 17, revealing that Linux 7.0 delivered only 0.51x the throughput of its predecessors. The root cause was traced to kernel commit 7dadeaa6e851, which eliminated PREEMPT_NONE as the default option, leading to increased contention due to the new PREEMPT_LAZY model. Profiling data indicated that 55% of CPU time is consumed by spinning in PostgreSQL’s spinlock, causing significant performance degradation. When a revert patch was applied, throughput rebounded to 1.94x the baseline. The decision to restrict preemption modes in Linux 7.0 aimed to address issues within the kernel's scheduling model. Dipietro proposed a patch to restore PREEMPT_NONE, but kernel developers suggested PostgreSQL adopt the rseq time slice extension instead. Database operators running PostgreSQL on Linux face potential performance reductions with the upgrade to Linux 7.0.
Tarn Adams, co-creator of Dwarf Fortress, has over 1,400 hours in Factorio and is currently obsessed with terraforming games: 'Dwarf Fortress just doesn't accommodate a full-on sci-fi thing'
AppWizard
April 5, 2026

Tarn Adams, co-creator of Dwarf Fortress, has over 1,400 hours in Factorio and is currently obsessed with terraforming games: ‘Dwarf Fortress just doesn’t accommodate a full-on sci-fi thing’

Tarn Adams is the co-founder of Bay 12 Games and is best known for co-creating Dwarf Fortress, which was released in 2006 and is celebrating its 20th anniversary. He has recently been playing The Planet Crafter, a terraforming game, and has logged 1,454.5 hours in Factorio, a factory-building simulation. Adams does not have a single game he would never uninstall but frequently plays Caves of Qud. He uses Ableton, a music sequencer, as essential non-gaming software. His desktop is about half full with various folders and .txt files, including a nostalgic folder for BASIC games from the '80s.
Age of Empires 4's next chapter tests your will to survive as the "ruthless" Jin Dynasty arrive
AppWizard
April 5, 2026

Age of Empires 4’s next chapter tests your will to survive as the “ruthless” Jin Dynasty arrive

The Age of Empires 4 DLC titled "Yue Fei's Legacy" introduces the Jin Dynasty as a new faction, characterized as "fast and ruthless." Players will initially face the Jin as adversaries in an eight-mission campaign where they lead the Song Dynasty, commanded by Yue Fei, against the invading Jin forces. The Jin Dynasty features strengths in cavalry and siege capabilities, utilizing Horse Grasslands for military production and introducing elite units like Iron Pagoda cavalry and Mohe Tribesman. Strategic elements include Mounted Villagers for resource gathering and Emissaries for capturing settlements. The use of gunpowder becomes significant in later stages, with the addition of Mounted Grenadiers and Eruptors. The DLC also introduces two new biomes—Madagascar and Yellow River—and four additional maps. It is set to launch on May 7, 2026, priced at .99 / £12.49, with a 15% pre-purchase discount available before the release date.
New Psychological Horror Free PC Download is Weirdly Unsettling
AppWizard
April 4, 2026

New Psychological Horror Free PC Download is Weirdly Unsettling

A demo for the psychological horror game "There Are People In Your Walls" is available on Steam. The game focuses on paranoia and anxiety, where players take on the role of an apartment dweller disturbed by unsettling noises, suggesting the presence of individuals in the walls. Gameplay relies on auditory perception to detect threats, with players able to interact with the environment and use an axe to confront intruders. The game requires only 4 MB of RAM and a GTX 560 to run, but lacks controller support. The developer, badideasdigital, has not announced a release date for the full version.
New Crimson Desert patch brings a huge storage upgrade, but waves goodbye to its best flight trick
AppWizard
April 4, 2026

New Crimson Desert patch brings a huge storage upgrade, but waves goodbye to its best flight trick

The latest update for Crimson Desert, version 1.02.00, introduces significant enhancements based on community feedback. Key features include: - Inventory expansion, allowing private storage to grow from 240 slots to 1,000 with five possible expansions. - Improved movement controls with the option to toggle between new 'basic' controls and classic settings, along with enhanced fast travel capabilities. - A headgear visibility toggle for character customization, with future updates promising additional options for hiding weapons. - Balancing adjustments, including a nerf to a popular flight trick, while maintaining the ability to activate flight mid-air. - New features such as a fresh armor set for cats, clearer visibility for explosive barrels, and a reorganized save/load menu for better user experience. - Graphical improvements addressing foliage display and screen flickering, alongside fixes for crashes and localization errors. The update is available on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Mac App Store.
A new Crimson Desert patch adds the only RPG feature that matters: A hide helmet button
AppWizard
April 4, 2026

A new Crimson Desert patch adds the only RPG feature that matters: A hide helmet button

Crimson Desert has introduced an update that allows players to hide their helmets, offering customization options in the settings menu. Players can choose to make their headgear visible during cutscenes, throughout the game, only in combat, or not at all. The update also includes a new whimsical armor set and helmet for cats, improved movement controls with a "classic" option, and has been positively received, with PC Gamer awarding it a score of 80.
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