Why is there a performance related thread every 2 weeks now

this game hasnt changed in a meaningful way in the past 4 years

i dont like how dx81 looks but like once a month i try dx91 or 95 to see if it's as bad as i remember it and every time i confirm that my fps is just dogshit with it sadly

i have an i5 4690k and an r9 390

Use whatever you prefer. I personally prefer the look of dx8 and have gotten used to it. I also get higher frame counts in mastercoms' benchmark in dx8 even on a modern high-end PC, though this doesn't mean my game will technically be running "better" compared to if I was playing in dx9 - According to mastercoms dx9 usually has better resource utilization, which consequently gives you a smoother and more responsive game. I've switched between the two many times and don't really feel any noticeable difference other than aesthetics honestly.

I've used dx 95 ever since I played on real PC's and it's always been stable for me

My argument against dx 81 is I like shiny things

Always -dxlevel 100. DXLevel 81 runs an older inefficient pipeline meant for older systems. As such you get higher frame rates, but your game becomes more unstable and likely get worse frame pacing. DXLevel 9 conversely uses a more modern pipeline meant for newer systems, so you get more stability and better frame times, but also "lower" frame rates and dx 9 might run worse on older systems. High frame rates of course don't always equal better performance, because it's impossible to actually tell if every frame is actually rendering properly, so frame time is a better metric to use in this situation. [1][2]

TL;DR Just let the game set the dxlevel. A lot better than forcing it to values.

Regardless of performance I enjoy the dullness of dx8. You can tweak a few commands to make dx9 similar but its just not the same.

My good buddy bobby peanstalk also says the sniper scope and fog is fcked up in dx9.

Don't buy the dx9 propaganda

The sniper scope laser dot is insanely bright in dx8, but I also hate the scope warp at the edge in dx9.
Why can't we have both volvo :(

you lack sources for your dxlevel statements

It's right here. I just couldn't find the link yesterday.

dx81 just looks better imo

Just use whatever you want and what works best for you! I don't recommend against DX8.

I just haven't had the time to properly explain it in the docs, since users have the tendency to pick the perceived lowest option even if it's worse for them. So, I've relied on DX8 being known in the community elsewhere to pick up the lack of documentation within the mastercomfig docs regarding this.

I simply only want DX9 to get a fair chance and people to try it and see if it works for them rather than automatically going to DX8. If it doesn't work as well for you, that's totally fine and understandable!

just because the game hasn't changed doesn't mean our understanding of it and how to optimize it can't increase

Where were you sir when I posted an optimization guide for tf2 lmao