Author Topic: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results  (Read 975 times)

Offline hitech

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DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« on: October 13, 2026, 03:23:00 PM »
This is the test version I said I would post. It plays exactly like the normal DX11 game, but when the game freezes for more than 0.3 seconds it records what the game was doing at that moment. Nothing is sent automatically: you send us the files yourself.

1. Install
- Download ah11stutter.exe here: https://dload.hitechcreations.com/ah11stutter.exe
- Copy it into your Aces High III folder (the folder that has aceshigh11.exe in it). It does not replace anything: your normal game stays as it is.

2. Play
- Start the game by double-clicking ah11stutter.exe, and fly in the Main Arena as you normally do.
- Keep the game in front. The test does not record while you are alt-tabbed away, or during the first minute after starting, entering an arena, or taking off.
- Play for at least 30 minutes, long enough to get two or three stutters.
- When a stutter is caught you will see this line in the text buffer: "Hitch captured: ... Please send the hitch files in the temp folder to HiTech."
- If you feel a stutter and no message appears, please write down the time. That is useful to us too.

3. Send us the files
- Exit the game.
- Open your Aces High III folder, then the folder named "temp".
- Select every file whose name starts with "hitch" (hitchlog.txt and any hitch_....txt files).
- Right-click, choose "Send to" > "Compressed (zipped) folder".
- Email the zip file to htcmail@hitechcreations.com with the subject: DX11 stutter test
- Then send me a private message here on the BBS as well, so I know to look for your email.

4. Please tell us in the email
- Your game ID.
- Monitor or VR.
- Roughly when the stutters happened and how often (for example "every 10 minutes").

What is in the files: frame timings, memory use, your video card name, Windows version, and the list of program files the game had loaded. No account information, passwords or chat. File paths may show your Windows user name.

To go back to the normal game: just start Aces High the way you always do. You can delete ah11stutter.exe when you are done.

HiTech

Offline Randy1

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Re: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« Reply #1 on: October 13, 2026, 03:27:13 PM »
Will it work with GVs?

Offline Dadtallica

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Re: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« Reply #2 on: October 13, 2026, 03:29:11 PM »
Will try tonight!
October Player Poll Results

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Offline MDStampf93

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Re: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« Reply #3 on: October 13, 2026, 03:29:48 PM »
I’ll run this tonight - the stutters seem to be worse than they were a couple months ago - I’ll collect a bunch of stutters throughout the night and email the files.
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Offline MDStampf93

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Re: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« Reply #4 on: October 13, 2026, 04:52:33 PM »
Game crashed so hard I couldn’t even get out of it… had to force restart PC. I’ll have to look and see if it created an event log.

EDIT: Hitch Logs sent.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2026, 05:01:01 PM by MDStampf93 »
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Offline Shane

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Re: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2026, 05:22:55 PM »
I'll definitely try it out.  As MdStampf remarked, it feels like there are more stutters alongside the cyclic 10-minute one.  I haven't tracked the 10-min cycle for a while to see if it still exists, but I do see a similar spike pattern occurring.

I experienced the stutter across planes, gv or tower sitting (didn't really look at manned guns.)  It didn't matter if alt-tabbed out, but I can see why you want to avoid that potentially messing with data.

<edit: monitor, not vr, shadowplay capture and screenshotted>
pre-hitch test: 30 mins, 3 hitches, all under 1 sec, 10 mins apart, tower and in bb guns.

post hitch test: 30 mins, 3 hitches, all under 1 sec, 10 mins apart, all in tower.

I'll start playing more and submit those hitch files in a day or so.

« Last Edit: October 13, 2026, 06:35:38 PM by Shane »
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Offline Lazerr

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Re: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« Reply #6 on: October 13, 2026, 06:28:19 PM »
I normally run dx9 and have no problems.  Last week I gave DX11 a go and it was loaded with pauses.

Offline Dadtallica

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Re: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« Reply #7 on: October 13, 2026, 07:22:08 PM »
My first 25 minutes of playing I’ve had two of them pretty much about 10 minutes in and 10 minutes apart. After this next sortie, I’ll switch back to DX9 and send what I got.

Also Dale, I gave your hitch files to my group of GPT chats that I’ve been working with on stutters and they pretty much got a collective boner.  :rofl

They are pretty confident you will nail the sources from what they saw lol.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2026, 08:26:06 PM by Dadtallica »
October Player Poll Results

Back in 2022 after a loooooong break from 2010. Old name Ratpack, same for the BBS. Old squads, Excaliburs, 172nd Rabid Dawgs.

Offline steely07

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Re: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« Reply #8 on: October 14, 2026, 03:44:23 PM »
Sent my test in, 3 stutters at the 10 min mark, thank you Dale!

edit : also fed the results to my AI that's been digging into this, looks like it's what I'd suspected, and am confident Dale will be able to fix it pretty easily, hooray!
« Last Edit: October 14, 2026, 04:08:08 PM by steely07 »
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Offline Shane

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Re: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« Reply #9 on: October 14, 2026, 04:19:06 PM »
Sent my test in, 3 stutters at the 10 min mark, thank you Dale!

edit : also fed the results to my AI that's been digging into this, looks like it's what I'd suspected, and am confident Dale will be able to fix it pretty easily, hooray!

awesome... I've been running it for a while with occasional alt tabs out and have captured 4 sequences with different login/timestamps.

Haven't noticed or received any other noticeable stutters outside of that 10 min recurring one.

Sending mine in now.
Surrounded by suck and underwhelmed with mediocrity.
I'm always right, it just takes some poepl longer to come to that realization than others.
I'm not perfect, but I am closer to it than you are.
"...vox populi, vox dei..."  ~Alcuin ca. 798
Truth doesn't need exaggeration.

Offline -gg-

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Re: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« Reply #10 on: October 14, 2026, 04:33:50 PM »
Thanks Dale - and all of you guys testing this.

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Offline Dadtallica

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Re: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« Reply #11 on: October 14, 2026, 04:59:45 PM »
Sent my test in, 3 stutters at the 10 min mark, thank you Dale!

edit : also fed the results to my AI that's been digging into this, looks like it's what I'd suspected, and am confident Dale will be able to fix it pretty easily, hooray!

lol yes my chats were like whoa!!
October Player Poll Results

Back in 2022 after a loooooong break from 2010. Old name Ratpack, same for the BBS. Old squads, Excaliburs, 172nd Rabid Dawgs.

Offline Dadtallica

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Re: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« Reply #12 on: October 14, 2026, 06:33:31 PM »
awesome... I've been running it for a while with occasional alt tabs out and have captured 4 sequences with different login/timestamps.

Haven't noticed or received any other noticeable stutters outside of that 10 min recurring one.

Sending mine in now.

I saw the stutters after I tabbed out and back in a couple times and it didn’t record it of course but they were definitely was pretty much on time.
October Player Poll Results

Back in 2022 after a loooooong break from 2010. Old name Ratpack, same for the BBS. Old squads, Excaliburs, 172nd Rabid Dawgs.

Offline Animl-AW

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Re: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« Reply #13 on: October 14, 2026, 07:18:17 PM »
I cannot run the ah11stutter.exe

Error windows says the following files are missing and to reinstall them
fmodstudio.dll
fmod.dll
openvr_api.dll
libcef.dll

Probably due to I have AH installed on another drive and it may be looking in C: drive?
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Offline hitech

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Re: DX11 stutter test exe: how to run it and send us the results
« Reply #14 on: October 15, 2026, 08:38:57 AM »
I cannot run the ah11stutter.exe

Error windows says the following files are missing and to reinstall them
fmodstudio.dll
fmod.dll
openvr_api.dll
libcef.dll

Probably due to I have AH installed on another drive and it may be looking in C: drive?

You must put it in your aces high folder