Optimization for Nvidia GPU in Kenshi (2024)

Thanks for all the trust, appreciation, and endorsem*nts for my work, wish you all the best!

This is not my first "impossible" mod and hopefully not the last!

All my mods for Kenshi are available here
General information
(Skip to the bottom for installation guide):

This mod is basically a compilation of various (some hidden) 3D NVIDIA settings for Kenshi into one importable profile in order to make the game run better (without damaging aesthetics). As this mod only changesNVIDIA's3D settings, this mod works with re-shades, does not break any UI, mods, or require any post-install fixes, and can be removed easily by removing the custom profile.

The goal of this mod is to make your game work better, load faster, use less memory, be more stable and increase the average framerate. Of course, each computer is different,but either way, these settings should leave you with a better outcome.

If you don't have Nvidia GPU or need even more performance:
Here i made couple of article describing methods of making game faster (unique from the mod)Here is another impossible performance mod (works on every GPU) - PSOThis fix slightly improve processing of icons (mainly just make them better)My original optimization guide, made before the mod
if you want your game to work fast don't use big and notoriously unstable mods, i m not associated with genesis guild, their claims are false

Note: There's no overclocking, memory manipulation, or other risky techniques. This is a pure engine boost from NVIDIA settings!
*I don't hate said methods, just they are not universal enough to include in my work- (my profile works on every Nvidia card)
If you wanna use information from 3rd party sources, please keep in mind they don't contribute to my work nor know enough to be informative!
Entire mod is project of my work, efforts, tests, passion and research, outside sources will not replace information contained in my research!

TLDR: Honest list of what you can expect from this mod (no lies or overconfidence, i promise and provide miracle):

Mod works on every single NVIDIA card ever made (even future versions made after this mod)
Cards compatible with Nvidia software can also works (sometimes asus, rog or other companies repack nvidia cards)
Faster load times (loading the saves, loading terrain, loading new zones)
More FPSes for weaker PCes or PCes with demanding mods - total Framerate increased
Stable framerate for stronger PCes - Average framerate increased
No memory leaks (stable line of communication between GPU and CPU)
Fever frame drops, game does not render more than it needs
Lower GPU/CPU/Energy usage
Lowered input lag (time between you press key and game make action for that key being pressed)
Memory useage is more efficient, but long session with kenshi takes kind of same memory
Better texture rendering - quality of image, no flickering, textures will load correctly
Mod prevent base elements & walls from deloading when you are off-screen (only if you loaded them at all in the 1st place)
Huge crash prevention - i can not say 100% never crash (it is for me) because you can install any mods you like...
Lower heating for CPU and GPU (even if temperatures stays the same, time needed for your hardware to be that hot is longer)
Terrain loading when you travel is smoothand clean - at least better in all cases
don't blink or you might miss loading screen - (it can be even 70% faster, but it is not 0 i m mostly kidding here)
Interiors of building loads fasters and never crash
Vanilla game and my modlist runs extremely well with it, any mod combination gain from this mod
Mod works with reshades or any mods
Mod is untraceable (it does change how your game is rendered and displayed, game remain the same) - if kenshi would be mmo or had some turbo guidelines using this mod would not get you banned xD
Mod does not overclock or underclock your pc and does not increase avaible Vram
you can use it with above techniques, but i do not advise it or against it
Mod affect only kenshi and support legal sources (GOG and Steam keys), your other games are safe and your OS or global display settings are not changed
reduces distortion in textures at low angles (fully supported technology by both GPU and Kenshi engine) with optimizing filters
Mod don't use low latency mode (i made alternative that don't cause stutters, but it is minimal latency - still faster than default)
~~You can expect updates whenever i will find something faster/better~~ - mod is most likely finished in final form

Cons:Installation is hard and you need to read the instructions.
i can not tell anything about numbers specifically (working with any NVIDIA CARD) because your own gain might be different, but you can have expectations really high, it is my mod after all and i m proud of it!
~~Current version V10, i think its final or close to it, i will continue researching for a methods to improve kenshi, but no promises~~

PSO exist
Performance Fix exist
Vulkan for kenshi exist

How To install?
(Before you start make sure you have the newest NVIDIA drivers for your GPU)

1.) Download and extract my zip folder to your computer (althoughcan be anywhere you'll want to be able to find it easily).

2.) Open the Darkmode inspector (should be unpacked from the mod!) and select "Kenshi" from the drop-down list (can use fully functional search bar). If it's not present, simply move onto the next step.

3.) import the .nip file that you got from my mod (by clicking the import user-defined profile)

If you get this error:

Press Spoiler button for helpful info about this error (or skip)

Spoiler:

Show

Click the Profiles drop-down menu and you should see a separate profile for
"kenshi" (all lower case). This is likely a previous profile created by the NVIDIA control panel.

This is a duplicate Kenshi profile. One of the fastest solution is to delete both kenshi and Kenshi,
and import the .nip file again.

Alternatively
Choose that profile, and remove kenshi_x64.exe from the profile and import again

Once that is done, go back to the profile "Kenshi" from the Profiles drop-down menu and continue on.

If for some funny reasons you still get this error,
try removing all kenshi profiles and import one last time
- i m sorry for it, my work must adapt to your drivers, its safest that way
(don't worry if at the end of the day you will want to get back Nvidia will make it back)

4.)Click on the "add application to current profile" button and add the path to your kenshi_x64.exe file (in the main installation folder, same place as the FCS).

5.) Make sure your kenshi profile have: Kenshi_steam.exe, Kenshi_gog.exe and your Absolute path to kenshi.exe

to add the "absolute path" to your exe, in the Open window that pops up when you go to add it, in the bottom right just above the Open
and Cancel buttons, you can select Application Absolute Path from the dropdown menu that says Application EXE Name (*.exe) normally.

6.) Press Apply Changes and you can close the program.

If you find it hard to use dark mode inspector feel free to use original software:
Nvidia profile inspector
just tried to do something amazing for it
*screenshots are from original since it is all new to me*

7.) Go to the Kenshi main folder where your exe is and open the kenshi.cfg file with notepad (MAKE SURE YOU MADE A BACKUP), edit these:

Backbuffer Count=2
FSAA=1
VSync=Yes
VSync Interval=1

save and close the notepad.

Mod use Adaptive Vsync, Kenshi itself don't know what it is, so we have to cheat it into using it anyway
Adaptive Vsync is off when your PC can afford it and on when you need stable framerate the most...

8.) Load the game
Note: let the game fully launch itself for the first time after applying changes, gpu software will try to streamline processes for kenshi.exe

This message usually indicate that My tool did something and your GPU adapted it with theapplication
(restart the game info is a lie, since you did not even started it once [silly Drivers] and you can just launch the game)
If this pop up will not appear for you, just don''t worry and try the game iitself (i can not fully control driver software info pop up with kenshi)
This is what you will find in your Kenshi info.log (last record, you might have less potato pc):

9.)You can experiment with shadows and FXAA - they are not mandatory, but you can now spoil yourself since the game should now work faster

10.) Enjoy the game, now highly optimized with faster loading times and little to no frame drops with slightly better-optimized shadows and texture filters too. :)

How to update? - mod is most likely finished, info might not be needed

Download the new version
unpack new profile
load with profile inspector
Click apply changes
DONE :) - no import or anything needed really

Feedback and improvements:

if you experience any issues with these settings, especially in case of loads or visual presentation of the game, let me know
if you have any knowledge about GPU-Kung-fu your knowledge is all welcome there, (even not directly for Nvidia)
if you don't have Nvidia GPU, this could help a little:Universal optimization guide< - try my guide.
if you end up enjoying my efforts, I'm glad you gave my mod a try!
Highly recommend checking outArticlesfor optimization, i added more non-mod things you can use to get max out of this game

- current memory usage (1024 shadows, +1k object view range)
my benchmarking is 2/10 and i lost half of the screenshots
4 260 MB - memory usage (without shader and on deffault settings with mod)
4 900 MB memory usage without mod on lower settings (less render distance, no water reflections)
just a note, my biggest base cost me 5.500 MB ram - prob all the lights shadows and wind generators
6 250 MB memory usage after playing for few hours with zones loaded in big base

Note:i use dark ui and reduced particle effects so my screenshots can not be as great as i wish them to be - it still 10y old office laptop xD
If you're wondering how I made this mod, here's my research and sources:

https://www.nvidia.com/content/Control-Panel-Help/vLatest/en-us/mergedProjects/nv3d/Manage_3D_Settings_(reference).htm
https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:NVIDIA_Inspector
https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Nvidia_Profile_Inspector
https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Nvidia_Control_Panel
https://forums.guru3d.com/threads/nvidia-inspector-introduction-and-guide.403676/
https://forums.guru3d.com/threads/nvidia-anti-aliasing-guide-updated.357956/
https://imgur.com/a/J3fof
http://wiki.ogre3d.org/FlushGPUBuffer
https://forums.ogre3d.org/viewtopic.php?t=95332
https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?t=4244
https://forums.guru3d.com/threads/nvidia-compatibility-bits-master-thread-and-iq-guide.392715/#post-4908843
https://old.reddit.com/r/nvidia/comments/9yjeza/shader_cache_on_for_ssd_off_for_hdd/
https://forums.guru3d.com/threads/max-prerendered-frames-always-set-to-1-or-leave-on-default.424150/
https://old.reddit.com/r/nvidia/comments/821n66/maximum_prerendered_frames_what_to_set_it_to/
https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/NVIDIA/Optimus
https://community.khronos.org/t/buffer-flipping-mode-block-transfer/24684
https://steamcommunity.com/groups/SpecialK_Mods/discussions/0/1651043320652092189/
https://gfxspeak.com/2019/08/26/nvidia-speeds-rendering/
https://forums.ogre3d.org/viewtopic.php?t=31850&start=75
https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Glossary:Anisotropic_filtering_(AF)
https://forums.ogre3d.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=50385&sid=2f8ec4ee800982341869182b2f5a7abc
https://books.google.com.au/books?id=GifUrbWat14C&lpg=PA164&ots=gmi-s7psIl&dq=ogre3d%20vsync%20performance&pg=PA164#v=onepage&q&f=false
https://www.moddb.com/news/technical-post-multithreading-ogre3d1
https://www.quora.com/Can-using-more-of-a-computers-RAM-cause-the-CPU-to-heat-up-more
https://docs.nvidia.com/nsight-visual-studio-edition/4.6/Content/Analysis/Report/CudaExperiments/KernelLevel/PerformanceCounters.htm
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nvidia-gsync-monitor-glossary-definition-explained,6008.html
https://www.techp*rn.ph/basic-nvidia-control-panel-3d-settings-optimization-guide/
https://www.reddit.com/r/nvidia/comments/b6dksz/anisatropic_sample_optimization/
https://tweakguides.pcgamingwiki.com/NVFORCE_8.html - this thing have like 10 pages, this is page 8 because i had it on catche url
https://www.osti.gov/pages/servlets/purl/1333005
https://http.download.nvidia.com/Windows/177.41/177.41_NVIDIA_Control_Panel_Quick_Start_Guide.pdf
https://docs.omniverse.nvidia.com/prod_rtx/prod_rtx/render-settings.html
http://us.download.nvidia.com/Windows/Quadro_Certified/377.11/377.11-nvidia-quadro-control-panel-quick-start-guide.pdf
http://us.download.nvidia.com/Windows/Quadro_Certified/377.83/377.83-win10-quadro-grid-release-notes.pdf
Orbmu2k himself.
Nvidia customer support person himself.