Crime Boss: Rockay City – Optimised Settings Guide For ASUS ROG Ally

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This guide provides optimized settings for the ASUS ROG Ally handheld, focusing on Windows optimization, Armory Crate SE, Command Center, and in-game graphics. It aims to enhance image quality while maximizing battery life, targeting a resolution of 720p and maintaining a steady 30 FPS. It also includes additional settings for achieving 1080p resolution at 30 FPS. By following this guide, you can save time and effort that would otherwise be spent on experimenting with settings, offering a solid foundation for further optimization or adjustments for FPS performance.

Optimized Settings For ASUS ROG Ally In Crime Boss: Rockay City

Target and Introduction:

This guide aims to achieve a gameplay experience at 720p resolution, with a locked frame rate of 30 FPS, and graphics settings set to High. It prioritizes optimizing for image quality and battery life, aiming for a gameplay session lasting between 90 to 120 minutes.

Overall Remarks:

Typically, when optimizing settings for games, you can focus on two out of three factors: image quality, frame rate, or battery life. This guide is specifically tailored to enhance image quality and maximize battery performance.

Feel free to adjust these settings according to your preferences or specific needs. For instance, you may choose to prioritize frame rate over image quality or extend battery life further, depending on your gaming priorities.

Windows Settings:

Desktop Resolution: Set the desktop resolution to 1280×720.

Refresh Rate: Set the refresh rate to 120Hz to enable Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). Note that VRR will not activate if the refresh rate is set to 60Hz.

Optional: Given that Windows 11 and Modern Standby can cause issues with handheld devices like the ASUS ROG Ally, it’s advisable to disable sleep mode and opt for hibernation instead. This precaution prevents the device from unexpectedly activating due to updates or other background processes, which can lead to overheating issues when the device is stored in its case.

AMD Adrenalin Settings:

Radeon Chill:

  • Radeon Chill: Enabled
  • Min FPS: 30
  • Max FPS: 30

Radeon Image Sharpening:

  • Radeon Image Sharpening: Enabled
  • Sharpening (%): 40

Remarks: By default, assume all other settings are either default or off unless specified otherwise. If you prefer, you can adjust the FPS values to trade off battery life for frame rate. Keep in mind that sharpening preferences are highly subjective, so feel free to adjust the sharpening percentage according to your personal preference, or disable it entirely if desired.

Note: If you make changes to these settings while a game is running, you may need to restart the game for the new settings to take effect.

Armory Crate SE Settings:

Operating Mode:

  • Add the Operating Mode button to the Command Center.
  • Enable the Manual profile in the Operating Mode section of Armory Crate SE. You will need to confirm a dialog/warning regarding overclocking.
  • Use the following settings for On battery:
    • SPL (System Power Limit): 18W
    • SPPT (System Power Peak Temperature): 18W
    • FPPT (Fan Power Peak Temperature): 18W
  • Don’t forget to save/apply these settings.

GPU Settings:

  • Under GPU settings, set Memory assigned to GPU to 6GB. This change will require a restart to take effect.

CPU Boost:

  • Under Eco Assist, set CPU Boost to OFF. This ensures that the available TDP is prioritized for the internal GPU, particularly in GPU-bound scenarios. Typically, activate CPU Boost only when you encounter CPU-bound situations like emulation or CPU-intensive simulations. For most games, keep CPU Boost OFF for optimal performance.

Remarks: Feel free to adjust these settings based on your preferences. The current configuration prioritizes battery life and image quality for handheld gameplay. If you prefer higher FPS at the expense of battery life, you can adjust the power limits (SPL, SPPT, FPPT) accordingly.

Command Center Settings:

  1. Select the Manual Profile:
    • Open the Command Center.
    • Select the ‘Manual’ profile using the ‘Operating Mode’ button that was added earlier in Armory Crate SE.
  2. Verify Display Settings:
    • Ensure that your resolution is set to 1280×720.
    • Verify that your refresh rate is set to 120Hz.
  3. Optional: Enable Real-time Monitor:
    • If preferred, enable the ‘Real-time Monitor’ in Command Center.
    • This feature allows you to monitor battery level, power consumption in Watts, and frame rate in real-time.
    • Note: Enabling the Real-time Monitor may impact immersion, so consider your preference for having these metrics visible during gameplay.

Once these settings are configured, you should be ready to start your game with optimized performance for the ASUS ROG Ally handheld. Adjustments can be made based on your personal preferences and gameplay requirements.

In-Game Graphics Settings:

General:

  • Preset: High
  • Display mode: Fullscreen
  • Resolution: 1280×720
  • VSYNC: Off

Advanced:

  • Supersampling: Intel XeSS (if available)
  • Supersampling quality: Performance
  • FPS Limit – While in game: Unlimited
  • FPS Limit – While in menus: Unlimited
  • FPS Limit – While in background: Unlimited

Remarks:

  • Unless specified otherwise, assume all settings are at their default values. Feel free to adjust according to your preferences.
  • Expect the TDP (Thermal Design Power) to range between 20-28W, providing an estimated gameplay time of 90-120 minutes on the ASUS ROG Ally’s 40Wh battery.
  • With the display refresh rate set to 120Hz, in-game VSync disabled, and all in-game limiters turned off, games can perform at their maximum potential within the constraints of Radeon Chill and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), effectively reducing screen tearing. Despite conventional wisdom, enabling VRR at 30FPS can still noticeably improve visual smoothness. To test this, compare gameplay at 60Hz versus 120Hz.
  • Ensure CPU Boost is disabled to maximize power allocation to the internal GPU.

Important Note:

  • When launching a game for the first time, shader compilation may occur without clear visual indicators, potentially causing initial menu performance dips. Wait until performance stabilizes before proceeding into gameplay to avoid degraded performance.

Target and Settings for 1080p/High/30FPS:

Target:

  • Resolution: 1080p
  • Frame rate: Locked at 30 FPS
  • Settings: High
  • Estimated game time: 60-90 minutes

Settings: To adjust settings for 1080p while maintaining high graphics quality and a locked 30 FPS, follow these instructions:

  1. Armory Crate SE – Operating Mode:
    • Open Armory Crate SE and select the ‘Manual’ profile in the Operating Mode section.
    • Set the following values:
      • SPL (System Power Limit): 25W
      • SPPT (System Power Peak Temperature): 25W
      • FPPT (Fan Power Peak Temperature): 25W
    • Save or apply these settings.
  2. In-Game Graphics Settings:
    • General:
      • Preset: High
      • Display mode: Fullscreen
      • Resolution: 1920×1080 (1080p)
      • VSYNC: Off
    • Advanced:
      • Ensure supersampling or other advanced settings are optimized for performance and quality as per your preference.
      • FPS Limit – While in game: Unlimited
      • FPS Limit – While in menus: Unlimited
      • FPS Limit – While in background: Unlimited

Remarks:

  • Transitioning from 720p to 1080p will increase visual fidelity but may reduce battery life due to higher power consumption.
  • The specified power limits (SPL, SPPT, FPPT) in Armory Crate SE ensure sufficient power allocation for maintaining performance at 1080p resolution.
  • Adjust other settings such as supersampling according to your preference for balancing visual quality and performance.

By following these settings, you can achieve a gameplay experience at 1080p resolution with high graphics settings and a steady 30 FPS frame rate, tailored for the capabilities of the ASUS ROG Ally handheld.

Conclusion:

Please feel welcome to include comments or feedback, and I’ll make necessary updates to the guide accordingly. One idea I’m contemplating is a 25W/30W configuration, enabling gameplay at 1080p and potentially achieving 60 FPS on the Ally for certain games.

Achieving 60FPS or higher is indeed possible, but it typically requires lowering settings. However, in CPU-intensive scenarios like busy turf wars, you may still experience limits around 45-50 FPS regardless of TDP or settings. I’ll incorporate sections covering these topics in the guide over the next few days.

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