For the sake of completeness (most of you will have noticed this app already): For a change, Samsung have done a fantastic job and released a great app called "Game Tuner". It's simple to use, doesn't even need root, and renders all of the stuff I wrote below obsolete!
What it does is, it renders each game at an individual screen resolution, frame rate, and texture quality (texture quality only working for me since MM upgrade).
All you have to do is install Game Tuner from Google Play (above link), start it, follow the instructions to install GameMode through Galaxy Apps, and you're good to go. Create a custom profile, set default values (e.g. 75% resolution=1080p), activate the profile. Set different resolutions for other games. And if you want to control apps other than games, tap top left menu, and chose "Apps".
I've done the same benchmarks as with the method below, and the results were exactly the same, so it's really working, but without messing up the UI or impairing system apps like the camera.
Hey folks,
I've decided to put together a little wrap-up of the stuff I found regarding the sometimes rather poor 3D performance of the Note 4. This is only for experienced users who are familiar with things as rooting, backups, adb, in general: unbricking their phone if bad things happen. As usual, I don't take any responsibilty if you brick your phone or destroy it in any other way. Just make sure to activate USB debugging, and if anything goes wrong, either follow this guide, or simply reflash your ROM.
Just make sure you make a Nandroid or at least Titanium backup before you try this. Better safe than sorry...
It comes as no surprise that running a cpu at almost 3GHz takes its toll. Demanding games such as Real Racing 3 or XCOM:EW, or emulators such as PPSSPP cause the cpu to heat up rapidly, until it reaches ~80°C, before it gets mercilessly downclocked to cool down. At this point, you start noticing more or less pronounced performance drops. There isn't really much you can do, except using a custom kernel to downclock cpu & gpu, before your phone does.
But apart from that, there is another, even greater performance hog, which is also one of the main reasons for the overheating issue: the QHD resolution of our Note 4's screen. We're talking about a 3.69 megapixel resolution, that's almost twice as much as Full HD (2.07 MP), and exactly four times as much as HD (0.92 MP). Gorgeous and brilliant, beautiful to look at during everyday use, but pushing the Adreno gpu to its limits when it comes to gaming.
So, an ingenious guy called NOMone has created a nifty little tool called "NOMone Resolution Changer", already some time ago. It's available for free at Google Play. It's been widely discussed here on xda and on other forums, but I want to share my experience specifically on the Note 4.
Btw, it seems he only posted here two times, so he's most likely not active anymore, but you should head over and thank him anyway.
Now, if you're thinking "no way, why should I deliberately sacrifice my QHD resolution?", read on nonetheless. Because this tool is extremely easy to use, and if you only switch the resolution before playing a game, and revert afterwards (it's only one click), you won't have to sacrifice any visual quality. The settings stick after a reboot, so make sure to really restore defaults if you want to go back to QHD.
The trick is to use the appropriate resolution and dpi values, so your screen doesn't get mixed up.
The results are impressive, sometimes even staggering. Has anyone ever wondered why PPSSPP doesn't perform better on a Note 4 than it does on a Note 2? Here's the reason. PPSSPP gains so much performance , it's almost unbelievable.
I've also done some benchmark runs to measure the improvements (yeah, I know, benchmarks are bad, but still :angel: ). The improvement is clearly visible and, even more important, reproducable:
GFXBench GL Benchmark 3.1 (Manhattan):
1. 1440p: 449,4 frames, 7.2 fps
2. 1080p: 800,6 frames, 13 fps (+78%)
3. 720p: 1621 frames, 26 fps (+261%)
4. 480p: 2728 frames, 44 fps (+507%)
This is plain awesome. The Note 4 is listed even lower, with 434 frames, in the device list, while the 1080p Galaxy S5 reaches 775 frames.
AnTuTu (gpu score only):
1. 1440p: 16210
2. 1080p: 21253 (+31%)
3. 720p: 22524 (+40%)
4. 480p: 22523 (+40%)
Obviously, by comparing scores 3 and 4, the Note 4 hits the fps limit at HD resolution, so there's no more room for improvement in AnTuTu.
Seascape Benchmark (detail setting: Very High):
1440p: 26.9 fps
1080p: 46.6 fps (+73%)
720p: 53.4 fps (+99%, sometimes hits the frame limit of 59.0 fps)
480p: 59.0 fps (+119%, hits the frame limit constantly).
This is a beautiful OpenGL ES 2.0 test, so no cpu scores interfering with the result. Again the fps limit prevents a higher score, but nonetheless, this is pretty amazing.
Other benefits: if you're using a custom kernel, you can run gpu-intensive games at lower cpu speeds to keep the cpu temperature in check. In my case, XCOM:EW runs smoothly @ 30% (!!) cpu speed. This way, the cpu doesn't heat up to more than 60°C, which means it doesn't get downclocked while playing. If you like, you can also automate the process of setting the cpu speed with the aptly named app "Automate" . Which is fantastic, btw.
Now what about visual quality?
Seriously: it's hard to tell the difference. If you look very closely, you can see the display isn't as sharp in FHD as in QHD. But if you look that closely, you're in constant danger of triggering some random app with the tip of your nose. At normal viewing distance, especially while gaming, it's impossible to tell the difference.
So, are there any drawbacks?
Yes, there are: the UI gets messed up a bit (e.g. bigger status bar, some Samsung apps don't fit on screen anymore), and NOMone Resolution Changer doesn't seem to work with CM12.1. Well, at least for me, and other users reported so as well. I tested it some time ago, while I was on CM12.1, and even thought it was a fake app, which it isn't! Seems that the resolution is somehow hard coded into CM12, and you can only switch dpi. There's probably nothing you can do when you're running CM, except try your luck.
But if you are running a Touchwiz ROM, stock or custom, it should work as intended (Emotion Revolution ROM r10.1 in my case). And you can simply ignore the UI issues, as long as you only switch the resolution for gaming. It's not a real issue then, because the status bar is hidden anyway while the game is running.
If you want to keep your device running at FullHD permanently, it's a bit more complicated: first, you'll need Xposed, so you can use the App Settings module to set Android System and SystemUI to 480 dpi. This'll fix the UI (Not needed. Just reboot)
Some apps like phone, contacts, S-Note scale down to the lower dpi setting, whereas Samsung keyboard and the camera won't (camera works, see post #10 below).
So you'll have to install another keyboard like SwiftKey (if you don't have it already), find a working camera app (3rd party or hacked Note 4 camera), and clear your Google Play data (at least I had to, it wouldn't install any apps after the changes), and you're good to go. There might also be other issues I'm not aware of yet. But apart from the ones I described, everything's working fine so far.
Have fun!
you don't need root to change the dpi and the resolution.
enable usb debugging and adb the following:
adb shell wm density 480
adb shell wm size 1080x1920
adb reboot
if you want to revert back:
adb shell wm size reset
adb shell wm density reset
adb reboot
the changes persist after reboot.
I am using it like that for some time. Everything is much faster. Even the browsing..
the only 2 bugs I noticed is the Samsung keyboard (i switched to swiftkey) and the action memo (c'mon Samsung devs, code properly..)
mitko76 said:
you don't need root to change the dpi and the resolution.
enable usb debugging and adb the following:
adb shell wm density 480
adb shell wm size 1080x1920
adb reboot
if you want to revert back:
adb shell wm size reset
adb shell wm density reset
adb reboot
the changes persist after reboot.
I am using it like that for some time. Everything is much faster. Even the browsing..
the only 2 bugs I noticed is the Samsung keyboard (i switched to swiftkey) and the action memo (c'mon Samsung devs, code properly..)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right, you don't necessarily need this tool. All it does is simplify the process. And you should really be able to use adb commands to fix your phone when you mess it up. But NOMone's tool comes in very handy when you're away from your pc and need to switch resolutions quickly. In my case, it's when I want to use the camera: the UI is messed up at 1080p and I haven't found a way to fix it yet, except switch back to QHD. Or the other way round: if you want to play a demanding game on the train at lower resolution, but go back to QHD again.
I'm using 1080p resolution permanently now, because I get a smoother UI, a cooler phone, better battery life, and much better performance. I hope they don't give us 5" UHD screens next...
Could you please explain what is wrong with the camera on 1080p 480dpi? I am using these settings and have 0 problems with the camera. Just curious.. If possible please attach a screen shot. Cheers
The UI is messed. I can't see most of the buttons, and can't take a photo, see attached screenshot.
Xelasarg said:
The UI is messed. I can't see most of the buttons, and can't take a photo, see attached screenshot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using my method and my values, it is absolutely fine for me. Do you restart after changing the resolution and the dpi?
I am on UK BTU 5.1.1
mitko76 said:
Using my method and my values, it is absolutely fine for me. Do you restart after changing the resolution and the dpi?
I am on UK BTU 5.1.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I even wiped /cache and /dalvik. Strange. My device is a Snapdragon N910F. Is yours an Exynos N910C perhaps? If not, would you mind sending me your camera apk for testing?
Thanks!
Xelasarg said:
I even wiped /cache and /dalvik. Strange. My device is a Snapdragon N910F. Is yours an Exynos N910C perhaps? If not, would you mind sending me your camera apk for testing?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
very strange indeed. My device is n910f as well. Not rooted and fully stock. I used the Debloater app to disable all unused apps (works via adb) and the method descried in my other post to change the resolution and dpi. The camera is working absolutely fine i.e. no visual changes or glitches. As I am not rooted I am not sure if I can give you the camera apk. It is basically the same apk as in the stock 5.1.1 BTU rom. Try my method on the stock rom with my values and I am sure it will work.
Cool
mitko76 said:
very strange indeed. My device is n910f as well. Not rooted and fully stock. I used the Debloater app to disable all unused apps (works via adb) and the method descried in my other post to change the resolution and dpi. The camera is working absolutely fine i.e. no visual changes or glitches. As I am not rooted I am not sure if I can give you the camera apk. It is basically the same apk as in the stock 5.1.1 BTU rom. Try my method on the stock rom with my values and I am sure it will work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I went ahead and downloaded _alexndr's COI3 stock debloated rom base (Deodexed), extracted SamsungCamera3.apk, replaced the one in my /system/app dir, set permissions, rebooted, and everything's working fine now. :good:
No idea what the Emotroid guys did to the camera app.
I've attached the apk to this post in case anyone else is having this issue.
Man, I've been playing XCOM:EW at 720p, and my phone didn't get warmer than 59°C, even after 2+ hours. And the performance boost is just so incredible... Turns out I don't even mind the 720p resolution in 3D games, it didn't bother me at all.
Just a warning:
I just managed to render my phone useless with this. After changing resolution and DPI, the phone did a soft reboot (as it should), startet booting, then, after the initialisation of systemUI reboots. Has been Bootlooping the past hour. ADB doesn't work, as reboot it's unauthorised and boot loop doesn't allow for any authorisation. Tried resetting via build.prop and userinit.sh. Even Direct Script Injection into init.rc didn't work.
Cache wipe -> no chance
System wipe and reflash -> Nope
In the End i ended up factory resetting and reflashing complete rom. This did work. Not to rant or anything, just a little story for those that are not capable to troubleshoot problems: This might screw your Installation!
domsch1988 said:
Just a warning:
I just managed to render my phone useless with this. After changing resolution and DPI, the phone did a soft reboot (as it should), startet booting, then, after the initialisation of systemUI reboots. Has been Bootlooping the past hour. ADB doesn't work, as reboot it's unauthorised and boot loop doesn't allow for any authorisation. Tried resetting via build.prop and userinit.sh. Even Direct Script Injection into init.rc didn't work.
Cache wipe -> no chance
System wipe and reflash -> Nope
In the End i ended up factory resetting and reflashing complete rom. This did work. Not to rant or anything, just a little story for those that are not capable to troubleshoot problems: This might screw your Installation!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hence the warning at the beginning of the thread.
But seriously: which method did you use? The NOMone app or the adb commands? Because only the adb command needs a reboot to take effect, NOMone does not reboot: it changes the resolution on the fly, then waits 10 seconds for confirmation and switches back to default resolution otherwise.
It's impossible to tell what went wrong in your case, might have been anything from a bad adb command to a malfunction of the app or your rom. I guess if you enter bad values, both methods might break your SystemUI. I managed to do so by using Automate to activate the shell commands on app launch (no bootloop, though, only permanent FC of SystemUI), but I was able to fix it with adb easily.
It's a shame it didn't work for you, most people who are using this method are very happy with it.
THANKS !
dooes this improve battery as well /
gonna try this
Boody hegan said:
THANKS !
dooes this improve battery as well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it does, at least a bit. The screen does still burn a lot of juice because it's so big and bright, but the cpu stays much cooler. Less heat=less power consumption.
Thanks alot , i'm on simplrom v5c and googy max kernel v2
can this still work ..
Xelasarg said:
Hence the warning at the beginning of the thread.
But seriously: which method did you use? The NOMone app or the adb commands? Because only the adb command needs a reboot to take effect, NOMone does not reboot: it changes the resolution on the fly, then waits 10 seconds for confirmation and switches back to default resolution otherwise.
It's impossible to tell what went wrong in your case, might have been anything from a bad adb command to a malfunction of the app or your rom. I guess if you enter bad values, both methods might break your SystemUI. I managed to do so by using Automate to activate the shell commands on app launch (no bootloop, though, only permanent FC of SystemUI), but I was able to fix it with adb easily.
It's a shame it didn't work for you, most people who are using this method are very happy with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was completely my fault. I knew what i was getting into, so no problem. It's just that, the "mistakes" i did could easily be done by accident by some less experienced users.
First off, i'm on CM12. NOMones Sollution doesn't seem to work there. CM does a "Hot Reboot" to reload the system UI. No matter what you set in NOMones app, the resolution doesn't change. DPI does though. This seems to be a CM related issue. Maybe they hardcode the resolution at build time...
After that i tried another app, which had the Orientation labeled backwards. So it set 1920x1080 landscape instead of portrait. After that the Phone Bootlooped the System UI. It would always boot up to the PIN Enter Screen and then reboot.
As said, no big Problem. I knew what to do and was able to bring my phone back to working state. Just make sure that you are 100% sure about the numbers you put into such apps and keep in mind that even with such "small" changes you should always have a up to date Backup of everything.
Boody hegan said:
Thanks alot , i'm on simplrom v5c and googy max kernel v2
can this still work ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It should, unless SimplROM is CM12-based. NOMone Resolution Changer, as well as similar apps and the adb method, aren't limited to specific devices. In theory, they may all work on all Android phones. You'll have to try it out yourself, just make a backup before you do so!
domsch1988 said:
It was completely my fault. I knew what i was getting into, so no problem. It's just that, the "mistakes" i did could easily be done by accident by some less experienced users.
First off, i'm on CM12. NOMones Sollution doesn't seem to work there. CM does a "Hot Reboot" to reload the system UI. No matter what you set in NOMones app, the resolution doesn't change. DPI does though. This seems to be a CM related issue. Maybe they hardcode the resolution at build time...
After that i tried another app, which had the Orientation labeled backwards. So it set 1920x1080 landscape instead of portrait. After that the Phone Bootlooped the System UI. It would always boot up to the PIN Enter Screen and then reboot.
As said, no big Problem. I knew what to do and was able to bring my phone back to working state. Just make sure that you are 100% sure about the numbers you put into such apps and keep in mind that even with such "small" changes you should always have a up to date Backup of everything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, thanks for clarification. I don't remember the hot reboot in CM12, but I know the resolution switch didn't work when I tried it on my Note 2 some time ago. Funny that for once Touchwiz is more customizable than CM.
If you're still interested, but hate the Samsung colour scheme (like me), you can try out Emotion Revolution ROM r10.1. It's based on the latest COI3 TW firmware, but they themed the notifcation/status bar and toggles to somewhat more like stock Android, see attached screenshot. Looks pretty sleek, performance is easily on par with CM12, and the Emotion kernel has tons of great tweaking options. Or you can go for their Port Note 5 r2.1 ROM, also based on COI3, which should offer full Theme Store support. That's the one I'll flash next. :good:
Xelasarg said:
Right, thanks for clarification. I don't remember the hot reboot in CM12, but I know the resolution switch didn't work when I tried it on my Note 2 some time ago. Funny that for once Touchwiz is more customizable than CM.
If you're still interested, but hate the Samsung colour scheme (like me), you can try out Emotion Revolution ROM r10.1. It's based on the latest COI3 TW firmware, but they themed the notifcation/status bar and toggles to somewhat more like stock Android, see attached screenshot. Looks pretty sleek, performance is easily on par with CM12, and the Emotion kernel has tons of great tweaking options. Or you can go for their Port Note 5 r2.1 ROM, also based on COI3, which should offer full Theme Store support. That's the one I'll flash next. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, TW is no option... I choose CM because of the straight forward no bllsht Apps approach. Plus Nightly builds via OTA... In no possible way am i going back to TW
AnTuTu Benchmark @ 1080p, performance governor, stock cpu frequency (2.65 GHz): :highfive:
(OK, cpu was also very cool when benchmark started, 28°C).
Using an A2017U B29 stock rooted. I find the phone to be generally laggy, especially in opening apps or switching apps, but even in things like SwiftKey appearing… My OnePlus One felt faster. And also (separate issue, I understand) double-tap to wake is slow, as is screen-on in general.
Please share your tips for speeding up the phone. If you can include links to tutorials or explanation threads where relevant, even better!
Thanks :good:
That's sorta unanswerable but my first cheap tip is to disable window and menu animations. I imagine some manufacturers tweak the timings so you don't feel the lag- I mean... animations are intentional lag, right?
Just go into developer settings near the bottom and turn them to whatever the next to lowest setting is. Personally I just disable the 3 animation settings because they're dumb. A window fade-in/out effect is telling your computer to do a math equation each time you switch a window. I'd rather the window simply open.
The same goes for 3d and transparency.. Unnecessary math. Even Microsoft got rid of the Windows Vista orb start button in Windows 7 because it shaves a few cpu cycles off to render a square versus a circle.
get fstrimm from the playstore
Thanks! I had turned off some of the animations already but turned off the other two now as well. Didn't see a big difference. Not sure how to turn off 3d and transparency (and wouldn't that affect how apps look?).
Moved my photos and videos to the SD card… that helped, too.
[comment moved]
Thanks — I did. Not sure yet if it made a difference... Moved my photos and videos to the SD card… that also helped.
Upgrade to the ZTE Axon Dmix7 custom ROM. You can dirty flash it and continue using your software since it is just an optimized Stock ROM. It is by far more agile than the Stock B29. It is fully reversible, since you can also dirty flash the stock B29 ROM again.
On top of that you can increase your user experience by more than 10% by reformatting your data partition to F2FS. This process is also reversible and very easy following the guide you can find in my signature.
I am using AKT kernel tweaks for SD820 since 3 days. My phones feels blazing fast now, and batterylife improved too. Check it out!
https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3/how-to/advanced-interactive-governor-tweaks-t3476589
(you need to be rooted and unlocked to use this)