The PresentMon/ directory contains source for a standalone console application that uses the PresentMon SDK to capture and analyze graphics applications, outputting data to the console and/or CSV file(s).
| Capture Target Options | |
|---|---|
--process_name name |
Only record processes with the specified exe name. This argument can be repeated to capture multiple processes. |
--exclude name |
Do not record processes with the specified exe name. This argument can be repeated to exclude multiple processes. |
--process_id id |
Only record the process with the specified process ID. |
--etl_file path |
Analyze an ETW trace log file instead of the actively running processes. |
| Output Options | |
|---|---|
--output_file path |
Write CSV output to the specified path. |
--output_stdout |
Write CSV output to STDOUT. |
--multi_csv |
Create a separate CSV file for each captured process. |
--no_csv |
Do not create any output CSV file. |
--no_console_stats |
Do not display active swap chains and frame statistics in the console. |
--qpc_time |
Output the CPU start time as a performance counter value. |
--qpc_time_ms |
Output the CPU start time as a performance counter value converted to milliseconds. |
--date_time |
Output the CPU start time as a date and time with nanosecond precision. |
--exclude_dropped |
Exclude frames that were not displayed to the screen from the CSV output. |
--v1_metrics |
Output a CSV using PresentMon 1.x metrics. |
| Recording Options | |
|---|---|
--hotkey key |
Use the specified key press to start and stop recording. 'key' is of the form MODIFIER+KEY, e.g., "ALT+SHIFT+F11". |
--delay seconds |
Wait for specified amount of time before starting to record. If using --hotkey, the delay occurs each time the recording key is pressed. |
--timed seconds |
Stop recording after the specified amount of time. |
--scroll_indicator |
Enable scroll lock while recording. |
--track_gpu_video |
Track the video encode/decode portion of GPU work separately from other engines. |
--no_track_display |
Do not track frames all the way to display. |
--no_track_input |
Do not track keyboard/mouse clicks impacting each frame. |
--no_track_gpu |
Do not track the duration of GPU work in each frame. |
| Execution Options | |
|---|---|
--session_name name |
Use the specified session name instead of the default "PresentMon". This can be used to start multiple captures at the same time, as long as each is using a distinct, case-insensitive name. |
--stop_existing_session |
If a trace session with the same name is already running, stop the existing session before starting a new session. |
--terminate_existing_session |
If a trace session with the same name is already running, stop the existing session then exit. |
--restart_as_admin |
If not running with elevated privilege, restart and request to be run as administrator. |
--terminate_on_proc_exit |
Terminate PresentMon when all the target processes have exited. |
--terminate_after_timed |
When using --timed, terminate PresentMon after the timed capture completes. |
| Beta Options | |
|---|---|
--track_frame_type |
Track the type of each displayed frame; requires application and/or driver instrumentation using Intel-PresentMon provider. |
By default, PresentMon creates a CSV file named "PresentMon-<Time>.csv", where "<Time>" is the
creation time in ISO 8601 format. To specify your own output location, use the --output_file PATH
command line argument.
If --multi_csv is used, then one CSV is created for each process captured and
"-<ProcessName>-<ProcessId>" is appended to the file name.
If --hotkey is used, then one CSV is created for each time recording is started and "-<Index>" is
appended to the file name.
Each row of the CSV represents a frame that an application rendered and presented to the system for display, and each column contains a particular metric value associated with that frame. All time values are in milliseconds.
Default metrics include:
| Column Header | Description |
|---|---|
| Application | The name of the process that generated the frame. |
| ProcessID | The process ID of the process that generated the frame. |
| SwapChainAddress | The address of the swap chain used to present the frame. |
| PresentRuntime | The API used to present the frame. |
| SyncInterval | The sync interval provided by the application when presenting the frame. Note: this value may be modified later by the driver, e.g., based on control panel overrides. |
| PresentFlags | The present flags provided by the application when presenting the frame. |
| AllowsTearing | 1 if partial frames might be displayed on the screen, or 0 if only full frames are displayed. |
| PresentMode | The presentation mode used by the system for this frame. See the table below for more details. |
| FrameType | Whether the frame was rendered by the application or generated by a driver/SDK. |
| CPUStartTime (CPUStartQPC) (CPUStartQPCTime) (CPUStartDateTime) |
The time the CPU started working on this frame. By default, this is the time since recording started unless: • When --qpc_time is used, the value is a performance counter value and the column is named CPUStartQPC.• When --qpc_time_ms is used, the value is the query performance counter value converted to milliseconds and the column is named CPUStartQPCTime.• When --date_time is used, the value is a date and the column is named CPUStartDateTime. |
| FrameTime | How long it took from the start of this frame until the CPU started working on the next frame. |
| CPUBusy | How long the CPU spent working on this frame before presenting it. |
| CPUWait | How long the CPU spent waiting before starting the next frame. |
| GPULatency | How long it took from the start of this frame until the GPU started working on it. |
| GPUTime | The total amount of time that GPU was working on this frame. |
| GPUBusy | How long the GPU was actively working on this frame (i.e., the time during which at least one GPU engine is executing work from the target process). |
| GPUWait | How long the GPU was idle while working on this frame. |
| VideoBusy | How long the GPU video encode/decode engines were actively working on this frame. |
| DisplayLatency | How long it took from the start of this frame until the frame was displayed on the screen. |
| DisplayedTime | How long the frame was displayed on the screen, or 'NA' if the frame was not displayed. |
| AnimationError | The difference between the previous frame's CPU delta and display delta. |
| ClickToPhotonLatency | How long it took from the earliest keyboard or mouse interaction that contributed to this frame until this frame was displayed. When supported HW measuring devices are not available, this is the software-visible subset of the full click-to-photon latency and doesn't include: • time spent processing input in the keyboard/controller hardware or drivers (typically a fixed additional overhead), • time spent processing the output in the display hardware or drivers (typically a fixed additional overhead), and • a combination of display blanking interval and scan time (which varies, depending on timing and tearing). |
Some metrics are enabled or disabled depending on the command line options:
| Command line option | Enabled metrics | Disabled metrics |
|---|---|---|
--track_frame_type |
FrameType | |
--track_gpu_video |
VideoBusy | |
--no_track_gpu |
GPULatency GPUBusy GPUWait VideoBusy |
|
--no_track_input |
ClickToPhotonLatency | |
--no_track_display(requires --no_track_gpu and --no_track_input as well) |
AllowsTearing PresentMode DisplayLatency DisplayedTime |
|
--v1_metrics |
Most of the above metrics. See a 1.x README.md for details on Presentmon 1.x metrics. |
The following values are used in the PresentMode column:
| PresentMode | Description |
|---|---|
| Hardware: Legacy Flip | Indicates the app took ownership of the screen, and is swapping the displayed surface every frame. |
| Hardware: Legacy Copy to front buffer | Indicates the app took ownership of the screen, and is copying new contents to an already-on-screen surface every frame. |
| Hardware: Independent Flip | Indicates the app does not have ownership of the screen, but is still swapping the displayed surface every frame. |
| Composed: Flip | Indicates the app is windowed, is using "flip model" swapchains, and is sharing its surfaces with DWM to be composed. |
| Hardware Composed: Independent Flip | Indicates the app is using "flip model" swapchains, and has been granted a hardware overlay plane. |
| Composed: Copy with GPU GDI | Indicates the app is windowed, and is copying contents into a surface that's shared with GDI. |
| Composed: Copy with CPU GDI | Indicates the app is windowed, and is copying contents into a dedicated DirectX window surface. GDI contents are stored separately, and are composed together with DX contents by the DWM. |
For more information on the performance implications of these, see: