# Bench results — proxy machine, run 1 (B0–B12a)

**Proxy data only.** One machine (Ryzen 9 9900X / RX 7800 XT, Manjaro), not the fleet (P0 Deck,
P1 7700K+1060, P2 6700K+1080 Ti). Run 1: 2026-10-16 22:25 → ~2026-10-17 05:00 EDT, 56 sessions
(57 launches incl. one auto-retry), 306/309 capture windows valid. Source:
`~/onion-bench/results/session.jsonl` (`ts >= 2026-10-16T22:24`), verdicts from
`harness/analyze.py --baseline C1 --noise B0 --since 2026-10-16T22:24`.
Run 2 (B4h, B7 shader rows, B12b) is in progress; B13/B14 are manual and not done.

## Method

- **Harness**: `harness/bench.py` + `matrix.py`. Every session is one cold launch at
  1920×1080 in headless gamescope, world restored from `bench-world-v1*.zip` (DH LODs
  pre-generated, `generatorPlan=DISABLED`), scenes driven by an in-world datapack, spectator
  camera, FTB Backups off, dedicated server stopped.
- **Captures**: per scene 15 s warm-up + 30 s capture (S5 tour 120 s, no warm-up) × 3 reps,
  45 s settle after join. Frametimes from MangoHud; metrics = p50/p99 frametime, 1 % low
  (frametime-based), avg fps.
- **Win rule (BENCH-MATRIX §4)**: win = median p99 improves by more than the B0 p99 spread
  AND 1 % low doesn't drop by more than the B0 1 %-low spread; loss = worse beyond either;
  else tie (ties keep the current/upstream value).
- **Noise floor (B0, C0 × 3 sessions on S1)**: p99 spread **0.40 ms**, 1 %-low spread
  **6.6 fps** (p99 9.64 ms, 1 % low 88.3 fps).
- **Baselines**: each variant is compared with the C1 session(s) of its own block
  (`C1@B3`, `C1@B11.baseline`, …), i.e. same JVM and same time window.

## Highlights

- **The shipped tuning (C1) beats upstream defaults (C0) on every scene.** C0 (B1) vs C1
  (B2), same JVM (Prism default, 8 GB):

  | Scene | p99 C0 → C1 (ms) | 1 % low C0 → C1 (fps) | avg fps C0 → C1 |
  |---|---|---|---|
  | S1 vista | 9.33 → 8.23 | 93.0 → 104.9 | 218 → 272 |
  | S2 Create floor | 3.79 → 3.22 | 218.7 → 259.8 | 694 → 975 |
  | S3 mob pen | 7.43 → 4.46 | 110.1 → 186.0 | 255 → 395 |
  | S4 airships | 2.93 → 2.44 | 298.0 → 341.3 | 789 → 1073 |
  | S5 tour | 3.47 → 2.95 | 194.2 → 223.8 | 788 → 1017 |

  Startup ("Game took"): C0 31.38 s → C1 25.36 s. Atlas: C0 4096×4096×4 → C1 4096×4096×2.
- **Distant Horizons is the biggest single render cost.** Turning DH off (B3.dh-off) gives
  S1 p99 7.99 → 5.38 ms, 1 % low 105.5 → 144.0; S5 3.09 → 2.34 ms, 211.2 → 282.4.
  DH's LOW quality preset at C1's radius 128 (`dh-qlow`) is a **win** on S1 (−0.96 ms,
  +9.5 fps). SSAO costs 1.25 ms p99 on S1.
- **Fresh Animations is expensive.** S3 p99 4.32 → 8.65 ms (FA) / 10.20 ms (FA +
  Extensions); 1 % low 184.6 → 104.9 / 89.0. It is opt-in (not enabled by default) — keep
  it that way and document the cost.
- **The added performance mods earn their place.** Removing BadOptimizations, Particle Core
  or Sodium Extra each loses (Particle Core / Sodium Extra: S3 1 % low −24 / −25 fps).
- **ModernFix `dynamic_resources` (B6)**: startup 7.6 s faster (26.32 vs 33.92 s median) and
  better frametimes with it on. Ship is gated only on the manual missing-texture check
  (see B6 row).

## Per-block verdicts

Numbers are p99 ms / 1 % low fps; Δ is vs the block's C1 baseline (+ = better p99).

| Block | Change tested | Result | Verdict | Ship action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B0 | noise floor, C0 × 3 on S1 | p99 9.64 (spread 0.40), 1 % low 88.3 (spread 6.6) | — | thresholds for all blocks |
| B1 | C0 baseline, S1–S5 | see highlights table; startup 31.38 s | reference | — |
| B2 | C1 vs C0 | C1 wins S1–S5 (table above) | **win** | C1 stays shipped; no bisect needed |
| B2 | C1-deck vs C1 | S1 7.08/115.0 vs 8.23/104.9 (win); S2/S4/S5 tie; S3 4.84/167.5 vs 4.46/186.0 (loss) | mixed | keep Deck tier as is (S3 loss: check `entityShadows`/particles on fleet P0) |
| B2 | C1-high vs C1 | S1 tie; S2–S5 losses (e.g. S4 2.66/311.6 vs 2.44/341.3) | expected cost | keep High as opt-in quality tier |
| B3 | DH radius 64 | S1 7.46/111.1 vs 7.99/105.5 (win); S5 tie | win S1 | already the Deck value; no change to C1 |
| B3 | DH radius 192 / 256 | S1 tie (7.69/105.5, 8.07/101.5); S5 tie | tie | **decision**: on this GPU 256 (upstream) ties 128; fleet floors decide — keep 128 until fleet data |
| B3 | DH LOW quality preset @ r128 (`dh-qlow`) | S1 7.03/115.0 vs 7.99/105.5 (+0.96, +9.5) | **win** (S1 only) | candidate for DEFAULT after an S5 run + visual check |
| B3 | DH SSAO on | S1 9.24/95.3 (−1.25, −10.2) | loss | confirms C1 SSAO off |
| B3 | DH threads 4 | S1 tie; S5 3.32/197.4 vs 3.09/211.2 (loss) | loss | threads stay 2 |
| B3 | DH off (reference) | S1 5.38/144.0; S5 2.34/282.4 | — | cost reference only |
| B4 | GC J0/J1/J2/J3 @ 6 GB, S2+S5 | S5: J0 3.07/226.8, J1 3.11/228.1 (tie), J2 3.40/216.6 (loss), J3 3.75/173.4 (loss); S2 all tie | **J0** | keep J0; heap ladder = B4h (run 2) |
| B5 | Sable ships 0/1/4 (proxy) | S4 3.00/280.6, 3.12/261.6, 2.97/273.2 | — | ships nearly free on this GPU |
| B5 | SSRD 32/64/128, sable-noshade (4 ships) | 3.02/265.0, 3.03/264.7, 3.11/261.9, 3.04/263.0 vs pooled C1 (−8 to −11 fps 1 % low) | loss/noise | keep C1 (SSRD 16, shading on); decay run deferred (fleet P0/P1) |
| B6 | ModernFix dynamic_resources off vs on (C1) | S1 9.11/83.8 vs 8.48/98.6; S2 3.29/236.1 vs 3.18/264.0; startup 33.92 vs 26.32 s | dynres on **wins** | ship `modernfix-mixins.properties` **after** the manual missing-texture check |
| B7 | shaders ×4 profiles | no-shader baseline only (S1 8.24/105.3, S2 3.21/266.9, S4 2.53/326.0) | pending run 2 | — |
| B8 | Fresh Animations (+Ext) on S3 | 8.65/104.9 (FA), 10.20/89.0 (FA+Ext) vs 4.32/184.6 | large cost | keep opt-in; document in PLAYER-TUNING |
| B8 | EMF animation LOD 20 / 8 (with FA) | vs C1-fa (LOD 12) 8.65/104.9: LOD 20 8.91/101.8 (tie), LOD 8 8.16/108.0 (+0.49, +3.1 → win) | LOD 8 wins under FA | optional: LOD 8 for FA users (PLAYER-TUNING note) |
| B8 | LambDynamicLights fancy / fastest | 4.41/181.8, 4.35/187.7 vs 4.32/184.6 | tie | keep C1 `fast` |
| B9 | Flywheel light flat / smooth (S2) | 3.45/246.6 (tie), 3.46/238.9 (−8.6, loss) vs 3.44/247.5 | tie/loss | keep C1 TRI_LINEAR |
| B10 | Sound Physics rays up / strict / no caps (S2s) | 3.69/216.2 (loss), 3.58/233.7 (tie), 3.64/216.9 (loss) vs 3.52/237.6 | loss/tie | keep C1 |
| B11 | Sodium 3 builder threads, blend 0/2, mipmaps 4 | all losses except blend 2 (S5 tie); e.g. mip4 S1 8.82/97.6 vs 8.12/104.2 | loss/tie | keep C1 |
| B12a | remove BadOptimizations / Particle Core / Sodium Extra | each loses ≥1 scene (e.g. S3 3.93/205.3, 4.63/188.4, 4.61/187.5 vs 3.87/212.5) | keep all | no change |
| B4h, B7 shader rows, B12b | heap ladder, shader profiles, trial mods | — | **pending run 2** | — |
| B13, B14 | spark profile; spawn-tuning counts | — | **pending (manual)** | — |

## Caveats

- **Single proxy machine.** Fleet machines (P0–P2) were unreachable; the fleet fps floors
  (P0 1 % low ≥ 30, P1/P2 ≥ 60) don't map to a 7800 XT — every verdict here is relative.
  B2's "C1 wins on ≥ 2 machines" gate is satisfied on one machine only.
- **This GPU hides render costs.** Airships (B5), Flywheel lighting and DH radius are cheap
  here; the fleet's older GPUs may rank them differently. B5 decay is deferred to P0/P1.
- **GPU clocks unpinned** (amdgpu DPM `auto`, no root); every row carries `gpu_dpm_auto`.
- **JVM differed between block groups (harness bug).** B0–B3 ran Prism's default args at
  8 GB; B4 set each GC at 6 GB; `bench.py` never restored `instance.cfg`, so **B5–B12a all
  ran on J3 Shenandoah, 6 GB**. Every verdict compares sessions inside one block (same JVM),
  so verdicts stand, but absolute numbers aren't comparable across those groups and the B0
  noise floor was measured under the other JVM.
- **One crash**: B10 `spr-nocap`, first attempt — `OutOfMemoryError: Ran out of memory
  reading level data` after an unusually slow (~1.5 min) resource load, on the leaked
  Shenandoah/6 GB JVM. The automatic retry was clean.
- Single sessions per variant (except B0/B6, 3 each); 3 reps per scene per session.