Saints Row 2 with DXVK: the working PC setup

Why Saints Row 2 needs two fixes

The PC port of Saints Row 2 is known in the community for poor frame timing, high CPU use and crashes. The usual recipe has two parts that do different jobs: a community patch, Gentlemen of the Row (GOTR), fixes the game itself, and DXVK replaces the Direct3D 9 renderer. Neither replaces the other. We have not run the game, so we cannot say which problem each part fixes on your PC.

Step 1: Gentlemen of the Row

Install GOTR first from its official page. We have not verified its current source or version, so we do not link or summarise its install guide: follow its own instructions. If GOTR now includes DXVK or a toggle for it, follow GOTR’s current notes instead of this page.

Step 2: DXVK

To undo it, delete the DLLs you copied (F12): see the uninstall guide. The general steps, with the checklist and warnings, are on the Windows install page.

Put the DLL beside SR2_pc.exe, the game program. Before copying, open the folder in the Game Checker’s folder mode: GOTR or another patch may already use a d3d9.dll, and a folder can hold only one file with that name (conflicts).

What the built-in Saints Row 2 setting does

Our research notes say DXVK carries a Saints Row 2 entry that sets d3d9.textureMemory = 0, with a source comment that it prevents an unmap crash. Our extract of 100 well-known profiles does not include this game, so we have not re-read the line and mark it unverified.

If correct, the option removes a limit on the address space DXVK budgets for locked textures, which would avoid a crash when that budget runs out. We did not test it; VRAM and memory explains related memory options.

Frame rate and game speed

Whether GOTR’s own limiter or a DXVK cap works better is something we have not tested. If you use DXVK’s, set dxvk.maxFrameRate in a dxvk.conf section named for the exe; the old DXVK_FRAME_RATE variable no longer works (F21). See Limit FPS.

Which DXVK version?

A Steam guide recommends DXVK 2.4 for this game. We cannot confirm that. Release notes name Saints Row in DXVK 1.4.4, 1.5.5 and 2.1 (Saints Row: The Third in 2.1). Try 3.1.1 first; if the game crashes, try 2.4 and 2.7.1 and compare. Which line your GPU can run is on the requirements page.

Saints Row: The Third and Remastered

These are different games. The Third was named in DXVK 2.1’s release notes. Saints Row: The Third Remastered is reported to be Direct3D 11 and 64-bit, which would need d3d11.dll and dxgi.dll from x64. We did not verify the APIs. Issue 2473 is a user report of one frame per second in Saints Row 3. See the games database.

Remove DXVK

Delete the DLL from the game folder (F12). GOTR is separate; remove it by its own instructions.

What we have not tested

• Any run of the game: FPS, stutter and crashes are unmeasured.
• Gentlemen of the Row: its current version, source and whether it includes DXVK.
• The built-in Saints Row 2 setting: not in our profile extract, not re-read.
• Whether co-op or GameSpy features still exist.
• Whether DXVK is better or worse than the game’s normal Direct3D on your GPU.

Check your own copy

The Game Checker reads your .exe on your device and tells you its bitness and Direct3D version. Our checker also flags files in the game folder that use the same name as DXVK’s DLLs.