Free -ing up graphic power for PTE Version 5

[LumenLux]

I have one old PC that I am still trying to "empower" for using PTE 5 Beta.

PC is P3 780MHZ 768 MB ram.

Newly installed GeForce FX 5500 PCI graphics card.

PTE Beta is still not smooth. Therefor the following questions:

1. The GeForce FX 5500 card is also available as a AGP card. To my surprize, this old PC does have an AGP slot. Would the AGP card produce better results than the currently installed PCI version? Both cards have 256 MB DDR.

2. When using this PC with Windows XP (SP1), the Windows Task Manager shows CPU usage bouncing between 19%- 34% - even when "nothing" is running! I thought PTE Beta results might be improved if I could close what ever is causing the high "use" of the cpu. I have run Enditall and it shows Windows Explorer as the only thing running. What is causing the CPU usage to stay so high, that is 19 -34%? Or is that an expected number because of the old slow 780 mhz processor?

[Igor]

Robert,

I have idea and suggestion:

1) First of all, please compare two variants of PteShow demo on that PC:

http://www.wnsoft.com/test/PteShow_H.zip

http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/PteShow.zip

(as I wrote earlier probably we'll find solution even for highly loaded PCs)

2) After this, start Task Manager, choose second "Processes" tab and look at "CPU" column, which program will cause such high CPU loading?

[Ken Cox]

maybe your anti virus is running in background?

i dont think you are going to have main processor power

also you should get the xp sp2 installed

ken

[Ronniebootwest]

I recently had the same problem as you describe (see my previous post) with my Task Manager showing an amount of 13 against the 'System Name' even when nothing was running. I tried in vain to cure the problem and then fate took a hand - my computer completely crashed out on me. The problem was diagnosed as a faulty processor. I took the bull by the horns and replaced both my Motherboard and my Processor and now everything runs as smoothe as silk (and very quiet also)

I agree with Ken Cox, I do not think that you will run Version 5 with your current proccessing power or without installing XP service pack 2. You may also want to check your motherboard if it is older than 5 years.

I now have the following:- Intel Pentium 4 3.4 ghz proccessor

Gigabyte Motherboard

Gforce 6600GT graphics card

2 gig of DDR ram

Enough power there to run a train!

Ron West

[alrobin]

Robert,

Make sure you have DirectX 9 - it comes with Win XP, SP-2.

[LumenLux]

Igor, here is report:

PteShow H runs almost perfect. Has only few tiny "stutters" or "hesitations".

PteShow not quite as smooth as H version.

"Lightest" version of my own Spirits in the Sky show does not run so smoothly. It hesitates, catches up, not so smooth.

TaskManager/Processes/CPU column:

Image Name User Name CPU

Taskmgr.exe Dad 01

System SYSTEM 03

System Idle Process SYSTEM 93

Anti-virus deactivated for PTE tests.

Direct X 9xx is installed but SP2 would never successfully install. (I had mangled the whole system during multiple installation attempts when SP2 was issued. Even Conflow's cautions and instructions posted in forum could not get me through the muddle. I probably ended up re-installing XP without SP2.)

Thanks guys for all ideas. Is anyone else with such slow processor having "total" success when graphic card is powerful enough?

And any knowledge on the AGP card vs PCI version of same card?

[Igor]

Robert,

We plan to use improvement realized in PteShow_H variant for beta #3.

So it will vastly help and antivirus/some other programs in working in background will not disturb to work of slide-show.

Question.

Try to wait for second loop of PteShow_H variant (when first slide will be shown again). Will at this second loop stutters occur?

Try to install latest drivers from NVIDIA web site - www.nvidia.com

[nickunwin]

Robert,

We plan to use improvement realized in PteShow_H variant for beta #3.

So it will vastly help and antivirus/some other programs in working in background will not disturb to work of slide-show.

Question.

Try to wait for second loop of PteShow_H variant (when first slide will be shown again). Will at this second loop stutters occur?

Try to install latest drivers from NVIDIA web site - www.nvidia.com

Hi Igor,

Just an FYI:

I've been trying to get PTE5b2 to run more smoothly on my wife's PC (AMD Athlon 1.25 with 1Gb ram), and have just updated the graphics card in it to an AGP 256Mb XFX6200 (GPU 300Mhz) which was installed yesterday (latest NVidia drivers).

We've found that the performance has actually worsened since changing the card - while the video motion is smoother when it is running, the change over points (cross fades) between slides now cause severe stuttering following the disappearance of the older slide, sometimes causing the new slide to "halt" for a couple of seconds (music continues in the BG). With the old 64Mb GF2 MX-200 card, things stuttered, but not so badly .

Neither of the two files above shows any discernable difference, nor is there any improvement on subsequent loops.

Guess it's time for a new CPU/Mobo

[Igor]

Nick,

Test two variants of PteShow, please:

http://www.wnsoft.com/test/PteShow_H.zip

http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/show/PteShow.zip

[LumenLux]

Robert,

Try to wait for second loop of PteShow_H variant (when first slide will be shown again). Will at this second loop stutters occur?

No hesitation at start of second loop, but tiny hesitations during rest of show just the same as in first loop.

[Igor]

If PteShow_H variant even on second loop has problem with smoothness, I suppose that 700 MHz CPU or PCI's video card are not enough for ideally smooth playback.

Unfortunately, mt likely problem in PCI based video card. AGP much faster and probably doesn't disturb to work of slide-show when new slides load.

I have second PC at my home with 900 Mhz P3 Celeron and AGP ATI Radeon 9600XT 128 MB which works fine.

[nickles]

Lumenlux:

I'm definitely not and expert in this area but you might try a couple of things...if you haven't already.

1.) Limit your display resolution to no greater than 1024x768.

2.) Disable anti-antialising in the Nvidia driver if it is not already disabled.

May do nothing but may be worth a try.

nickles

[Igor]

In case of NVIDIA video card we disable antialiasing even, if antialiasing enabled globally. NVIDIA gives this ability.

In case of ATI, antialiasing doesn't affect on quality and sharpness of picture.

So both NVIDIA and ATI no problem with quality of picture.

[nickunwin]

Hi Igor,

Thanks for trying - unfortunately there is absolutly no difference visible between the two versions, nor between them and the ones higher up the topic.

I've tried tweeking a few bios settings, no improvement either. Guess the CPU just doesn't like it! What actually happens when one slide "disappears"? Would improving the disk sub-system help, or is it CPU intensive?

[Igor]

Nick,

It's very strange problem.

I just sent you personal message. Please reply me.

[nickunwin]

Hi Igor,

Have sent the requested info through to you - hope it helps.

[Igor]

Robert,

I just thought why 780 Mhz, it's not standard CPU frequency?

[LumenLux]

Robert,

I just thought why 780 Mhz, it's not standard CPU frequency?

My mistake. The boot-up screen reads PENTIUM III CPU at 750MHz

I have removed the PCI card and will now try the AGP version of the same card.

Thank you for the continued help.

[LumenLux]

I have removed the PCI card and will now try the AGP version of the same card.

The AGP version does better. PteShow H runs perfectly smooth. The PteShow runs with very minor jitters.

Do monitor settings, such as screen refresh rate of 60 Hertz to 85 Hertz make any difference as to how PTE 5 may appear?

[Igor]

Thank you for good news! We plan to use idea tested in PteShow_H variant in the next beta #3.

It seems that there is an essential difference between PCI and AGP. Although PCI video cards almost not presented now.

Do monitor settings, such as screen refresh rate of 60 Hertz to 85 Hertz make any difference as to how PTE 5 may appear?

With good video card no difference. For example, ATI Radeon 9600 Pro theoretically can show 300 frames per second. GeForce 6800 more than 400 frames per second. So even 85 FPS is simple task for video card.

[nickunwin]

Igor,

I think I may have found a clue to the problems I've been experiencing - I've sent you an e-mail with details and a request for a new version of your demo slideshow.