will lowering screen resolution and color depth free some some cpu space
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Posted on Apr 27, 2005 10:09 am
btglenn
Member Since: Dec 29, 2004
will lowering screen resolution and color depth free some some cpu space
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pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Apr 27, 2005 10:37 am I hate to sound smart-alecky, but,
in the time it took to connect, type up, and post this message, you could have found out on your own.
Most (windows) OSs have a performance monitor of some sort, leave it run for a while to get a mean cpu usage, then change the screen, and check again. I'm betting it'll have very little or no effect, though I've been wrong before.
it would help if we knew what OS you're running, and what's running in the background. Those would have much more influence, though you've probably already gone through that.
Apr 27, 2005 11:04 am yes, in short it will help free up the CPU, though depending on your system, it may be a very small percentage.
vdalehubbardLost for words with all to say.Contributor
Since: Sep 12, 2003
Apr 27, 2005 11:14 am I would think that it wouldn't be worth changing, probably can't tell the difference. But I could be proven wrong!
Apr 27, 2005 11:36 am yeah unless you're taxing your processor with 60+ plugins, it's not necessary on any P4 system.
Apr 27, 2005 05:03 pm 60+ plugins? I can't run more than 15 or so without my CPU pooping out and I've got a Pentium 4. When I was using SONAR 1 I could run A LOT more of them, though...
Apr 27, 2005 05:16 pm hmm my last mix had 35 tracks of 24/44.1 audio runnin' with atleast 30 plugs...check my profile for specks on the computer
my cpu meter was only readin' 55%...
vdalehubbardLost for words with all to say.Contributor
Since: Sep 12, 2003
Apr 27, 2005 09:31 pm One of my songs with Sonar 3.11 has about 40 tracks with average of 3 to 4 plug ins on each channel. I have an AMD 3200+ and going like a champ!
If it's that Dell that you are referring too in your profile Porpoise, maybe more RAM. Some Dells have problems with their motherboards that I have seen. Those might be your problem.
Apr 28, 2005 06:29 pm I've got a 1.8 GHZ Pentium 4. I just recently upgraded from 256 MB of RAM to 768 MB and that hardly made a bit of difference. It's definately the CPU lagging. It's RDRAM, too, which is supposed to be the super-fast, super-expensive kind...
Apr 28, 2005 06:38 pm Cakewalk Sonar 4 has track freezing, that will process tracks with the effects so you can unload them to save CPU resources, then "unfreeze" them if you choose to edit them later on, it's a great feature.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Apr 29, 2005 07:18 pm Agree with dB there for sure. The freeze function is great if ya need it for sure.
Porp, I am thinking you might have other issues as well though. I can plaster my AMD Athalon XP 3200+ Barton core with loads of crap and it doesnt choke up.
What kind of plugs are you running that jam it up that bad. And as well, what percent is the CPU meter running at when this happens?
And also what version are you running now?? Are they completely updated?
Apr 29, 2005 07:43 pm on that note...my cpu at 55% in cakewalk is maxed out at 100% using the windows ctrl+ald+delete thing....sup wit dat?
jmailjimmie neutronMember
Since: Feb 14, 2005
Apr 29, 2005 08:49 pm Wyd, that's Windows going "hold on there now, cowboy, are we gonna crash?". Windows takes the 3 fingered salute as a system halt, "prep for shutdown". Even 2K & XP, tho they now re-direct you to a different dialog pop-up.
Porp, what have you got running in the background, such as virus scanner, task scheduler, etc? You don't have a worm and internet connection thru broadband, do you? Someone might be using your box over the "wire" for nefarious purposes! If you've got XP or 2K, check your running processes and see if something besides your audio software isn't stealing cycles from you.
Apr 29, 2005 08:50 pm Noize- Yes, I wish I had the freeze function, but I keep putting off the upgrade to 4. I have Sonar 3, and it has been updated to the latest version, whatever that was. I take really good care of the computer (no extra stuff/viruses/spyware running, and I also ran it through dB's article about getting the most out of XP.) The CPU meter in Sonar reaches max whenever it drops out. I am mostly using Sonitus FX plugs, as well as a few VST's, such as the digitalfishphones plug-ins. I've played around with buffers and all, but to no avail. Any ideas? It slowed down when I moved from Sonar 1 to 3 about a year and 1/2 ago, but the computer still runs plenty fast in general.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Apr 30, 2005 01:15 am Porp, that is very odd. I can even run Sonar 3 on my older box, PIII 667 with 768meg of ram. It does eat up a bit more CPU on that box though. But I did manage to do several 24 track all audio recordings with several instances of PSP Vintage warmer and other various plug's without even a hic-up. And the PSP plug is a CPU hog. If I get some time I will have a look at my settings and give em to ya to compare how you are set up. The Sonitus plugs were a bit finnicky, but not that bad.
I am curious which VST plugs you have going. That might also give a clue to the high CPU usage.
Apr 30, 2005 09:44 pm Wow, I thought this was an issue for everyone... I guess not! That would be great if you could let me know your settings. I appreciate it, Noize. I usually use a few instances of the Digitalfishphones dynamics processing plug-ins as far as VST's go. There's no single plug-in that the CPU has a really difficult time with. Of course, I use the built-in Sonitus EQ on most channels.
May 01, 2005 01:03 am yeah man, somethin' isn't right somewhere....is your cpu spiking to red every once and a while?? what's it reading when the song is stopped? mine generally "idles" a song at around 30% then i press play and it's jumps up to 50% with the occasional spike up to 90% or so.
jmailjimmie neutronMember
Since: Feb 14, 2005
May 01, 2005 07:28 am Hey porp, how's your memory configured? In other words, how many slots, how many sticks? Did you add 2-256 sticks to the one you had? Does your motherboard work in "matched" pairs of RDRAM? 768meg sounds like 3 sticks of 256 or one 256 & one 512. Check your motherboard documentation. However, I don't think you could boot if it did require "matched" pairs.
Noize2u's settings for the programs will get you in the ballpark, but, re-check your XP "tune-up" for audio. I think you've got something running in the background on your computer that's sucking the life out of it. Disconnect from the network, temporarily disable ALL firewall, virus scanner, pop-up stoppers, schedulers & hardware checkers; just about anything in your System Tray, and see what that does.
May 01, 2005 11:02 am The memory is configured in pairs like it's supposed to be. I believe that I added two 256 MB modules to the two already existing 128 MB modules.
I am connected to a broadband network, but I will often turn off the connection when I am recording or mixing. I've had this problem since before I even had an internet connection on this computer, so I don't think that that's the problem. I periodically update and use Ad-Aware to check for any spyware, and I have the free Anti-Vir virus software, which works very well and I love because it takes very little CPU power. (I tried Norton antivirus once... My computer's never run so slow!) Those are the only things running in my system tray (Along with my Echo Layla 3G control panel). I also use the built-in XP firewall. There are quite a few things running in the "processes" dialog (27) that I'm not sure of their purpose, but none of them say they're taking a lot of CPU power except for the "System Idle Process." Things like the system restore and schedulers are all already turned off, as are the system sounds and animations/menu shadows, etc.
wyd- Are you talking about checking the Sonar CPU meter, or the XP CPU meter? In Sonar 3, I don't get a reading when nothing's playing. I don't really get big spikes on it, it just reads up around 75% and fluctuates to 80% or higher before it drops out. I'm using ASIO drivers, but I have also tried WDM. The WDM work a little better, but the latency isn't as good and the benefit is small.
jmailjimmie neutronMember
Since: Feb 14, 2005
May 01, 2005 11:08 pm Might sound a little crazy, but try with just the 2-256meg sticks in the 1st 2 slots, and leave the 128s out. See what it does. Then put the 128s in the 3rd & 4th slots and give that a shot. Compare those two changes with what you've got now.
27 processes doesn't sound overly high (maybe a bit), but I'd go ahead and disconnect from the network, kill the anti-virus and firewall (possibly one of them conflicts with something audio-related), then try Sonar again.
May 01, 2005 11:21 pm i was talkin' about sonar's meters...that's strange, cuz mine definately "idles" at around 30% or so when audio is stopped.
May 02, 2005 03:15 pm wyd- do you have Sonar 3 or 4? Maybe it does show the CPU level when idling in Sonar 4?
I'll have to try that, jmail, although it's going to be a big pain...
May 02, 2005 04:26 pm Correction: The CPU meter IS working when nothing is playing or recording, but it's hanging around 0%-2% so I never noticed it working before! Ever since I started using the Layla 3G with ASIO I've also had a little glitch where many times when I hit play it will drop out immediately. Then on the second try things play fine. This happens no matter how many tracks I have going. This actually doesn't happen with the WDM drivers, though. Weird...
May 02, 2005 08:24 pm 3
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
May 02, 2005 10:52 pm Porp, I heard the same complaints from others regarding the ASIO with the 3G, they were really bumming they spent that much money and it ran so finnicky. I think several tried the drivers from www.asio4all.com and had good results with them.
Its worth a shot, because the ASIO drivers are way faster then the WDM drivers from Event.
May 03, 2005 11:23 am Quote:
WDM drivers from Event
?????
what's Event gotta do with WDM?
did i miss something?
May 03, 2005 12:38 pm Well, I think Noize is stuck in the past, Event used to market Layla, Gine and Darla sound devices, but then echo audio went on it's own and started developing WDM's...which aren't that great, or weren't back in the day...so I assume that's what he is thinking about...It's Echo now...
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
May 03, 2005 10:47 pm OK, ya Echo Audio. My bad...
