Author Topic: Fixing FPS issues on XP (Dual core)  (Read 9589 times)

Offline FerchogtX

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Fixing FPS issues on XP (Dual core)
« on: November 01, 2010, 09:34:31 PM »
Hi people!

I'll post a soultion I posted a while in a mugen forum, but also aply for FBA and many other apps.

Quote from: Me!
Hi there people!!!!

Recently, when figuring out why my new processor was so laggy with some stuff, I accidentally fixed what it appears to be a bug in MUGEN 1.0, this may affect all RC's as well.

Many people was experimenting a lil' bug in which the frame count was allways 0.0 or 0.5 or weird stuff, and i discovered why: If you are running Windows XP, and you got a Dual Core processor (any Core 2 Duo, or Athlon 64 X2 or Phenom X2) this bug is present, because cores are not handled as needed in the O.S... this means that the threads are not being done using the 2 cores efficiently, so slowdowns or even accelerations are spected (like in some PC games, such as NFS). This bug is not present if you got a single core processor... (such as any older Pentium 4 with no HyperThreading, or a simple Sempron one)

How to fix it? it is quite simple:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=60416
follow the steps in that thread if that doesn't work, here how I fixed it:

For AMD Processors:
1.- Install AMD Processor Drivers
2.- Fix Registry as shown in that thread:
Quote
The registry location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager should have a key named Throttle there, if not make it by right clicking, point at New > Key... name it Throttle.

3) (Still in registry) Inside Throttle key: should be a DWORD called PerfEnablePackageIdle with the value of 1.
If NOT there,
- right click on Throttle folder,
-- point to New > DWORD... name it PerfEnablePackageIdle.
- then double click PerfEnablePackageIdle
-- change the value to 1
3.- Reboot
4.- Install AMD Dual Core Optimizer
5.- Reboot and enjoy

If you are still running Windows XP SP2, download the following updates:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C2AB5A48-8240-4934-BBD8-34FB8A0FCE3B&displaylang=en
This one is related to AMD processors only:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=b0ff829d-c427-4f40-bc56-f481837effbe

Then install them, reboot and continue with step 1 (Is very important that you install this BEFORE you start with the rest)

Anyway I would recommend you to upgrade to Windows XP SP3 (just in case you still want to use XP...) because it has the patches already aplied, so you have to install the other stuff (for AMD) or fix the regitry and boot.ini info for intel processors only.

If you got an intel processor:
1.- Install updates if you are not running SP3
2.- Do the registry fix:
Quote
The registry location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager should have a key named Throttle there, if not make it by right clicking, point at New > Key... name it Throttle.

3) (Still in registry) Inside Throttle key: should be a DWORD called PerfEnablePackageIdle with the value of 1.
If NOT there,
- right click on Throttle folder,
-- point to New > DWORD... name it PerfEnablePackageIdle.
- then double click PerfEnablePackageIdle
-- change the value to 1
3.- Add /usepmtimer parameter in the Windows XP boot information (boot.ini), like in this example:
Quote
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /usepmtimer
4.- Reboot and enjoy.

Here a screenie of what you get after fixing dual core issues:




The Frame counter now works properly.

I don't know if this issue occurs on Windows Vista or 7, it is supposed NOT to happen because those OSes are able to use multi-core processors without issues...

I hope this can help you guys.

See ya!!!! :D

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