ATTEN DEVS: cIV Runs as "Below Normal Priority" in XP

[Fieryphoenix]

Running the game in a window, with the CPU performance graph visible in the uncovered portion of the screen, I get nearly 100 percent utilization while the focus is on the game, when I switch out, it drops to about a third. I would say the process priority... now duh, hold on a minute. Yep. It changes to normal when the focus is switched back to Civ4, and below normal when focus is taken away. Definately.

 

[ainwood]

Moderator Action: Moved to bug reports.

 

[Zertez]

This fix would help a lot of people with lower end machines. I switched it to normal priority only for it to go back to below normal on next boot. This may explain why some who have machines that met the specs but have a lot of choppiness.

 

[Harkonnen]

That explains nothing. Process/thread priority is in effect only when there are two or more programs strive to utilize 100% of CPU (e.g. two parallel games). Yet, Windows 2K/XP with default settings will deliver more CPU time to foreground process.

I think civ4 engine just drops itself manually to lower priority on loosing focus so that windows GUI on Alt-Tab works smoother. The correct approach is to wait for windows message and avoid consuming CPU at all (like Blizzard games do), but Firaxis didn't go that far.

Anyway, this tells nothing about slow performance during the game.

 

[Harkonnen]

BTW, I wonder what that ~e0005.exe does... It resides in temp folder. It creates several .tmp files nearby, all are actually some executables. ~e0005.exe and civilization4.exe watch after each other, so when you kill one of them, another dies automatically.

One of those .tmp executables had something about CD/DVD so I think it's kinda copy-protection part, but what other .tmp executables do?

 

[AsnoT]

BTW, I wonder what that ~e0005.exe does... It resides in temp folder. It creates several .tmp files nearby, all are actually some executables. ~e0005.exe and civilization4.exe watch after each other, so when you kill one of them, another dies automatically.

One of those .tmp executables had something about CD/DVD so I think it's kinda copy-protection part, but what other .tmp executables do?

it's a cookie daemon which lives off the crumbs that fall into your keyboard.

 

[Venger]

The ~ process is I believe the game's copy protection. Could be wrong, but I believe that is what it is...

I too noticed the below normal - keep i mind however that below normal still takes priority over the System Idle process, so any slowdowns you have would be small to none due to this - unless, of course, you had another normal process running at full tilt, but if that's the case, you were gonna have problems anyways...

Despite that, I changed it on my computer to normal and it's been running there - no change in problems I have had however...

Venger

 

[oldStatesman]

BTW, I wonder what that ~e0005.exe does... It resides in temp folder. It creates several .tmp files nearby, all are actually some executables. ~e0005.exe and civilization4.exe watch after each other, so when you kill one of them, another dies automatically.

One of those .tmp executables had something about CD/DVD so I think it's kinda copy-protection part, but what other .tmp executables do?

Copy protection files. It's a little bugger to deal with as far as firewalls go that have component checking - mine won't let Civ4.exe access the network because this file 'modifies' it. I have to figure out where the .exe lies so I can tell my firewall to allow it, but that will wait until I get Civ4 running without the constant CTD's.

OP was discussed and I beleive I stated that ti was not an issue after all..if not I do now!

 

[sjss]

I don't think I've ever seen less than 37 processes on a standard XP install before "tweaking" (turning off uneeded junk). Even then it only gets into the 20s. Add a web browser, chat client, email, a couple media programs (many of which put crap it the background you don't want/need - i.e. quicktime/itunes/realplayer, etc.), and 44 is hardly unreasonable.

Fortunately, most of the stuff that you see there usually is low-resource, cumulatively taking up less than 1% of CPU, and low priority won't hurt you in that case, if you want, you can manually set the priority higher, by right clicking and choosing "set priority", however, it's not needed unless you have resource hog stuff in the background (i.e. running a separate music player while plaing the game, itunes/ipod services [even idle this bloatware gobbles CPU], etc.)

 

[oldStatesman]

I don't think I've ever seen less than 37 processes on a standard XP install before "tweaking" (turning off uneeded junk). Even then it only gets into the 20s. Add a web browser, chat client, email, a couple media programs (many of which put crap it the background you don't want/need - i.e. quicktime/itunes/realplayer, etc.), and 44 is hardly unreasonable.

Fortunately, most of the stuff that you see there usually is low-resource, cumulatively taking up less than 1% of CPU, and low priority won't hurt you in that case, if you want, you can manually set the priority higher, by right clicking and choosing "set priority", however, it's not needed unless you have resource hog stuff in the background (i.e. running a separate music player while plaing the game, itunes/ipod services [even idle this bloatware gobbles CPU], etc.)

Yeah - what you said! BTW I am a Network and Hardware consultant...but thanks for the great explanation as it will help a lot of folks understand this better!

It wasn't me that remarked about the large number of processes - I know exactly what is running and that it is really not a large number. Sorry if it may have come across that way in the thread...

 

[Harkonnen]

A lot of processes mean only single-time operation of swapping them out, and longer Alt-TABbing. It does not limit the game in any form.

Except the junk that consumes above 0% CPU being idle (I mean 0%, not 1%). Everything that eats CPU not reacting to direct action, e.g. keyboard hit for THAT process, should be eliminated like a virus.

 

[Undisclosed]

I have warcraft 3 minimized right now and it's normal pritority.

 

[DEADLY9996]

17 processes running here and 2 of those can be closed with no prob, i'll have too mess around with priorities see what happens, as for sound i have never had any stutters:

Could be due to have a seperate sound card Or
Could be due to the installing of the game

Although i have had problems with the great library it says music file not found or sthing, but animations run fine except for the main game intro. And it does tend to skip a lot later on in the game as your moving round the map.

 

[Harkonnen]

Undisclosed
That's because Warcraft3 calls WaitMessage ('cause it has nothing ot do until WM_ACTIVATE/WM_ACTIVATEAPP) arrives. I'm sorry for tech details, but this is the way games should behave, and it's only about main game message loop. As to my observation, only 25% games at the market behave so.

Firaxis didn't want to update it's main thread loop, so they tweaked it in at least such way. E.g. they still roll the car, but shift it down to 1, so more traffic can pass by.

 

[sjss]

ahh, I did computer tech support of a sizeable department (and even cross department because of the group I was in) in undergrad. Handled a lot of stuff, but mostly windows.

Also, for the person with 17 processes only, you are on a "home" version, and turned off a lot of stuff I take it?


As for sound stutter, I'll have to try it later, but it's been reported on another thread as related to AA.

 

[the100thballoon]

Whatever you do, DO NOT shut off System Idle Processes. VERY bad things will happen.

It will never let u do that. Critical system processes are impossible to end.


ALSO: Changing the priority of CivilizationIV.exe only works for a limited time. It was stuttering so I set it to Above Normal priority. Worked very well for a turn or two then stuttered on something again so I checked in task manager and it was back to Below Normal priority... If they dont fix this in the first patch.... (not like it matters to my 64-bit beast of a machine )

 

[JohnMK]

Undisclosed
That's because Warcraft3 calls WaitMessage ('cause it has nothing ot do until WM_ACTIVATE/WM_ACTIVATEAPP) arrives. I'm sorry for tech details, but this is the way games should behave, and it's only about main game message loop. As to my observation, only 25% games at the market behave so.

Firaxis didn't want to update it's main thread loop, so they tweaked it in at least such way. E.g. they still roll the car, but shift it down to 1, so more traffic can pass by.

I don't think that's correct. There are cases where you might want a background application to get some CPU time, e.g. I'm playing a giant Earth map right now with 24 civilization, in windowed mode. When I press End Turn, I click on Firefox and surf the web and it's perfectly responsive. I keep the Windows Task Manager minimized in the systemtray, and when I see CPU utilization falls significantly, then it's done with its AI algorithms. That's typically 30-45 seconds now, about 1500 AD. If programmed as you would prefer, then I'd not have the luxury of killing two birds with one stone.