City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

Performance degradation (Win7 x64)

AlienOne

By AlienOne,
Posted on: 2009-12-15 02:29 in ALL ACCESS Gameplay Technical Issues Bugs

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by bAss_ackwards View Post
Just to be sure, my operating temperature for my CPU should be around 40 to 50 Celsius, correct?
Unless your a crazed OCing articsilver5 guru whom screams at anything over 30c, yes that should be fine. Especially for a quad core.

 

Posted

So I opened up the side of my case and let some more airflow through. The CPU was running at 56 Celsius for the high temperature and 32 Celsius on the low. Is mid 50s fine to be running at? Dragon Age seemed to stay at around 55 to 57.

Later in the day I will be using some compressed air to clear out some leftover dust I may have left from my previous cleaning.

Hoo-freakin'-ray. I think we've finally come to the issue. Why is heat becoming an issue now? Do I need to put some more of that heat transfer goo between my CPU and heat sink again?

Playstation 3 - XBox 360 - Wii - PSP

Remember kids, crack is whack!

Samuel_Tow: Your avatar is... I think I like it

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by bAss_ackwards View Post
Hoo-freakin'-ray. I think we've finally come to the issue. Why is heat becoming an issue now? Do I need to put some more of that heat transfer goo between my CPU and heat sink again?
It's possible that you had insufficient cooling all along. Components can become 'weakened' after being exposed to excessive heat for extended periods, extreme heat once, from manufacturing defects (such as Nvidia's prior bonding/substrate process screwup), or just bad luck.

I would still like to know what your GPU temps are getting to though. With that, you don't want to go over 105C.

I don't suppose you know your CFM(Cubic Feet per Minute) figures for airflow into and out of your case?

.
.Driver Sweeper * CohHelper * HijackThis * TweakCoH * CPU-ID
* Defraggler * Program Security Scan * PC Performance Scan *

 

Posted

The trial version of Hmonitor doesn't allow for GPU temperature readings. In the end it was a hassle to run the thing on long test runs so I just got Core Temp so I could, at the very least, monitor my CPU.

If you've got a free program that I can use that will monitor my GPU temperature, I'd be happy to give it a whirl.

Playstation 3 - XBox 360 - Wii - PSP

Remember kids, crack is whack!

Samuel_Tow: Your avatar is... I think I like it

 

Posted

Rivatuner is the first one that comes to mind. Of course, it does a lot more than just monitor temperatures, but it will allow you to monitor those.

Another thought about these problems that no one has brought up, there is a chance that your PSU isn't putting out enough power to support that graphics card. Kind of a shot in the dark since I can't see what kind of PSU you have, how old it is, etc. and my first instinct says that its a heating problem as well, but something else to keep in mind.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by bAss_ackwards View Post
The trial version of Hmonitor doesn't allow for GPU temperature readings. In the end it was a hassle to run the thing on long test runs so I just got Core Temp so I could, at the very least, monitor my CPU.

If you've got a free program that I can use that will monitor my GPU temperature, I'd be happy to give it a whirl.
FurMark has a realtime GPU temp graph on the test screen, and it is an excellent Benchmark program. This version is supposed to work with Win 7, but I haven't tested that personally.

Select these settings.

Run Mode:
--Stability Test
--Log GPU Temperature

Window Params:
--1920x1200


Do NOT use Xtreme Burning Mode. During the test, I would run it for two minutes (or just until temps get too high). The test can be stopped by hitting the ESC key.

.
.Driver Sweeper * CohHelper * HijackThis * TweakCoH * CPU-ID
* Defraggler * Program Security Scan * PC Performance Scan *

 

Posted

I'd be worried it was the Solid State Drive. Depending on the brand and the technology SLC/MLC they have problems with writing and reading files and can be strange. I think Win 7 does a better job of recognizing SSD drives, but you should make sure Windows isn''t attempting to defrag your drive.

Like they were recommending download Everest and maybe Coretemp and see what kind of temperatures your graphics and cpu are getting. Check with the manufacturer on the max operating temperatures on those components.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by BayBlast View Post
FurMark has a realtime GPU temp graph on the test screen, and it is an excellent Benchmark program. This version is supposed to work with Win 7, but I haven't tested that personally.

Select these settings.

Run Mode:
--Stability Test
--Log GPU Temperature

Window Params:
--1920x1200


Do NOT use Xtreme Burning Mode. During the test, I would run it for two minutes (or just until temps get too high). The test can be stopped by hitting the ESC key.
I did this test as you've specified, but I have no idea where the GPU temperature log was put?

Playstation 3 - XBox 360 - Wii - PSP

Remember kids, crack is whack!

Samuel_Tow: Your avatar is... I think I like it

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stray Kitten View Post
Rivatuner is the first one that comes to mind. Of course, it does a lot more than just monitor temperatures, but it will allow you to monitor those.

Another thought about these problems that no one has brought up, there is a chance that your PSU isn't putting out enough power to support that graphics card. Kind of a shot in the dark since I can't see what kind of PSU you have, how old it is, etc. and my first instinct says that its a heating problem as well, but something else to keep in mind.
Hey there's something I didn't think about. I have a 500 Watt power supply, but it is only powering the SSD, motherboard, and GPU. It was working flawlessly under WinXP and the new GPU upgrade, so I hope my PSU isn't failing on me now.

Playstation 3 - XBox 360 - Wii - PSP

Remember kids, crack is whack!

Samuel_Tow: Your avatar is... I think I like it

 

Posted

I would get coretemp and have it run while you play the game and log every munite .. once in the game the temp should not be spiking or changing at all. I run win7 64bit and only time I run into any issue is when I have Itunes, Vent, TS (yes I use both at times). and about 12 different copies of IE running). and to note that is more from starting and stopping the game about 40 times since last reboot.

My system is up 24/7 has a Nvidia card (older drivers).

again like others said check temps..Oh if you have the Nvidia monitoring tools installed .. try just the base drivers

Edit: I agree with Stray as PSU can be the issue. 500W is low for a system that has a 260+ video card. Cheap PSU tend to cause lots of problems. Also check the fan in the PSU and make sure it is still working. If a PSU over heats the amount of power drops that is can handle.

Lead Squirrel at Dr. E Spider robotic site #643

Nothing saids its your spot like an ourob. Portal dropped on the ground.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by bAss_ackwards View Post
Hey there's something I didn't think about. I have a 500 Watt power supply, but it is only powering the SSD, motherboard, and GPU. It was working flawlessly under WinXP and the new GPU upgrade, so I hope my PSU isn't failing on me now.
Unless it's a very good 500 Watt PSU, it's going to struggle with that GTX 285. Moreso if it's an aging power supply. EVGA lists the 285 as needing "minimum 550 W power supply". I found a BFG Tech brand one that gives a more specific "Combined 42 Amps" on the +12V rails. Can you read off the individual and/or combined ratings for the +12V rails on the side of your PSU?

 

Posted

GPU running at 80% fan speed now instead of factory default. Stays at 40 Celsius. CPU isn't going over 55 Celsius. Framerate is rocksteady.

PSU is something I'll have to look into at a later time (sooner than later) but so far so good.

Playstation 3 - XBox 360 - Wii - PSP

Remember kids, crack is whack!

Samuel_Tow: Your avatar is... I think I like it

 

Posted

Oh, and if anyone happens to have a good PSU in mind don't be afraid to link it for me.

Playstation 3 - XBox 360 - Wii - PSP

Remember kids, crack is whack!

Samuel_Tow: Your avatar is... I think I like it

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by bAss_ackwards View Post
Oh, and if anyone happens to have a good PSU in mind don't be afraid to link it for me.
A Corsair 650 Watt (or larger if you prefer) of some flavor if you're on a budget (they've got whole families of solid quality PSUs and you won't find better quality at their price points).

Enermax Modu82+ 625 Watt if you want even higher build quality at a higher price tag.

And if price is no object, a Seasonic Gold X-650 or X-750 for an impeccable PSU that you could pass down to your grandkids.


EDIT: Links added.

 

Posted

I do think that is you issue. I had a couple of bad PSU and when I swapped them out I was happy once again.

I did go for some big names http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817703009

Lead Squirrel at Dr. E Spider robotic site #643

Nothing saids its your spot like an ourob. Portal dropped on the ground.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by bAss_ackwards View Post
Yeah, 500W is below recommended power (550W) for the 285GTX. The Corsair you have linked here should be fine.

What has probably happened is, as PSUs get older they do tend to put out less and less power. 500W is probably right above the bare minimum for your system, so as the PSU aged and the output got lower, it crossed that threshold. May have just been a coincidence that it coincided with the W7 upgrade, or W7 may be pushing your CPU just a little harder on average and needing more power for it.

 

Posted

I think you're probably right on that. All this time I didn't think, "Hey a much more powerful graphics card in my system! I'm totally going to need more power to run that beast!" Hahah.

My PSU was pretty good back in the day, but I guess if I needed a graphics card upgrade I also needed a power supply upgrade too.

Playstation 3 - XBox 360 - Wii - PSP

Remember kids, crack is whack!

Samuel_Tow: Your avatar is... I think I like it

 

Posted

Happens to all of us.. trust me.