Performance drop after 5/4/10 patch

I believe that you may have reinstalled them and they are the latest drivers, but sadly your machine isn't reporting them correctly. Something with your drivers is working incorrectly.

As you can see from the bolded yellow above, your drivers are reporting an incorrect date. This generally indicates an issue with your drivers. Not always, but 9 times out of 10.

No, my machine is reporting them fine, CoHHelper just wasn't able to get the full info

the most recent drivers were released in march 09, and they are dated 26/02/2009

I've already isolated the problem, its the patch

Since today's patch, CoH has increased in RAM usage going from 600-800MB to 1.3GB of RAM even with the graphic settings at the bare minimum.

And it switches its CPU priority to Below Normal which clearly is a bad thing.

Well, something is weird here. Running at 1.3 GB of RAM is normal at the highest Shader settings.

But your CohHelper report doesn't have the Shader settings... it doesn't have any of the graphical settings. Is that because CohHelper didn't provide it, or because you edited them out? If you edited them out, please post the full CohHelper report.

Furthermore, I run at 1.3 GB of RAM on a 2 GB machine all the time without a fps hit. So, that is not necessarily your problem with fps.

Also, please post a HijackThis - it will show us what's running on your computer concurrently with CoH. Click on "Do a system Scan and save a logfile." It will automatically open up Notepad and put the info there. Make sure Wordwrap is off in Notepad (Format > Wordwrap unchecked) before you cut and paste here.

That's how much it used on the very minimum shader settings


CoHHelper won't provide anything else

For me, CoH ran using only 600MB - 800MB of ram before the patch, now it uses 1.3GB. I don't have a great machine but I know very well it can handle something that uses that much normally. But to increase to that amount just from a small patch is something that should be addressed


Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.4
Scan saved at 08:41:13, on 05/05/2010
Platform: Windows Vista SP2 (WinNT 6.00.1906)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v7.00 (7.00.6002.18005)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\Windows\system32\taskeng.exe
C:\Windows\system32\Dwm.exe
C:\Windows\Explorer.EXE
C:\Windows\system32\igfxsrvc.exe
C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG9\avgtray.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\Volume Panel\VolPanlu.exe
C:\Windows\System32\igfxtray.exe
C:\Windows\System32\hkcmd.exe
C:\Windows\System32\igfxpers.exe
C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe
C:\Users\Chris\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Applica tion\chrome.exe
C:\Users\Chris\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Applica tion\chrome.exe
C:\Users\Chris\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Applica tion\chrome.exe
C:\Users\Chris\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Applica tion\chrome.exe
C:\Windows\system32\conime.exe
C:\Users\Chris\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Applica tion\chrome.exe
C:\Users\Chris\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Applica tion\chrome.exe
C:\Users\Chris\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Applica tion\chrome.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HiJackThis\HiJackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://global.acer.com
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant =
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch =
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page =
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page =
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar,LinksFolderName =
R3 - URLSearchHook: AVG Security Toolbar BHO - {A3BC75A2-1F87-4686-AA43-5347D756017C} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG9\Toolbar\IEToolbar.dll
O1 - Hosts: ::1 localhost
O2 - BHO: btorbit.com - {000123B4-9B42-4900-B3F7-F4B073EFC214} - C:\Program Files\Orbitdownloader\orbitcth.dll
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHelperStub - {18DF081C-E8AD-4283-A596-FA578C2EBDC3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelperShim.dll
O2 - BHO: Winamp Toolbar Loader - {25CEE8EC-5730-41bc-8B58-22DDC8AB8C20} - C:\Program Files\Winamp Toolbar\winamptb.dll
O2 - BHO: WormRadar.com IESiteBlocker.NavFilter - {3CA2F312-6F6E-4B53-A66E-4E65E497C8C0} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG9\avgssie.dll
O2 - BHO: Spybot-S&D IE Protection - {53707962-6F74-2D53-2644-206D7942484F} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {5C255C8A-E604-49b4-9D64-90988571CECB} - (no file)
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In SSV Helper - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: Windows Live Sign-in Helper - {9030D464-4C02-4ABF-8ECC-5164760863C6} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live\WindowsLiveLogin.dll
O2 - BHO: AVG Security Toolbar BHO - {A3BC75A2-1F87-4686-AA43-5347D756017C} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG9\Toolbar\IEToolbar.dll
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Conversion Toolbar Helper - {AE7CD045-E861-484f-8273-0445EE161910} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEFavClient.dll
O2 - BHO: FlashGetBHO - {b070d3e3-fec0-47d9-8e8a-99d4eeb3d3b0} - C:\Users\Chris\AppData\Roaming\FlashGetBHO\FlashGe tBHO3.dll
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: SmartSelect - {F4971EE7-DAA0-4053-9964-665D8EE6A077} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEFavClient.dll
O3 - Toolbar: AVG Security Toolbar - {CCC7A320-B3CA-4199-B1A6-9F516DD69829} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG9\Toolbar\IEToolbar.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Winamp Toolbar - {EBF2BA02-9094-4c5a-858B-BB198F3D8DE2} - C:\Program Files\Winamp Toolbar\winamptb.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Grab Pro - {C55BBCD6-41AD-48AD-9953-3609C48EACC7} - C:\Program Files\Orbitdownloader\GrabPro.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Adobe PDF - {47833539-D0C5-4125-9FA8-0819E2EAAC93} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEFavClient.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Windows Defender] %ProgramFiles%\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe -hide
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RtHDVCpl] C:\Program Files\Realtek\Audio\HDA\RtHDVCpl.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Skytel] C:\Program Files\Realtek\Audio\HDA\Skytel.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG9_TRAY] C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG9\avgtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java\Java Update\jusched.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\Program Files\QuickTime\QTTask.exe" -atboottime
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [UpdReg] C:\Windows\UpdReg.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VolPanel] "C:\Program Files\Creative\Volume Panel\VolPanlu.exe" /r
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SynTPEnh] %ProgramFiles%\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AdobeCS4ServiceManager] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\CS4ServiceManager\CS4ServiceManager.ex e" -launchedbylogin
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe Acrobat Speed Launcher] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 9.0\Acrobat\Acrobat_sl.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Acrobat Assistant 8.0] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 9.0\Acrobat\Acrotray.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VirtualCloneDrive] "C:\Program Files\Elaborate Bytes\VirtualCloneDrive\VCDDaemon.exe" /s
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IgfxTray] C:\Windows\system32\igfxtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HotKeysCmds] C:\Windows\system32\hkcmd.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Persistence] C:\Windows\system32\igfxpers.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Creative SB Monitoring Utility] RunDll32 sbavmon.dll,SBAVMonitor
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [SpybotSD TeaTimer] C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\TeaTimer.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [msnmsgr] "C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Messenger\msnmsgr.exe" /background
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Google Update] "C:\Users\Chris\AppData\Local\Google\Update\Google Update.exe" /c
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [Sidebar] %ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\Sidebar.exe /detectMem (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [WindowsWelcomeCenter] rundll32.exe oobefldr.dll,ShowWelcomeCenter (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-20\..\Run: [Sidebar] %ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\Sidebar.exe /detectMem (User 'NETWORK SERVICE')
O4 - Startup: OpenOffice.org 3.2.lnk = C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program\quickstart.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Download by Orbit - res://C:\Program Files\Orbitdownloader\orbitmxt.dll/201
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Grab video by Orbit - res://C:\Program Files\Orbitdownloader\orbitmxt.dll/204
O8 - Extra context menu item: &Winamp Search - C:\ProgramData\Winamp Toolbar\ieToolbar\resources\en-US\local\search.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Append Link Target to Existing PDF - res://C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEFavClient.dll/AcroIEAppendSelLinks.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Append to Existing PDF - res://C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEFavClient.dll/AcroIEAppend.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Convert Link Target to Adobe PDF - res://C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEFavClient.dll/AcroIECaptureSelLinks.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Convert to Adobe PDF - res://C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEFavClient.dll/AcroIECapture.html
O8 - Extra context menu item: Do&wnload selected by Orbit - res://C:\Program Files\Orbitdownloader\orbitmxt.dll/203
O8 - Extra context menu item: Down&load all by Orbit - res://C:\Program Files\Orbitdownloader\orbitmxt.dll/202
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download All By FlashGet3 - C:\Users\Chris\AppData\Roaming\FlashGetBHO\GetAllU rl.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download By FlashGet3 - C:\Users\Chris\AppData\Roaming\FlashGetBHO\GetUrl. htm
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {DFB852A3-47F8-48C4-A200-58CAB36FD2A2} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Spybot - Search & Destroy Configuration - {DFB852A3-47F8-48C4-A200-58CAB36FD2A2} - C:\PROGRA~1\SPYBOT~1\SDHelper.dll
O15 - Trusted Zone: http://software.kuaiche.com
O16 - DPF: {E2883E8F-472F-4FB0-9522-AC9BF37916A7} - http://platformdl.adobe.com/NOS/getPlusPlus/1.6/gp.cab
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{17425F1B-7E4F-48F3-B084-722BE92CBC92}: NameServer = 192.168.1.1
O17 - HKLM\System\CS1\Services\Tcpip\..\{17425F1B-7E4F-48F3-B084-722BE92CBC92}: NameServer = 192.168.1.1
O17 - HKLM\System\CS2\Services\Tcpip\..\{17425F1B-7E4F-48F3-B084-722BE92CBC92}: NameServer = 192.168.1.1
O18 - Protocol: avgsecuritytoolbar - {F2DDE6B2-9684-4A55-86D4-E255E237B77C} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG9\Toolbar\IEToolbar.dll
O18 - Protocol: linkscanner - {F274614C-63F8-47D5-A4D1-FBDDE494F8D1} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG9\avgpp.dll
O20 - AppInit_DLLs: avgrsstx.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Component Categories cache daemon - {8C7461EF-2B13-11d2-BE35-3078302C2030} - C:\Windows\system32\browseui.dll
O23 - Service: AVG Security Toolbar Service - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG9\Toolbar\ToolbarBroker.exe
O23 - Service: AVG Free E-mail Scanner (avg9emc) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG9\avgemc.exe
O23 - Service: AVG Free WatchDog (avg9wd) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG9\avgwdsvc.exe
O23 - Service: Creative ALchemy AL6 Licensing Service - Creative Labs - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Creative Labs Shared\Service\AL6Licensing.exe
O23 - Service: Creative Audio Engine Licensing Service - Creative Labs - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Creative Labs Shared\Service\CTAELicensing.exe
O23 - Service: Creative Audio Service (CTAudSvcService) - Creative Technology Ltd - C:\Program Files\Creative\Shared Files\CTAudSvc.exe
O23 - Service: FLEXnet Licensing Service - Acresso Software Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Macrovision Shared\FLEXnet Publisher\FNPLicensingService.exe
O23 - Service: SBSD Security Center Service (SBSDWSCService) - Safer Networking Ltd. - C:\Program Files\Spybot - Search & Destroy\SDWinSec.exe
O23 - Service: Steam Client Service - Valve Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Steam\SteamService.exe
O23 - Service: XAudioService - Conexant Systems, Inc. - C:\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\xaudio.exe

--
End of file - 10538 bytes

It's not the programs and services running in the background. As I said in previous posts, it was perfectly fine before said patch, and I hadn't changed anything before making this thread. Closing background tasks will barely have little effect as all the unnecessary programs barely make up 4% of total ram usage. Also many of the programs shown in the HijackThis log are idle, use less then 1MB of ram and only use the cpu when I make changes to associated software. Some of them don't even run as I have already disabled through MSconfig and make sure they are not running before attempting to play anything

Look Zombie Man,

The problem with i17 is that i17 consumes more CPU than i16.
When I was running i16 CoX on dual dualcore system, maximum CPU utilization on one of cores was 70-80%. Since i17 release it consumes 100% even with lower gfx settings, which makes game unplayable.
And no, I'm not running Ultra Mode, in fact I'm lowered gfx settings way below that I had in i16. It didn't help.

Something that devs introduced or changed in i17 demands much more CPU. If it is related to Ultra Mode, then their claim that Ultra Mode wouldn't affect players who aren't using it is false, and they should come clean about this. If something else causes higher CPU utilization, then we need ability to turn it off, or minimum (or not so minimum) system requirements should be changed.

In any event, i'm strongly suspect that multiple reports we seeing regarding lag, mapserve, ventrilo and Skype problems are related to 100 or near 100% CPU utilization caused by i17.

Did you use a 'cleansweep' program? Drivers aren't like regular software, you need to make sure they're completely removed before installing an updated version. Not all driver installation routines do a good job of this.

This is true! Amen brother Nordblast! Amen! I was surprised to find 100% CPU and after closing everything I no longer had delay when keying up in vent. I can't dual box reliably anymore on a dual core 2.8ghz, 4gb RAM system and I can no longer stream music.

It is undoubtedly using more CPU than i16.

And this is helpful ... how, exactly? If you are having problems and would like help, calling the Devs names isn't going to endear you to them. Post your system specs and exactly what happens at exactly what points. Use the tools described in this and many other tech threads so that we can constructively assist you to be able to play the game even with whatever problems may have accompanied the 5/4 patch.

Storm

Well, that very well may be the case, but it very well may not be the case. And what your experiencing is *not* hard and fast proof there's a problem on the Dev's side of things. Because what you're experiencing is *not* what everyone else is experiencing. If it was all a problem of CoH coding, everyone would have the same problem, and they don't.

The huge difference between machines besides the usual suspects of hardware configurations and drivers is all the other background programs, and you've got a truckload of them, which is always recommended against by everyone remotely connected and in-the-know with regard to running any highly graphical intensive programs on a computer. CoH's own minimum requirements don't have an footnote that says, "Including machines that run 40 processes running in the background." And if you have 40 processes running the background and CoH won't work for you, you can't say, "It's all CoH's fault," without first taking them out of the equation.

And the next line in this argument is likely to be, "But I had these 40 processes running before this patch!" And the answer to that is, "You were lucky." There's no assurance that CoH will run concurrently with any other process that's not needed for the operating system or for the game itself.

And if it's discovered that the new coding in this patch conflicts with something running in the background, then who's fault is that? Did the CoH Devs do something wrong, or is it the fault of the programmers of that other process who have faulty code, only there just never happened to be a conflict beforehand?

It's well known that some of the graphical problems are on the side of the GPU manufacturers and faulty drivers. It's why driver updates sometimes clears up problems... it wasn't CoH's fault at all. If in a new patch, the code makes a call to a graphical FX that's supposed to be there, but the driver's coding is screwed up and doesn't handle it right, it would seem that the new patch is at fault, when, in fact, it's the driver's manufacturer's fault.

We've already discovered software conflicts with I17: ATI Hotkey Poller; MSE; and some others. It's anyone's guess which programs are the one making the illegal codes at this point.

If you don't want to try to see if it's a software conflict, then you're the one who may never have CoH ever playing right on your computer again.