I just installed a utility from AMD called the AMD Dual Core Optimizer. I'm running a dual core AMD Athlon, the utility claims to potentially improve game performance in some games so naturally I'm all keen for that. But having limited knowledge of programming, I'm not sure which games might benefit from this. Here's the blurb from AMD:

Quote :

AMD Dual-Core Optimizer - The AMD Dual-Core Optimizer can help improve some PC gaming video performance by compensating for those applications that bypass the Windows API for timing by directly using the RDTSC (Read Time Stamp Counter) instruction. Applications that rely on RDTSC do not benefit from the logic in the operating system to properly account for the affect of power management mechanisms on the rate at which a processor core's Time Stamp Counter (TSC) is incremented. The AMD Dual-Core Optimizer helps to correct the resulting video performance effects or other incorrect timing effects that these applications may experience on dual-core processor systems, by periodically adjusting the core time-stamp-counters, so that they are synchronized.

I would have posted this in the off topic section but for two reasons: Firstly it might not end up being off topic, depending on the responses, and secondly; I want answers from people who know - not guesses from well-meaning people who aren't sure.

Q1: Does this issue effect LFS currently?
Q2: How common would this problem be for games made in the last five years or so?
Q3: Does this utility seem like a good solution to the apparent problem?

1) It shouldn't affect LFS, which does use the Windows API for timing (the timeGetTime function). I tried a CPU timer once with the beta testers but it kept changing in speed (radically) when testing on a laptop, while timeGetTime carried on accurately. Though, "accurately" is probably the wrong word. Consistently is what I mean. As for accuracy, one computer and another can and do vary by up to 5 ms per second. Luckily two of our beta testers computers ran that much slower than the average of everyone else's, so we had a good testing setup. LFS has special code to adjust the timer speed of guests to match the host (but only internally - it does not affect your system's timer). We worked on that for some days a while before S2 alpha was released.

2) and 3) I don't know.

Is there a way that LFS (in it's current stage of evolution) might be able to take advantage of the dual core technology, or would that be an entirely new kettle of fish?

It can't be done very quickly. It would need the graphics and physics to be decoupled and run on separate threads. The method for doing this properly also brings certain other benefits, due to the interpolation between frames possibilities. In other words, the required changes lead on to other things, which should be done at the same time.

It would be about a months work, as a rough guess. I expect to do this some time, as multiple cores seem to be the way of the future. Actually I'm expecting to do this in a future version, after S2, when we could use the extra CPU time to do some things in higher resolution on more powerful computers, while maintaining physical compatibility with slower computers.

Quote from Scawen :

It would be about a months work, as a rough guess. I expect to do this some time, as multiple cores seem to be the way of the future. Actually I'm expecting to do this in a future version, after S2, when we could use the extra CPU time to do some things in higher resolution on more powerful computers, while maintaining physical compatibility with slower computers.

That's the answer I was hoping for

Quote from Gunn :

Q1: Does this issue effect LFS currently?

not that i know of ... neither the windows patch nor the amd patch did change my framerates at all ... or at least not to any noticeable degree

Quote :

Q2: How common would this problem be for games made in the last five years or so?

ive had that problem with hl2 and pop sands of time so far

Quote :

Q3: Does this utility seem like a good solution to the apparent problem?

i know for sure that the windows patch did help with hl2 and the amd driver should completely eliminate it as it solves the problem on a much lower lever

Quote from Scawen :

we could use the extra CPU time to do some things in higher resolution on more powerful computers, while maintaining physical compatibility with slower computers.

have you thought about running the physics for different cars on different cores ? might help with framerates in lap1

Quote from Gunn :

I just installed a utility from AMD called the AMD Dual Core Optimizer. I'm running a dual core AMD Athlon, the utility claims to potentially improve game performance in some games so naturally I'm all keen for that. But having limited knowledge of programming, I'm not sure which games might benefit from this. Here's the blurb from AMD:

I would have posted this in the off topic section but for two reasons: Firstly it might not end up being off topic, depending on the responses, and secondly; I want answers from people who know - not guesses from well-meaning people who aren't sure.

Q1: Does this issue effect LFS currently?
Q2: How common would this problem be for games made in the last five years or so?
Q3: Does this utility seem like a good solution to the apparent problem?

I need that program, Do you know where I could get it? I got my AMD 4200 Dual core and I can't do anything but play LFS. :Kick_Can_

Grab the utility from here.

Quote from Gunn :

Grab the utility from here.

Thanks M8 .

Simulating the realism with the power of multi-cores should give stunning output.Double the tyre resolution, double the track resolution and the list goes on...

We'll be waiting for S3 or S4

Recently upgrade my system, now i have a AM2 x2 3600+ winsor processor and LFS run a lot slower than before. (my old system have a single core processor with a average of 80/90fps)

I use the AMD Dual Core Optimizer, the MS hotfix patch, AMD CPU Driver, try on/off Cool&Quiet, even hack the register, also try with /usepmtimer switch in boot.ini.. nothing help

I run LFS with 50fps average and in the start grid drop to 30fps. :worried:

am2 x2 3600+
1gb 800mhz ram
7600GT

so.. Q1: yes,, this problem affect me! at least..

i don't think it is bec. of cpu...

video card maybe.

Quote from dEiCidE :

I run LFS with 50fps average and in the start grid drop to 30fps. :worried:

am2 x2 3600+
1gb 800mhz ram
7600GT

OMG!
I have better FPS on my AMD Barton 2500+ (1800 Mhz), 768 RAM, and 6600GT...

by the way, as i know so far, there's no cpu called am2 x2 3600+.
am2's are not dual as well. Are you sure your cpu is dual???

Quote from dEiCidE :

so.. Q1: yes,, this problem affect me! at least..

No, it's a different problem.

The first post was about programs that use RDTSC and a problem with that.

LFS does not use RDTSC so it is not affected by that issue.

You have encountered something different. Good luck with it.

Quote from ZORER :

by the way, as i know so far, there's no cpu called am2 x2 3600+.
am2's are not dual as well. Are you sure your cpu is dual???

Yes, is dual.



EE edition, 65w

ok.

I got dual 3800+ and it is usually 50fps as well. But my gpu is x300 so i always thought it was because of that...It is strange to get 50 fps with 7600GT.

Someone else having 50 fps with dual? guys?

AMD 4800 + which is a duel.. easily at 150fps + here. friend on a 3800+ and he gets 100 - 130 generally.

When did an AMD 3600+ come out? never seen that one before.

EDIT: NVM new with the AM2's it seems.

Quote from dEiCidE :

Recently upgrade my system, now i have a AM2 x2 3600+ winsor processor and LFS run a lot slower than before.

What was your old system? Also these fps seem quite normal to me, as you essentially have a 2 GHz single core CPU (from LFS' point of view). I only get 30 fps too, at the back of a full AI grid

Quote from franky500 :

AMD 4800 + which is a duel.. easily at 150fps + here. friend on a 3800+ and he gets 100 - 130 generally.

When did an AMD 3600+ come out? never seen that one before.

EDIT: NVM new with the AM2's it seems.

What's the video card.

Quote from AndroidXP :

What was your old system? Also these fps seem quite normal to me, as you essentially have a 2 GHz single core CPU (from LFS' point of view). I only get 30 fps too, at the back of a full AI grid

Same machine with a AM2 3500+ processor (single core), always have 45/50fps at the start and 80/90fps average in race. I Just change the processor.

1280x1024 AAx4 ANSIOx4 all options set for best quality.

Quote from ZORER :

What's the video card.

Well i just changed to a 7900GS my friend is a 6800 GT

I'm actually happy that LFS is single core, in fact, I depend on it because it allows me to dedicate an entire CPU core (background tasks accepted) to Fraps, together with a fast bus speed and a RAID array I can capture with Fraps in real time, if I couldn't then there would be no STCC! So I dredd the day LFS goes dual core and has prettier, more resource hogging, graphics !

did anybody actually make the move from single core AMD Athlon 64 to X2 and lost performance?

Quote from Tube :

did anybody actually make the move from single core AMD Athlon 64 to X2 and lost performance?

My previous cpu was amd 2500+ but had a problem with the board so it run like it was 1900+...I made a test scene and rendered with that cpu.Write down the render time.Then rendered with my new cpu.Checked the times and new cpu was exactly4 times faster than the previous cpu.(x2 3800+)
Not only rendering i can see the difference in most applications use both of the cores.

But it didn't make too much difference in lfs.