slowdown since 2700b8 (from Problematic Demos)

[amilo3438]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

I didn't notice anything interesting (or even nothing not so interesting).

Cause it seems to happen only in Direct3D and not in DirectDraw mode!

And using an headphones is very noticeable the sound of crackling.

Btw. in properties the DSound should be also selected, as it didnt checked/tested with others.

[Toni Wilen]

Sound crackling means 99.9% guaranteed answer is: buy a better PC, sorry

[amilo3438]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Sound crackling means 99.9% guaranteed answer is: buy a better PC, sorry

I have also said that it didnt happen before Beta 8?!

Also, in PC task window it didnt go over 80%!!!

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by amilo3438

I have also said that it didnt happen before Beta 8?!

Also, in PC task window it didnt go over 80%!!!

So? Not happening before means nothing and is perfectly normal and task manager is too slow to show quick bursts of CPU usage.

EDIT: reduce screen size, increase sound buffer, disable filters etc.. Reason is 100% sure if problem goes way or gets reduced.

[amilo3438]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

So? Not happening before means nothing and is perfectly normal and task manager is too slow to show quick bursts of CPU usage.

Well, in attachment is picture of task manager ... youll see that the peak on beta 7 is even higher but no sound crackling in Direct3D mode in beta 7 ... weird ?!

EDIT: On pic.2 is comparison of D3D and DirectDraw mode!

p.s. Buy yourself a slower PC!

[amilo3438]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

EDIT: reduce screen size, increase sound buffer, disable filters etc.. Reason is 100% sure if problem goes way or gets reduced.

I found it ... with same configuration but sound buffer on 7 (instead on 5) gives no crackling sound!

What has been changed in the sound buffer emulation between beta 7 and beta 8 ?! (On beta 7 with sound buffer on 5 no problems noticed!)

[Toni Wilen]

You just got proof that it is not core emulation problem but PC speed problem.

I still don't care. I never care about PC speed problems in most compatible modes.

If you use CE mode, it is your problem, you wanted compatibility, you got it, and of course it will always require slightly more CPU power. Even 0.1% increase in CPU power requirement can cause problems if it was already very near the edge previously. (I stopped counting how many times I have said this already...)

Will be ignored _unless_ it is common problem or someway you can prove it isn't CPU speed problem. (EDIT: which is highly unlikely after your previous post)

Disabling display updates with numlock is usually very good test, comparing DD and D3D fullscreen modes is another good test, increasing sound buffer to max is another. If any non-core config change changes glitch effect, it is not core emulation problem and it is the end.

Attaching task manager screenshots is not good test, it only shows useless 1s or so average of CPU usage.

[amilo3438]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

You just got proof that it is not core emulation problem but PC speed problem.

Well, how you explain then: Beta 7 (sound buffer on 3) = Beta 8 (sound buffer on 6) ?!

My question: Was there any changes in sound buffer emulation between mentioned versions?

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by amilo3438

Well, how you explain then: Beta 7 (sound buffer on 3) = Beta 8 (sound buffer on 6) ?!

My question: Was there any changes in sound buffer emulation between mentioned versions?

I don't need to explain, see above posts and no, there is no sound changes whatsoever. Answer is still the same: Not interesting unless you find other demos or games or whatever that has exact same problem.

My assumption is that this demo triggers some new special case emulation code that slows it down. It may not always cause any visible differences.

How many times I have to say it: 95% of sound problems have NOTHING to do with sound emulation at all, it is simple reason: CPU is not fast enough to emulate everything (whole PAL field has to be emulated in 20ms, for example if it takes 21ms, sound can get glitchy)

EDIT: random test, does newest winuae.zip work any differently?

[amilo3438]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

EDIT: random test, does newest winuae.zip work any differently?

No, it behaves same as before.

p.s. Dont know what that could be that makes a big difference between two betas 7 and 8.

But maybe youre right that new improved code could make it run slower.

[Toni Wilen]

Are you really sure official b8 is the first "slow" version? I checked all changes and I don't see anything that could cause large speed changes.

[amilo3438]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Are you really sure official b8 is the first "slow" version? I checked all changes and I don't see anything that could cause large speed changes.

I have chacked again using same configuration:

WinUAE 2.6.1 and all betas till 2.7.0 Beta 7 (2013-09-01)(included) ... no sound crackling!

2.7.0 Beta 8 (2013-09-21) till latest ... sound crackling!

p.s. Dont have test winuae.zip versions between beta 7 and 8, so cant say about, as started to collect test versions after beta 8!

EDIT: Is it possible to DL test winuae.zip versions of beta 7 till beta 8 version?
Would like to test those also to see if maybe the problem appear there before beta 8 ... could help narrow down the problem.

p.s. As said before, it could be that between beta 7 and 8 an improvement in emulation code make it a little slower = more demanding for PC.

[Toni Wilen]

Posts moved from Problematic Demos thread.

http://www.winuae.net/files/b/winuae2.zip has 4 executables. Does all run same as b8 and later or does some of them run faster?

[Leandro Jardim]

Hi, I am having same problems. Certainly the big problem here is that my computer is old and thats why other people doesnt detect it, but one thing that I could see on all my tests, is that this slowdown not happens every time, so it happens only on old computers -and- worse, not every time. So now I am certain that the computer surely helps, but the fault is not only of the computer, I think.

Recently WinUAE come to a state where it was usable at CE 40 MHz. But there was times where I could get 60 MHz.

EDIT: I tested the four files, none helps. And interesting is that I cant run WinUAE at 40 MHz anymore, it is slow again.

[Toni Wilen]

Are you 100% sure you have same problem? If it didn't happen between b7 and b8, it is something totally different. (EDIT: and if it is "something totally different", you need to find the exact version that don't have the problem, it is the only way to solve it. And of course post it in new thread, not in this one)

[turrican3]

Toni, i have the same problem !
No, i'm joking.

[amilo3438]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Posts moved from Problematic Demos thread.

http://www.winuae.net/files/b/winuae2.zip has 4 executables. Does all run same as b8 and later or does some of them run faster?

Tested all 3 files inside archive ... unfortunately same situation as with beta 8!

Could be because of my slow PC CPU 2,13Mhz, or maybe old DirectX drivers, dont know.


@Leandro Jardim
Can you test again Sine Intro V1.0 (Intro) by Excel -> http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=...&postcount=355 to confirm?!

It needs to setup on D3D and test on beta 7 and beta 8!

[Leandro Jardim]

Originally Posted by amilo3438

Tested all 3 files inside archive ... unfortunately same situation as with beta 8!

Could be because of my slow PC CPU 2,13Mhz, or maybe old DirectX drivers, dont know.


@Leandro Jardim
Can you test again Sine Intro V1.0 (Intro) by Excel -> http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=...&postcount=355 to confirm?!

It needs to setup on D3D and test on beta 7 and beta 8!

Hmm. Its working on both, very fast with VSync and CE modes.

[amilo3438]

Originally Posted by Leandro Jardim

Hmm. Its working on both, very fast with VSync and CE modes.

So, do you notice or not any difference in sound (like crackling) at the beginning of the demo between b7 and b8 versions using D3D setup and CE mode?!

[Leandro Jardim]

No, the sound is very stable. The "overral speed" (if that matters...) is stable too. Looks to be a very simple demo, its amazing that isnt working right on your machine...