Running slow & choppy and the Windows XP processor priority

[Morbo]

I've been running Civ4 on a system above the recommended requirements and suffered from a perpetual tendency for slow and choppy running which persisted unchanged despite updated drivers and more RAM. After checking many possibilities, I checked the processor priority in task manager while the game was running and found it at BelowNormal.

I created a batch file to force the priority to High when the program starts, which is supposed to keep it at High as long as the program is running. This would work for a while, giving me smooth, fast gameplay and loads, but would eventually slow down again.

When I installed the patch, this batch fix seemed to stop working altogether. Curious, I checked task manager and found that, despite being started at High priority, it was again falling to BelowNormal. Even when I would set it manually to High, reenter the game, and immediately alt-tab back out it would drop back down the BelowNormal!

I've tried restarting my computer and the program, and ending all non-essential programs running on my computer, but it still keeps jumping to BelowNormal after a few

I've never known Windows XP to run any games at BelowNormal, as it defaults everything to at least Normal. Supposedly Windows doesn't automatically change a program's priority while its running. But for some reason, Civ4 just seems hell-bent on making itself a low priority process, making its gameplay obscenely low. I've never seen anything like this.

Is this the case for anybody else with slow gameplay?

Does anybody know why this would be the case? Or why the patch would make it worse?

I haven't been able to find a way to keep it forced on High or even Normal, it just insists on dropping to BelowNormal no matter how many times I change it.

The slowness makes it too tedious for me to even play it very long.

[FinnishGuy]

The game itself probably keeps requesting below normal priority from OS.

Civ4 isn't exactly fast on my system either (above recommended specs). There's a noticeable delay after every click before anything happens.

[Morbo]

On further analysis, I see from task manager that whenever Civ4 is running, it maxes out my CPU usage, pushing it to 100%. I guess Windows has to drop its priority so low just to allow itself any processor use.

I've drop the graphics to low, turned off sound and movies, and nothing seems to help. It just keep trying to devour the processor.

I have a 2.4 GHz Celeron processor, twice as fast as the listed minimum requirement. Its ridiculous that the game would max it out, even when its been sitting idle for several minutes.

I've run much more graphics intensive programs before without it being anything like this.

[choddo]

The Celeron is pretty slow to be fair. Is it a Celeron D? If not, might be worth an upgrade...

Is Civ4 hogging all that CPU?

[Jetmech]

I have a similar problem now....I WAS using wondows 98 and getting the ctd and such but I pretty much could play the game at low settings and small worlds. Then came the patch and caused more problems than it fixed (movies stuttered : generally slower gameplay).

I then decided to upgrade to XP pro thinking this would help....dead wrong....game is almost unplayabel it is so slow. Priority doesn't seem to do anything but make the game (more) unstable.

Not sure what I'm going to do now...getting tired of fooling with this.

[melatonin]

I posted this on civ4 fantatics boards, but I thought I'd help clear up the confusion here. I have dual monitor setup so I deceided to test this acouple days ago. When you minimize it, it will be in below normal priority, however when you maximize it, either in game or at main menu, it will pop back to being in normal priority. I tried to set it to high, but it would go back to normal no matter what.

Here is thread with screenshots:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=144020

[Zen]

I've noticed the choppiness also.

And it (in my opinion) got worse with the patch upgrade.

I can play fine enough, but load times are way too long and only got longer with the patch.

However, I am far closer to the minimal specs than the recommended ones.

-Zen Blade