SMAC queries

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by FullMetalJack

Get a F**KING life for gawds sake!

You do know that when you put that SMAC cd in the drive and started the game, then you lost yours ?

Anyway if this is the sort of welcome you get for asking a simple question, then stuff it.

Don't worry - people in the game threads are actually nice, but can be some nitpickers from time to time - if you want real cynicism, then visit the OT. I just think that you are so "unlucky" that you asked a question none of us had considered before .

There are lots of people here that gladly helps if you have questions/troubles - even find it fun to dig into problems when they don't know the answers.

Besides, there are no escape from this place unless you break your cd

[Petek]

I'd like to address the issue of SMAC/X using 100% of the CPU. IMO, this isn't a problem unless SMAC/X refuses to yield CPU cycles to other programs or processes.

I performed the following test: I opened Task Manager and started SMAX. I have a dual-processor system, so the Processes tab in Task Manager showed SMAX (terranx.exe) using 49-50% of the CPU. (On a dual-processor system that's approximately equivalent to using 100% of a single CPU.) I then started Civ 4. After loading, it used about 20% of the CPU, with SMAX still using approx. 50%. Total CPU use was now about 70-75%.

I then started a virus scan and an AdAware scan. Overall CPU use now spiked to 100%. However, SMAX CPU use dropped to 2-3%, as did Civ 4.

Both SMAX and Civ 4 yielded their use of the CPU to other processes, so I don't see a problem. I have seen other programs that ran at 100% of the CPU and wouldn't yield any cycles.

[Kataphraktoi]

Both SMAX and Civ 4 yielded their use of the CPU to other processes, so I don't see a problem. I have seen other programs that ran at 100% of the CPU and wouldn't yield any cycles.

i believe the complaint was how 100% wore out the cpu faster. if the puter was kept maintained and dust-free, i dont see it a problem in any case. some folks in latvia might critisize this(us extravagant americans),but i say upgrade every 1.5 years works good for me. i ussualy stay behind the price-jump to keep the best cpu\per dollar available

[acheron]

Re: Re: Re: SMAC queries

Originally posted by FullMetalJack
It just seems counter intuitive though. As I'm left-handed, I use the mouse in my left hand (obviously) and in games such as Half Life, Call of Duty etc., I always assign the numpad keys for movement, jump, crouch...for use with my right hand. For that to happen I have to have Num Lock turned ON!

Hm, that seems weird, but I don't usually use the numpad for those kinds of games since I am right-handed.

Also, numpad 1, 3, 7 and 9 aren't 'arrow' keys anyway!

ha, true. I swear some of my old keyboards used to have diagonal arrows printed on there, but my current ones don't.

Anyway, no biggie. Just wondered if the default behaviour could be modded in the .ini or alpha.txt files?

Not that I know of. I don't remember there being an "edit key commands" thing or anything. sorry.

Isn't anyone else concerned about the 100% CPU thing?

That would be a bit concerning, but a bunch of other people have adressed it.

[FullMetalJack]

Hi again acheron,

Thanks for the reply.

Just to throw a spanner into the works, I find that Call of Duty 2 doesn't care whether Num Lock is on or off! You can still assign any of the numpad keys in that game!

Also, it too uses 100% CPU.

In Half Life 1, you definitely have to have Num Lock ON to use the numpad keys.

As regards the 100% CPU usage, I'm beginning to think I've lost me marbles a bit here. I could have sworn that most of the games I've played in the past just don't swamp the CPU like that. The ones that do are so noticeable when they do because the PSU fan changes speed quite audibly, and a quick Ctrl-Alt-Del to check reveals 100%.

The only games I've got installed atm are Starcraft (Brood War), COD2, Civ IV, and SMAC. They ALL use 100% CPU. Hmmm....

My son had HL1 installed on his PC, but he uninstalled it a few weeks ago, and we have nothing else to compare against just now.

Anyway, I played many many hours on Starcraft, and those adventure games I mentioned before at 100% CPU, so I suppose it'll be alright. If it's been ok for you guys then that's good enough for me.

It just makes me feel sort of uncomfortable, that's all, for the reasons mentioned earlier. I dunno if 58C is 'hot' for a P4 or not really. It's not exactly egg frying temperature is it?!

@Petek,

Thanks for the tests. As Kataphraktoi said though, I was more concerned with the effect of the excessive rise in heat when the CPU's being hammered for hours on end. It's interesting though to see you mention about how an app yields CPU cycles to other apps.

I did a quick test with COD2 v SMAC and found that e.g. scrolling a graphics heavy web page with Firefox (with SMAC or COD2 Alt-Tabbed out of in the background), that SMAC caused the most 'sluggishness'. With COD2 it was as if it wasn't running in the background at all i.e. no stuttering as the web page was scrolled.

A similar effect when WinRar is compressing a large file, or Quickpar is making some par2 files, or Spybot S&D is running. They don't seem to like yielding CPU cycles either.

@Chaos Theory,

Good idea about underclocking, but a bit extreme I suppose for one game maybe.

Might try with Virtual PC running SMAC on Win 98 and assign it a low priority. Perhaps that might work?

[Kataphraktoi]

Might try with Virtual PC running SMAC on Win 98 and assign it a low priority. Perhaps that might work

thats alot of effort for just lower CPU ussage.running smac in wmare is a pain in the but,although it does have some handy side features like infinite reloading with snapshots and it runs slower with less cpu,alot slower.

It just makes me feel sort of uncomfortable, that's all, for the reasons mentioned earlier. I dunno if 58C is 'hot' for a P4 or not really. It's not exactly egg frying temperature is it?!

P4 run hot,though thats getting there.my puter is currently running 40c CPU\30c MB though at 0% usage. i added some extra cooling optimization myself ,so i have a lower temp than some people would call possible on this system(im also overclocked 7% atm). another puter around here,a more advanced amd also has auto-underclocking relative to cpu usage and hovers at 33C for cpu or 38C when running 100%.it also has a better case for cooling

[FullMetalJack]

Originally posted by Kataphraktoi
thats alot of effort for just lower CPU ussage.running smac in wmare is a pain in the but,although it does have some handy side features like infinite reloading with snapshots and it runs slower with less cpu,alot slower.

Ok, then I'll forget that idea.

Originally posted by Kataphraktoi
P4 run hot,though thats getting there.my puter is currently running 40c CPU\30c MB though at 0% usage...

What temperature at 100% usage do you get?

[Kataphraktoi]

54 normal or sometimes on a hot day as high as 57-58. anything above 58 triggers alarms(temp moniter programs) and a little above 60 will trigger a shutdown. no experiance on pentiums though,so its not really relavent. put your motherboard name + ''tempature'' into google or something to get some info