High end computer suffering from CPU loss?

[trivex]

I would assume this is a tech problem so I'll put the thread here. Apologies if it belongs somewhere else.
In single player I have noticed in my task manager unusual amounts of CPU power. It ranges from about 50 - 80. Nothing should be eating my CPU up like that. In singleplayer the game is still smooth and I don't seem to notice any side effects but in multiplayer I have definite trouble. I have a cable connection and play with my friends who also have broadband in the same city. They are often way ahead of me. At one point I was in early February while they were in May. Multiplayer is extremely laggy and I often can't give commands or orders. It is very unplayable. My friends both have stronger computers than I do.

My specs are as follows.
ASUS P4C800 Deluxe Mobo
Intel P4 2.6 ghz
ATI All-In-Wonder 9600 Pro
1024 mb PC3200 ram
I use onboard sound and direct x 9.0c and run Windows XP SP2. I have plenty of room on my HD (30 gigs or so). I should NOT be having a problem running the game and I still don't understand how this game can be sucking up my CPU power. I'd really like to fix this soon as I am currently restricted to singleplayer. Not that this is bad... I'm having a lot of fun.. just it would be nice to play with some buds and get a big game going.

Thanks in advance

Edit: Running version 1.1 of HoI2 by the way.

 

[jpd]

First of all, there is a common misconception what the CPU usage in the task manager means. Having an app at 60% (or indeed 100%) does not necessarily mean that the app is monopolizing your system. It merely means that the kernel Idle process no longer gets CPU time.

This is quite common if an app implements an Idle loop of it's own, to do background processing when there are no key strokes or mouse clicks to process. Other processes demanding CPU time will still get it. It just doesn't come out of the kernel Idle process, but is deducted from the app's Idle loop CPU time instead. Unfortunately, the task manager of Windows is not intelligent enough to detect this. It only measures the CPU time of it's own idle process.

Secondly, the MP desync. That has nothing to do with your system specs, or indeed the CPU load the task manager perceives. I cannot give you the exact reasons for why it happens (I've had it happen once in one of my MP games too), but the best course of action is to let the host save the game, quit and try to rehost from that save game. Most likely the desync will be cleared up and you can continue playing normally. However, I must stress here that Hoi 2 requires a lot of data to continuesly transfer from host to the joining PC's (especially when at war), so it would be prudent to drop the speed to normal (or below). Dropping the game speed gives each PC more time to catch up with the data transfers and keep in sync.

Jan Peter

 

[Castellon]

Since SP is fine this is a MP lag problem and as such belongs in the MP forum.
*Moved

 

[trivex]

Well its laggy from the very beginning... so I can never catch up for real... Its always laggy and I can't issue any orders or commands... It really kills my game... I don't get it...

And the desync is because of the lag I am sure. My hour timer often pauses and then zooms up like 12 hours. The desync never gets cleared up even if host pauses. I still lag like a mofo :S

 

[unmerged(8114)]

Do you download anything during games? Or have a file-sharing program installed, that is active? Some start automatically.

 

[Orthank]

P4 2.6 and usage is up to 80 percent, nithing wrong wiht it HoI2 is not a fast shooter where graphic card do most job, according to lag yes it happens in MP games my expeirience is that usually it happens duting ic sliders settings. Only way is to pause for that time and play on slower speed.

 

[Mithel]

The biggest factor seems to be the speed the game is run at. Even on fast PCs with good network connections running above normal speed causes desync problems (even with only two players). My rule of thumb is that multiplayer can not be run above "normal" speed and when "busy" (combat) you must stay at "below normal" or slower speed.

 

[trivex]

have no downloading programs. I even turned off my MSN and Steam and everything :| No background programs at all.

 

[Elijah]

have no downloading programs. I even turned off my MSN and Steam and everything :| No background programs at all.

What about viruses?

 

[korny]

The real issue is that Paradox has the crappiest MP code in the world...

 

[Orthank]

The real issue is that Paradox has the crappiest MP code in the world...

How to improve it?

 

[unmerged(38211)]

The biggest factor seems to be the speed the game is run at. Even on fast PCs with good network connections running above normal speed causes desync problems (even with only two players). My rule of thumb is that multiplayer can not be run above "normal" speed and when "busy" (combat) you must stay at "below normal" or slower speed.

This is the root issue here! All other things are unimportant. Playing at normal or below normal should be recommended for everyone. I have pretty much a top of the line cpu (only 1 gig of RAM..., 256mb video, 3.4proc, cable. etc) and a buddy and play locally via the internet. We both have the same cable service and cannot play on anything beyind the settings listed above. The issue occurs IMMEDIATLY when the host or client unpauses the game. We have confirmed this quite easily through voice. Lag spikes occur randomly at higher speeds which usually freeze everything (voice as well) so its quite easy to realize you have just been put behind a week from the host. These add up and if there is no restart you would indeed be months behind.

Play at slow speeds and these issues become manageable. Also recommend using voice so every once in a while you can ask the host what day/time they have. The one week lags are corrected when the client pauses...just sit there and even though it says paused it will continue to run... this is you catching up to the host. I have had the host pause for a minute before at higher speeds while I continue to run... then he unpauses and I never actually paused... quite amusing actually (and had we not been using voice we would not have known).

So, slow it down and reduce restarts and aggrivating time sync issues.

 

[iBaLkiD]

P4 2.6 and usage is up to 80 percent, nithing wrong wiht it HoI2 is not a fast shooter where graphic card do most job, according to lag yes it happens in MP games my expeirience is that usually it happens duting ic sliders settings. Only way is to pause for that time and play on slower speed.

Do you disable the SP2 Virus protection, firewall, popup blocker?

I hate service pack two even thought it does have alot of improvement.

The Virus Protection firewall and popup blocker are major hogs of ram and CPU power. Even when you turn em off if you check the Task manager you will see that they are still running, or havve turned themselves back on because it recognizes that you are online a security is compromised.

Never bothered to figure out how to disable it properly so i just went back to SP 1. It got rid of all my conflicts but HOI2 still cant handle anything over normal speed.(Had conflicts with alot of software actually)

Im not surprised thou as HOI had similiar problems, even the latest patches would cuase sync issues. HOI2 is much more intensive so i guess its logical that it would require more from the players PC's.

 

[iBaLkiD]

I might add that Lan is much more a pleasurable experience.

 

[korny]

How to improve it?

Well from what I can tell this is what is going on:

1. The host downloads a file to the client machines with all the orders that need to processed by the client computer.
2. The client then opens the file and parses the instructions.
3. The client then executes the instructions from the file.
4. The client then sends a file to the host with client instructions.
5. The host then opens the file and parses the instructions.
6. The host then executes the instructions from the file.
7. Goto 1

This is how MP was done for turn based games in the 1980's, I think they could update this process not to use the HD at all but keep it all in memory would speed it up greatly...