100% CPU usage with this GFX card?!!

[CvP]

i have C2D 6600 @ stock clock i.e. 2.4GHz, 1GB 800MHz RAM and XFX 7300GT 256MB gfx card.

i know my gfx card sucks and it is in the "yeah, the game will run but fps..." category. after setting everything to lowest, i get
80FPS in Menu
50FPS in Heatray
45FPS in ShangriLa

but ~20/25FPS during heavy fighting...
therefore, aiming Sniper/Shock seems really hard.

moreover, CPU usage is always 100% !!
why is that? isn't my system supposed to be GPU bottlenecked?
am i supposed to believe with this config, when i upgrade my GFX card (im waiting for the full game benchmarks) and RAM, i will get 50+ FPS all the time with high (if not semi-highest) settings?

[Obi_Kwiet]

A) The CPU is supposed to be running full throttle. Bottlenecking doesn't work that way. The game doesn't dynamically throttle back on the CPU load just because the GPU can't keep up.

B) Yeah, those are pretty much expected frame rates. Your card isn't a gaming card.

[Hickeroar]

Ya, these games are essentially just big loops running over and over again (until you tell them to quit) so they're going to use all the CPU they can in that process.

[Sincreator]

If you added more RAM to your machine it would help alot. If your running xp it uses 512m just to run and if your running vista it recommends 2 gigs. 1 alone for vista. If you add 1gig you would see a pretty big improvement.(30-40$ US

[CvP]

A) The CPU is supposed to be running full throttle. Bottlenecking doesn't work that way. The game doesn't dynamically throttle back on the CPU load just because the GPU can't keep up.

B) Yeah, those are pretty much expected frame rates. Your card isn't a gaming card.

Ya, these games are essentially just big loops running over and over again (until you tell them to quit) so they're going to use all the CPU they can in that process.

why does UT2k4 use about 65/70%? it is clearly using both cores and FPS is 300+

If you added more RAM to your machine it would help alot. If your running xp it uses 512m just to run and if your running vista it recommends 2 gigs. 1 alone for vista. If you add 1gig you would see a pretty big improvement.(30-40$ US

im running XP. may be with huge warfare maps/full res textures etc in full game will require more, but till now, 1GB is perfect for UT3Demo.

[Hickeroar]

I don't think 2k4 supports dual cores...

[BIGFOOT_PI]

pretty much correct- ut2004 is not not optimized to take full advantage of dual cores. UT3 is!
Get a real video card and have a good day

[theeDEATHMASTER]

ahem, get a graphics card, not a video card! If you get my hint.

[BIGFOOT_PI]

I dont get it

[CvP]

i'd prefer a graphics card than a video card
just waiting for the full game benchmark. then i will decide which one to get.

[CvP]

I don't think 2k4 supports dual cores...

may be not *fully* optimized...but it does use two cores. while playing, ~70%
while alt-tabbing, 100%!!!!!!!!!!!
you have C2D6300, try it.

[Hickeroar]

may be not *fully* optimized...but it does use two cores. while playing, ~70%
while alt-tabbing, 100%!!!!!!!!!!!
you have C2D6300, try it.

The game isn't somehow figuring out how to use that 30% when you alt-tab. It's using 30% more due to the fact that 2k4 is running AND the desktop is having to be interacted with. WINDOWS and its processes are using the extra horsepower involved in the desktop and the switching process.

If the game itself is only using ~70%, its because that's all it CAN use. You're arguing a point that simply doesn't exist.

[CvP]

windows and its processes use at most 1% (usually 0% in taskman) of my CPU when idle.
after alt-tabbing, UT2004.exe uses 100% CPU...excluding other processes.

the reason i'm saying UT2k4 uses both core, because, while playing, it uses 70% of BOTH cores (at least, that's what taskman shows) and after alt-tab, it continues to use 100% of BOTH cores until alt-tabbed again.

it is obviously isn't dual core optimized, and i didn't say that. i just said, it uses both cores unlike other non-dual core supported applications which can at most use 50% of my CPU (as shown in taskman).


btw, i think i should rephrase myself. 100% CPU use when UT2k4 is minimized.
70% CPU use when playing full screen.
50% CPU use (as well as FPS drop to 200 from 300) when playing windowed.

[theeDEATHMASTER]

I dont get it

graphics:

wow, I caught it on instant of impact!

video (basically, any card can do this):


okok I'm playing with words

[BIGFOOT_PI]

ahem, get a graphics card, not a video card! If you get my hint.

i'd prefer a graphics card than a video card
...

uh.. "winky-ness" aside, you are referring to the same thing.
Your 7300GT is a Graphics Card and/or a video card, just as an 8800GTX is also a graphics/video card.
If you guys want to say some thing more meaningful beyond the basics you could say something like "high-end 3D GPU card" and people might a better idea of what you are actually getting at. bleh- whatever

[BIGFOOT_PI]

graphics:

wow, I caught it on instant of impact!

video (basically, any card can do this):


okok I'm playing with words

LOL- thats 3d graphics vs 2d graphics-HAHA!
those are 2D GRAPHICS on the web browser.
"video card" and "graphics card" are the same thing. ( the only real differentiation between cards took place when video cards started doing hardware 3d graphics acceleration- which were called 3d accelerators- both are still termed generally as graphics cards or video cards)
btw-how old are you? Im 31 and been in the pc business 11 years since DOS /win3.1
320x200@256colors in DOS is called VGA "graphics" too.
You should have said 3D graphics or 3D accelerator, but then you would still be kinda off point because a 7300GT is also that, just not as fast (as say an 8800GTX).
btw- go to newegg.com and tell me what term they use for a section heading for where to find their listings of cards that provide display to monitors - thats right- VIDEO CARDS.
Now go to geeks.com- SAME THING.
Now zipzoomfly- SAME THING AGAIN!
I'm seeing a pattern
They are all video cards.

[theeDEATHMASTER]

Geezus I KNOW that, I'm making fun of it

[BIGFOOT_PI]

uh...yeah.

[Brutal]

A) The CPU is supposed to be running full throttle. Bottlenecking doesn't work that way. The game doesn't dynamically throttle back on the CPU load just because the GPU can't keep up.

B) Yeah, those are pretty much expected frame rates. Your card isn't a gaming card.

well you do have 1 core..... but even with dual core the cpu uses allot, remember this game needs allot of power............the official ut3 will have more graphics so it will need even more power but yeah u can lower the graphics and the resolution so you don't need so much power

[Sincreator]

Are you playing bots or are you online? Bots cause alot of loading, and this may be your problem.

[CvP]

Are you playing bots or are you online? Bots cause alot of loading, and this may be your problem.

offline/LAN. game loading isnt a prob (loading takes at most 10 secs).