SH4 and Slowdown questions

bsmooth · 02-23-21, 09:50 AM

I posted this under PC questions, but maybe it should go here.
I'm not sure If the slowdown and SH4 are connected, but its possible I suppose.
I was using SH4 after the Berbster install and Large Aware as well for more memory.
So everything worked fine all weekend until late yesterday. I had moved the time compression to 512 and all of a sudden my mouse arrow started moving just barely, and would not work above 512, it just was too slow.
I left the sim and checked and my CPU was at 100%, and would not come down at all.
I rebooted a few times and it was still the same.
Any ideas on what to do?

propbeanie · 02-23-21, 02:24 PM

If you have Windows 10, it could be Windows Update doin' its thang... Run Windows Update and get it fully updated, and then run the game. Also, background apps, ever since the days of Windows XP can and do "steal" clock cycles, so try to eliminate the clock hogs, such as fone apps and the like that will "poll" the network every few seconds to minutes. The game itself is rather jealous of the computer, and does not like to "share" Windows with other apps, and if you do any "shelling-out" to Windows while the game is running, SH4 can get "lost" when it comes back to focus, since Windows does not always restore things the way the game expects them. Also, the game apparently does not do "efficient" house-keeping with the RAM assets, and does seem to "eat" more and more of your available RAM. You could check your LAA application on the SH4.exe file by running the LAA applet again, and seeing if it has indeed, flipped the bits to make the SH4.exe Large Address Aware. Make sure the SH4.exe file isn't set to "Read-only" if it is not properly set. With the Stock game, that shouldn't matter much though. Lastly, your video stream should match. Whatever your monitor's "native" resolution is, have Windows set to that, and then in the game's main menu, Options, Graphic Settings, match the Windows OS settings if possible. You might have to turn down some of the detail, though anything "modern", including the newer onboard video, should be able to keep up with most aspects of the game...

bsmooth · 02-23-21, 08:03 PM

Weird part is it runs great at first, then after a few refits and later as more and more patrol "arrows" show up is when it seems to slow down.
Windows is up to date.
Here's the specs:
PC Specs (Updated with new Video card)

HD 500G|SEAGATE ST3500514NS
(Added Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD) (2019)

MB ASROCK|P67 EXTREME4 (B3) P67 R

DVD BURN SAMSUNG | SH-S222A BK

VGA ASUS|ENGTX560 TI DCII TOP/2DI/1

Updated to EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti SC GAMING, 4GB 5/7/2018

CPU COOLER CM| RR-B10-212P-G1

MEM 4Gx2|KST KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX

CASE ROSEWILL|CHALLENGER

PSU ANTEC|650W EA650

CPU INTEL|CORE I5 2500K 3.3G 6M

WIN 7 HOME PREM SP1 64BIT ENG (Updated to Win 10)

ASUS XONAR DG 5.1 CHANNELS PCI INTERFACE SOUND CARD

propbeanie · 02-25-21, 08:37 PM

You have plenty of computer to run SH4, and then some. The game itself has throughput (bandwidth) issues, and if you are using higher rates of TC (Time Compression), the game will naturally slowdown. Each time something spawns, you will oftentimes "see" a "hitch" while using high TC, and the more that spawns, the more it will "hitch". Is that what you are seeing?

Mad Mardigan · 02-25-21, 08:50 PM

From what I am seeing, am gonna go out on a limb & say it's likely what the issue is.. running high TC, then having a slew full of contacts info popping up on the nav map... & having a bunch of it, spawning nearby to their posit... at the time.

I generally try NOT to go beyond x64 TC, & can say that even solo contacts will cause lag, sometimes like crazy. Do recall at least once, I was freezeframed for a bit of time... not sure probably a couple of seconds.. before it unhitched & everything went back to base normal... no idea what caused it, per se... wasn't running any updates whilst playing, didn't shell out & as far as I know of, have got about as much of the background stuff gagged & hogtied

, as is possible... so its NOT running amok in the background...

M. M.

bsmooth · 02-25-21, 09:24 PM

I think you hit the nail on the head as I was right around Japan and targets were popping up like crazy. I finally erased that particular game and started another. Kind of a pain too because I had just latched onto a large carrier group.
Pretty cool even with the problems playing it again.
I don't remember issues when playing it originally though with windows 7.

02-23-21, 09:50 AM	#1
bsmooth Watch Join Date: Feb 2021 Posts: 20 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	SH4 and Slowdown questions I posted this under PC questions, but maybe it should go here. I'm not sure If the slowdown and SH4 are connected, but its possible I suppose. I was using SH4 after the Berbster install and Large Aware as well for more memory. So everything worked fine all weekend until late yesterday. I had moved the time compression to 512 and all of a sudden my mouse arrow started moving just barely, and would not work above 512, it just was too slow. I left the sim and checked and my CPU was at 100%, and would not come down at all. I rebooted a few times and it was still the same. Any ideas on what to do?

02-23-21, 02:24 PM	#2
propbeanie CTD - it's not just a job Join Date: May 2016 Location: One hour from Music City USA! Posts: 9,743 Downloads: 439 Uploads: 2	If you have Windows 10, it could be Windows Update doin' its thang... Run Windows Update and get it fully updated, and then run the game. Also, background apps, ever since the days of Windows XP can and do "steal" clock cycles, so try to eliminate the clock hogs, such as fone apps and the like that will "poll" the network every few seconds to minutes. The game itself is rather jealous of the computer, and does not like to "share" Windows with other apps, and if you do any "shelling-out" to Windows while the game is running, SH4 can get "lost" when it comes back to focus, since Windows does not always restore things the way the game expects them. Also, the game apparently does not do "efficient" house-keeping with the RAM assets, and does seem to "eat" more and more of your available RAM. You could check your LAA application on the SH4.exe file by running the LAA applet again, and seeing if it has indeed, flipped the bits to make the SH4.exe Large Address Aware. Make sure the SH4.exe file isn't set to "Read-only" if it is not properly set. With the Stock game, that shouldn't matter much though. Lastly, your video stream should match. Whatever your monitor's "native" resolution is, have Windows set to that, and then in the game's main menu, Options, Graphic Settings, match the Windows OS settings if possible. You might have to turn down some of the detail, though anything "modern", including the newer onboard video, should be able to keep up with most aspects of the game... __________________ "...and bollocks to the naysayer/s" - Jimbuna

02-25-21, 08:37 PM	#4
propbeanie CTD - it's not just a job Join Date: May 2016 Location: One hour from Music City USA! Posts: 9,743 Downloads: 439 Uploads: 2	You have plenty of computer to run SH4, and then some. The game itself has throughput (bandwidth) issues, and if you are using higher rates of TC (Time Compression), the game will naturally slowdown. Each time something spawns, you will oftentimes "see" a "hitch" while using high TC, and the more that spawns, the more it will "hitch". Is that what you are seeing? __________________ "...and bollocks to the naysayer/s" - Jimbuna

02-25-21, 08:50 PM	#5
Mad Mardigan Admiral Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Grand Rapids, Mi. Posts: 2,327 Downloads: 491 Uploads: 0	Re: Game ''hitch's'' &'hiccups'... From what I am seeing, am gonna go out on a limb & say it's likely what the issue is.. running high TC, then having a slew full of contacts info popping up on the nav map... & having a bunch of it, spawning nearby to their posit... at the time. I generally try NOT to go beyond x64 TC, & can say that even solo contacts will cause lag, sometimes like crazy. Do recall at least once, I was freezeframed for a bit of time... not sure probably a couple of seconds.. before it unhitched & everything went back to base normal... no idea what caused it, per se... wasn't running any updates whilst playing, didn't shell out & as far as I know of, have got about as much of the background stuff gagged & hogtied , as is possible... so its NOT running amok in the background... M. M. __________________

02-23-21, 08:03 PM	#3
bsmooth Watch Join Date: Feb 2021 Posts: 20 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	Weird part is it runs great at first, then after a few refits and later as more and more patrol "arrows" show up is when it seems to slow down. Windows is up to date. Here's the specs: PC Specs (Updated with new Video card) HD 500G\|SEAGATE ST3500514NS (Added Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD) (2019) MB ASROCK\|P67 EXTREME4 (B3) P67 R DVD BURN SAMSUNG \| SH-S222A BK VGA ASUS\|ENGTX560 TI DCII TOP/2DI/1 Updated to EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti SC GAMING, 4GB 5/7/2018 CPU COOLER CM\| RR-B10-212P-G1 MEM 4Gx2\|KST KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX CASE ROSEWILL\|CHALLENGER PSU ANTEC\|650W EA650 CPU INTEL\|CORE I5 2500K 3.3G 6M WIN 7 HOME PREM SP1 64BIT ENG (Updated to Win 10) ASUS XONAR DG 5.1 CHANNELS PCI INTERFACE SOUND CARD

02-25-21, 09:24 PM	#6
bsmooth Watch Join Date: Feb 2021 Posts: 20 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	I think you hit the nail on the head as I was right around Japan and targets were popping up like crazy. I finally erased that particular game and started another. Kind of a pain too because I had just latched onto a large carrier group. Pretty cool even with the problems playing it again. I don't remember issues when playing it originally though with windows 7.