CPU Requirements - CPU Bound?

[kelerain]

Hi all. Looking forward to release.

I'm wondering if my system is segnificantly CPU bound. I have an ATI 9800 Pro With 1 GB ram, and an Athlon XP 2000+

Using a CPU monitor while playing CS:S my CPU is maxed to 100% nearly all the time. Does this directly suggest that the game is CPU bound, or does it tend to 'soak up' extra cycles anyway?

My FPS doesn't change much between lower level settings, but at the higher levels, it tapers off, so I am guessuing it is, in fact CPU bound. So my second question is, at what level Athlon (or P4 if you like) CPU does it not max out? This thread: http://steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=118318 Among other useful statistics lists 2.4 GHZ as the 'recomended', and 1.2 as the minimum, so I'm right between the two. Can any 3000+ or 3200+ (Athlon XP - Barton) owners confirm that those aren't CPU bound?

Have there been any articles or benchmarks I have missed that examine the effect of lower end CPUs on source engine framerates/looks?

Thanks in advance!

(Disclaimer: I searched extensively for a topic like this before asking. "CPU" can't be searched for so it wasn't easy. If you find one, or its old news, it would help most to point me to that thread, thanks!)

-Kelerain

 

[Vegeta897]

The physics take up alot of CPU...

I don't know much about the technical stuff.. But that is my best guess...

 

[frances_farmer]

perhaps you were searching THE WRONG BOARD

 

[Vegeta897]

perhaps you were searching THE WRONG BOARD

What are you talking about?

 

[KagePrototype]

What are you talking about?

The hardware forum.

 

[kelerain]

perhaps you were searching THE WRONG BOARD

I searched a few boards, including here and the steam forums, but thanks for the suggestion. Do you know of a thread anywhere that covers this?

 

[Hectic Glenn]

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=6

 

[kelerain]

The hardware forum.

Ok.. point. :rolling: I looked under the HL2 section. oops. Mods, feel free to move this thread to hardware, I'm off to search it now.

Ok, I did find this thread:

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=47788

So my question is, does it put the CPU to 100% for most CPUs anyway?

 

[Tiddalick]

Your CPU is always at 100%, as is the nature of Engineering behind them...
The real question is, was the program using those extra cycles, or was the idle function hiding in there. I think that any program that actually chruned away on 100% would bring your system to a standstill.
Without any futher information, I will say its just using what it can, soaking those extra cycles

 

[kelerain]

It wasn't Idle, I was using the Task Manager 'Performance' graph, which is basically an inverse of idle. And it was, I'm relatively certain, CS:S taking the cycles. I guess we will see if it chugs on the HL2 physics or not. It would still like to know, if any one could check, if CS:S takes 100% of a higher end CPU.

 

[Vegeta897]

The hardware forum.

Oh.. I could have sworn that the search function searched all forums by default... Oh well, whatever.

 

[silverstealth89]

see everyone with a low fps thinks they got a prblem with their computer. but the thing is its their CPU. 2.4 is the min. i got 3.4 and my fps is a min 60

 

[KagePrototype]

Oh.. I could have sworn that the search function searched all forums by default... Oh well, whatever.

He probably used the "search this forum" button in each of the individual forums.

 

[goldenboi]

see everyone with a low fps thinks they got a prblem with their computer. but the thing is its their CPU. 2.4 is the min. i got 3.4 and my fps is a min 60

what vid car du have? I have a 2600+, 9800 pro 128 and im gettubg 28-90 in office, and 40-120 on others with averages of 60. 52.57 on stress test. 1024x768 4xAA, 8xAF all settings on HIGH, max

 

[kelerain]

He probably used the "search this forum" button in each of the individual forums.

Actually I did do a global search, and after it was pointed out a manual search of the hardware forum. I didn't find the topic covered much, but that is the best place for this thread.

 

[kelerain]

what vid car du have? I have a 2600+, 9800 pro 128 and im gettubg 28-90 in office, and 40-120 on others with averages of 60. 52.57 on stress test. 1024x768 4xAA, 8xAF all settings on HIGH, max

I have an ATI 9800 pro (as posted) and I get similar FPS, but its prone to chugging in places. I don't think it should be dipping quite that low. But its looking like my CPU is fine. It IS in the middle of thier recomended specs after all. Thanks for the FPS with higher CPU speed. It makes a nice comparison point!

So consider my question answered. Thanks all.

 

[wilka91]

whatever your CPU is, it's gonna use 100% of it ... any game will.

Then some will just be faster, some will be slower.

Then your video card has to be the perfect match for the CPU. A R9800 Pro is perfect for an A-XP 3000+ or P4 3Ghz. If you have a X800 Pro, then you better get youself a A-64 3400+.

Personnally I know my system is limited by the CPU, this poor A-XP 3200+ is just slowing the X800 Pro. I'm getting a 3400+ soon. Maybe even a 3700+.

 

[Ves]

HL2 / CSS loves CPU power. And it especially likes the Athlon64. So if are considering upgrading, go for one of those.