OMG, just leave HT enabled and throw beer at your CPU!

S.

2 minutes ago, simbol said:

OMG, just leave HT enabled and throw beer at your CPU!

S.

Better than drinking it which might be a good reason why some just don't seem to understand it yet. I thought this AM/HT stuff was all done and dusted about four years ago.

And guys, the only "perfect" AM that works for every system is HT=Off, no AM. Although it's not going to be the utmost best performance, it will provide less of a head ache - beer omitted.

4 minutes ago, SteveW said:

Who's rambling?

 

AffinityMask=14 on a 5820K (six core) processor. Hyperthreading on.

This of course is plain daft as an example with 12LPs.

00,00,00,00,11,10=14

gives use of only two cores on three LPs why would anyone do that? Because they have no idea what they are doing probably.

 

 

Alright look at a simple four core non-HT:

We know that certain threading-out takes place with four (or more) cores available to the sim. So we leave the config with "no AM" - no AM being 15 in this case = binary 1111 - four cores enabled.

Place our addon exe apps on 1110 the 2nd, third and fourth cores and they don't sap the throughput of the first with the main P3D thread on it.

"Who's rambling" - you. A self-professed affinity mask expert who can't actually given a straight answer as to what affinity mask he thinks will improve performance on a six-core processor. I'd ask you what the right affinity mask is, but I have this new - and quite painful - tattoo on my hand that says something about that...

"This of course is plain daft." Except it improves performance. Look at the numbers. I know that you don't like data, but now we have some.

"Why would anyone do that?" Possibly because they engaged in a conversation with some guy on the internet, and foolishly tested what he sort of, in Steve language, seemed to be saying.

Actually, my answer is "There is no certain answer in life, Steve. You must find your own path to understanding why a humble sim test pilot would choose those numbers. He may lead, but you need not follow. After all, what are numbers really."

"Alright look at a simple four core non-HT."   No, let's look at eight core processors! Or something else that IS NOT relevant. Maybe SIXTEEN core super-processors. Anything but six core, that's not a thing!

1 hour ago, SpiritFlyer said:

So which is worse, going to the dentist or having chronic overheating problem so can't overclock? - seems like a tossup! 

I was going to say something like that -- toss up! Have to go back for a filling on Fri! I'm loosing everywhere!

Bruce

Btw, for anyone who has a six core processor and is interested in this stuff, the six AffinityMask candidates that I have in mind for testing are:

AffinityMask=4084

111111110100

 

AffinityMask=4092
111111111100

 

AffinityMask=1364

010101010100

 

Any other thoughts, please feel free to comment.

Cheers!

 

There are postings about using only two cores of six and seeing good performance, try it even one works. Each system can be very different and the only way to find a good arrangement, if we want to search for it, is to understand what's afoot and apply that understanding. So given that, for a six core HT=Off we might say no AM=111111=63 and place addons on 011110 - with HT enabled that would be like 01,01,01,01,01,01 = 1365. Another might be 01,01,01,01,01,00 and addons on 00,00,00,00,00,11=3. Depends on so much like what graphics are expected, screen res, refresh rate and so on that virtually any outcome can be expected.

..the main thing, as was mentioned a lot, is what the addons do in the mix - if they are running first or when the sim has started - giving two very different outcomes to the AM used for the sim.

Well for the record HT is on by default I just leave that darn thing on. Problem solved for me lol

1 hour ago, OzWhitey said:

It sounds like you're the only guy around here with some actual data that proves all the experts who DON'T advocate setting an affinity mask wrong. No? No you don't? Oh.

Actually, Robert, I do have data.  Plenty of it.  I have tested my system (time+time+more time), configured the sim the way I want (that took some more time), and threw in the add-ons that I want and own (yep, even more time testing).  Notice I haven't (nor will I) offer you any hard numbers... because what works for one of us will not necessarily work for all of us.  Our computers are different, OS's different, sim configs different, well you get the idea.

Cheers,

Greg

Mostly, I find guys around here know what they are doing and get useful results. Not mentioning any names Greg.

But when we don't see what we expect, namely better overall performance from the PC with HT enabled, or less heat with proper LP management from the AM applied, then something is wrong - gotta live with that.

It's not a big deal, HT Off and no AM works well as I said. You need to get your hands dirty to go further with success. Remember we can't make P3D run faster with an AM, we have to set the system so it does not affect the possible performance.

 

 

3 hours ago, aushie said:

What affinitymask would suit my 4790K then with HT on, 84?

84 is from the FSX days... uses only three cores..

For a four-core CPU in P3DV4, with HT on:

[JOBSCHEDULER]
AffinityMask=253
// 253=11111101

OR.. 244=11110100  (if you like to keep the "first" physical core free for other programs).

I fly with 253 and unlimited FPS.. works nicely.

 

In case anyone has made it this far through the thread, and is still trying to understand affinity masks:

Here's what I'm trying: 4084 (it's a number that goes into the prepar3d.cfg file)

In binary, it represents the 12 virtual cores as follows:

111111110100

You read this from the right 

| Physical core 1| Physical core 2 | Physical core 3 | etc , of a six core processor

|1          |     2     |   3   |           4     |   5         |      6    | etc - 12 virtual cores, because hyperthreading is on

*                 *                           *

So, we read '111111110100' from right to left, and '0' means a virtual core is turned off - I've marked the ones that are turned off with stars on the diagram above.

 

Does it help?

Well, I'm flight testing it with the QOTS II at the moment, in VR, with plenty of clouds. It's OK. I wouldn't say it's better, but its not clearly worse. Lots more testing needed first. 

3 minutes ago, OzWhitey said:

In case anyone has made it this far through the thread, and is still trying to understand affinity masks:

Here's what I'm trying: 4084 (it's a number that goes into the prepar3d.cfg file)

 

Remember to state that this is for a six-core CPU 

21 minutes ago, lownslo said:

Actually, Robert, I do have data.  Plenty of it.  I have tested my system (time+time+more time), configured the sim the way I want (that took some more time), and threw in the add-ons that I want and own (yep, even more time testing).  Notice I haven't (nor will I) offer you any hard numbers... because what works for one of us will not necessarily work for all of us.  Our computers are different, OS's different, sim configs different, well you get the idea.

Cheers,

Greg

So were critiquing me earlier for saying this was a controversial topic and that we needed some data. And now we find out that there is some data - and you have it - but it's secret? Ok, sure, but I don't think that will move this topic into the 'proven science' category in my mind, I think I'll just keep testing and sharing my findings.