Does the game run SLOWER on a quad core than on a dual core?

[rmdsc]

Well, before you launch into that discussion however, shouldn't you determine if indeed core 3 is better than the other cores first? I don't think we have seen any evidence that setting it to core 3 produces a noticeable difference.

[Tegus]

Well, before you launch into that discussion however, shouldn't you determine if indeed core 3 is better than the other cores first? I don't think we have seen any evidence that setting it to core 3 produces a noticeable difference.

Programs do not become faster by choosing core 3 specifically, what happens is that when you set thread affinity, that application will prefer(or is forced) to run on that core _only_. Forcing a single-threaded application to run on one core specifically will make it faster, since it will utilize the processor cache better by avoiding cache misses. Of course, if you pin all your applications to run on core 0, they do have to share this only core, and you will see negative performance gains.

I don't remember when we changed it, so I don't know if made it into patch 1.2, but we are setting thread affinity in the code, so by 1.3 you shouldn't need to care about this setting anymore.

[TheDarkside]

I don't remember when we changed it, so I don't know if made it into patch 1.2, but we are setting thread affinity in the code, so by 1.3 you shouldn't need to care about this setting anymore.

Most excellent move!

Does anyone know if there is a way to not only set a program such as Vicky to only use a particular core (Say, Core #3) while also forbidding ANY other application form using that core? Basically making it exclusive to that app? Or does setting affinity also do this?

[Nikolai]

Assuming it works the same as for Deus Ex, you should be able to go into Task manager -> Processes -> right click on V2.exe -> set affinity -> uncheck everything but one core.

This is for XP, by the way.

I like the solution I found in the HoI3 forum better:

Open notepad.

Paste in the following:

start /affinity 1 /high v2game.exe

Save inside your V2 main folder with the file ending .cmd. You do this by choosing "save as", then save as file type "all types", then give it the name v2orsomething.cmd.

Then always start the game by opening this file.

[RSavage]

I like the solution I found in the HoI3 forum better:

Open notepad.

Paste in the following:

start /affinity 1 /high v2game.exe

Save inside your V2 main folder with the file ending .cmd. You do this by choosing "save as", then save as file type "all types", then give it the name v2orsomething.cmd.

Then always start the game by opening this file.

Any evidence about how much this improves game speeds?

[Nikolai]

Any evidence about how much this improves game speeds?

I had a noticeable speed increasement. The game still slows down after a while ofc, but I think I got it prolonged ca another decade ingame.

[vegetassj2345]

i will have a new computer a quad core...it means that all my paradox games will run slower than with my old dual core computer? 0_0

[Nikolai]

No. There is no direct connection between the two. Processor architecture is the most important factor, then processor speed I'd guess. Just remember that your new CPU will probably be a much newer architecture, so that a 2GHz processor is not neccessarily a 2GHz processor. What I mean is, 2 GHz of a new CPU could be as efficent as a 3 GHz old processor.

[rmdsc]

i will have a new computer a quad core...it means that all my paradox games will run slower than with my old dual core computer? 0_0

Did you read any of the other post? No, your quad core isn't going to be slower.

[vegetassj2345]

oh!Thank you so much!

[Veovis]

Assuming it works the same as for Deus Ex, you should be able to go into Task manager -> Processes -> right click on V2.exe -> set affinity -> uncheck everything but one core.

This is for XP, by the way.

I just tried this, and it helps a whole lot when quitting or resigning from a late game. Before it took several minutes to get to the score screen. Now it takes seconds.

[FmrPFCBob]

I have set affinity when playing HoI3 and noticed better performance. I also shut down as many non-essential processes as I can and set the remaining memory hog processes to the core opposite the one I use for HoI3.

[Rizzmond]

I like the solution I found in the HoI3 forum better:

Open notepad.

Paste in the following:

start /affinity 1 /high v2game.exe

Save inside your V2 main folder with the file ending .cmd. You do this by choosing "save as", then save as file type "all types", then give it the name v2orsomething.cmd.

Then always start the game by opening this file.

this doesn't appear to work

[Denniss]

this doesn't appear to work

This is working indeed. You have to create a text file in your Victoria 2 folder and rename it to something like v2.cmd. Make sure the file extensions are shown or you may see v2.cmd but in reality it's named v2.cmd.txt - this won't work. Then, after double-clicking v2.cmd, V2 should start with high priority on the first processor core (Core 0 in task manager).
On my system, an Athlon II X2, I have set affinity to 2 (runs on the scond core, in task manager Core 1) and left out the high priority setting. V2 feels better and resigning/exit to Desktop is indeed faster.

[Rizzmond]

This is working indeed. You have to create a text file in your Victoria 2 folder and rename it to something like v2.cmd. Make sure the file extensions are shown or you may see v2.cmd but in reality it's named v2.cmd.txt - this won't work. Then, after double-clicking v2.cmd, V2 should start with high priority on the first processor core (Core 0 in task manager).
On my system, an Athlon II X2, I have set affinity to 2 (runs on the scond core, in task manager Core 1) and left out the high priority setting. V2 feels better and resigning/exit to Desktop is indeed faster.

It's really not working. I know I'm doing the file extension right because its changing from a text file into a "Windows NT Command Script".

It's not a huge deal, just a pain to alt-tab and change the affinity in the task manager every time i boot the game. Especially when I'm booting it multiple times in a row checking effects from modding.

[Nikolai]

You did save it inside your main V2 folder, right?