GZDoom perfomance issue

[undeadgamer9609]

Okay i made a previous thread about this problem it was about GZDoom freezing during start of gameplay i figured out what the issue is basically on task manager GZDoom is lowering itself from normal priority to low priority automatically shortly after gameplay starts i have tried to use regedit to set it permanently to high and about every 2-3 minutes of gameplay it automatically lowers itself from high to medium to low i have tried a different game for about 5 minute's and the problem does not replicate at all it stayed at normal priority through at the playtime so this can not be a windows issue if only GZDoom is affected.

[Rachael]

All I can say is, my computer is massively under-specced compared to your's, and my GZDoom runs quite smoothly. So there's something you're running, whether within GZDoom or in the background outside of it, that's causing it to choke. I don't know what it is, but the whole thing with your processor only reaching 50% isn't telling the whole story.

When you start noticing the chokes, hit Win+R and type resmon and go to the CPU tab, see what's using the processor. For good measure go to the Disk tab as well and make sure nothing is spiking the IO queue because that will cause problems too.

[undeadgamer9609]

The problem isn't that the CPU is throttling it is because GZdoom's priority is set to low and won't stay above low priority so other processes are taking its CPU resources first before GZDoom can have access causing the freezing and performance issue's when i set GZdoom to high priority the problem is fixed the new problem is that it won't stay high priority and automatically lowers to low priority ever 2-3 minutes and GZdoom is the only application that does this when i set any other application to high priority it stay at high priority and never lowering to low priority.

[Blzut3]

Only time GZDoom changes its priority is when you task switch away from it (and then restores to normal when returning). It does sound like you have some tool running either intentionally or via preinstalled bloatware that's trying to "optimize" your system.

[undeadgamer9609]

I wonder what it is then because only GZDoom is affected.

[Blzut3]

That's a very good question, however without a complete load out of what's installed on your system we can only make wild guesses. As I said in my last post I can really only guess based on you saying it's time based that your have some "game optimizer" software or something that's periodically scanning running software and misidentifying GZDoom as a background task and lowering priority.

In your other thread you said Kex is also affected, which while both Doom, are substantially different code bases that it's definitely not accurate to say it's "only GZDoom."

[undeadgamer9609]

Sorry for the late response still trying to look up any info about what is happening no luck so far may have to ask a professional computer technician maybe they have and idea.

[undeadgamer9609]

Okay so i talked to my IT guy and he also said it might be something in the background causing it he said try a factory reset and start fresh and try to figure out what software might be causing it one at a time so far i have had no problems yet so i have not figured what software is the problem yet.

[Hellser]

My recommendation is to only install programs and drivers that you need. You do not need any bloatware from your laptop, motherboard manufacturer or "game enhancing" software promising to squeeze 50% extra performance. Rarely does a program ever need to be set above "Normal" priority within Windows and if it does, the program you're running should handle that for you.

[undeadgamer9609]

So it just happened again and i don't know what program it is considering i just download drivers and games and i haven't downloaded anything since the 18th when i did my restore it appears to be a random issue as i have checked all files on my pc and i can't see anything that can alter something like the priority at all.

This is just weird as GZDoom and doom on kex engine is affected by this and i have other kex engine games as well but they are not affected at all the only common issue is that it only affects id tech 1 games no other games at all.

[undeadgamer9609]

Okay so i played some build engine and id tech 2 engine games and i can't replicate the issue at all it is definitely with id tech 1 engine games that seems to be the problem for some reason.

[Hellser]

What did you download, drivers wise? It might be one of those bloatware programs that the manufacturer is trying to push on you. Think ASUS Armoury Crate, MSI Dragon Center, ASRock APP Shop - any of those, which your manufacturer might want you to download instead of the actual drivers themselves (they're there, just buried). They could be trying to run some sort of "game booster" and is not aware of what GZDoom is, hence knocking its priority down to low.

Side note: KEX Engine isn't just id Engine 1. In basic terms, it's just a layer to run another engine. There's a System Shock Enhanced Edition which uses the KEX Engine - and that is no where near similar to Doom, engine wise.

If you're using Windows, refresh again and download ONLY your GPU drivers. I've built many systems without needing to download anything else.

[undeadgamer9609]

Only what i need like i said i haven't downloaded anything in almost a week and no problem but then the problem came back suddenly so if it is a program why now is it a problem.

[undeadgamer9609]

The only thing i can think of what the problem is are the .wad files as no other game i have tested uses .wad.

I only have problems when i use .wad files and the problem seems random as restoring the pc is only a temporary fix not a permanent one.

[Blzut3]

The only thing i can think of what the problem is are the .wad files as no other game i have tested uses .wad.

Wad files are just game data so all I can say to that is: That's not how that works.

If you really want to make any progress on getting help from here you need to overshare as many details as possible:

• I assume your computer is a DIY build since you seem to be able to rattle off specs when they seem relevant?
• If so, who is the manufacture of your motherboard?
• Are you running Windows installed from the image that Microsoft provides? (i.e. not some questionable "debloated" image.)
• Can you provide a dump of your running processes while GZDoom is showing issues? One tool I know can do this is process explorer. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysin ... s-explorer File -> Save As
• Also may be helpful to export a list of services from services.msc: Actions -> Export List