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Topic: Strange CPU usage (Read 6731 times) previous topic - next topic
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Strange CPU usage

Hi folks,

I post here because I found no solution for my problem elsewhere, so here it is:

After some time of .mp3 playback cpu usage of foobar goes to around 2-10%.
I know that taskmanager is not that accurate, but it reads 0% for maybe half an hour before foobar seems to take cpu power, when I close foobar and start it again after this happens, it's back to 0% for a while again. So its inaccuracy shouldn't be the problem.

I reinstalled Windows some time ago and I can't remember foobar acting like this before I did the reinstall, but I use the same drivers and programs with the fresh install so I have no idea what's wrong here.

My system specs:
AMD AthlonXP2000+
1024MB RAM
WinXP Prof. + all official patches
SB Audigy2 ZS

foobar 0.8.2 special with the following settings:
DSPs: Volume Control, Mono->Stereo, Equalizer
Output: DirectSound w/ hw mixing
replay gain, no dither, 24bit fixed point

Playing around with the settings didn't solve the problem so far, so I hope someone here may know about this issue. 
*sigh*

Strange CPU usage

Reply #1 –
Have you got any third party components installed?

Steve

Strange CPU usage

Reply #2 –
No.
*sigh*

Strange CPU usage

Reply #3 –
Then I don't have anything constructive to add.  Sorry.

Strange CPU usage

Reply #4 –
Quote
Hi folks,

I post here because I found no solution for my problem elsewhere, so here it is:

After some time of .mp3 playback cpu usage of foobar goes to around 2-10%.
I know that taskmanager is not that accurate, but it reads 0% for maybe half an hour before foobar seems to take cpu power, when I close foobar and start it again after this happens, it's back to 0% for a while again. So its inaccuracy shouldn't be the problem.

I reinstalled Windows some time ago and I can't remember foobar acting like this before I did the reinstall, but I use the same drivers and programs with the fresh install so I have no idea what's wrong here.

My system specs:
AMD AthlonXP2000+
1024MB RAM
WinXP Prof. + all official patches
SB Audigy2 ZS

foobar 0.8.2 special with the following settings:
DSPs: Volume Control, Mono->Stereo, Equalizer
Output: DirectSound w/ hw mixing
replay gain, no dither, 24bit fixed point

Playing around with the settings didn't solve the problem so far, so I hope someone here may know about this issue. 

hi friend, I've the same soundcard of yours and i've the same problem as you.
So i presume its just foobar 0.8.2 which dont like our soundcard :-\

Strange CPU usage

Reply #5 –
Quote
hi friend, I've the same soundcard of yours and i've the same problem as you.
So i presume its just foobar 0.8.2 which dont like our soundcard :-\


That doesn't sound good.
But I can't remember foobar using so much CPU time before I reinstalled my OS... that's odd!

I'm sure that I would have noticed it because I use samurize to display such things like CPU/Mem usage etc. on my desktop.

Which OS du you use?
Maybe someone else with an SB Audigy2 ZS could report in?


For comparing reasons I also installed WinAmp5.03 and it runs now for several hours without a noticeable touch on CPU (steady 00% in taskmanager).
So I would assume it must be something foobar/settings specific.
*sigh*

Strange CPU usage

Reply #6 –
Quote
Quote
hi friend, I've the same soundcard of yours and i've the same problem as you.
So i presume its just foobar 0.8.2 which dont like our soundcard :-\


That doesn't sound good.
But I can't remember foobar using so much CPU time before I reinstalled my OS... that's odd!

I'm sure that I would have noticed it because I use samurize to display such things like CPU/Mem usage etc. on my desktop.

Which OS du you use?
Maybe someone else with an SB Audigy2 ZS could report in?


For comparing reasons I also installed WinAmp5.03 and it runs now for several hours without a noticeable touch on CPU (steady 00% in taskmanager).
So I would assume it must be something foobar/settings specific. 

winxp pro sp1a amd 3000+ barton xp 1gb ddr @400 120gb hd sata maxtor
qcd and winamp runs smooth with no hangs
also installed creative driver fix, wont solve the problem
this is 99% a foobar bug.

Edit: I'll try a new clean foobar 0.8.2 install

Strange CPU usage

Reply #7 –
i have a problem where foobar is using 70%+ cpu (AMD 1.2Ghz) while not doing anything. this starts happening after a while, and is fixed temporarily be restarting foobar. unusual components i have running are : audioscrobbler, foo_lock, ui_columns . any ideas please? before i start removing them one by one which could take hours to trace, because it doesnt start happening immediatley. normal cpu use is 0-2%.

Strange CPU usage

Reply #8 –
Delete foo_audioscrobbler.
"To understand me, you'll have to swallow a world." Or maybe your words.

Strange CPU usage

Reply #9 –
Quote
this is 99% a foobar bug.

Let me recap, you encounter an issue that nobody else except for one owner of the same soundcard ever saw, and blame it on the application? Heh..

Did you try different output plugins? Did you try disabling hardware mixing? Have you considered that it might be some weirdness in your soundcard's drivers? (Like hell would this be a rare issue with Creative's software..  )
A riddle is a short sword attached to the next 2000 years.

Strange CPU usage

Reply #10 –
Quote
Delete foo_audioscrobbler.

hah, thanks. no i'll be putting up with it then, or posting a bug report with them. thanks.

Strange CPU usage

Reply #11 –
Quote
...
Did you try different output plugins? Did you try disabling hardware mixing? Have you considered that it might be some weirdness in your soundcard's drivers? (Like hell would this be a rare issue with Creative's software..   )

I tried all available output methods and their settings... without success.

If it's a driver issue, why doesn't it appear on other audio players like WA5.03?
*sigh*

Strange CPU usage

Reply #12 –
Sorry for kind off posting a different topic in this topic, i was trying to keep things together.

I think my problem is down to columns_ui. maybe i should head over to that thread and post there...

Strange CPU usage

Reply #13 –
Did you delete foo_audioscrobbler?
"To understand me, you'll have to swallow a world." Or maybe your words.

Strange CPU usage

Reply #14 –
Quote
Did you delete foo_audioscrobbler?

I don't have this foo_audioscrobbler!
*sigh*

Strange CPU usage

Reply #15 –
I believe dev0's reply was meant for Smiff.

Strange CPU usage

Reply #16 –
i didn't delete foo_audioscrobbler. but since i've gone back to the default UI, no more problems yet. are you saying it could still be audioscrobbler? interaction between scrobbler and columns? is there a known problem with that component, or are you taking a stab in the dark? (a reply longer than 3 words would be really appreciated).

Strange CPU usage

Reply #17 –
Quote
If it's a driver issue, why doesn't it appear on other audio players like WA5.03?

Because foobar2000 behaves differently from other players, maybe?

One example is gapless playback. Foobar2000 can play consecutive tracks gaplessly, The Way It Should Be Done; it doesn't close the output stream when tracks change. Other programs usually close and reopen the output stream at track boundaries. Usually, they don't do it The Way It Should Be Done.

Strange CPU usage

Reply #18 –
Quote
Quote
If it's a driver issue, why doesn't it appear on other audio players like WA5.03?

Because foobar2000 behaves differently from other players, maybe?

One example is gapless playback. Foobar2000 can play consecutive tracks gaplessly, The Way It Should Be Done; it doesn't close the output stream when tracks change. Other programs usually close and reopen the output stream at track boundaries. Usually, they don't do it The Way It Should Be Done.

Hm ok, so how may I find out if it's a driver problem or not?
I have no idea how I should do that.



@Smiff: I don't know if it's usual in this board to misuse someone else's thread to get help for an non-related problem without helping the threadstarter in any way, but I think you wouldn't like it as well!
*sigh*

Strange CPU usage

Reply #19 –
Quote
@Smiff: I don't know if it's usual in this board to misuse someone else's thread to get help for an non-related problem without helping the threadstarter in any way, but I think you wouldn't like it as well!

Hmh, wouldn't you say that unusually high cpu usage and unusually high cpu usage could at least be slightly related to each other?

I guess Smiff simply posted in this thread, because he thought this might be the most apropriate place to do so and probably did not want to start another thread on a problem that might be related to each other anyway.

In the end it might have turned out it wasn't, so what.

It is not like thread starters have some kind of exclusive rights to ask questions in their threads here. And how was he supposed to help you if he might not even have known the answer to your problem.

Strange CPU usage

Reply #20 –
Quote
Hmh, wouldn't you say that unusually high cpu usage and unusually high cpu usage could at least be slightly related to each other?
...


Well, he uses 3rd party stuff, I don't. He has the problem while f2k does nothing, I only while playback. The result is the same (high cpu usage) but there's actually no other link.

With the rest I agree to you, maybe it was a bit too harsh but I'm kinda upset because I  spent quite some time testing around with f2k and I still can't see a solution (not even the reason) for my problem which seems to be no all-day issue.
*sigh*

Strange CPU usage

Reply #21 –
Quote
Quote
Hmh, wouldn't you say that unusually high cpu usage and unusually high cpu usage could at least be slightly related to each other?
...


Well, he uses 3rd party stuff, I don't. He has the problem while f2k does nothing, I only while playback. The result is the same (high cpu usage) but there's actually no other link.

With the rest I agree to you, maybe it was a bit too harsh but I'm kinda upset because I  spent quite some time testing around with f2k and I still can't see a solution for my problem which seems to be no all-day issue.

Have you considered re-installing? I know it's not the most scientific way to solve something, but it can sometimes inadvertantly fix things. Unless you've a good reason not too, I'd try that.

You could also try disabling your sound card (in Device Manager) and run Fb2k to see if there's still a problem.

Quote
i didn't delete foo_audioscrobbler. but since i've gone back to the default UI, no more problems yet. are you saying it could still be audioscrobbler? interaction between scrobbler and columns? is there a known problem with that component, or are you taking a stab in the dark? (a reply longer than 3 words would be really appreciated).


There's no known problem with foo_audioscrobbler or foo_ui_columns but audioscrobbler has been known to cause issues in the past. Although, to be fair, this tends to be around the time their servers are down. If you're are using ui_columns is it possible you have a extremely CPU consuming script in their? Again, I would advise a fresh re-install. Or possible set ui_columns back to default to see if the problem still occurs - settings are easily saved if you decide that they arn't the problem.

Steve

Strange CPU usage

Reply #22 –
Quote
Quote

this is 99% a foobar bug.

Let me recap, you encounter an issue that nobody else except for one owner of the same soundcard ever saw, and blame it on the application? Heh..

Did you try different output plugins? Did you try disabling hardware mixing? Have you considered that it might be some weirdness in your soundcard's drivers? (Like hell would this be a rare issue with Creative's software..  )

Bah... I reply with this: "why foobar 0.8.1 works perfectly for me?"

Ok, enought. I'm sticking with that version until a new one is released by the author.

Strange CPU usage

Reply #23 –
Since you're not willing to help by narrowing down the exact cause of the "issue" you're experiencing, it's unlikely that its existence can be verified and taken care of.
A riddle is a short sword attached to the next 2000 years.

Strange CPU usage

Reply #24 –
i got the latest build from case' page and haven't seen this again since.. /crossing fingers. i think it was a columns_ui problem because that was the only thing updated? i really was getting almost full cpu use from foobar for no apparent reason.. if i do track it down, i'll come back & let yous know.