CPU or GPU slowing down big explosions?

[JohnnyBoy]

Hello there! I've been a long-time 'lurker', but this is my first post.

I run Oolite on a 1.66GHz Intel Mac Mini, and it's fine most of the time. However when there's a large explosion - for example, when an Ixian battle cruiser slightly misjudges its docking approach - the frame rate seems to slow down to about 1 frame every half a second until the main explosion has finished and becomes a series of smaller explosions. Then the frame rate accelerates back to normal.

I was wondering what is to blame for this slow performance - my 1.66GHz CPU or my GMA950 integrated GPU?

[Frame]

Hello there! I've been a long-time 'lurker', but this is my first post.

I run Oolite on a 1.66GHz Intel Mac Mini, and it's fine most of the time. However when there's a large explosion - for example, when an Ixian battle cruiser slightly misjudges its docking approach - the frame rate seems to slow down to about 1 frame every half a second until the main explosion has finished and becomes a series of smaller explosions. Then the frame rate accelerates back to normal.

I was wondering what is to blame for this slow performance - my 1.66GHz CPU or my GMA950 integrated GPU?

Could be that the integrated GPU and the system is sharing RAM, therefore there maybe to inefficiant Vidio Ram Availeble when it suddenly has to transfer alot of data in and out of Vidio Ram..

Not sure, but usually you can set this in the Bios for these integrated types of graphic cards.. well at least you used too.. and for MAC im not even sure if there is a BIOS.. But there should be some sort of BIOS...

I think your CPU should be fine, my HP Laptop 1.8 Ghz Intel Duo is running oolite just fine.. But with a Nvidia Go7600 though.. and windows Media Center.

you didnt mention how much RAM your system has though

[Lestradae]

However when there's a large explosion - for example, when an Ixian battle cruiser slightly misjudges its docking approach - the frame rate seems to slow down to about 1 frame every half a second until the main explosion has finished and becomes a series of smaller explosions. Then the frame rate accelerates back to normal.

I also got this sometimes, and I have Vista.

[JensAyton]

JohnnyBoy, are you using Oolite 1.65 or the test releases? I’m going to guess it’s 1.65. The number of objects generated in explosions of large objects has been scaled down significantly in the test releases. The problem is not with the GPU, it’s the collision detection load of several hundred new objects.

[Lestradae]

are you using Oolite 1.65 or the test releases? I’m going to guess it’s 1.65. The number of objects generated in explosions of large objects has been scaled down significantly in the test releases. The problem is not with the GPU, it’s the collision detection load of several hundred new objects.

Ahruman, sorry to interrupt, but I have the phenomenon with the explosions giving me 2 seconds freeze too (for example if a Thargoid Carrier explodes, or if I use the energy bomb and six small ships explode), and I use 1.71.1 and Vista.

[JohnnyBoy]

Thanks for the replies, guys! My Mini has 1GB of (shared) memory and I am using v.1.65 of Oolite (that's the most recent that I can see for download).

Ahruman, your reply suggests that the collision detection of several hundred objects would produce a slow-down with any computer and that the size and duration of the slow-down depends on the speed of the CPU. Is that correct?

[Commander Mysenses]

I believe RAM plays a big part too.
I will bump my PC up to 2Gb soon and report back.

[Commander McLane]

Hi, JohnnyBoy, and first of all welcome to the boards, and of course to this great game! (Although you've been a long time lurker.)

Oolite 1.65 is the latest official release. Oolite is under continuous development, so there have been a couple of test releases since. Right now we're at version 1.71.1. It's a pretty good release, and it will be replaced with the even better 1.71.2 hopefully soon.

Have a look at the release announcement-thread in this very Mac-forum for the download link of 1.71.1. I would recommend you try to install it and look how it works on your system.

NB: If you download the full installer, you can install 1.71.1 (or any other version) in a completely different folder than 1.65 and use both. You just have to copy and paste your saved games, AddOns-folder and any other stuff you like from the 1.65-folder to the new 1.71.1-folder. (Almost) everything is usable in all versions, save-games anyhow, and if an OXP requires a specific version of the game, it will say so in its ReadMe, and probably point you to an alternative download that can be used with your version of the game. And you will find these informations here on the board as well.

[JensAyton]

Ahruman, sorry to interrupt, but I have the phenomenon with the explosions giving me 2 seconds freeze too (for example if a Thargoid Carrier explodes, or if I use the energy bomb and six small ships explode), and I use 1.71.1 and Vista.

Hmm. That’s annoying.

Ahruman, your reply suggests that the collision detection of several hundred objects would produce a slow-down with any computer and that the size and duration of the slow-down depends on the speed of the CPU. Is that correct?

Yup.

[JohnnyBoy]

Hi, JohnnyBoy, and first of all welcome to the boards, and of course to this great game! (Although you've been a long time lurker.)

Oolite 1.65 is the latest official release. Oolite is under continuous development, so there have been a couple of test releases since. Right now we're at version 1.71.1. It's a pretty good release, and it will be replaced with the even better 1.71.2 hopefully soon.

Have a look at the release announcement-thread in this very Mac-forum for the download link of 1.71.1. I would recommend you try to install it and look how it works on your system.

NB: If you download the full installer, you can install 1.71.1 (or any other version) in a completely different folder than 1.65 and use both. You just have to copy and paste your saved games, AddOns-folder and any other stuff you like from the 1.65-folder to the new 1.71.1-folder. (Almost) everything is usable in all versions, save-games anyhow, and if an OXP requires a specific version of the game, it will say so in its ReadMe, and probably point you to an alternative download that can be used with your version of the game. And you will find these informations here on the board as well.

Wow! Thank you so much for that very helpful post. I shall install version 1.71 and give it a try!

Yup

Okay, I'll make another attempt to run Oolite on my 2.0GHz MacBook. Last time I tried, the CPU temp rose, the fan went bezerk and machine sounded like a hairdryer.

[Cmdr. Maegil]

Okay, I'll make another attempt to run Oolite on my 2.0GHz MacBook. Last time I tried, the CPU temp rose, the fan went bezerk and machine sounded like a hairdryer.

That's my laptop's 'normal' behaviour...

[ovvldc]

I have found that any ship being destroyed gives Oolite a 'hickup'. That also goes on when I am not around, so I trust it is my G4 1200 Mhz and not my Radeon 9550 that is to blame.

It also serves as a useful notification that there's free cargo to be scooped on the WP-Station starlane

-Oz

[Commander McLane]

It also serves as a useful notification that there's free cargo to be scooped on the WP-Station starlane

Nice that you can make at least something good of it!