Sins Forums
I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a way to have SoSE utilize more cores than just the single one atm. Right now when I am playing a big map the computer is abusing the first core of the 2 and the second one just sits there. If there isn't a way is there any plans to update the game to use more cores?
Im actually curious to this myself. I really hope the future expansions/patches will add in better multi core support, it would make things run smoother.
you can set the game to use cores from the task manager in windows (though i dont know if the game will actually use them.). if you have nvidia gfx card(s) you can force "thread optimization" which works great for me. i think sins is supposed to use multiple cores in the first place but some ppl dont see this happening.
it should be noted that im running 2 9800 gtx gfx cards in sli with a q6600 that is overclocked to 3.2 ghz so your performance will very depending on your setup. following are some pics from the nvidia control panel.
it should also be noted that the in game AA and AF are inefficient, and by over riding them through the control panel you can gain some performance in some games. hope that helped 
Hardware virtualization ( Intel-V or AMD-V processor ), VMware ESX ( max 8 core by virtual machine and 255 gb ram ), Linux ( or open solaris ) with Xen...
Have test it with some success... i was able to use my 8 core but once the game memory use reach over the 11 gb ram, it always crash ( don't know why )... for use 11 gb ram, the game setting was all at max, 7DS mod, 1 player with 9 AI and pirate, 25 star system with around 1000 planet... so, with a standart huge multistar map, max player, max graph, biggest mod who exist, the limit of 11 gb ram is not a problem...
For the speed, there is no miracle... i have create a virtual processor at 10 ghz but in internet, since the sins code is not made for multicore, only some loop and other subroutine are executed on a different core... not very different if you have the source and compile it again with multicore option... the speed win is around a max of 30% when related to a dual core... more speed can be win by using other trick ( who are not easy to apply for a newbie )... by example, caching texture in the graphic ram ( opengl ) in place of the main ram ( directx ) is possible but ask some knowledge of GCC, operating system, and a huge graphic memory ( between 768 mb and 1 gb )...
The best thing is to wait... sure that with the success of sins, a sins 2 will come in the future... certainly supporting recent technologie like 64 bits and multicore... the actual trick ask a lot of work and power for only a little game speed up... and desktop processor/computer are not very good at it ( my 2 year old server board have a benchmark score who is almost double of these of the more powerfull I7 !!! )
I really hope the future expansions/patches will add in better multi core support
Will not happen with expensions/patches... good multicore and/or 64 bits support will ask a full rewriting of the core engine of the game... it will certainly break compatibility, create huge sync problem for online game and a lot of other problem... but it is possible that once the three expension are out, Ironclad/Stardock begin to work on a sins 2, with a new engine... this will maybe happen if sins remain a worldwide success...
The game is already using more that one core... a second core is used for speed up the loading of the game... if i good remember, the loading of texture are made via the second core...
With standart OS and configuration, a dual core is recommended...
im not sure what you mean by standard os and config but like i said above i run a quad and while running sins on a map with 150+ planets and stars my ram is whats being used the most though each core has relatively the same load (about 35% total) while the ram is closer to 80%
By standart OS, i mean Microsoft OS ( XP and/or Vista )... by config, i mean standart kernel and other little think who can be tweak in Microsoft OS...
About your quad core being used... change the scale of your graph... you will see that the game jump from one core to the next... but is not running on the 4 core in the same time... it is simply a method implement by OS for "heating" reason... by moving from one core to the next, rise of temperature in the core is slower...
Your 35% is a enough realistic number... one core almost fully used for the game, other core used by system, antivirus, firewall and other background application...
RAM use is the weak side of sins... huge map, a lot of AI, and huge mod ask a lot of ram... a 64 bit core engine will resolve the problem... some will say that they run heavy game like "crysis" without problem but they are short in ram with "sins"... the reason is simple... game like crysis work in "episode" mode... one scene is load after the other... in sins, all the "universe" is created at the begining of the game... it is like you load all the level of crysis in one time !!!
Sins was released begin last year... sure that the project was started one or two year before... when 64 bits and multicore was not common like now... but same so, sins run enough good on a lot of machine... some people are limited to medium map due to ram limit... but with 4gb ram for application ( max of 32 bits application with Windows x64 using WOW64 mode ) all the standart map ( these created by Stardock ) are runing enough smooth...
At the processor level, for sins, it is better to have a dual core at 4ghz that a quad core at 2ghz...
By the way, Entrenchment bring a lot of memory optimisation and speed optimisation... Entrenchment add a lot of content but run smoothly that the original sins... so, in some way, they are working on the problem...
Even with the Control panel option, Sins doesnt seem to want to use my second core.
Keep in mind, that runs somewhat choppy with the core maxed out, there are periods of more smoothness, and those could be where the game goes into the second core.
Look at Crysis Wars, it seems to divide the load instead of maxing out the first core and runs fairly smooth. Which is what Id hope Sins could be like.
i dont know then, i dont seem to have a problem with it. sry
read the % at the time of the image to get a real picture, I have to say my core 2 duo, is more balanced than yours. Mind you I was running more programs that it seems on there
Wow I can't believe this, my second core is taking more processing power than the first
swfan654 and Mooster ... both of your processor are given the same power... something a little over the 50%... the only difference is that the Mooster processor is better tuned for share the load between the core...
My graph is similar to these of Mooster... sins using my 8 core... in the sample below, not yet all the core have reach the 100% at one moment but if i have continue monitoring, it will have happen... it is simply a thermal regulation thing...
My global is around 12.5% who is 1/8 of my total power, meaning one core... sins use a second core but for very short periode and only specific loading process, mainly at the begin of one game...
If the total memory show is only 8gb , it is because i use now the memory in raid mode ( similar to the hard drive system but apply to memory )... i have become parano when related to my data integrity... use ECC 8 bit and memory mirror mode... bios function who don't exist on usual desktop board and work only with FB ddr ram ( serial link )... in some way, my server board is similar to a top power MAC but my system is around 10000$ cheaper that the Apple one... It is a 3D modeler render station ( poser pro 7 can use 8 64 bits render engine and the computer was build for these piece of software ) and was not planned to game with it... but sins run so go at it !!! and i like so much sins !!! In fact, almost all the game fly on it, specially when i have switch off the onboard ATI 100 and install at NV 8800 Ultra 768 mb ( suck 350 watt of power !!! )...
Swfan654, don't worry too much... it is the PC world... where you have hundred of hardware configuration, with several possible OS, each of them having multiple possible configuration... fine tuning a PC is really a hard work... it is why i use Linux... not because Linux is better but because i can have the source... and compile a top kernel who will reach to speed only on my computer ( and crash on other )...
A lot of people complain about game... but game are only the last layer... material is the first one, the second is the bios, the next is the OS... too much parameter for game creator... you can have a top computer for Crysis but a bad computer for Pack-man !!! Since computer are cheap but application are expensive, i first choose my application and create the perfect computer for it... can seem crazy but at professional level, some application can reach a tag price who is over the several thousand dollar, so the difference between a system at 1k$ and 1.5k$ are very little on the general budget... my computer being go at game was simply a unplanned good surprise...
By the way, if one day, Stardock/Ironclad release the source of sins, i am sure that a new compilation with diferent option will speed up the game for around 30% and this without changing the source code... simply because recent compilator are able to detect some part of the code who can use a independant thread ( and enjoy the multicore effect )...
Again, wait and see... i am almost sure that in the future, once expension pack are fully release, a sins II will appear... with 64 bits support ( no more memory problem ) and multicore support ( no more slowdown )... almost nobody in the gaming business have think that sins will generate so much money for their creator... but due to the planetory success of sins, it is almost sure that a sequel will come... patience is a key word... Ironclad/Stardock have made sins in a delay of one year... who is really a short time in the game business... give them a few year delay and i think that you will be happily surprised...
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