Reply to thread

Message

Hello,

looking at the wider availability of e.g. HD content, the market trend to less power hungry hardware and the many questions on our forum for hardware/codec/performance info, I thought is was time to start a performance thread.
Goal of this thread is to capture performance and experience of the CPU / GPU combination. The results would be three-fold:
1. giving advise on hardware selection;
2. better tweaking of our already installed / purchased hardware in combination with codes and last but not least:
3. ah well, just a show off of our (HTPC's) muscles
When we have enough results they could be collected and put in the wiki.

To get this of the ground I need some initial help in setting up a test script that captures performance in an easy way. Any thoughts / hints are welcome. This is what I have come up with initially.

Used Tools:
* Graphedit (to produce used codecs per test movie) [google for download]
* Procexp (sysinternals) (to capture CPU load during playback)

Test files:
Analog recording: mpeg2 / ts file: to be produced
SD file: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya ED theme SD video [Watching h.264 videos using DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA). My collection of short anime reviews test file 1]
HD 720P file: Elfen Lied ED theme 720p [Watching h.264 videos using DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA). My collection of short anime reviews test file 2]
HD 1080P file: Utawarerumono OP theme 1080p [Watching h.264 videos using DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA). My collection of short anime reviews test file 3]

Testscript:
1. start graphedit
2. start procexp
3. start MP
4. goto windowed mode (MediaPortal)
5. switch to procexp and select MediaPortal.exe → properties / performance graph
6. switch back to MP and start test file 1
7. switch to graphedit and display running remote graph
8. switch to procexp and register lowest / highest CPU load during playback of the file
9. goto 6

Performance results: (in italics my specs / results)
Windows Version: Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3
CPU brand / type: AMD Geode NX1750
Memory: 1024 MB
Video card brand / type / memory: Nvidia GT8500 256 MB
Video card connection: onboard / agp (speed) / pcie / pci PCI
Renderer: VMR9 / EVR VMR9
MPEG-2 Video Decoder: MPC-MPEG2Video Decoder (Gabest)
H.264 Video Decoder: MPC Video decoder
Audio Decoder: MPC – MPA Decoder filter

Test file HD 720P
remote graph video: MPC - Video Decoder → Video Mixing Renderer 9
remote graph audio:MPC – MPA Decoder filter → Default Direct Sound Device
CPU low / high / average: 7% - 19% -12%

Test file HD 1080P
remote graph video: MPC - Video Decoder → Video Mixing Renderer 9
remote graph audio:MPC – MPA Decoder filter → Default Direct Sound Device
CPU low / high / average: 15% - 24% -19%

Questions:
Is there a better tools to capture more precise the CPU load for an application?
Are the testfiles representative for load / performance testing?
Do we need to register / test other variables in our system?

Looking forward to your feedback!
regards,
Ruud.

<blockquote data-quote="Ruud" data-source="post: 310844" data-attributes="member: 10538">Hello,looking at the wider availability of e.g. HD content, the market trend to less power hungry hardware and the many questions on our forum for hardware/codec/performance info, I thought is was time to start a performance thread.Goal of this thread is to capture performance and experience of the CPU / GPU combination. The results would be three-fold:1. giving advise on hardware selection;2. better tweaking of our already installed / purchased hardware in combination with codes and last but not least:3. ah well, just a show off of our (HTPC's) muscles <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink&nbsp; &nbsp; ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />When we have enough results they could be collected and put in the wiki.To get this of the ground I need some initial help in setting up a test script that captures performance in an easy way. Any thoughts / hints are welcome. This is what I have come up with initially.Used Tools:* Graphedit (to produce used codecs per test movie) [google for download]* <a href="http://live.sysinternals.com/procexp.exe" target="_blank">Procexp (sysinternals) (to capture CPU load during playback)</a>Test files:Analog recording: mpeg2 / ts file: to be producedSD file: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya ED theme SD video [<a href="http://ranpha.wordpress.com/page-1/" target="_blank">Watching h.264 videos using DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA).&nbsp; My collection of short anime reviews</a> test file 1]HD 720P file: Elfen Lied ED theme 720p [<a href="http://ranpha.wordpress.com/page-1/" target="_blank">Watching h.264 videos using DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA).&nbsp; My collection of short anime reviews</a> test file 2]HD 1080P file: Utawarerumono OP theme 1080p [<a href="http://ranpha.wordpress.com/page-1/" target="_blank">Watching h.264 videos using DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA).&nbsp; My collection of short anime reviews</a> test file 3]Testscript:1. start graphedit2. start procexp3. start MP4. goto windowed mode (MediaPortal)5. switch to procexp and select MediaPortal.exe → properties / performance graph6. switch back to MP and start test file 17. switch to graphedit and display running remote graph8. switch to procexp and register lowest / highest CPU load during playback of the file9. goto 6Performance results: (in italics my specs / results)Windows Version: Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3CPU brand / type: AMD Geode NX1750Memory: 1024 MBVideo card brand / type / memory: Nvidia GT8500 256 MBVideo card connection: onboard / agp (speed) / pcie / pci PCIRenderer: VMR9 / EVR VMR9MPEG-2 Video Decoder: MPC-MPEG2Video Decoder (Gabest)H.264 Video Decoder: MPC Video decoderAudio Decoder: MPC – MPA Decoder filterTest file HD 720Premote graph video: MPC - Video Decoder → Video Mixing Renderer 9remote graph audio:MPC – MPA Decoder filter → Default Direct Sound DeviceCPU low / high / average: 7% - 19% -12%Test file HD 1080Premote graph video: MPC - Video Decoder → Video Mixing Renderer 9remote graph audio:MPC – MPA Decoder filter → Default Direct Sound DeviceCPU low / high / average: 15% - 24% -19%Questions:Is there a better tools to capture more precise the CPU load for an application?Are the testfiles representative for load / performance testing?Do we need to register / test other variables in our system?Looking forward to your feedback!regards,Ruud.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ruud, post: 310844, member: 10538"] Hello, looking at the wider availability of e.g. HD content, the market trend to less power hungry hardware and the many questions on our forum for hardware/codec/performance info, I thought is was time to start a performance thread. Goal of this thread is to capture performance and experience of the CPU / GPU combination. The results would be three-fold: 1. giving advise on hardware selection; 2. better tweaking of our already installed / purchased hardware in combination with codes and last but not least: 3. ah well, just a show off of our (HTPC's) muscles ;) When we have enough results they could be collected and put in the wiki. To get this of the ground I need some initial help in setting up a test script that captures performance in an easy way. Any thoughts / hints are welcome. This is what I have come up with initially. [b]Used Tools:[/b] * Graphedit (to produce used codecs per test movie) [google for download] * [url=http://live.sysinternals.com/procexp.exe]Procexp (sysinternals) (to capture CPU load during playback)[/url] [b]Test files:[/b] Analog recording: mpeg2 / ts file: to be produced SD file: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya ED theme SD video [[url=http://ranpha.wordpress.com/page-1/]Watching h.264 videos using DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA). My collection of short anime reviews[/url] test file 1] HD 720P file: Elfen Lied ED theme 720p [[url=http://ranpha.wordpress.com/page-1/]Watching h.264 videos using DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA). My collection of short anime reviews[/url] test file 2] HD 1080P file: Utawarerumono OP theme 1080p [[url=http://ranpha.wordpress.com/page-1/]Watching h.264 videos using DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA). My collection of short anime reviews[/url] test file 3] [b]Testscript:[/b] 1. start graphedit 2. start procexp 3. start MP 4. goto windowed mode (MediaPortal) 5. switch to procexp and select MediaPortal.exe → properties / performance graph 6. switch back to MP and start test file 1 7. switch to graphedit and display running remote graph 8. switch to procexp and register lowest / highest CPU load during playback of the file 9. goto 6 [b]Performance results:[/b] [i](in italics my specs / results)[/i] Windows Version: [i]Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3[/i] CPU brand / type: [i]AMD Geode NX1750[/i] Memory: [i]1024 MB[/i] Video card brand / type / memory: [i]Nvidia GT8500 256 MB[/i] Video card connection: onboard / agp (speed) / pcie / pci [i]PCI[/i] Renderer: VMR9 / EVR [i]VMR9[/i] MPEG-2 Video Decoder: [i]MPC-MPEG2Video Decoder (Gabest)[/i] H.264 Video Decoder: [i]MPC Video decoder[/i] Audio Decoder: [i]MPC – MPA Decoder filter[/i] [b]Test file HD 720P[/b] remote graph video: [i]MPC - Video Decoder → Video Mixing Renderer 9[/i] remote graph audio:[i]MPC – MPA Decoder filter → Default Direct Sound Device[/i] CPU low / high / average: [i]7% - 19% -12%[/i] [b]Test file HD 1080P[/b] remote graph video: [i]MPC - Video Decoder → Video Mixing Renderer 9[/i] remote graph audio:[i]MPC – MPA Decoder filter → Default Direct Sound Device[/i] CPU low / high / average: [i]15% - 24% -19%[/i] [b]Questions:[/b] Is there a better tools to capture more precise the CPU load for an application? Are the testfiles representative for load / performance testing? Do we need to register / test other variables in our system? Looking forward to your feedback! regards, Ruud. [/QUOTE]