Skin BlueTwo wide - High CPU Load (1 Viewer)

[grubi]

TV-Server Version: n/a
MediaPortal Version: 0.23 RC1
MediaPortal Skin: BlueTwo wide
Windows Version: XP SP2
CPU Type: E4400
HDD: WD 160 GB
Memory: 1 GB
Motherboard: ASUS P5B Deluxe
Motherboard Chipset:
Motherboard Bios:
Video Card: ATI X1650 Pro HDMI
Video Card Driver: Catayst 7.5
Sound Card:
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: FloppyDTV-C
1. TV Card Type:
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card:
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: ATI (Cyberlink OEM)
MPEG2 Audio Codec: ATI (Cyberlink OEM)
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case:
Cooling:
Power Supply: Enermax Linerty 400W
Remote:
TV:
TV - HTPC Connection:


Reproducing the problem:
---------------------------------
- Boot Computer
- Press CTRL + ALT + DEL
- Select System Performance Tab
- Start MediaPortal
- Move the Cursor to My Pictures, My Vdieo or My TV
- Look at CPU usage which is nearly 100 % constantly for one core
- Move the Cursor to My Radio
- Look at CPU usage which drops to 2 %


When Switching the skin to BlueTwo (nonwide) this strange
behavour is not reproducable.

 

[grubi]

I did further testing and found out the following:

This problem is related to Mediportal when running with ATI's Catalyst 7.5 drivers.
I checked this on two different machines with exactly same results. Backrev to Catalyst 7.1 solves the problem. So everyone using ATI cards should be warned. I did not find any other apps having problems with Catalyst 7.5 so far. I was not able to test the recently released Catalyst 7.6, but when I have done I will post back the results here.

Edit: Seems that other graphic cards are also affected. Look at this:

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/cpu_100_menu_bluetwo_wide-t12518.html
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/high_cpu_load_running_mp-t20090.html

Edit: Checked with Catalyst 7.6 and problem still exists.

So here are the results:

Official ATI Catalyst 7.5 causing 100% CPU load when idle
Official ATI Catalyst 7.6 causing 100% CPU load when idle
Modded Omega drivers based on Catalst 7.1 work without that problem.
Modded Omega drivers based on Catalst 7.4 work without that problem.

The question remains why MediaPortal causes 100% CPU load when beeing idle with
some grafic card / driver combinations (not only ATI as we can see)?

grubi.

 

[ronilse]

Hi,
The posts you link to it's old & one of that card doesn't have enough memory as required by MP & it could be graphic card related.
Have had lots of problems with various drivers for my nvidia card, so drivers can be blamed for many issues. The reason for why you don't see the same problem with other software it's because MP runs like a game & requires "good" graphic card.
If you attach MediaPortal.log to your post when you have a high cpu, we could have a look to see if anything it's seen in it (you never now it could very well be a bug in MP & the log can tell or just a screwed up driver release )

Regards
Roy

 

[grubi]

Hi Ronsile,

thanks for your response.
What you state is correct in general.
What is quite strange is the fact that you only see this problem with the wide skin and not the narrow skin. Also strange is that you get 100 % cpu load when MP is in the main menu and simply doing nothing whereas it simply depends on the menu item which is currently selected. If you move the selection bar to "My Music" for example the load drops to 2%. Simply moving it back to my tv, my video, my picture raises it again to 100%.

Even on watching DVD or TV my CPU load never raises above 15%

The other post I refered to shows exactly that strange behavour and also only with the wide skin. Maybe read it carefuly again.

There is no question that this is also driver related as my tests have shown, but all the latest official ATI driver showing this problem. Only the modded Omega drivers did not. I could not verify if it is caused by the older Catalyst version the Omegas are based on or any modifications or tweaks the developer made. I have verified this on two completely different machines both having X1650PRO cards. I also have a machine with a 9600PRO, where I will do the same test and post back.

Do you think a Radeon X1650PRO HDMI with 256 MB is not powerful enough to drive MP?

I would be very glad if I can assist in finding the cause of that problem in MP, but I think my possibilities are limited as I'm a Win32 C++ developer.

Next I will attach the requested logs, but I have to search for how to get them first.

Keep on the good work.
Regards,
grubi

 

[ronilse]

Hi,
Logs are in "Program Files(default install)\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\log" & yes i think your card it's good enough, just mention it because you linked to another post where the case are different

Regards
Roy

 

[grubi]

See attached logfile.

Checked the same with a 3rd machine having a Radeon 9600PRO with latest Catalyst driver but the problem could not be reproduced on this machine.

On all machines I have done a fresh WinXP SP2 pro installation.

grubi.

 

[grubi]

Attached two screenshots as proof that I'm not completely maniac.

 

[ronilse]

Hi,
Have tested here on laptop but can't reproduce it (ATI Xpress 1150), it's a really weird issue so would have been good to find out whats causing it, maybe someone else can...

The log didn't tell about any problems but gave a good description when trying to reproduce.

Regards
Roy

 

[grubi]

Hi,
Have tested here on laptop but can't reproduce it (ATI Xpress 1150), it's a really weird issue so would have been good to find out whats causing it, maybe someone else can...

The log didn't tell about any problems but gave a good description when trying to reproduce.

Regards
Roy

Yes to many factors having influences on it. Maybe a good point to start thinking about it is why this only happens with the wide skin and not the narrow skin. Hopefully soon the next release of Omega's driver will come out which will be based at least on Catalsyt 7.5. Then we will be able to sort out if there is a tweak the developer found to avoid the problem or if it also start appearing in the Omegas due to problems in the latest Catalyst versions.

Thanks again for looking into it.

 

[maxxess]

Missed this post in earlier search. I have a mobo with ATI X1200 which worked OK with 0.2.2. Did not touch Radeon drivers (7.5 package) or settings for a long time, after upgrade to 0.23 RC1 MP sucks 50% CPU (=1 core@full load) when it is idle in main menu.

This happens with the (default) normal skin, and only in fullscreen. During operations such as playing video etc CPU is at normal load. This is really bugging me since my fans start working up a pretty good speed.