Curse

Kamakazi112 · Dec 30, 2011, 01:47 AM // 01:47

System Specs:

Video Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 560
CPU: Intel i7 - 2600 3.4 Ghz
RAM: 8g
Windows: Windows 7 x64

Problem:

Guild Wars is taking up like 15-20% of my CPU, with 250-350 mb of RAM
before it only takes up like 5% of CPU, and 100 MB of Ram

Also if i don't limit the FPS, it shows on that circle thing that i have 300+ FPS

I've tried:
Reformatting
Defraging
CC Cleaner
Reinstalling Guild Wars Client
Lowering Graphics

My CPU is not damaged, all other programs take the same CPU as before, only Guild Wars is taking up a lot of cpu.

Anyone else having this problem or have a solution?

Most of you do not understand my problem
before GW only took up 5% of my CPU + 100mb.

Now outta nowhere, after changing NOTHING

its taking 15%-20% and 300-500mb.
thats x3- x4 the usage as before

I aint trying to push it to 300 fps, its going at 300+ FPS by itself.

clear · Dec 30, 2011, 02:38 AM // 02:38

Looks normal to me, My guild wars instances use around 10% CPU usage and 500-700 mb of RAM. Crazy guild wars requiring resources to run.

Kamakazi112 · Dec 30, 2011, 05:36 AM // 05:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by clear

Looks normal to me, My guild wars instances use around 10% CPU usage and 500-700 mb of RAM. Crazy guild wars requiring resources to run.

on my i5 460m laptop

gw only takes 100mb, and 12% ram

doesnt make sense

before GW only used to take 5% and 100mb ram on my pc

dotness · Dec 30, 2011, 08:49 AM // 08:49

Could you create new windows profile with admin rights, run GW from there, and tell me if it works normal?

(i had a similar problem once, just wondering)

KZaske · Dec 30, 2011, 10:11 AM // 10:11

On my system it uses 569,380K per copy.

makosi · Dec 30, 2011, 11:34 AM // 11:34

I think this is normal behaviour for a Win7 64-bit system with components as nice as the ones you have. Utilizing more RAM/CPU is efficient.

Are you sure you haven't changed your graphics settings and bumped up anisotropic filtering or AA to higher than it was? Or are you running GW in compatability mode for an older Windows OS?

Where are you, in GW, when you're seeing this increased usage? Are you in a quiet GH or someplace busy like Kamadan ad1 or Eye of the North with Wintersday decorations? That tree makes your system work harder.

Quaker · Dec 30, 2011, 02:25 PM // 14:25

I don't see a problem. 15-20% of your CPU? Whoop-de-do! The change could be the result of a patch to GW1, or the effects of some other change to your system, but I can't see it as being in anyway important. Call me when it gets to 90%

Also, there's no sense in running 300+ fps. Your monitor (assuming LCD) will only display 60 fps anyway, so you're just putting extra strain on your video card for no reason.
Enable vsync.
(To clarify - your video card would be calculating 300+ fps for the frame buffer, but the frame buffer only sends 60 fps to the monitor as that's the refresh rate of the monitor.)

pedrobds · Dec 30, 2011, 06:28 PM // 18:28

I've noticed this happening too, i used to run guild wars on max settings with 0 internet or visual lag and any city (kamadan included) was insta loaded, but the past couple weeks everything has been much much slower..

Kamakazi112 · Dec 30, 2011, 08:53 PM // 20:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quaker

I don't see a problem. 15-20% of your CPU? Whoop-de-do! The change could be the result of a patch to GW1, or the effects of some other change to your system, but I can't see it as being in anyway important. Call me when it gets to 90%

Also, there's no sense in running 300+ fps. Your monitor (assuming LCD) will only display 60 fps anyway, so you're just putting extra strain on your video card for no reason.
Enable vsync.
(To clarify - your video card would be calculating 300+ fps for the frame buffer, but the frame buffer only sends 60 fps to the monitor as that's the refresh rate of the monitor.)

You dont understand my problem

Before it was 5% and 100mb RAM

Now its 15-25% and 300-500mb RAM

I'm not trying to put strain on my video card or try to run 300 FPS

my computer is just putting too much power into guildwars, resulting in its 300 FPS, that is why i limit it too 30 FPS

Draca · Dec 30, 2011, 10:33 PM // 22:33

so you are also 100% sure you are in the exact same areas as before? if you are trying to put up 300 fps over 30 fps then yes the cpu useage will also heavier. For me gw also take 300mb after just loading into the gh.

In short there is nothing out there. As Quaker put it, come back when you are seeing something really crazy.

edit: i think you are comparing a full winters day kamadan to some other empty place, how i'm able to reproduce your "problem"

darthlight · Dec 31, 2011, 12:16 AM // 00:16

512 MB - 700 MB is the norm for Guild Wars memory usage.

12% usage is very low...I don't know why you are complaining. CPU usage depends on your current CPU SpeedStep frequency anyways, you could be on a balanced power plan and the cpu automatically reduces its clock to the lowest possible. So many factors...

In regards to memory, there are a lot of things to consider before you start complaining such as the following:

* Whether you just launched Guild Wars and none of the zones & textures are cached into the memory
* Whether you minimized Guild Wars for a long time (memory being freed and cached onto the page file)
* Whether you are logged into an empty zone or with lots of people (also it depends which campaign you are in. The newer campaigns uses DirectX9 functions more than Prophecies thus more memory & cpu requirements)

Btw: Memory - Private Bytes only shows the amount of memory usage in RAM (This amount varies whether you maximize GW or minimize GW)

drkn · Dec 31, 2011, 01:32 AM // 01:32

Quote:

if you are trying to put up 300 fps over 30 fps then yes the cpu useage will also heavier.

The problem is, he's not trying it. The phantom within the gw.exe somehow, in unknown magical way and for obscure reasons, rockets up GW to 300+fps, straining the card and eating up the CPU/RAM resources.
That is, if i understand the problem correctly.

Kamakazi112 · Jan 01, 2012, 10:47 PM // 22:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by darthlight

512 MB - 700 MB is the norm for Guild Wars memory usage.

12% usage is very low...I don't know why you are complaining. CPU usage depends on your current CPU SpeedStep frequency anyways, you could be on a balanced power plan and the cpu automatically reduces its clock to the lowest possible. So many factors...

In regards to memory, there are a lot of things to consider before you start complaining such as the following:

* Whether you just launched Guild Wars and none of the zones & textures are cached into the memory
* Whether you minimized Guild Wars for a long time (memory being freed and cached onto the page file)
* Whether you are logged into an empty zone or with lots of people (also it depends which campaign you are in. The newer campaigns uses DirectX9 functions more than Prophecies thus more memory & cpu requirements)

Btw: Memory - Private Bytes only shows the amount of memory usage in RAM (This amount varies whether you maximize GW or minimize GW)

seems no one can understand my problem

All of you are saying that 12% is low, and 500mb is normal.

However none have you guys have taken into account that it used to take 5% cpu, and ~100 MB RAM. For these past six months

This 12-15% CPU and 300-500 RAM for you guys may be normal. However it is NOT normal for me.

* Minimized, maximized, Graphics maxed, Graphics minimized, Graphics DISABLED. Does not matter what state the guild wars client is in. It still takes up a lot.
* Brand new client, old client, every area downloaded it doesn't matter.
* Empty zone, Kamadan, guild hall, PvP, ANYWHERE it is the same

You are talking to me as if i have not tried these things, or i don't know these things.

If i disable Graphics and it still takes up 12% CPU, how does that make sense?

and drkn... i'm not sure if your comment is sarcastic. But that is bascially what is happening

Draca · Jan 01, 2012, 11:14 PM // 23:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamakazi112

seems no one can understand my problem

All of you are saying that 12% is low, and 500mb is normal.

However none have you guys have taken into account that it used to take 5% cpu, and ~100 MB RAM. For these past six months

This 12-15% CPU and 300-500 RAM for you guys may be normal. However it is NOT normal for me.

* Minimized, maximized, Graphics maxed, Graphics minimized, Graphics DISABLED. Does not matter what state the guild wars client is in. It still takes up a lot.
* Brand new client, old client, every area downloaded it doesn't matter.
* Empty zone, Kamadan, guild hall, PvP, ANYWHERE it is the same

You are talking to me as if i have not tried these things, or i don't know these things.

If i disable Graphics and it still takes up 12% CPU, how does that make sense?

and drkn... i'm not sure if your comment is sarcastic. But that is bascially what is happening

Sure i can get those numbers too standing around in a empty guild hall. we i asked if you are sure you didn't check when only something like that was happening. Only other answer i can give is /shrug dunno must be something wrong with the lower usage.

Kunder · Jan 02, 2012, 01:26 AM // 01:26

Use V-Sync to cap your FPS to your refresh rate. That should take your CPU usage back down to 5-10%. Unless you cap the FPS games will naturally run as fast as they can, which means either your graphics card goes at 100% or 1 of your CPU cores goes at 100% (for an i7 with hyper threading 1 CPU at 100% will show at ~13%, so with another core running a few things it will probably bounce around 15-20% as you describe). Disabling graphical effects and other stuff will do nothing to your CPU usage, that just lowers your GPU usage. In fact if your GPU is the limiting factor you would actually increase CPU usage by lowering graphical settings, since your FPS goes higher.

I have no clue how your memory usage was so low before. High load areas take around ~600 MB and lower load areas will take a minimum of ~350 MB. I think 100 MB is just wishful thinking on your part unless you are running some ultra-low command line switches to do something. Guild Wars spec requirements list 512 MB of memory. FWIW unless you are actually running enough other programs to the point where you are running out of all 8 GB of memory then an increase in memory usage is entirely irrelevant.

Kamakazi112 · Jan 02, 2012, 07:02 AM // 07:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kunder

Use V-Sync to cap your FPS to your refresh rate. That should take your CPU usage back down to 5-10%. Unless you cap the FPS games will naturally run as fast as they can, which means either your graphics card goes at 100% or 1 of your CPU cores goes at 100% (for an i7 with hyper threading 1 CPU at 100% will show at ~13%, so with another core running a few things it will probably bounce around 15-20% as you describe). Disabling graphical effects and other stuff will do nothing to your CPU usage, that just lowers your GPU usage. In fact if your GPU is the limiting factor you would actually increase CPU usage by lowering graphical settings, since your FPS goes higher.

I have no clue how your memory usage was so low before. High load areas take around ~600 MB and lower load areas will take a minimum of ~350 MB. I think 100 MB is just wishful thinking on your part unless you are running some ultra-low command line switches to do something. Guild Wars spec requirements list 512 MB of memory. FWIW unless you are actually running enough other programs to the point where you are running out of all 8 GB of memory then an increase in memory usage is entirely irrelevant.

Finally something helpful thanks

Raised graphics a bit, and enabled V-Sync. Dropped usage about 2%~. Still something though thanks.

--- EDIT: After a few mins CPU usage went back to the same 12-14%. lol

Before if i disabled Graphics to test it out, it would drop CPU usage down to 1-2%.

Also for the 100mb RAM, maybe i just got lucky, all computers/laptops i have ever used. It has only taken 100-150mb, maybe i am just used to what it should not have been.

Ohh forgot to mention, if i limit GW FPS to 1 FPS, it still takes the same amount of CPU usage. So i am confused lol

All 8 cores will be running at 13% too.

clear · Jan 05, 2012, 05:35 AM // 05:35

Glad we figured out this mystery... /close thread.

Quaker · Jan 05, 2012, 03:32 PM // 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamakazi112

seems no one can understand my problem

All of you are saying that 12% is low, and 500mb is normal.

However none have you guys have taken into account that it used to take 5% cpu, and ~100 MB RAM. For these past six months

This 12-15% CPU and 300-500 RAM for you guys may be normal. However it is NOT normal for me.

It also seems that you can't understand our answers.

I can't understand why you think that using 12-15% of your CPU and 300-500Megs of RAM is any sort of a problem unless you are also trying to run multiple apps at the same time.
Whether it used to be less or not doesn't really matter because the current usage is still well within normal and nothing to be concerned about. There could be many factors involved in this - most of which we are not aware of, such as the accuracy of your usage figures, some game changes resulting from an update or change in settings, etc, etc.

As far as the 300+ fps is concerned, simply enable Vsync.