High Processor Load

[zackbuffo]

My music machine, which usually only runs Wacup (or Winamp), is equipped with an Intel Core i3-6100U and 8GB RAM. Wacup produces a significantly high processor load (~26%) running with the Big Bento or the Big Bento Modern skin. In comparison to that, the old Winamp 5.666 with Big Bento just goes up to ~1-2% on the same machine and up to ~11% with Big Bento Modern.

Generally Wacup shouldn't use the processor that excessive, as I see it on my machine - even though it might not be the strongest hardware setup around. Maybe there are some performance tweaks that could be implemented.

My additional conclusion is, that also skins themselves can be responsible for some higher or lower processor load. I was discussing this with Victhor before, having similar performance issues on my machine with his Komodo X Touchscreen skin.

[Aminifu]

AFAIK, this is normal. WACUP (and Winamp) loads the CPU more when playing files with a modern UI than with a classic UI. I usually use Komodo X Touchscreen and I've seen my CPU load momentarily exceed 33%.  When I use a classic skin, the CPU load stays under 10% (usually under 5%). I'm running an old 4 core CPU (AMD Phenom II X4 945) and 6 GB of DDR2 RAM. The only thing less than 5 years old on my computer is a SSD C: drive (connected to a SATA 2 port).

Since WACUP is still in beta, I think it is a good idea to disable all plug-ins you don't use on a regular basis. Unless the WACUP CPU load is interfering with other programs you are running at the same time, I suggest you not worry about it.

[zackbuffo]

Aminifu, you're generally right. It's nothing to drop dead about, as long as the system is still responsive. But on the other hand the differences in processor load can be considered quite huge, if it ranges from close to zero up to one quarter or even one third of the whole system's capacity. So this post could be seen as a reminder to straighten these things out a bit during further development.

[Eris Lund]

it might also be helpful to show us your specs of your machine, as well as if you have a big library loaded

what aminifu said was right, i do not experience such high CPU loads on my AMD Ryzen 7 1700x system, at worst i manage to take up a single core's performance in my skin which in task manager shows as ~7-9%, but it's mostly at 6% or under, with the classic skin it stays rather quiet, only taking up 0% to 0,6% with something playing.

a older processor might show some higher CPU load

[dro]

Common issues that cause high cpu load:

1) Waveform Seeker processing files (easily disabled if not wanted but it will peak a core to get things rendered asap)
2) Large albumart being decoded (can't really do much about that as it just takes time to decode & render it)
3) Taskbar preview has been shown (there's an option to lower the refresh rate that might help or going to the basic mode).

Otherwise without a better idea about the WACUP setup itself there's not much else to suggest. I don't intentionally code things to waste resources nor have it sit at the equivalent of a cpu core but some actions will just take time & resources which a plain Winamp doesn't do as it doesn't offer those features in the same manner).

-dro

[zackbuffo]

@Gordon Freeman:
It's a Intel Core i3-6100U with 8GB RAM (also see my first post) having a Win10 on an SSD. My library contains around 22k Songs. Btw. the figures mentioned in my first post are all observed with Big Bento's beat visualisation and spectrum analyzer off.

@DrO
I would assume, that the three points you mentioned rather produce peaks than a constant load (correct me if I'm wrong). I was talking about the latter and not about getting high load while doing "something". Even though I didn't care about deactivating any of the out-of-the-box plugins so far, my expectation was, that there is nothing too fancy going on in the background as long as I just play some songs from the (22k songs) playlist and nothing else.

Interestingly when I was discussing and investigating the processor load with Victhor using his Komodo X skin for the first time (on the described machine), taking away the spectrum analyzer items from the skin (there where initially two implemented) improved the situation (using Winamp). From my perspective there are two players in the story: the skins do have impact on it, but Winamp/Wacup as well - even without doing some "special" things.

To sum this up (and maybe repeating myself), this is rather a reminder to have an eye on performance. Nothing serious so far, but there are things going on with different skins and comparing Winamp and Wacup.

[zackbuffo]

DrO, I forgot to ask:
What information about the WACUP setup would you need to investigate this a bit (in case you're intersted to do so)? Is there some button to get any kind of a setup log or something similar?

[dro]

It wasn't clear from the initial post if you were experiencing peak or continued load issues & with what I'd posted, 1 & 3 can both cause continued load issues to differing degrees as it can also depend on the file types being played & how everything interacts (e.g. I recently had a case where waveform seeker + vgmstream + brtsm files would max out a machine's cpu).

Preferences -> Plug-ins -> see the info tool section. That'll give me an initial idea of what's been installed with the setup.

-dro

[Aminifu]

I hope the OP posts his Info Tool report. The i3-6100U has 2 cores, 4 threads and a 2.30 GHz base processor frequency, but it still sounds abnormal for the WACUP CPU load to stay in a high range when loaded and not playing files as when it's playing files.

[zackbuffo]

Will do. Just didn't find the time to push the button yet.

Btw these reported percentages are observed while Winamp/WACUP was displayed in the foreground. Figures seem to be slightly lower, if the player is minimized (as I noticed just now with a Winamp 5.666 installation on my office machine). I will also check those on my music machine at home later today (and push the button...).

[zackbuffo]

Finally here's the desired Wacup Info Report.

Btw. it doesn't make a difference in processor load if I'm running WACUP minimized or in foreground. It's some good 20% with Big Bento Modern.

[simplio]

I am running Intel core i7 10th gen (1065G7) 64 bit it uses 8% with the windows 10 full skin and Milkdrop 2 visualization. So yea it varies between various processor types and generations.

Edit: wow didnt know music was 3200KBPS!!!

[dro]

@zackbuffo: Disable the waveform seeker plug-in (via the Plug-ins -> General preferences page) is the best option to try from what I can see in the IT report.

@simplio: ~8% usage on that CPU means it's running at ~60% for the core/thread that WACUP is active on which seems a bit high but I don't know what the impact of Milkdrop on a modern laptop is like / expected to be (since it's usage depends on the preset & rendering modes, etc).

-dro[/b]