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Topic: «AWM causes system-wide graphics performance degradation » on forum: Technical Support   Views: 3258
 
Steve Kalide
Advanced user
 
 Posts: 144
Joined: 03/29/2011
Posted: 04/15/2013 20:07:55
 
 
 While AWM is enabled, system graphics are negatively effected, resulting in a reduction of performance and choppiness/stuttering.

The most apparent example of this is when playing games -- when AWM is running, games' performance is greatly reduced, cutting frames-per-second down by about -10FPS. This doesn't happen with just one game, either, but with all graphically-intensive games I've played over the past year or so.

Additionally, when AWM is active and running, "micro-stuttering" happens, and becomes very apparent -- even when vsync is enabled, and the frames-per-second are running fine at the exact rate of the monitor's refresh rate, which would mean it's not a graphical issue caused by lack of hardware performance, lack of vsync, or a mismatching of frame-rate/refresh-rate.

As soon as I stop and exit AWM, and then go back into a game to specific repeated testing locations (like rendered cinematic sequences which are "constant" and repeatable), the micro-stuttering is gone and the frames-per-second are about +10-FPS higher. However, if I then turn AWM back on and repeat the test (to exclude the possibility of a game-caching effect), the frames-per-second drop back down and micro-stuttering occurs again.

Another example where this is apparent is in window-switching program I use called "Switcher" (http://insentient.net/). If I disable and close AWM, the window-switching animation flows perfectly smooth without any stutters, jumps, or choppiness. But if AWM is active and running, the window-switching animation is laggy, choppy, and stutters.


(This problem has been happening long before I ever installed "Switcher". It also continues to happen even if Switcher is completely closed.)


For reference, I have narrowed out all other variables possible in testing. I have closed all other running programs possible, I've disabled all running services possible, and I've had as few pieces of hardware/drivers connected, in order to rule out interference. I've documented this across all revisions in AWM over the past year or so, and have seen it constant across many different driver revisions/updates and Windows system updates.

Additionally, my system specs are fairly powerful, and shouldn't be the cause of any issue:

i7 930 @ 4.2Ghz
12GB RAM 1600Mhz
160GB SSD
AMD 7950 3GB @ 1100Mhz/1675Mhz (also happened with a 6950 2GB card I previously had)
Windows 7 Ultimate x64


This has been happening for over a year now, and has happened across all versions and updates of AWM. I've just dealt with it by either turning of AWM when playing any games, or just enduring the stuttering and choppiness when using the desktop normally (like with "Switcher").

I wish I knew more of the technical process and details of how AWM works, but I wager it is somehow "hooking" Windows' graphic subsystem, which puts another "man" in the middle. So instead of having a fast-moving flow of data between graphic subsystem and the monitor display, there's a middleman of AWM which adds another step in the process, resulting in a reduction of FPS and causes micro-stuttering.

But that's just a rough guess.

I'd love to be able to keep AWM running constantly, and not have to exit it every time I am doing something graphically intensive, like when playing games. But perhaps this may be an impossible issue to solve.

Any ideas/suggestions/thoughts?

Win7/Win8.1 Pro (x64)
AWM 8.3b2
 
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Bogdan Polishchuk
Administrator
 
 Posts: 4080
Joined: 04/04/2012
Posted: 04/16/2013 02:00:57
 
 
 Hello Steve

Have you tried to disable particular features of AWM?

Could you first disable the AWM taskbars and check whether it helps?

If that doesn't help, disable the Transparency of windows if you have it enabled.

Also you can try to disable some Mouse features (Mouse > Drag and Scroll and Multiple Monitors tabs).

Let me know if that helps.
 
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Steve Kalide
Advanced user
 
 Posts: 144
Joined: 03/29/2011
Posted: 04/21/2013 00:21:08
 
 
 I'll try these and report back!

Win7/Win8.1 Pro (x64)
AWM 8.3b2
 
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