Timer -h resolution bug with WinXP - 16/04/04 10:35 AM
Hello,
I've found an issue with High Resolution Timers in mIRC.
The minimum delay value in milliseconds that a timer can reach is 15,3846 ms on Windows XP. That means that a timer -h can only launch an alias maximum 65 times/second. (tested on a lot of WinXP PC, with Athlons and Pentiums up to 3Ghz, so its not a matter of CPU).
So this 15ms resolution is the same as the millisecond timer (timer -m). Thus there is no advantages in using -h.
But on Windows 98, on a slow Pentium II, the timer -h can launch a alias 2 times more than on WinXp, so up to 130x/seconds.
So High Resolution Timers that seems to be "performance related", are much better on a PII 366Mhz with Win98 than on a 3Ghz Pentium 4 with WinXP !!!
I didn'nt test this issue on Win2k or Me.
This is really a problem when using /timer -h 0 0, because it will be more effecient with old pc (wich use Win9x) !
So the resolution of timers -h looks like this:
Windows XP : 15ms = max. 65x/sec
Windows 98 : 7.5ms = max. 130x/sec
timer -h are perfect for picwin animations and games, because it can launch the main drawing alias a lot of times per seconds, without using while loops wich eat 100% of the CPU. With /timer -h a demo can "eat" only 2% of the CPU.
But with this 15ms resolution limitation, the animation is limited to 65 FPS, even on the fastest machines available.
I've found an issue with High Resolution Timers in mIRC.
The minimum delay value in milliseconds that a timer can reach is 15,3846 ms on Windows XP. That means that a timer -h can only launch an alias maximum 65 times/second. (tested on a lot of WinXP PC, with Athlons and Pentiums up to 3Ghz, so its not a matter of CPU).
So this 15ms resolution is the same as the millisecond timer (timer -m). Thus there is no advantages in using -h.
But on Windows 98, on a slow Pentium II, the timer -h can launch a alias 2 times more than on WinXp, so up to 130x/seconds.
So High Resolution Timers that seems to be "performance related", are much better on a PII 366Mhz with Win98 than on a 3Ghz Pentium 4 with WinXP !!!
I didn'nt test this issue on Win2k or Me.
This is really a problem when using /timer -h 0 0, because it will be more effecient with old pc (wich use Win9x) !
So the resolution of timers -h looks like this:
Windows XP : 15ms = max. 65x/sec
Windows 98 : 7.5ms = max. 130x/sec
timer -h are perfect for picwin animations and games, because it can launch the main drawing alias a lot of times per seconds, without using while loops wich eat 100% of the CPU. With /timer -h a demo can "eat" only 2% of the CPU.
But with this 15ms resolution limitation, the animation is limited to 65 FPS, even on the fastest machines available.