Extreme slowdown during Chrono Trigger

thetitus · Post by **thetitus** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 1:28 am

Hi,
This is a fairly annoying problem that surfaced about a week or two ago, when I was about 50-60% through the game. Basically, at random points, the game slows down extremely, and I have to just wait it out or hit esc and wait on the menu (this usually takes 10-15 seconds). It has become more and more unstable as time goes on, in that it used to only happen twice or three times per half hour, and was fixed by eiter restarting the emulator or restarting the computer. Now, the problem starts as soon as I start ZSnes, and has become such that I can barely change settings without it freezing. It occasionally still works, but briefly and rarely. Also, it task manager, it shows that CPU usage spikes to roughly 100% when these slowdowns/instabilities occur.

My specs are roughly 2ghz Pent 4, 512 MB ram, 128 mb geforce, etc.

I run the game (with the current version) , usually, in 1280x1084 with Vsync, Hi-Res Mode 7, and HQ2X, but the problem occurs even in windowed 512x448 with none of those options checked.

Thanks for your help!

Joe Camacho · Post by **Joe Camacho** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 1:37 am

HQ2X tends to use a lot of resources to run, try disabling it. Also, do an Adware scan a virus scan.

thetitus · Post by **thetitus** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 1:58 am

I've done both; disabling the first seems to have no real effect, and the adaware scan comes up (relatively) clean, and his since been fixed.

Joe Camacho · Post by **Joe Camacho** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 2:29 am

Are you using the latest WIP? If you are, try deleting the .cfg files. Have you installed something ever since you started having this problem?

Deathlike2 · Post by **Deathlike2** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 2:33 am

Sometimes firewalls, but certainly some antivirus software are just real CPU hoggers.

thetitus · Post by **thetitus** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 2:45 am

Joe Camacho wrote:Are you using the latest WIP? If you are, try deleting the .cfg files. Have you installed something ever since you started having this problem?

Forgive my ignorance, but what's a WIP? And installed anything ZSnes related? No, but I've installed a few non-related things. I can't say specifically what I've installed though - nothing sticks out in my mind.

@Deathlike2: I havn't installed or changed my firewall or antivirus software lately.

Deathlike2 · Post by **Deathlike2** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 2:51 am

WIP = Work In Progress

If you did update ZSNES lately, it helps to delete the older .cfg+.dat files ZSNES generates.

PHoNyMiKe · Post by **PHoNyMiKe** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 2:52 am

I would try playing a different game, say super mario world for like an hour and see if zsnes stillslows down. I doubt the problem is chrono trigger, let alone zsnes. it sounds like some other program on your comp is being a whore. maybe hit ctrl+shift+esc and hit the performance tab. let it run in the background while you play zsnes, then when it freezes and you see a spike, see what other applications are consuming a lot of cpu in the processes tab. maybe it's direct x or smth.

thetitus · Post by **thetitus** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:48 am

I havn't updated recently (or at all, actually, I downloaded the current version) but, after taking your advice with task manager, it turns out "System Idle Process" is taking up so much of the CPU. However, despite this, the slowdown only occurs when playing Chrono Trigger (or at least, using ZSnes.)

This leads me to believe the problem may be with the computer, but it manifests itself most severly in the emulator (there is some associated slowdown in the rest of my programs as well.)

Deathlike2 · Post by **Deathlike2** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:59 am

thetitus wrote:I havn't updated recently (or at all, actually, I downloaded the current version) but, after taking your advice with task manager, it turns out "System Idle Process" is taking up so much of the CPU. However, despite this, the slowdown only occurs when playing Chrono Trigger (or at least, using ZSnes.)

This leads me to believe the problem may be with the computer, but it manifests itself most severly in the emulator (there is some associated slowdown in the rest of my programs as well.)

That is a symptom of something else.... the other programs being slowed down...

System Idle Process is supposed to take the most CPU time when nothing is going on (just think about that for a moment).

whicker · Post by **whicker** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:03 am

thetitus wrote:it turns out "System Idle Process" is taking up so much of the CPU.

sigh

thetitus · Post by **thetitus** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:59 am

whicker wrote:
thetitus wrote:it turns out "System Idle Process" is taking up so much of the CPU.
sigh

Thanks for the help

Deathlike2 wrote:That is a symptom of something else.... the other programs being slowed down...

System Idle Process is supposed to take the most CPU time when nothing is going on (just think about that for a moment).

Ah, I see. Well know that I know what the System Idle Process are supposed to do, I can say that there is something else causing some trouble - RtlWake.exe. Google says that it is benign but I closed it anyways. That might've done the trick, but who knows. I'll get back to you all later.

Also: how do I install a WIP?

thetitus · Post by **thetitus** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:55 am

he he he I think it was RtlWake that was doing it.

thanks for all the help guys!

snkcube · Post by **snkcube** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 7:36 am

thetitus wrote:Also: how do I install a WIP?

Grab the latest WIP version from ipher's WIP Page. Then extract the exe and you're finished. Make sure to delete your old .cfg and .dat files.

Clements · Post by **Clements** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 7:52 pm

System Idle Process is not taking up CPU. It represents the percentage of free CPU cycles available in very basic terms (% CPU used by processes + % Idle processes = 100%).

Master O · Post by **Master O** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:12 am

thetitus wrote:he he he I think it was RtlWake that was doing it.

thanks for all the help guys!

A simple google search reveals:

C:\Program Files\Belkin Corporation\Belkin Wireless Network Monitor Utility and Driver\RtlWake.exe

"Installed with Belkin Wireless products such as wireless network cards and hubs."

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Is this the memory whore of which we speak?