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Subject: Re: CPU control utility. First comments (+ comments about CM8000)

Author: Didzis Cirulis

Date: 00:53:11 12/08/00

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On December 08, 2000 at 00:39:58, Didzis Cirulis wrote:

>On December 07, 2000 at 21:01:24, Paul Doire wrote:
>
>>Maybe threr is hope for same PC matches.
>>I recently downloaded BinaryWork CPU Controller 1.0 from
>>www.tweakbase.com.
>>
>>It allows you to set cpu control for different applications
>>on a scale from minimum to maximum-not recommended,normal and high
>>are other settings.
>>
>>I have used in in matches with CM6000 a very cpu hungry program
>>with some success.
>>
>>I hope other same PC match hopefuls will download and try this,
>>then post their results here.
>>
>>Didziz I hope you read this, try it,if you haven't already and provide feedback
>>here at CCC.
>>
>>Regards,
>>Paul
>
>OK, I will. Wait for my comments in next 24 hours. :-)
>
>Didzis Cirulis

It can be used, and here is how:

First of all I have to say that CM8000 is a very tricky program regarding the
CPU usage. When pondering disabled and no other chess program running, it takes
some 1 or 2% of CPU. That can be tolerated, BUT (and this is a relly big BUT) as
soon as some other chess program has to calculate its move, the Chessmaster.exe
silently jumps on CPU and takes 8 to 14 % of it!!! As the result of this
"malicious" activity, the other program (Gambit Tiger in this test) has only
about 86% instead of usual 97 or 98%. The Tiger's interface is much more polite
and has no influence on CM.

Now about the CPU control utility and its application in this situation:

1) Start CM as usually
2) Start the CPU control utility
3) Use the utility to start the Tiger AND when it is running, assign it the
Highest priority!

This stops CM from getting CPU while it is Tiger's turn.

Data:

 Computer: Celeron 500 with 128 RAM

Programs:
Gambit Tiger 1.0  48MB RAM for Tiger. No book. No pondering. Fixed search depth
= 13 ply.

CM8000. Special test personality = no pondering and no book. Level = Game in 999
minutes. Test depth = 10 ply

Test move = e2e4


1) Tiger running alone. Time to complete the task = 4 min 34 sec.
2) Now the same for Tiger + CM8000 in background. Both programs started normally
= no CPU utility used.  Tiger completes the same task in 4 min 48 seconds.
3) Programs started as described above = CM as usually and Tiger - using CPU
utility and with the Highest priority. Now Tiger completes the same task in 4
min 35 sec !!!

Now from the CM perspective:

Running alone. The first time when the PV for depth = 10 ply shows up in the
Thinking Lines window = 41 sec
Running with Tiger (started using the CPU utility) = the same 41 sec !!!

This was very first and superficious test. I will let you know if something
intersting shows up.

P.S. Previous Chessmasters were much easier to handle for matches on one
computer in Windows 98 environment. Tricky, but easier :-(
P.P.S. If my CM could run in Windows 2000, there would be no problem, as W2K is
perfect for suppressing the background programs. Unfortunately my CM8000 keeps
thinking that it is running outside of its GUI and answers at 3 ply depth at any
time control.

Have a great chess!

Didzis Cirulis







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