Will the DCS A-10C support multi cores?

[kingneptune117]

Im looking into getting a new processor, but it seems like all the flight sims I like only support single cores.

 

Will the new A-10C support multiple cores? Im not even sure if lock on does or not.

[BTTW-DratsaB]

Lockon does not, DCS Black shark does and very well I might add. Its already in the engine so I would say for sure DCS A10 will have it.

 

Oh, and welcome to the forum :beer:

[kingneptune117]

Lockon does not, DCS Black shark does and very well I might add. Its already in the engine so I would say for sure DCS A10 will have it.

 

Oh, and welcome to the forum :beer:

 

Great to hear!!! This makes picking out the processor I want much easier.

[Prophet4no1]

I have a quad core but DCS only uses two.

[4c Hajduk Veljko]

I have a quad core but DCS only uses two.

I hope the OS takes remaining two to take care of its own tasks and maybe run Team Speak and other applications in background.

[Prophet4no1]

I hope the OS takes remaining two to take care of its own tasks and maybe run Team Speak and other applications in background.

 

 

Vista64 seems to use hardly any CPU. When running DCS cores 0 and 2 are around 70-80% load and cores 1 and 3 are at about 15-20% load. If I open a second DCS all four cores are at about 80-90% load.

[beers]

if you have Vista or Win7 it will sorta use multi cores, but in order to really take advantage of multi-core power it needs to be a multi-thread application, which is not expected any time soon, to my great disappointment.

 

In specific response to your question, there are excellent references on this forum, search for 'recommendations' or such... in general, a dual-core will does the same as a quad in terms of DCS, and i also hear the i7's do much better than Core2's. 3.0GHz or better imho; processor speed is the biggest DCS factor and likely will be for some time to come. Win7 would be the best processor, 64bit will give you more memory access, but i do not find DCS to really comsume much memory. There is data from tests people have run around here, do some searching.

[Prophet4no1]

My Q6600 out scored the uber system on 3D Mark Vantage. But it destroyed my in graphics area. The ubber system was an i7 but I do not recall what one off hand. Bang for your buck the q6600 is one of the best chips if you can find one. You can overclock the crap out of it as long as you have a good mobo and cooling.

[sobek]

Lockon does not, DCS Black shark does and very well I might add. Its already in the engine so I would say for sure DCS A10 will have it.

 

I don't know where you have this from, but it's not in the engine. That's just DX10+ scheduling features. DCS is not yet a multithreaded application and the A-10C module will not be an exception.

[BTTW-DratsaB]

Maybe a poor choice of words on my part for the technically anal :D. But to the lay man, for all intents and purposes, DCS A10 will get a significant boost using a multicore CPU than a single core cpu. Which is really all the op wanted to know :) (albeit on a DX10 compatible OS)

 

===============

 

Actually Sobek you got me wondering now, are you saying that if I where to enable affinity for all cores on Lockon with Vista I would get the same boost that DCS:BS gets with affinity?

Edited January 22, 2010 by BTTW-DratsaB

[sobek]

Actually Sobek you got me wondering now, are you saying that if I where to enable affinity for all cores on Lockon with Vista I would get the same boost that DCS:BS gets with affinity?

 

Actually i'm too busy with being anal to answer that question. :P;)

[CyBerkut]

Actually i'm too busy with being anal to answer that question. :P;)

 

Perhaps if you were better at it, it wouldn't demand so much of your attention! ;) :lol:

[funkee]

I don't know where you have this from, but it's not in the engine. That's just DX10+ scheduling features. DCS is not yet a multithreaded application and the A-10C module will not be an exception.

 

Sobek, you're totaly wrong and mislead others. DCS since v 1.01 has full multi core support:

 

DCS: Black Shark 1.0.1 Read Me

* Vista [and Windows7 i guess] users using multi-core systems will now have affinity automatically set to use all cores.

 

you may expect even 2x fps boost using CPU with >= 2 cores. Using DCS 1.0 version (greetz for all pirates), you need to set affinity manualy with task manager or "DCSMax" tool. Personally im getting 120 fps from previous 65, which means almost 100% gain.

 

I would recommend you some Intel multicore CPU such a Core2Duo, or some Core2Quad, but not slower than 3 GHz. Keep in mind the most important ain't number of cores, but CPU frequency (the more not every game supports multicore technology), and the Intel C2D E8xxx CPU series are the best for overclocking.

Edited January 24, 2010 by funkee

[StrongHarm]

Funkee, could you share how you've acheived 120fps please? My specs are similar to yours and I'm a sys admin, so my machine is clean. I've been playing for about three weeks. After install and much research I came to these ( http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=49041 ) conclusions. Can you add anything please?

[kingneptune117]

Sobek, you're totaly wrong and mislead others. DCS since v 1.01 has full multi core support:

 

 

 

you may expect even 2x fps boost using CPU with >= 2 cores. Using DCS 1.0 version (greetz for all pirates), you need to set affinity manualy with task manager or "DCSMax" tool. Personally im getting 120 fps from previous 65, which means almost 100% gain.

 

I would recommend you some Intel multicore CPU such a Core2Duo, or some Core2Quad, but not slower than 3 GHz. Keep in mind the most important ain't number of cores, but CPU frequency (the more not evey game supports multicore technology), and the Intel C2D E8xxx CPU series are the best for overclocking.

 

im gonna get one of these three

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115215&cm_re=intel_i5-_-19-115-215-_-Product

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115217&cm_re=intel_i5-_-19-115-217-_-Product

 

or i MAY get this im not sure if I wanna spend that much money. I wont be playing many modern games such as mass effect and what not. Mostly for flight sims especially the DCS A-10c

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202&cm_re=i7-_-19-115-202-_-Product

 

Are you SURE that these games support multi threading, that means like more than 4 cores. I might as well just buy the really high frequency dual core if it doesnt.

[Bucic]

I don't know where you have this from, but it's not in the engine. That's just DX10+ scheduling features. DCS is not yet a multithreaded application and the A-10C module will not be an exception.

 

Sobek, you're totaly wrong and mislead others. DCS since v 1.01 has full multi core support:

 

 

you may expect even 2x fps boost using CPU with >= 2 cores. Using DCS 1.0 version (greetz for all pirates), you need to set affinity manualy with task manager or "DCSMax" tool. Personally im getting 120 fps from previous 65, which means almost 100% gain.

 

I would recommend you some Intel multicore CPU such a Core2Duo, or some Core2Quad, but not slower than 3 GHz. Keep in mind the most important ain't number of cores, but CPU frequency (the more not evey game supports multicore technology), and the Intel C2D E8xxx CPU series are the best for overclocking.

AFAIK Sobek is right and you are wrong. To put it simple - DCS is not specificaly designed to use even two cores and the gains people report are rather due to Vista/Windows 7 handling of resources. With 1.0 one had to manually assign affinity to both cores. With 1.0.1 it's done automatically. That's all. It's the only difference. Affinity assigned to both cores does not make an application multithreaded by design. Just like fueling your car with Jet A-1 fuel will not make your car a plane. Even if it fuels itself with Jet A-1 automatically.

[26-J39]

Let us not be confused between the terms, "multi core" & multi thread" two different things... Seems to be some confusion about it

[Bucic]

I meant multi core, didn't I? :)

[Wolf85]

LOL, so this game does not run on all my 4 cores? :P

[funkee]

LOL, so this game does not run on all my 4 cores? :P

 

It does with patch 1.01.

 

DCS is not specificaly designed to use even two cores and the gains people report are rather due to Vista/Windows 7 handling of resources. Affinity assigned to both cores does not make an application multithreaded by design. Just like fueling your car with Jet A-1 fuel will not make your car a plane. Even if it fuels itself with Jet A-1 automatically.

 

Dude, I was talking about multi core support only, not multi threading, please read more carefully. The gain is just due to this, not a better handling of resources by Win7 or Vista. And the fueling car with Jet fuel was totally non sence example. Sorry.

 

Funkee, could you share how you've acheived 120fps please? My specs are similar to yours and I'm a sys admin, so my machine is clean. I've been playing for about three weeks. After install and much research I came to these ( http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=49041 ) conclusions. Can you add anything please?

 

No problem but i know nothing of your system specs. Here u have some tips i posted yesterday, maybe something of this will help u: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=822405#post822405 And 120 fps that i was taking about was only at start of a training mission, otherwise im getting decent 50 - 65 fps (1600/1200, 16:10, antialiasing x2, anizo x16, shadows: all planar, range medium and the rest set to max).

But it doesnt change the fact im getting double framerate with patch 1.01 (or 1.0 with affinity manually set to both cores).

 

Screenshots (was taken a few months ago when i had only 2GB of ram, old Vista O/S in critical condition and DCS in 1.0 version):

 

http://img299.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dcs2009030916080306.jpg

http://img299.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dcs2009030916083965.jpg

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/3056/dcs1.jpg

 

And now new O/S (Win7x64)

 

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/2154/screenshot005tl.jpg

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/671/screenshot011.jpg

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7105/screenshot015v.jpg

 

 

Btw. thank you guys for decude my reputation. Was trying to be helpful and post some about affinity and overclocking. Now having -15. Thx a lot!

Edited January 23, 2010 by funkee

[Distiler]

It uses 2 cores because windows manages dcs threads. If it was a multithread optimized application it would gain perfomance from going to 2 to 4 cores. Rise of Flight gains 40% in a 2 vs 4 cores, DCS gains like 0%.

[Bucic]

Official DCS: Black Shark User FAQ

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=33527

 

Q: Does DCS: Black Shark take advantage of multi-core processors?

 

A: DCS: Black Shark uses a modified version of The Fighter Collection Simulation Engine (TFCSE), which was not originally designed to take advantage of multi-core processor technologies. Nevertheless, such systems do generally provide better game performance as a result of their native capabilities.

 

11/20/08 EDIT:

You can try manually setting the core affinity for DCS to all of the CPU cores, which may boost your game performance. To do this, Alt-Tab out of a running mission, set the CPU affinity for DCS and Alt-Tab back in. You will have to do this every time you run the sim.

 

IMHO this thread should be locked unless someone convinces forum admin that the official FAQ is misinforming.

[sobek]

Dude, I was talking about multi core support only, not multi threading, please read more carefully. The gain is just due to this, not a better handling of resources by Win7 or Vista.

 

There is no such thing as multicore support without multithreading, the load balancing is all done on the OS level and not by the game, the patch just added that affinity is set to all cores.

 

Get your stuff right before accusing me of misleading people :mad::censored:

 

IMHO this thread should be locked unless someone convinces forum admin that the official FAQ is misinforming.

 

+1

Edited January 23, 2010 by sobek

[StrongHarm]

MultiThreading is different than Hyperthreading. I think that's where the confusion begins.

[funkee]

MultiThreading, hyperthreading, whatever, here u got an ansfer kingneptune117:

 

It uses 2 cores because windows manages dcs threads. If it was a multithread optimized application it would gain perfomance from going to 2 to 4 cores. Rise of Flight gains 40% in a 2 vs 4 cores, DCS gains like 0%.

 

Dual core, high freq CPU for Blackshark

Quad+ core CPU for Rise of Flight and other

 

Conclusion:

 

The best (also thanks to it's price) CPU for DCS may be o'ced Intel Core2Duo E8400 - E8600

or even better, but much more expensive i5 670 - i7 975

 

But keep in mind, the A10 Warthog may come with new (or at least upgraded) engine, that may support all CPU cores and multithreading.

Edited January 26, 2010 by funkee