There's an opportunity for Process Lasso to market to AMD X3D owners in particular in lieu of X3D's CCD scheduling juggling (one CCD with the extra CPU cache, the other without it), particularly to gamers.
I know you're surely already aware of this context/situation. I've just seen suggested again and again across tech forums, subreddits, comment sections, Discord servers, etc. that users utilize Process Lasso to better handle their X3D's core/CCD assigning instead of leaving it to Microsoft/Windows clunky "Game Bar" to do so, which decides what programs are games or not. Much better to not have to use the "Game Bar" at all, if possible.
While it's been great seeing the many suggestions for users to use PL for this, I've noticed a lot of users' confusion as to what to do + how to properly set up PL to do this. Not the fault of PL, of course, it's a technical subject that many can't be bothered to learn.
My suggestion would be to add some sort of in-PL function that more or less abstracts the process of X3D affinity/core/CCD assignment behind the curtain, e.g. some sort of "(X3D) Gamer" button that knows whether an X3D is in use (and with >1 CCD), offering the user a choice to have PL automatically optimize by doing the affinity/CCD assignment puppet-stringing -- without the user having to understand the underpinnings of it.
I feel this would be a boost for PL use/sales!
Obviously the ideal would be all users understanding the nitty-gritty fundamentals of this, but the reality is most can't be bothered to do so. I think PL could benefit by implementing a function and marketing to this group of users.
Especially with the coming release of AMD's 9000 series of X3D CPUs, which will be releasing a few months from now.
"button" or similar that basically
for users who don't have the knowledge to do so manually (nor interest to learn) -- I think this would be a boost for PL use/sales/recognition.
some tweaks of PL's main page to highlight
I think it's a great suggestion, and this has been on the radar. We'll see what we can do ;).
Here's a start as of v14.2.0.1 beta. I understand your suggestion goes beyond this, and more work is planned.
(1) GUI: Demarcate cache centric CPU cores in context menus with an appendage (amd-x3d)
(1) GUI: Add 'Freq' and 'Cache' core selection buttons on the CPU affinity and sets dialogs (amd-x3d)
(https://cdn.bitsum.com/files/affinity-select-x3d-2.gif)
Looks great! I actually was going to suggest re-labeling it to "CCD" (or adding it in parentheses at least) since that's what most of these users will see/know, but looks like you already changed it.
In this same vein, given many of these users I've been seeing aren't the most technically proficient, it might be beneficial labeling/nicknaming the CCD to something like "3D-cache" (rather than merely "cache") or "Gaming" CCD, etc.
Other ideas:
- When PL detects an X3D, when that user runs a game (since anyone who gets an X3D is surely using it for games in part or whole, vs. an AMD X CPU), PL shows a popup asking the user if they want PL to optimize their X3D for that game/gaming
- It could even become a new mode, "Gaming Mode", similar to "Performance Mode" -- even if it does the same as "Performance Mode" -- to cater to subset of users who won't be technically inclined enough to know or care to learn the distinctions.
Likewise, a simple way of knowing which processes are games without having a list or doing API lookups is watching any child processes Steam.exe spawns - "Game Mode" could likewise:
- (Optionally) Increase game priority
- Disable core parking
- Pop up a list of active CPU/RAM/disk-consuming processes which may impact the game's performance (if averaging X usage of Y resource)
- Checkboxes beside each resource-eating process for quick-closing, excluding system procs obviously, though perhaps a tooltip detailing which system Service/Task it belongs to, leaving it to the user to investigate and take action on their own or not
Also, just for reference, even as I've been writing this response, I just saw yet another example of scenario I've seen again and again and again happening across tech forums/Discords/Reddit/IRC/etc. on this subject:
X3D Users + Process Lasso_6.22.2024.jpg
So there definitely exists a subset of user demographic who would benefit from this additional gamer ease-of-use functionality!
I'd also like to see PL take advantage of this situation.
Per GamersNexus, AMD has belatedly notified reviewers that the two highest tier of the new CPUs need the same treatment as the X3D chips for gaming performance. Namely, the convoluted process of parking cores.
I would like to see ProcessLasso take advantage of the solution by branding/advertising itself specifically as a tool for this scenario.
I'd also recommend working on a simpler interface. The power users can continue using PL as-is, but the majority of users are not power users or even computer literate, and they'll do more harm than good by using the product incorrectly.
What would be ideal here, is a simplified interface that can let you identify that a game is active, and support a setting for allocating the process to a CCD.
I'd also suggest considering integrating with other tools, such as Nvidia or AMD's software, Discord, etc. Many of these tools already have methods of identifying common/popular games, so a "gaming profile" can automatically be applied. There's likely even open-source libraries that also do this detection.
Making this process as stupid simple as possible, basically as an overlay to the PL engine, would be fantastic.
If you further targeted streamers or similar by detecting streaming clients like OBS, and allocating those to the second CCD automatically, would be killer.
These are great suggestions! I hear you, and we'll continue working towards this ideal. Stay tuned!
I realize I'm beating a dead horse, but there's real opportunity for PL to level-up its userbase here. I continue seeing pleas from users all across Discords/forums/YT comments for help setting up PL to help improve their games via configuring of affinity/X3D-CCD.
The AMD X3D userbase has overall been fairly small until now, however, following Intel's recent CPU snafu, I've been seeing droves of users both jumping ship to AMD-X3D, and being recommended to jump ship when ready for their next build.
For PL's sake, I'd highly suggest rolling out some degree of this ability in whatever form sooner rather than later, even if unpolished, because:
- Loads of users have been doing new AMD PC builds following the "Abandon-Intel" movement (as far as home user/gamerbase-wise), as well as new back-to-school PC sales
- AMD recently announced their upcoming 9000-series X3D CPUs which will release in a couple months
- AMD's 5000- and 7000-series X3D CPUs have subsequently gotten their retail prices cut in lieu of this, sparking a wave of many new buyers
- Microsoft continues working on their "Game Bar" utility, and working with AMD to adapt it (and OS overall) with respect to CCD handling and management, affinity, configuring, etc., to do so automatically and invisibly without the user even being made aware of such
If PL can quickly elbow its way ahead of Microsoft here, it can become the de facto solution for a new herd of many users, solidifying itself not only as the go-to "Gamer" software, but also extend itself as part of the automatic all-around setup/routines of many PC builders and owners, going beyond the task of mere game performance alone.
However, once Microsoft (with AMD) polishes the Game-Bar/OS functionality, it'll more than likely get deemed "good enough" by a majority of users, who won't care enough to be bothered tweaking it, nor will more technically apt users feel it necessary to push users toward third-party solutions like PL for handling this.
My suggestion:
A PL "Gamer" mode, which detects if the user is a gamer based on the presence of Steam/Epic/Bnet clients (most of all, Steam), and presents a popup/modal asking the user if they'd like to enable "Gamer"-mode, even if merely cloning Performance-mode.
This then makes tweaks and affinity configuring based on the user's CPU maker/model, either scraping Steam/.VDFs/registry for their installed games, or watches for child processes spawned by Steam/SteamService, applying the optimal affinity configuration necessary. (When a PL-configured game exits, PL could optionally pop a Y/N box asking the user how the game performed, utilizing that telemetry)
The "Gamer mode" popup/modal could even include a simple GIF that animates a simple visual of what's happening (obviously at a very simplistic, high-level bird's eye view). Despite coming to the realization that many (most?) gamers just aren't interested in learning the underlying mechanics such as this, I think even non-technically apt users would appreciate an animated diagram showing them the CPU and before/after of their game being on an optimal or non-optimal CCD). PL would then handle all the backend configuring of this, and the user would feel good knowing that they're now the wiser as to how this works.
And lastly, I'm only recommending this for PL's sake, as I don't need automation like this, and am in the outlier minority "freak" that likes having access to lower-level nitty-gritty configuring like this :)
So, as it stands now, do I still have to use Game Bar or can PL be used in lieu of?
If so, what is the general config so X3D cache is being used or doesn't really matter as only one CCD.
I'm on Intel x299 Rampage 6 and
lucky enough to purchase 9800X3D on day one release.
No MB yet, on order may take a couple of weeks.
Have Pro version of PL.
+1
An update would be appreciated.
Many reddit threads popping up asking if PL is even worth using for the 9800X3D, and the answers are not positive.
As a user for longer than I can remember, I would hate to see PL being a victim of the rumor-mill.