Steam games running as "Below Normal" priority?

[chrisnycfl]

Wondering why this is happening.  I have several Steam games I run from desktop icons that I would like to optimize using Lasso.  For some reason they run as "Below Normal" priority, even if I right click on them and choose the Bitsum Highest power plan.  Seems strange to me, shouldn't A. Games be detected automatically and run at at least Normal priority B. Bitsum Highest power plan automatically bump priority when selected?

[edkiefer]

Wondering why this is happening.  I have several Steam games I run from desktop icons that I would like to optimize using Lasso.  For some reason they run as "Below Normal" priority, even if I right click on them and choose the Bitsum Highest power plan.  Seems strange to me, shouldn't A. Games be detected automatically and run at at least Normal priority B. Bitsum Highest power plan automatically bump priority when selected?

Hi, The default way Process lasso Probalance works are all foreground processes are not effected with CPU load but all back-ground ones can be.
This way there no need to set high priorities for the app that you are running, as the more higher than normal process priority that are running lowers the effect of a higher priority effect.
https://bitsum.com/how-probalance-works/

Now with performance mode, that is a power plan option, it will not alter CPU priority, it is very normal to see your game being below normal if you alt-tab out of it as you are no longer a foreground process.
That said it should stay normal while you're playing it the whole time, with one exception.
If you alter the launcher process CPU priority, then it will effect the game running. In other words, if you had set "Steam.exe" to below normal, then games launched from it will be below normal.  you would have to set the games processes or use a wildcard path to set them back to whatever you wanted.

Also looking at your pic I see rule performance mode and application power plan (g,p), only use one so check settings.

[Jeremy Collake]

What is the priroity class of Steam.exe itself?

The games may be inheriting the parent priority class from it.

[chrisnycfl]

I do have both a power plan and performance setup, I will get rid of one of them.  I run the game from a desktop icon created by Steam, it launches hl.exe.  Steam itself (steam.exe) is either not running or in the background I guess.  I have not adjusted settings at all for Steam.

I actually was playing the game and noticed it was running with below normal priority so it's not an alt-tab thing.  I wasn't necessarily trying to set a higher than normal priority just found it strange that it was running below normal.

[edkiefer]

I do have both a power plan and performance setup, I will get rid of one of them.  I run the game from a desktop icon created by Steam, it launches hl.exe.  Steam itself (steam.exe) is either not running or in the background I guess.  I have not adjusted settings at all for Steam.

I actually was playing the game and noticed it was running with below normal priority so it's not an alt-tab thing.  I wasn't necessarily trying to set a higher than normal priority just found it strange that it was running below normal.

Hi, how did you test this w/o going alt-tab?
Check when it changes the priority in action log, that will tell what's going on.

[Jeremy Collake]

ProBalance may not be the reason these game(s) are running at Below Normal. You'll see them acted on by ProBalance in the log if it is the cause of the Below Normal priority.

[chrisnycfl]

Thanks for the quick replies gents...

Hi, how did you test this w/o going alt-tab?
Check when it changes the priority in action log, that will tell what's going on.  I have a 4 monitor setup - had PL running in another window when I started the game so I watched the process come up as less than normal priority.

ProBalance may not be the reason these game(s) are running at Below Normal. You'll see them acted on by ProBalance in the log if it is the cause of the Below Normal priority.  So I just tested with Probalance unchecked and High Performance checked and the game now launches and runs at normal priority, looks like there is some sort of conflict here?

Also - so confused as btw Performance Mode and Bitsum Highest Performance power profile.  Can these be run together or are they mutually exclusive? 

[edkiefer]

Thanks for the quick replies gents...

Hi, how did you test this w/o going alt-tab?
Check when it changes the priority in action log, that will tell what's going on.  I have a 4 monitor setup - had PL running in another window when I started the game so I watched the process come up as less than normal priority.

ProBalance may not be the reason these game(s) are running at Below Normal. You'll see them acted on by ProBalance in the log if it is the cause of the Below Normal priority.  So I just tested with Probalance unchecked and High Performance checked and the game now launches and runs at normal priority, looks like there is some sort of conflict here?

Also - so confused as btw Performance Mode and Bitsum Highest Performance power profile.  Can these be run together or are they mutually exclusive?

Ok, multi-monitor setup is ok, just make sure when you test like this that the game when it loads is foreground process (click on taskbar icon).
If Probalance was effecting it you would have seen a yellow bar in graph and in action log "process priority temporarily lowered by Probalance" for the game at the proper time listed.

If you don't see a line in action log at the right time then it is most likely windows or some other thing effecting it, my guess the game wasn't in foreground mode.

Try this for a test, put PL GUI in the other monitor and run your game like you would run it normally, don't click off somewhere after you click the shortcut and make sure it is the focused process (taskbar icon shouldn't be highlighted).
Set game to performance mode and Probalance enabled. If after a min close game and take a pic of the GUI window if you see yellow bar and restraint log for the game.

BHP power plan is very similar to HP, it is a modified windows HP plan.
As for performance mode, it by default should enable BHP when the game runs. There is no need to set an application to a power plan, only use one (use performance mode which enables BHP automatically ).

[chrisnycfl]

So in between our post and reply here - I completely uninstalled PL and reinstalled with the reset checkbox clicked.  Now everything is working on the settings you suggested- ProBalance, Performance Mode enabled and Bitsum High Performance power plan.  Game loads and runs at normal priority and even stays in that state as I tab away.  The Rules say for the running game process say "g" which is Game Mode I assume?

Is there anything else I should be setting or just leave everything as it is at this point?

[edkiefer]

So in between our post and reply here - I completely uninstalled PL and reinstalled with the reset checkbox clicked.  Now everything is working on the settings you suggested- ProBalance, Performance Mode enabled and Bitsum High Performance power plan.  Game loads and runs at normal priority and even stays in that state as I tab away.  The Rules say for the running game process say "g" which is Game Mode I assume?

Is there anything else I should be setting or just leave everything as it is at this point?

Nope, your good to go.