How to permanently set your Quake's Affinity/Priority !

[Mindf!3ldzX]

Incase anyone,for any reason, ever needs to adjust the default Affinity or Priority of their favorite respective Quake client (I needed it to fix my QRACK!)


I've already done a shit-ton of research, and I just simply refused to make the process any more complicated than double clicking a shortcut/icon on the desktop, or in my case a single click because I use a dock for gaming icons/shortcuts.

So, here it is. The permanent solution to adjusting Affinity and Priority,without all the fn google searches!!!

ImageCFG - Rob86Wiki , download Imagecfg.exe from the supplied website. It's located near the bottom !! Extract the Zip file to where ever,for example,we are using C:\temp, then click your Start Button then Run,or for Windows 7 in the "Search Programs and Files" spot, type in CMD and hit enter button. You'll end up with a screen like this

Browse via the black window comand prompt to the folder you installed imagecfg.exe. As example,we used C:\temp, so , if already on C:\ showing, type
cd.. <hit enter>, repeat until your in C:\ root. Then, type
cd temp <hit enter>
You should be viewing C:\temp , this is where we installed in our example

Enter this into command prompt
imagecfg.exe /a 0x1 *:\quake\glqrack.exe
Naturally you will want to change *:\quake\glqrack.exe to reflect where YOUR quake is installed. Mines on D:\games\quake\glqrack.exe, so I would use..

imagecfg.exe /a 0x1 d:\games\quake\glqrack.exe, and then hit enter !
Afterwards you can run your quake shortcut, get it opened up,then go to Task Manager via CTRL+ALT+DEL. Find Processes tab, and then locate your Quake client in the list. Right on your client in the processes list, and then click Affinity. Your client should be using Core0,alone by itself now!

Most situations , this isn't needed. If you don't know if you need it, in all likelyhood you don't, but I DID need it,so....Who am I to say some one else wont need it too! If you need any help feel free to respond here or send me a PM.

When/Where is this benificial? When your favorite Quake client doesn't work appropriately with your new computer!

Here's some reference material,that will come in handy in the future.

ImageCFG will work from any directory, but for ease of use, it can be placed in %systemroot%\system32 (or C:\Windows\system32) and %systemroot%\system32\dllcache (or C:\Windows\system32\dllcache). Doing so will make imagecfg a system command (run it from anywhere in any cmd window or the run dialog). This article assumes you have done so.
The -u option sets a specified executable to only run in "uni-processor" mode on multi-processor systems. This is probably optional but I run it anways.
The -a option sets a process affinity mask (hexadecimal value) to the specified executable, so that it always runs using the specified CPU. You can also add up the bits to set multiple CPUs (thanks LigH). Examples (hex = decimal = CPU):
0x01 = 1 = CPU0
0x02 = 2 = CPU1
0x04 = 4 = CPU2
0x08 = 8 = CPU3
0x10 = 16 = CPU4
0x20 = 32 = CPU5
0x40 = 64 = CPU6
0x80 = 128 = CPU7
0x0f = 15 = CPU0, CPU1, CPU2, and CPU3 (1+2+4+8 = 15)
Examples
The following examples will use UT99 from Steam to fix the speed issues I have been experiencing on my FX-60 (AMD dualcore) computer running Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit:
imagecfg -u "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\unreal tournament\System\unrealtournament.exe"
Probably optional, but the above sets the exe to use only one CPU.
imagecfg -a 0x1 "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\unreal tournament\System\unrealtournament.exe"
Sets the exe to use CPU0

[MH]

Like I said elsewhere, never ever ever do this with DirectQ. D3D will use extra threads if available and it will run slow and jerky if you use it.

By all means use it with a non-D3D engine if you need to though.

[Mindf!3ldzX]

Yes, MH is correct. Don't even use it on OpenGL clients unless your having problems with "fluid" gameplay. (frames per second fluctuate wildly!) . There is literally so many things that could be my actual problem, but once I stumbled across sure-fire fix, I did what,logically,sounds incorrect,which is opt to not use 4cores. It just plain and simply works for me, isolating the glQrack.exe to core0. In all likely hood, only on rare cases will this be a logical choice for someone....

[foq]

Or, you could have just done this:

notepad >
cd <your quake directory>
start /high <your quake .exe> -<your cmd line switches>

save as quake.bat

[Mindf!3ldzX]

I haven't had a desire to use a batch file since WinXP. That would have raised the priority to High. It however wouldn't have given the affinity of only core0. I tried raising the priority many times, and it barely caused the ripples in the gaming experience to calm down.

Once I finish using working on the map reference project I've been screenshotting away at for the past 1.5 days, I'll be returning my Qrack to its custom setup once the screenshots are finished up! complete with green lasersight

[MH]

Incidentally, I may have a solution for the multicore timer problem so if anyone who has this problem wants to test it, I can drop them a test build of DirectQ incorporating it.

[Mindf!3ldzX]

I'm down I presume your talking about Quake "breaking" after the fps get so high?

[Lardarse]

Also worth noting: For *nix, nice and taskset will do this.

[bluntz]

Also worth noting: For *nix, nice and taskset will do this.

Isn't DQ windows only?
Could you possibly give an example command?

[spooker]

i agree

(just dropping by for my biannual forum post)

[Mindf!3ldzX]

I just tried it, and had graphical errors occuring. I'll post screenshots later,after im done being brainwashed by last nights american idol