5 replies to this topic

[cdsand]

I've been looking for a solution to this for a couple of years, but it couldn't hurt to try again, this has been preventing me from using game maker and I'm gratuitously frustrated.

It happens in all versions of game maker that I've used. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
I am registered.
I am using Windows Vista 64bit.

Specifically, when I test or run any GM game, the framerate is always limited to some number based on how many usb devices I have plugged in (Usually 20 or 30 exactly, even in a 60fps game). I use a powerful laptop computer that is capable of playing Crysis and the frame limiting happens despite what the GM game has in it, even empty games are limited to the same framerates.

I usually have a USB mouse, USB Keyboard, Xbox360 controller, and external hard drive hooked in, especially while I have it at home connected to my desk monitor. Only the HID devices seem to affect this framerate problem (the HDD does not contribute to it as far as I know).

I have tried cleaning the registry: no effect.

I have tried switching to an alternate user account, which worked once, but then it started having the same problem the next time I tried it after restarting the computer.

I could just unplug all my usb devices each time I want to test a game, but that is so impractical because I can't control anything.

Is there a solution out there?

[LaLaLa]

I've been looking for a solution to this for a couple of years, but it couldn't hurt to try again, this has been preventing me from using game maker and I'm gratuitously frustrated.

It happens in all versions of game maker that I've used. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
I am registered.
I am using Windows Vista 64bit.

Specifically, when I test or run any GM game, the framerate is always limited to some number based on how many usb devices I have plugged in (Usually 20 or 30 exactly, even in a 60fps game). I use a powerful laptop computer that is capable of playing Crysis and the frame limiting happens despite what the GM game has in it, even empty games are limited to the same framerates.

I usually have a USB mouse, USB Keyboard, Xbox360 controller, and external hard drive hooked in, especially while I have it at home connected to my desk monitor. Only the HID devices seem to affect this framerate problem (the HDD does not contribute to it as far as I know).

I have tried cleaning the registry: no effect.

I have tried switching to an alternate user account, which worked once, but then it started having the same problem the next time I tried it after restarting the computer.

I could just unplug all my usb devices each time I want to test a game, but that is so impractical because I can't control anything.

Is there a solution out there?

So are you saying that each device (excluding the HDD) will slow the game's frame rate down equally? For example, if its runs at 60 FPS normally, continues to run at 60 FPS when you plug in the HDD, then runs at 50 FPS when you plug in the USB mouse, at 40 FPS when you then plug in the USB keyboard, and lastly slows down to 30 FPS when you plug in the XBox controller? That's really weird...

However, I doubt that each device slows down your computer equally. Try plugging in each one at a time and see which has the (only) effect or the biggest. I have no idea why USB devices would influence the game speed unless for some reason they were using a large amount of CPU power. See if any of them are doing this.

Irregardless of whether the problem can be resolved, couldn't you uplug everything except the USB mouse when you wanted to play a Game Maker game? Why do you need an extra keyboard (or HDD/XBox controller) when playing on a laptop?

Edited by LaLaLa, 22 June 2010 - 10:30 PM.

[cdsand]

When I'm not on the go, I have my laptop hooked up to a sort of terminal thing I have set up. I slide in the laptop, and plug in all the devices like the keyboard, mouse, and monitor, among other things, and I can use the laptop at my desk as if it were a desktop computer.

That makes it impossible for me to simply unplug everything and work that way without removing the laptop first. And even then, I am forced to use the mousepad and inbuilt keyboard while sitting somewhere uncomfortable, which hinders me greatly while programming.

I haven't tested exactly how much fps the individual devices steal, but it seems to me to work like how you described. Just increments of ten.

I suppose the best I can hope from making this thread is that somehow a GM dev notices it and knows a fix or why this happens. Not likely.

[ramses12]

First of all, you should check the CPU usage when you are playing a GM game and when you are not (task manager > performance). If you can see any difference between no USB device plugged and all USB devices plugged, when there is no GM game running, then it's not because of GM.

[CRxTRDUDE]

Maybe its because, USB devices are swapping data all the time in order to run and read/write data to it... The USB also shares power to the computer... It might be that you are not using it with it's AC adaptor?

[Vivi_IX]

It could be the fault of the terminal thing you plug it in to. Does this only happen when you have it plugged into that or does it happen anytime? But really if it were anything I would think the external hard drive would eat the most cpu. I just recently got one and it comes with an automatic data back-up program, witch does not sound too cpu friendly for my netbook so I avoid using that program.

You could always try setting your game priority to 1 or 2 or even 3 if you're feeling desparate and see if that helps your problem out anymore