Enabling mutlicore support for TF2

[copulatingduck]

In an effort to increase the performance of my TF2, I tried enabling support for multicore-whatsamawhozits (multithreading?)

There's lots of sweet info in the link as well, you should read up on all of it.

Most helpful TF2 thread ever

Code:

mat_queue_mode 2
r_threaded_client_shadow_manager 1
r_threaded_particles 1
r_threaded_renderables 1
cl_threaded_bone_setup 1
cl_threaded_client_leaf_system 1
host_thread_mode 1

That's what did it for me. Just put that in your autoexec.cfg (mine is located in  C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\USERNAMEHERE\team fortress 2\tf\cfg). Sometimes my computer just crashed whenever I started the game, other times it ran much smoother, and I was getting roughly double the fps I had before. Dunno how many people haven't been utilizing multiple cores, since it's not enabled by default in TF2 (it's buggy), but hopefully this will help some of you out there.

Unfortunately, this was only tested over the course of a single night for me - my computer has a virus or something now (my lab group is full of retards), so I won't be playing TF2 for at least a few days.

[copulatingduck]

In before someone makes fun of my spelling

[CaffeinePowered]

Are you using an AMD or Intel?

Also if you are using an AMD are you using the dual core optimizer?

[Spore]

I need to get a multicore processor first :< My Pentium 4 has served me so well though (:

[copulatingduck]

Are you using an AMD or Intel?

Also if you are using an AMD are you using the dual core optimizer?

AMD, which might make a difference. And yes I'm using the optimizer, and no, it does nothing for TF2. As I understand it, multicore support isn't enabled by default because it's basically unfinished code on Valve's part, something they're working to finish by the time L4D comes out.

[[fr31ns]Karrde]

I'd use it, but it tends to get glitchy after a while.  For some, it does nothing, and some play well with it.  Really a crapshoot.

[cbre88x]

[quote author=CaffeinePowered link=topic=1462.msg40770#msg40770 date=1222190151]
Are you using an AMD or Intel?
Also if you are using an AMD are you using the dual core optimizer?

AMD, which might make a difference. And yes I'm using the optimizer, and no, it does nothing for TF2. As I understand it, multicore support isn't enabled by default because it's basically unfinished code on Valve's part, something they're working to finish by the time L4D comes out.
[/quote]

Word on the street is that the Source engine will get proper multicore support after the release of L4D.

[copulatingduck]

[quote author=CopulatingFuuuuuck link=topic=1462.msg40774#msg40774 date=1222190378]
[quote author=CaffeinePowered link=topic=1462.msg40770#msg40770 date=1222190151]
Are you using an AMD or Intel?
Also if you are using an AMD are you using the dual core optimizer?

AMD, which might make a difference. And yes I'm using the optimizer, and no, it does nothing for TF2. As I understand it, multicore support isn't enabled by default because it's basically unfinished code on Valve's part, something they're working to finish by the time L4D comes out.
[/quote]

Word on the street is that the Source engine will get proper multicore support after the release of L4D.
[/quote]

Word on the street is it's gonna get pushed back some more. :p

I'm just tired of taking performance hits waiting for valve to get on the ball with this, luckily it seemed to work out alright for me.

[jorge]

[Versus]

nice 2ghz singlecore

edit: definitely trying.

[KarthXLR]

Wait, so this whole time, TF2 has been running on a single core on my dual core?

I thought this was an automatic thing...

[KorJax]

Why would you need this really?  I mean, source isn't very resource demanding in reguards to CPU's, and if you already have a dual/quad core chances are you can run TF2 just fine in the CPU department.

[CaffeinePowered]

Tried it and I didn't notice any positive difference, I did note that it did stutter at points after turning this on.

[[fr31ns]Karrde]

Just a note though.  TF2 does multicore the particles on the 2nd core.  What we're really talking about is multithreading.

[CaffeinePowered]

Something to note would be what are the commands to turn it off, does putting those things in autoexec make TF2 always multithread, or does commenting out the lines turn it off.

[Versus]

I tried it, had occasional graphical oddities, such as it disappearing and reappearing a dozen times in a few seconds, but I'm getting a much higher FPS.

[ToiletDuck]

i've performed this technique with great results. it seems to feel better, but i did notice for like 1 second when i died things were chugging, meh.

[[fr31ns]Karrde]

Something to note would be what are the commands to turn it off, does putting those things in autoexec make TF2 always multithread, or does commenting out the lines turn it off.

I think Mat_queue_mode either needs to be set to 1 or -1 to turn off.  Otherwise everything else is 0 to turn off.  I've got it all off so I can check.

*edit*

yeah, it's -1 for MQM and 0 for the rest.

[copulatingduck]

Why would you need this really?  I mean, source isn't very resource demanding in reguards to CPU's, and if you already have a dual/quad core chances are you can run TF2 just fine in the CPU department.

Well I have a X2 4200+, and TF2 ALWAYS used the entirety of a single core. The fact that enabling this has improved my performance a lot just goes to show you that a ~1.1GHz core is not necessarily enough to run TF2. And yes, orange box games actually ARE very cpu intensive.

[K2]

I tried this at TFT. I got a 10-15 fps boost, but my game would keep randomly freezing up for a few seconds every once and a while. I might try it again later, but for now it's looking like it's not stable enough to work on my computer.