5 boxing - fifth box having graphical issues.

so consistently when I attempt to 5 box... I load up all windows... the fifth one that loads is always running at 1.6 fps or so... in order to fix it... I do a PiP Swap to that window and back and it USUALLY solves the problem. If it doesn't... my main window lags out and won't do anything while the 4 in background run at 20 fps each... (and I have my maxfpsbk set to 5 with maxfps at 20) It also hits a bug randomly where one of the windows will lag out again about every 15 minutes or so.

Specs:
Nvidia geforce 8600 GT 512 MB
AMD Phenom x4 9850 ~2.5 GhZ
4 gb RAM
1 TB HDD (though I doubt that matters)

For the most part my comp should be able to handle this I think, though granted my graphics card is a bit old (actually replaced it but got a DOA unit and is in process of being RMA'd). So what is causing this, and what can I do to prevent it? I've already tried restarting and that junk, plus when I multibox I close all other programs.

[edit]: Just saw freakinred's post on the same subject... though the answers for him don't really help me so much... but... more information that I can give from what was asked of him...
OS: XP Home SP3
Running all 5 wow's on same screen. Using Snap to grid for the PIP - resolutions are 1680x1050 on main window and 800x600 on all others. - monitor resolution is 1680x1050
using keyclone commands to open the 5 wow's
Have not set CPU Affinity though - I only get one option anyway.

bump

Ok, These are all just shots in the dark.. but I dont like seeing No feedback to try and help out a fellow boxer.

How are your folders set up? Just one that they all run off of, hard copies of WoW or System link copies of wow? I ask cause I have not seen a fast speed 1TB drive so if its 5 separate folders I am wondering if its hard drive delay causing instabilities.

You can try cycling through the windows but I -highly- suggest doing 100% nothing while Keyclone launches all of your WoWs. I have had issues with trying to manipulate windows while they were loading, that actualy put me into the state ya describe below just with out the crashing (All of the screens thought they were the main screen so they were all chugging at like 45fps (Was capped at 60/15))

How are your graphical settings? Even on my system I turned everything down to minimal (Makes the nice sparklies hard to see some times for quest items but I am getting used to it). Could just be the initial load of the graphics that are poo.

Since you can see the frame rates I am assuming this happens In-Game and not at the loading menu or are you using something like FRAPs to give you a constant FPS display?

Thats all I can think off of the top of my head to ask or suggest.

I would say try capping your background windows to 15fps (I run 45 foreground, 15 background). I also run with only 1 data directory, it helps immensely. You can either run with a single wow folder or create a hardlink (directory junction in xp i think) so you have 5 copies of WoW but only 1 data directory.

It could be a combination of things, The video card w/low RAM, Low RAM in the system (4 gig for 5 toons is pushing it) and posably heat (the 15 minute remark. Your new card will tell you how the other things are affecting play. Push lots of air through the box, 5 boxing is demanding. I run 8 gigs with Vista 64. That helped alot.

I do not think the RAM is the problem as I run 5 with no issues with 2GB.. (Its some nice n fast DDR3 but its still only 2GB as its water cooled and only 2 fit in my system XD)

In the rewrite however I did remove the fact that I was screwing around with the FPS of my screens last night and found that dropping the background ones to even 10fps could make the slaves reactions a little slugish.. That was in response speed though not FPS so I doubt that will mean much...

Umm, here is a thead about system links for Vista/Win7 people but it also goes on to explain XP and such, YOu need to read a bit of it as the first post is great, but it doesnt contain all the info (I use Win7 and I had to alter the script to know where WoW really was for instance)

This all might clear up when you get your new card back from being RMA'd

one of my accounts got frozen (insufficient funds at the time) and so I wasn't able to experiment again until today. Well, I got my vid card back from RMA. Nothing's changed. I don't run main window at 45 and background at 15... main is at 20 and backgrounds are at 5. I do have room to drop down the graphics settings... I'm about to try that. all my wows are reading off the same folder. While air intake to the vid card might help... I run with liquid cooling on my processor. in any case turning down the graphics settings and see what happens.


[Edit]: Dropping graphical settings all the way down fixed it... though this is a bit rough on my eyes... I suppose it's better than dealing with the crashes.

I find the 8600 is a bit low powered for 5 copies, so you probably will have to live poor(ish) graphics.

my 260 GTX is back in the case now. I can probably do with higher settings, but... I'm ok with the low quality for five boxing on a personal level.

im not sure of how you have done your grafical settings for all 5 windows..
but i have max settings for my main window. and then i have the other 4 made very small and with lowest settings.

main window is on maxfps 100 (doing a steady 50fps normaly) and the others are on 10fps each.

so put all the "slaves" on lowest settings and your main window to medium settings or wherever you end up comfortable
with the performance/quality ratio.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 'illuminat',index.php?page=Thread&postID=218476#po st218476

im not sure of how you have done your grafical settings for all 5 windows..
but i have max settings for my main window. and then i have the other 4 made very small and with lowest settings.

main window is on maxfps 100 (doing a steady 50fps normaly) and the others are on 10fps each.

so put all the "slaves" on lowest settings and your main window to medium settings or wherever you end up comfortable
with the performance/quality ratio.

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Do you do Pip Swapping? Cause how do you handle the quality changes with the windows? Ive been pretty happy with having low quality all around, it still is a nice looking game, but it did look pretty awesome with everything on high too :) But since I have no 'main' I would need the settings to swap between which ever screen I have active, hehe. I also have very low ram for 5boxing so maybe I am just better off as is.

i have no idea what pip swapping is.
im not using keyclone so that might be why.
im using the not so loved pwnboxer ;).

and i also dont use a leaderless setup as i understand you are.
so i dont swap windows much.

if ram is a issue then get a stick more on the next paycheck ;).

Ah, ya dont change leaders much so that would explain that... and its not the cash thats a problem with the ram its that Id have to Replace what I have, not boost it up :)

Ive seen sets of 6gb for none to bad prices but with the focus being on levels 1-60 for as many characters as possible the only times I really lag due to ram(graphics) is on the weekend in Org cause of all the flippin people there, and some times in Shatt (Easiest place to hearth to get around WoW)

well il give you 2 tips i used in the past before i multiboxed with the help of a keyboard clone "aid" and is still using.

make the other windows small as hell. the minimum is rather small :).
that will lower ram by alot.

BUT the best one is to have the other windows minimised.

im on 2 gb of ram with 5 wow running. and not really having much issues besides pwnboxer bugs :P.

*dang i went afk and forgot what i wanted to say...*

I run 5 on 2GB as well, My windows are fairly small but they all render at the size of my main one :) Its just the way it goes, hehe. I do have them all visible though.. I read a post of another person who plays on PvP servers that mentioned using the smaller windows as rear and side view mirrors, it has helped me spot trouble a few times now :)