Forcing performance mode for background app on Intel P/E-core CPU

smp79 · Nov 19, 2023

The issue seem to be completely fixed by this excellent tool. Just put * in "Processes to Keep Off E-Cores" and everything else leave at defaults.

Novgorod · Nov 27, 2023

smp79 said:
The issue seem to be completely fixed by this excellent tool. Just put * in "Processes to Keep Off E-Cores" and everything else leave at defaults.

It sounds promising, but it looks like "just" a core affinity tool that blocks processes from using E-cores. I want the encoder to use all cores, not just P-cores, but prevent Windows from kicking it off the P-cores when it's in the background.

smp79 · Nov 27, 2023

Encoder will use all cores with the default "Efficiency mode off" method, that's the whole point. No matter if it's in background or not.

SergeyNe · Dec 2, 2023

This fixed it for me:

Code:

   // HighQoS
   // Turn EXECUTION_SPEED throttling off.
   // ControlMask selects the mechanism and StateMask is set to zero as mechanisms should be turned off.
 
   PROCESS_POWER_THROTTLING_STATE PowerThrottling;
   RtlZeroMemory(&PowerThrottling, sizeof(PowerThrottling));
   PowerThrottling.Version = PROCESS_POWER_THROTTLING_CURRENT_VERSION;

   PowerThrottling.ControlMask = PROCESS_POWER_THROTTLING_EXECUTION_SPEED;
   PowerThrottling.StateMask = 0;

   SetProcessInformation(GetCurrentProcess(), ProcessPowerThrottling, &PowerThrottling, sizeof(PowerThrottling));

Edit:
As mentioned by @CptCaveman this also works great (but requires admin rights): powercfg /powerthrottling disable /path "path to your exe"

mfessler · Jan 25, 2024

CptCaveman said:
So, in my case I am using the Julia programming language and this works:

Code:

powercfg /powerthrottling disable /path "C:\Julia\Julia-1.8.3\bin\julia.exe"

Thanks to @lexa_a for pointing me in the right direction

Interesting, is it just a coincidence that the command option has the same name as the feature that was introduced with Win10 1709 (in conjunction with Skylake and Speed Shift)?
How does such a system behave if you deactivate it completely?

A little rant:
Even back then, I found it strange to simply bluntly reduce the performance of a software just because it was no longer in focus.
At least it only affected mobile systems (at least I only ever saw it there) and can be quickly deactivated globally.

And now since Alder-Lake (actually Lakefield) with the hybrid architecture, things are often not much better.
I can still remember a presentation video where they were really excited when they minimized a performance-intensive software and then could write an email with the P-Cores that were then freed up.

Despite Windows 11, the (oh so intelligent) Thread Director and the latest software versions, it is still necessary to help yourself with more or less reasonable workarounds which range from deactivating the e-cores completely, to pointless burn electricity, diving into the depths of the registry or tinkering around with 3rd party tools .
Somehow a heterogeneous architecture on the desktop (mobile is a different story) doesn't really seem to be the solution to me.

Greetings,
Martin

Kabuby · Apr 28, 2024

Dear all,
despite countless attempts to solve the problem addressed in this discussion, the only solution I found was to disable E-Cores via BIOS.

The main application I use for work will have to be updated to run 100% the 8+16 cores of my i9-13900K (the developers say) and this annoys me a lot, because the timing is very uncertain.

I have been thinking of building a new workstation using an AMD CPU, the 7950x in particular.

Could you confirm that the problem would not occur with this CPU? Regardless of whether the application is in the foreground, background or is a "non-visible" process, the 16 cores (32 threads) would always work at 100%, right?

Thank you in advance for your response.

glasskuter · Apr 28, 2024

I don't mind admitting what you guys are discussing here is over my head, but wanted to throw this in in case it might have anything at all do do with your problem. Newer not always better - Intel 14th. Gen Issues