Low CPU usage of 1st pass x264 encoding

pwnsweet · 11th May 2011, 17:18

Hi,

I noticed the 1st pass of a 2 pass encode in x264 uses only about 25% of my CPU. Is this normal? I have an i7 920 and would like to know if there is anything I can do to utilize the whole CPU (like in the 2nd pass) so that the 1st pass doesn't take as long.

J_Darnley · 11th May 2011, 17:35

If you want more CPU usage, use slower settings.

The encoder can only run as fast as it can get frames. And the encoder can only run as fast as its slowest part (which is often the frame-type decision).

Didée · 11th May 2011, 18:21

Code:

x264 --preset slowest --pass 1 --slow-firstpass --stats "stats.stats"

There. Full CPU usage during 1st-pass.

Snowknight26 · 11th May 2011, 19:14

..but it'll obviously take longer.

Stereodude · 12th May 2011, 01:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_Darnley

The encoder can only run as fast as it can get frames.

That's not entirely true. My PC can feed frames to x264 much faster than the first pass of x264 consumes them. My i7-2600k doesn't even use close to use 100% CPU (more like 30%). I'm using --very slow and --b-adapt 2.

I realize the first pass runs faster and has less math to do because it's simplifying things so there aren't tasks to keep 4 cores w/ HT busy. This is in no way a complaint, but simply an observation that the speed at which frames can be fed to x264 is not the sole determiner of the speed of x264 when CPU usage is less than 100%.

sneaker_ger · 12th May 2011, 01:36

Yes, some parts of x264 (--b-adapt 2) are not scaling very good with more cores or are not multi-threaded at all.

pwnsweet · 12th May 2011, 01:38

Well that's exactly what I'm experiencing. Because the 1st pass isn't using 100% of the CPU, I usually stack up to three 1st passes in separate workers (MeGUI).

Stereodude · 12th May 2011, 01:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwnsweet

Well that's exactly what I'm experiencing. Because the 1st pass isn't using 100% of the CPU, I usually stack up to three 1st passes in separate workers (MeGUI).

This is a good idea. I can do two first passes at the same time with no appreciable slowdown vs. doing one and have done it a few times. I've never tried three, but that would work too.

pwnsweet · 12th May 2011, 01:58

Still, I'd prefer to do just one 1st pass at a time but get it done 3-4 times faster but it appears that the bottleneck lies in the 1st passes lack of multithreading which there isn't anything we can really do about from the looks of it.

J_Darnley · 12th May 2011, 08:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stereodude

That's not entirely true.

No, that is entirely true. Your PC is limited by my second sentence.

11th May 2011, 17:18	#1 \| Link
pwnsweet Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 101	Low CPU usage of 1st pass x264 encoding Hi, I noticed the 1st pass of a 2 pass encode in x264 uses only about 25% of my CPU. Is this normal? I have an i7 920 and would like to know if there is anything I can do to utilize the whole CPU (like in the 2nd pass) so that the 1st pass doesn't take as long.

11th May 2011, 17:35	#2 \| Link
J_Darnley Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 957	If you want more CPU usage, use slower settings. The encoder can only run as fast as it can get frames. And the encoder can only run as fast as its slowest part (which is often the frame-type decision). __________________ x264 log explained \|\| x264 deblocking how-to preset -> tune -> user set options -> fast first pass -> profile -> level Doom10 - Of course it's better, it's one more.

11th May 2011, 18:21	#3 \| Link
Didée Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 5,391	Code: x264 --preset slowest --pass 1 --slow-firstpass --stats "stats.stats" There. Full CPU usage during 1st-pass. __________________ - We´re at the beginning of the end of mankind´s childhood - My little flickr gallery. (Yes indeed, I do have hobbies other than digital video!)

11th May 2011, 19:14	#4 \| Link
Snowknight26 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,430	..but it'll obviously take longer.

12th May 2011, 01:36	#6 \| Link
sneaker_ger Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,565	Yes, some parts of x264 (--b-adapt 2) are not scaling very good with more cores or are not multi-threaded at all.

12th May 2011, 01:38	#7 \| Link
pwnsweet Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 101	Well that's exactly what I'm experiencing. Because the 1st pass isn't using 100% of the CPU, I usually stack up to three 1st passes in separate workers (MeGUI).

12th May 2011, 01:58	#9 \| Link
pwnsweet Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 101	Still, I'd prefer to do just one 1st pass at a time but get it done 3-4 times faster but it appears that the bottleneck lies in the 1st passes lack of multithreading which there isn't anything we can really do about from the looks of it.