Looking for MeGui feature for adjusting the CPU% usage ?

[guista]

Hi all,

I used to encoding many videos and this is taking a while (from 6 hours to more than 1 day).
The "x264.exe" is probably very well optimized because it uses all the available CPU resource.

My problem is the CPU heat. My CPU cores (Intel Q6600 Quad Core) used to reaching 80°C (176°F) when working at 100% at summer time. This is the maximum limit before my CPU can burn especially if the encoding last 1 day.

Actually, I decrease the temperature by disabling one core. It works but I lose 25% CPU so the encoding takes much longer. Anyway, the CPU cores temperature is about 72 °C after this.

The idea would be to maintain the temperature just behing 80°C.
For example, if I could tell MeGui/x264 to only use 95% CPU, I think it would be OK.

=> Is there a way to adjust more precisely the max CPU% usage ?

Thanks in advance.

PS: I precise that my fans are working fine and that I set the MeGui priority to the lowest level but that does not change anything if there is no concurrent process.

[dCubed]

With that much heat you would be better off buying an aftermarket heatsink and fan, or computer case.

[Atak_Snajpera]

try --threads 4

[mariush]

Get a good fan and heatsink - I have a Zerotherm FZ120 which keeps it at around 50 C and at 25-30$ it's a bargain.

By default, x264 uses as much processor as it can and gives other apps priority when they need processor time. The only way you can restrict it's performance would be to restrict it to using less threads. By default I think it uses 1.5 x number of cores so that would be six threads, therefore you'd probably make it use less CPU by limiting the number of threads to 4 or less as mentioned above.

[Gser]

Liquid oxygen. Try removing the lid too.

[guista]

Get a good fan and heatsink - I have a Zerotherm FZ120 which keeps it at around 50 C and at 25-30$ it's a bargain.

I already have a good fan, good heatsink and even a good case (built in aluminium) so I do not know why it so hot. I suspect that the guy who built my computer did not apply the thermal paste correctly on the CPU :mad:

When you specify 50°C, do you mean the CPU temp or the cores' temp ? (when my cores are 80°C, my CPU is 58°C).

I will try the thread option. Thanks for the trick.

[dCubed]

I already have a good fan, good heatsink and even a good case (built in aluminium) so I do not know why it so hot. I suspect that the guy who built my computer did not apply the thermal paste correctly on the CPU :mad:

When you specify 50°C, do you mean the CPU temp or the cores' temp ? (when my cores are 80°C, my CPU is 58°C).

I will try the thread option. Thanks for the trick.

Buy some Arctic Silver 5, and apply it according to their website. It will decrease your heat A LOT. I have a 955, with a Hyper 212+ and Silver 5 and I idle at around 37C, and that's with a terrible case. When encoding with x264 I'll max 55C.

[Gser]

How about the air-flow into the case?

[guista]

Buy some Arctic Silver 5, and apply it according to their website. It will decrease your heat A LOT. I have a 955, with a Hyper 212+ and Silver 5 and I idle at around 37C, and that's with a terrible case. When encoding with x264 I'll max 55C.

Yes, I think I am going to do that. Fortunately, I have some Artic Silver 5 at home :-)
I did not know there was such a difference. Next time, I will do everything myself.

How about the air-flow into the case?

The airflow is OK : the fans are running in the right direction so the air comes from the front of the case and is rejected to the outside from the back. The case has a medium size and is quite empty.

[7ekno]

Do what we do in the tropics, take the sides of the case off and place a 12 inch fan over the motherboard on setting "3" !

Tek

[guista]

Do what we do in the tropics, take the sides of the case off and place a 12 inch fan over the motherboard on setting "3" !

Yes, this is probably the cheapest and more efficient solution against heat. The main drawback is it is so noisy you can not sleep with the fan.
When my motherboard alarm triggered for the first time, I just opened the case and immediately lost 5°C but I could hear the noisy internal CPU fan.

I will first try the Artic Silver 5 paste then perhaps buy some [expensive] water blocks if it is not enough.