Gamepads causing Framedrops

[fellaw]

I just wanted to mention something, because other ppl might have similar problems, and could solve it this way.

Until yesterday, I had many framedrops which I couldn't give an account of with my system:

KT133 Chipset
Athlon 1,3 GHz
512 MB RAM PC133 CL2
empty 80 GB ATA-66 HDD for capturing
GF2 Ultra, Detonator 43.45
WinXP + SP1 + DX9
iuVCR, Graphedit or any other WDM-Software
Philips 7134 capture card(Terratec Cinergy 400, newest drivers)

Even with resolutions such as 512x384 I had many drops!
Yesterday, I found out what caused this, by methodically disabling all my dispensable devices while capturing. After disabling my USB-controller, I suddenly had no drops at all! So it had to be either the controller itself or one of the attached devices. I rebooted, with no USB-device plugged in. No drops-->no controller issue(*happy*)! Again I started to capture and began to plug in my devices one by one. When I came to one of my gamepads, it happened: Drops ad infinitum! I also tried the other one and then both just to make sure.

Conclusion:
At lease one gamepad plugged in: Drops
All gamepads plugged out: no Drops!

This information might be useful to some folks, that's why I mentioned it here(maybe it's worth an entry in the Sticky/FAQ).

[Ookami]

Let's see... It won't hurt putting in it, but if we start to put every quite strange solution in the FAQ, we would need to write a book about problem solutions... Not to mention that the PCs are build around the pro capture cards, so in that field you don't want to even put a gamepad near that one ;) .

Oh, thanks for posting your finding! It's very appreciated!

Originally posted by fellaw
Conclusion:
At lease one gamepad plugged in: Drops
All gamepads plugged out: no Drops!

This information might be useful to some folks, that's why I mentioned it here(maybe it's worth an entry in the Sticky/FAQ).

[fellaw]

I meant that in a more general way, e.g. to avoid/disable devices utilizing the PCI very much despites sound and capture card. E.g. USB and network cards, just to mention two.

[Ookami]

Er, I thought we have added such a thing in the FAQ, already (dropped frames part), but I will recheck.

BTW, another part that we could add is to not use crappy chipsets like KT133 (wich I have on my old PC, for instance) ;) .

Thanks.

[avih]

i can confirm both observations: crappy chipset ;) and usb devices corrupting capture (the 'pci lines' problem)