Graphics slowdown when game is minimized

[RocketMan]

When I have the bit depth set to 32 and minimize the game, I have a severe graphics slowdown on my machine. Moving windows or scrolling pages results in serious graphics lags. When the bit depth is 16, this problem does not occur.

I have an AMD Althon 64 X2 processor, a Readon X1900 graphics card with 512MB of ram and the latest video drivers.

Is this a known problem? Does anybody else have this problem?

[Erik Rutins]

I haven't heard of this issue before. The game uses remarkably few resources (CPU and Memory) when minimized for me. The only exception is if I minimize _during_ turn calculation.

Are you trying to run more than one DirectX/3D app at a time? 512MB RAM is also a bit on the low side for Windows if you want to do a lot of multi-taskng.

Regards,

- Erik

[RocketMan]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

I haven't heard of this issue before. The game uses remarkably few resources (CPU and Memory) when minimized for me. The only exception is if I minimize _during_ turn calculation.

Are you trying to run more than one DirectX/3D app at a time? 512MB RAM is also a bit on the low side for Windows if you want to do a lot of multi-taskng.

Regards,

- Erik

The only thing I have running is Firefox and Windows Explorer. And the 512 MB is video memory. I have 4 GB of ram.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: RocketMan
The only thing I have running is Firefox and Windows Explorer. And the 512 MB is video memory. I have 4 GB of ram.

Aha! Well, that is certainly plenty. On the one 4GB system we have, it swaps back and forth instantaneously and doesn't slow things down. Same on the 1GB system really.

Were you swapping while calculating?

[rickier65]

ORIGINAL: RocketMan

When I have the bit depth set to 32 and minimize the game, I have a severe graphics slowdown on my machine. Moving windows or scrolling pages results in serious graphics lags. When the bit depth is 16, this problem does not occur.

I have an AMD Althon 64 X2 processor, a Readon X1900 graphics card with 512MB of ram and the latest video drivers.

Is this a known problem? Does anybody else have this problem?

Just for comparison:

I just checked for this behavior on my system - 3.3 Nhz Celeron (single core). 1.5 GB Ram - Video is embedded ATI 200, that shares vid memory. So pretty much an upper low - end system.

I bumped my color to 32 bit depth and then ran game and loaded a save, and then minimized. started up Irfanview and pasted some screens shots.

Didn't notice any slowdown.

Rick

[RocketMan]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

ORIGINAL: RocketMan
The only thing I have running is Firefox and Windows Explorer. And the 512 MB is video memory. I have 4 GB of ram.

Aha! Well, that is certainly plenty. On the one 4GB system we have, it swaps back and forth instantaneously and doesn't slow things down. Same on the 1GB system really.

Were you swapping while calculating?

No the game is not doing any calculations when I minimize it. It even happens when I am at the main menu (load/multiplayer/options, etc.) before I have even loaded a game.

I have never noticed this behavior with any other program, and I have run some seriously graphics heavy programs, so it is really strange.

It is not a game killer, but you can't use anti-aliasing with the bit depth set to 16, and I hate to have to exit the program every time I need to check my email or look something up on the internet.

[Erik Rutins]

You might want to try a different driver version to see if this still happens. Honestly, I can't imagine any reason for it from the game side.

[RocketMan]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

You might want to try a different driver version to see if this still happens. Honestly, I can't imagine any reason for it from the game side.

Major edit - The problem seems to be in the Catalyst control center. If I change a setting the problem goes away until I go back to the game. However, when I re-minimize the game, the problem is still there.

[RocketMan]

Pressing alt+enter during the game makes the problem go away. Pressing alt+enter again brings the problem back. I thought I read somewhere that alt+enter toggled windowed mode, but I can't seem to find the reference anywhere, and all it does is beiefly flash the screen.