USB affects performance

[Mikki]

Bench >>>>> With USB >>> No USB

3DMark2001SE >> 8401 >>> 8584
JediKnightII >> 59.9 >>> 62.2
Memory >> 1899/1901 > 2043/2044
CPU >> 3112/1963 > 3097/1973
Media >> 6335/7945 > 6338/7950

Fresh boot, ran tests with USB enabled in bios. The only USB device that was active at the time was my modem. Disabled USB in bios, fresh boot, ran tests again. As you can see, it definitely had an affect on performance. Only the first half of the cpu score was lower. I didn't test to see if it affects overclocking because I figured that with varying voltage and such, I couldn't really do an accurate test.

Hope this info helps those who are interested.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

yep USB does add a little CPU overhead due to the fact that it makes the CPU handle some of the processing.

 

[Duvie]

NO effect for me since my usb devices are printer and scanner...I tested it and no effects whether enabled or disabled....

Now I have heard of ppl running usb mouses and such effecting performance...


I tested it in win98 when I was having issues getting past 2.46ghz..thought it was usb but it wasn't ran host of benches and cpu/multimedia and memory were all the same....3dmark was within 50 pts and actually better with usb installed but maybe that was due to the order in which I ran them...I ran no games....

 

[Mikki]

Duvie,
well that throws a wrench in my machine . All my periphials are usb (except my mouse, I changed it just for the test), and like I said, the only thing that was on was my modem. I kindof wonder how much the tests would have been affected had I had everything turned on....darn it, I've been working on this for the last couple hours. So is it just my system? My board? Darn it Duvie!!!

 

[Duvie]

NO you may still be onto something....I am not sure how that modem interfaces system....my printer is not activated necessarily at bootup...or the scanner....I should have tested it after I run devices to see if something happens....


This also could be a mobo specific thing or OS....

What mobo???

What OS???


I ran win98 not winxp....


This testing is how stuff gets figured out....Never downplay research....Keep it up!!!!

 

[Duvie]

Hey lets look at it a different way....shall we...


The cpu scores are for the most part neglible...one get fluctuations like that easily...

It seems to hit system memory hard and thus why you see effects in games and 3dmark...I would venture that it wouldn't effect a lame mp3 encoding or some cpu intensive app...


It makes me think it is how either th OS is allocating memory resources or the mobo....

 

[Mikki]

Duvie, I was thinking somewhat the same thing, but I don't know enough of how memory is allocated in WinXP. I suppose that the type and amount of devices you have might have something to do with it. I've got an ASDL usb modem which is on all the time.

Sorry, forgot to post my system:
1.6A @ constantly changing...
P4B533-E
1 x Corsair XMS 3200 256mb
GF4 Ti4400
WinXP
USB modem, cordless mouse, printer, scanner, and gaming devices

So any ideas how we can test this accurately????

 

[Duvie]

I think you may have hit nail on the head...the adsl is on all the time...ding ding ding!!!



Try uninstalling just the modem and run the other devices and see if it helps get the scores back to non usb...then take a new one off its time until you see if any helps...

priority items...to take off first...

1)adsl modem
2)mouse
3)gaming devices
4)printer
5)scanner

Make sure items are not becoming active in the systray at bootup...they will steal valuable resources...

 

[Mikki]

That's easy then, it has to be the modem. When I ran the tests, that was the only thing that was on. Printer and scanner are always turned off until I want ot use them, gaming devices are not plugged in. Currently using my PS2 mouse. So you've shown that usb doesn't affect your system, and I've shown that my modem is a hog . Does that mean we accomplished something here?

 

[Duvie]

Did you confirm it then??? I have seen this with my buddies system awhile back but his was an internal card...make sure when you disable it you go into run...msconfig...startup and look for exe that often installs with those type of modems....


If it is confirmed you possible helped some guy down the line who may run into this....Obviously the adsl is a permanent fixture...so oh well..it is minor anyways...

 

[Mikki]

Confirmed. Removed modem, ran 3DMark, score 8578. My modem is a hog!!!
Thanks for working with me on this Duvie.........

 

[THUGSROOK]

interesting thread.

so its not USB in general that can be a problem - its what you have connected to it?!

Mikki ~ is there a PCI NIC version for your adsl?

 

[Mikki]

Thugsrook, to be honest, I have no idea. We just got asdl in our area and I got the kit that my server offered. It's fast, easy to setup, but obviously a system hog. And that's as much as I know about it and asdl in general. Oh, and it's ugly.

 

[KenNashua]

Is that modem a WinModem or a real hardware modem?

Do you have any fax software installed that's monitoring the modem? I would think that could be a source of CPU drain...

 

[THUGSROOK]

Mikki is gonna have everyone trash their USB ADSL modems

j/k

 

[Mikki]

From what I've researched on the web, there are references to pci asdl modems, but I haven't found much else. Finding out which ones are good and where I can get one is going to take some research, mainly cause I don't know anything about them.
KenNashua, it's a Alcatel Speedtouch modem, does that help? Like I said, I don't know much about except it works great and it's ugly.

Thugsrook, ya think I could single-handingly bring down the industry?! hehe

 

[mechBgon]

You want to see an example of USB hampering performance? Check out my lil' pet problem here. (OT: note that my avatar blinks too ) It was suggested to me that it's because my USB 2.0 controller is a UHCI/EHCI type, on top of the standard UHCI/EHCI USB controller. Mikki, do you happen to have a add-in USB card of a OHCI/EHCI nature that you could test with?

 

[DivideBYZero]

Hi all,

The problem is USB devices that are half-baked. I.e., winmodem/sofmodem style . I have a DSL modem on USB, but know for a fact that 30-40% of the device's function is supported by the CPU via the driver. When running benches, I ALWAYS disconnect the unit, as it is a hog.

This isn't just a modem thing, I'm sure, just that they are more likely to use the CPU for framing or modulation, due to cost (always) of hardware design/manufacture of these parts.

Just watch for those USB devices, they could be sucking up more performance than you consider acceptable.

--DV0