[Virtualacorn-list] Slow computer response

[Jeremy Nicoll - virtualacorn]

Keith Pascall <klp at klpascall.plus.com> wrote:

> What does Fps and Sys values indicate?

I assume Fps is the frames-per-second screen display rate that VRPC is
actually managing to perform.  Gamers or people watching video would want it
to be at least 25 fps.

It may also be related to the emulated monitor refresh rate (as defined in
the monitor MDFs).  With a CRT screen generally one got less flicker the
higher the refresh rate was - but that meant some part of the hardware doing
more work to drive the monitor like that.

I'm not sure whether the hardware that in a real RPC would drive the screen
at - say - 75 Hz - is emulated in VRPC.  If it is, then using a lower
refresh rate would mean the emulator having to do less work.  Since here on
my laptop the screen is an LCD and since I do nothing that requires a high
refresh rate, I used the facility in !Configure -> Display -> Automode to
define a 30Hz framerate at the resolution I want.

I dare say I could have manually edited the MDF to make VRPC start up with
the low refresh rate, but I left it to start in the default manner.

Instead, once the desktop is up and running I've an Obey file which issues
(amongst lots of other commands):

  WimpMode X1200 Y700 C16M EX1 EY1 F30

I also find it convenient to have a set of separate Obey files which issue
similar commands explicitly setting various different resolutions.  If I've
accidentally dragged the window in which VRPC runs to a non-standard size,
getting it back to the exact size that I wanted can be a pain and
double-clicking the approriate file is useful...



As for Sys, I would imagine it's showing in some sense how much of VRPC's
effort is being spent on OS rather than application stuff.  But whether it's
Windows OS/app or emulated RO OS/app is anyone's guess.  Hopefully Aaron
will be along soon to tell us.


-- 
Jeremy C B Nicoll - my opinions are my own.