CPU Load

FM can easily be configured to be the most CPU intensive commercial game out there bare none. Wether this is due to the indepth simulation going on or unoptimized code is up for debate, but that's not what I'm going to ask a questio about here.

I'm running an X2 5200+, and currently, end of the season, players on holidays and everything, I'm on holidays (in-game) while browsing these boards. Truth be told, it's a bit slowish. I've been waiting for ten minutes for roughly 20 days to pass by. However, the task manager displays that while occasionally both cores are 100% maxed out for very brief periods of time, on average both cores appear to hover around the 40-60% mark each.

I'm no expert, but since I'm still waiting I'm wondering why the game doesn't to use all the CPU power at my system's disposal. Or at least that's how it appears to me anyways.

FM can easily be configured to be the most CPU intensive commercial game out there bare none.

Ridiculous statement, TBH.

Have you got 'threading' ticked?

Originally posted by Neji:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> FM can easily be configured to be the most CPU intensive commercial game out there bare none.

Ridiculous statement, TBH.

Have you got 'threading' ticked? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, and what's ridiculous, actually? With a save big enough you could make any system on the market look like a Commodore 64 desperately trying to render Crysis. Besides, I'd estimate such a save wouldn't even need to be that big.

Oh, yeah, one thing that just came to mind: maybe this has to do with power saving options? Cool'n'Quietâ„¢ calling here.

FM will play absolutely fine on most systems on the market, Crysis, Mass Effect, Assassins Creed will not. A big save would have no affect other than increasing loading times.

Originally posted by Neji:

FM will play absolutely fine

Define "fine". Obviously that's a very subjective thing, especially in this case, as it only affects loading and processing times, naturally. Personally I don't even want to know how the game would play on a weaker system than mine. Say, something more approaching minimum requirements or something in between minimum and recommended. I'm not even running that many leagues, and the only league I'm simulating in full detail of those is the one I'm participating in. But that could be just me.

Anyhoo, my assessment still stands, considering Crysis et all are very GPU bound, while FM is all CPU, and much, much, much of it the bigger your save is. If you want it to calculate at juicy speeds*, that is. Ok, now 'bout that question of mine..

* subjective thingamabob, once again

1) If Football Manager used 100% of your CPU, then Windows would stop functioning, which would mean Football Manager wouldn't work either.

2) Football Manager isn't the only process running on your system.

Since FM is maxing out the whole CPU for at least some points I think it is actually using it to it's full potential.

Without actually knowing anything about how the engine works: I think the usage drops down when it needs to wait for some data to be read from the hard drive, or when it needs to wait for another thread to finish.

What's all this about saves? If you have auto-save set to everyday, yeah, that would slow it down quite a bit.