Author Topic: VIRTUALI add-on manager- "AFFINITY MASK" for i7 2600k CPU?  (Read 13933 times)

rsm2000e

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VIRTUALI add-on manager- "AFFINITY MASK" for i7 2600k CPU?
« on: April 20, 2012, 02:30:14 am »
What setting should I use for the Affinity Mask with my i7 2600k CPU, please, Umberto?

Thank you!

Robert M.
California

GSX Fan - FSDreamteam airports - KLAX, KORD, KJFK , KLAS and more...

flapsup

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Re: VIRTUALI add-on manager- "AFFINITY MASK" for i7 2600k CPU?
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2012, 09:03:54 am »
What setting should I use for the Affinity Mask with my i7 2600k CPU, please, Umberto?

Thank you!

Robert M.
California

GSX Fan - FSDreamteam airports - KLAX, KORD, KJFK , KLAS and more...
Use =14 for a 2600K with HT off

virtuali

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Re: VIRTUALI add-on manager- "AFFINITY MASK" for i7 2600k CPU?
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2012, 02:17:17 pm »
Yes, 14 should be ok with any quad-core system.

rsm2000e

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Re: VIRTUALI add-on manager- "AFFINITY MASK" for i7 2600k CPU?
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2012, 08:23:03 pm »
Yes, 14 should be ok with any quad-core system.


Ok- but in the VIRTUALI add-on manager, the "default" setting for the affinity mask is 125???  What does this mean?  I should set the slider to 14 (almost to the bottom of the slider?) within the Virtuali add-on manager???

I'm very confused!

Please let me know Umberto, thank you.

virtuali

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Re: VIRTUALI add-on manager- "AFFINITY MASK" for i7 2600k CPU?
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2012, 09:33:44 pm »
The Addon Manager just reads what was *already* in your FSX.CFG, it won't write anything, until you press the Save button.

rsm2000e

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Re: VIRTUALI add-on manager- "AFFINITY MASK" for i7 2600k CPU?
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2012, 11:40:01 pm »
The Addon Manager just reads what was *already* in your FSX.CFG, it won't write anything, until you press the Save button.

OK- let's restate my question.  The "default" for the AFFINITY MASK in Virtuali Add-on Manager is a value of 125.  This seems a ___LOT____ higher than "14" as recommended by Umberto.  OK, let me be stupid-- 'why' is the 'default' setting 125 for AFFINITY MASK in Add-on Manager??

I'm so confused...

So you're saying I should manually change the slider down from 125 to "14" because I have the i7 2600k quad core?  And furthermore, you also say that I should disable Hyperthreading as well?

Thank you!

Robert M
California

flapsup

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Re: VIRTUALI add-on manager- "AFFINITY MASK" for i7 2600k CPU?
« Reply #6 on: April 21, 2012, 07:38:34 am »
The Addon Manager just reads what was *already* in your FSX.CFG, it won't write anything, until you press the Save button.

OK- let's restate my question.  The "default" for the AFFINITY MASK in Virtuali Add-on Manager is a value of 125.  This seems a ___LOT____ higher than "14" as recommended by Umberto.  OK, let me be stupid-- 'why' is the 'default' setting 125 for AFFINITY MASK in Add-on Manager??

I'm so confused...

So you're saying I should manually change the slider down from 125 to "14" because I have the i7 2600k quad core?  And furthermore, you also say that I should disable Hyperthreading as well?

Thank you!

Robert M
California

Ignore what is in the Addon manager. It is only relevant if you save it to your FSX.
I or Umberto did not post use AM 14 for nothing. But you must turn off HT off in the bios. Not needed for FSX.
You need to go here:
http://forum.avsim.net/topic/370594-software-hardware-guide/
« Last Edit: April 21, 2012, 07:40:59 am by flapsup »

virtuali

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Re: VIRTUALI add-on manager- "AFFINITY MASK" for i7 2600k CPU?
« Reply #7 on: April 21, 2012, 09:45:58 am »
OK- let's restate my question.  The "default" for the AFFINITY MASK in Virtuali Add-on Manager is a value of 125.  This seems a ___LOT____ higher than "14" as recommended by Umberto.  OK, let me be stupid-- 'why' is the 'default' setting 125 for AFFINITY MASK in Add-on Manager??

The default goes in effect only if you click the default button, but it's not a value that is "suggested" for you configuration, it's just a default value, your cpu is not tested or checked in any way.

And, this is a bitmask, not a linear value, there's no such thing as "higher" or "lower", these are concepts without any meaning if a value is a bitmask like in this case.

rsm2000e

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Re: VIRTUALI add-on manager- "AFFINITY MASK" for i7 2600k CPU?
« Reply #8 on: April 21, 2012, 09:28:24 pm »
OK- let's restate my question.  The "default" for the AFFINITY MASK in Virtuali Add-on Manager is a value of 125.  This seems a ___LOT____ higher than "14" as recommended by Umberto.  OK, let me be stupid-- 'why' is the 'default' setting 125 for AFFINITY MASK in Add-on Manager??

The default goes in effect only if you click the default button, but it's not a value that is "suggested" for you configuration, it's just a default value, your cpu is not tested or checked in any way.

And, this is a bitmask, not a linear value, there's no such thing as "higher" or "lower", these are concepts without any meaning if a value is a bitmask like in this case.

I want to tell you that your answer is not helpful and has upset me a bit - wonder if you might consider some sort of "CLARIFICATION" for the users about the wonderful new features of the Virtuali add-on manager - better yet, is there a way that it could be 'completely disabled'?

Speaking candidly - I couldn't find any mention of these great new features where a user can make edits to their FSX.cfg file from within Virtuali Add-on Manager - and I'm disturbed that your "default" settings have NO RELATIONSHIP to the end-user's system hardware - speaking bluntly - your 'improved interface' may not be any HELP but might HURT user performance, no?  I can tell you from FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE:  It's not for everyone.  Your answer about "bitmask and not a linear value" is unresponsive and CONFUSING.  You never DID say what value would be correct for an i2600k quad-core Intel processor in YOUR program - you just talked about BITMASK?

In my view, the 'add-on manager' Virtuali settings are DANGEROUS, not properly explained, and the "default settings" are completely misleading and confusing!  To put it plainly, I wish this feature was NOT THERE, or at least could be permanently DISABLED and HIDDEN for those who might want to do their FSX.cfg edits some other place and with full understanding of what is occurring?

I don't say these remarks to hurt your feelings or to put down GSX or FSDreamteam - because I think overall your products are OUTSTANDING.  I really applaud GSX - it gets better every day - I'm grateful to own it.  I just want to share that end-users may not fully understand the new features being offered by Virtuali Add-on Manager - and for those people alone, some sort of protection needs to be put in place to avoid end-user creating PROBLEMS by improper edits to their FSX.cfg file which don't agree with their actual system hardware!  Better documentation in the MANUAL would be good on this particular feature as well - I so far could not find anything about the Virtuali Add-on Manager itself or what those settings mean and how they relate to different hardware. So what is the proper bitmask value (Affinity Setting) for a Quad Core i2600k CPU with HYPERTHREADING turned OFF in the bios?

Thank you for your help and understanding. 

virtuali

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Re: VIRTUALI add-on manager- "AFFINITY MASK" for i7 2600k CPU?
« Reply #9 on: April 21, 2012, 10:23:24 pm »
I want to tell you that your answer is not helpful

The answer was answering just what the affinity mask is doing and what the best setting would be.

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and has upset me a bit

How an explanation of the affinity mask can be "upsetting", is really a mistery.

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about the wonderful new features of the Virtuali add-on manager

That page is there since several years so, it's hardly a "new feature". And, they aren't "Addon Manager features", they are standard FSX.CFG settings, the Addon Manager is not doing ANYTHING, except let editing them without having the open the FSX.CFG file with notepad and having to look for them. That's it.

The Addon Manager is ONLY replacing Notepad. It's not doing ANYTHING on its own to touch those settings.

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better yet, is there a way that it could be 'completely disabled'?

If you prefer to edit them by hand, just use Notepad and pretend that page doesn't exist.

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Speaking candidly - I couldn't find any mention of these great new features where a user can make edits to their FSX.cfg file from within Virtuali Add-on Manager -

Since they are standard FSX.CFG tweaks and their meaning is explained elsewhere, there's no need to repeat the explanation in the Addon Manager. I'll repeat it again, the Addon Manager is not doing ANYTHING to your FSX.CFG, is ONLY offering you a way to edit that file more easily than with Notepad.

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and I'm disturbed that your "default" settings have NO RELATIONSHIP to the end-user's system hardware - speaking bluntly - your 'improved interface' may not be any HELP but might HURT user performance, no?

No, you got it all wrong: it's precisely BECAUSE it's not assuming ANYTHING about the system, that is NOT causing any performance problem. It's not an automatic optimizer, it's just an EDITOR. YOU are responsible to put values, just the same as if you were editing the FSX.CFG file manually.


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Your answer about "bitmask and not a linear value" is unresponsive and CONFUSING.  You never DID say what value would be correct for an i2600k quad-core Intel processor in YOUR program - you just talked about BITMASK?

My answer is neither unresponsive nor confusing and, again, you are missing the point entirely: it's NOT a setting in "OUR" program, it's a standard FSX.CFG tweak, its meaning (not being a linear value but a bitmaks) it's IDENTICAL and its effect would be exactly the same as if you edited it by hand with Notepad, the ONLY difference the Addon Manager does, is that you edit it with a SLIDER, instead than manually writing the value by hand but, in BOTH cases YOU are supposed to know which value to put it.

Again, the Addon Manager is ONLY a different interface to the same values.


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In my view, the 'add-on manager' Virtuali settings are DANGEROUS, not properly explained, and the "default settings" are completely misleading and confusing!

The default values are exactly what the word says: values that are default in the FSX.CFG and the "Default Settings" button can be helpful you if you wanted to reset ONLY those tweaks, to restore default values WITHOUT having to reset the WHOLE FSX.CFG, losing other settings you might not want to lose.

Because, resetting the FSX.CFG entirely, would be the only way to get default values back, if there wasn't that Addon Manager option, which resets ONLY those tweaks.

Your mistake is to assume that "Default settings" could mean "Optimized settings", which is not. If we intended to say that, that button would read "Optimized settings". Default simply means "restore to FSX defaults". Again, this is easier and LESS destructive than the usual way of resetting tweaks, which would mean remove the FSX.CFG and let FSX rebuild a new one, but that would reset *everything*, here you can reset ONLY those tweaks.

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To put it plainly, I wish this feature was NOT THERE, or at least could be permanently DISABLED and HIDDEN for those who might want to do their FSX.cfg edits some other place and with full understanding of what is occurring?

And you are wrong again because, as was explained many times already on the forum:

- The Addon Manager DOES NOT change your existing settings: it READS what you ALREADY had.

- The "Default Settings" doesn't do ANYTHING, if you press it by mistake, for example.

- The only way to make an actual change to your FSX.CFG, is to MAKE a change AND also press the "Save Settings" button.

So no, you should be fairly motivated to do a change because, resetting those tweaks to default, would require TWO button clicks in a row, first you would need to press "Default Settings" and THEN "Save Settings.


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I just want to share that end-users may not fully understand the new features being offered by Virtuali Add-on Manager

As I've said, they are not "new" features, it's just an interface to tweak existing settings more easily than hand-editing the FSX.CFG file, and that's it.

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- and for those people alone, some sort of protection needs to be put in place to avoid end-user creating PROBLEMS by improper edits to their FSX.cfg file which don't agree with their actual system hardware!

The protection is obviously there, and it's the "Save Settings" button. If you don't CHANGE a setting first AND press the "Save Setting" button then, NOTHING will be written on file.

If you change a setting and exit that page, nothing will happen and nothing will be written.

I'll repeat it again:

1) Settings are not coming FROM the Addon Manager, at all. The first time you open that page, settings are READ from your own existing FSX.CFG. The Addon Manager DOES NOT change ANYTHING on its own.

2) You can play with sliders as long as you want, no change will be made

3) To change your file, you need to "Save Settings"


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So what is the proper bitmask value (Affinity Setting) for a Quad Core i2600k CPU with HYPERTHREADING turned OFF in the bios?

14, as I've said twice already.

My comment about this not being a linear value, was only in reply to your comment that you seemed to be not entirely convinced that you should go down, as if you were expecting "higher is better" or something like that.

The slider goes very far, because with systems with more than 4 cores, you need to go up to 255.

The default value of the Addon Manager, if you press the "Default Settings", it's 255, NOT 125. 255 means "use all cores", which is exactly what FSX does BY DEFAULT, even if that tweak is not there, so it's a correct value for a default setting button.

If you had 125, it means THAT was the value you ALREADY had in your FSX.CFG regardless of the Addon Manager, which only read it as it were and presented it to you to edit it.

« Last Edit: April 21, 2012, 10:31:44 pm by virtuali »

rsm2000e

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Re: VIRTUALI add-on manager- "AFFINITY MASK" for i7 2600k CPU?
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2012, 04:55:24 am »
OK- I guess "BITMASK" is different from the actual suggested value of 14.  You are talking like programmers to end-users.  I now understand that 255 or 125 do not directly correlate to "14".  Thank you for explaining.  I was not disturbed or upset about AFFINITY MASK, I was confused by your use of the words "BIT MASK", which is not a setting I have ever seen for FSX.  So you are talking a different "language" to someone who didn't understand your terminology.  I was FINE with "AFFINITY MASK"  it was your "BITMASK" that confused me.  Honestly, it's great that you put that feature in, but realistically, you should WARN USERS that "DEFAULT" settings or "resetting to DEFAULT settings" may DECREASE performance - Other products like ULTIMATE TERRAIN X have FSX.cfg editors built in, but they also have pretty good suggestive help available and show the user what some possible settings could be, based on high, mid or low-end hardware.

Please know I totally love GSX.  I mean no disrespect.  I couldn't find anything out about the new Virtuali add-on Manager "INTERFACE" in your existing GSX manual... it's totally missing as far as I can see.  I only make suggestions as an 'end user' to help those of you who think "like programmers think" and may not realize that some direction is needed to prevent confusion. 

Thanks for GSX- it's really great!  And thanks for explaining that the Virtuali add-on screen is merely an FSX.cfg editor.  To me, the only real 'danger' is a user who thinks "default settings" somehow may relate to any specific hardware - or that your editor is 'reading' the end user hardware.  In truth, it is only 'reading' the FSX.cfg file.  As such, that's a good optional feature!

Robert M.
California.

virtuali

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Re: VIRTUALI add-on manager- "AFFINITY MASK" for i7 2600k CPU?
« Reply #11 on: April 23, 2012, 11:14:09 am »
OK- I guess "BITMASK" is different from the actual suggested value of 14.  You are talking like programmers to end-users.  I now understand that 255 or 125 do not directly correlate to "14".  Thank you for explaining.  I was not disturbed or upset about AFFINITY MASK, I was confused by your use of the words "BIT MASK", which is not a setting I have ever seen for FSX.

There's no such thing as a "BITMASK" setting!! As I've said (and others said) you should simply put 14, and don't worry about what it means.

The one and only reasons of me using that term, is because you asked why you should go "down from 125 to 14", which seemed to indicate you were thinking the value would be "lowered". THAT'S why I said that lower or higher don't have any meaning, because that setting IS A bitmask, not a linear value, so going "higher" or "lower" with the slider is not really "increasing" or "decreasing" anything.

But again, you only had to set it to 14, and that's it.

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Other products like ULTIMATE TERRAIN X have FSX.cfg editors built in, but they also have pretty good suggestive help available and show the user what some possible settings could be, based on high, mid or low-end hardware.

That's not a fitting example. UT is installing something that affects FSX *globally*, so it would make sense to discuss FSX global tweaks, since they ARE relevant to what they have just installed.

The tweaker included in the Addon Manager it's just a free tweaker included with the product, and the tweaks are not really connected to what we just installed (an airport scenery, for example)

In fact, it could be exactly the opposite: it's possible that suggesting a tweak (which is global) that might increase performances on the "product we are installing", could have ad adverse effect on all the rest of FSX.

That's why it's best to not "suggest" anything, and simply present that interface as a built-in free helper to edit the FSX.CFG file, and nothing more, if you are using Notepad, nobody is suggesting anything. This is the same, just easier to use, but it's NOT advertised as a built-in optimizer or performance enhancer, you are still supposed to know what values put it.

If you are not sure, don't change any setting (because, as I've said, they are READ from your EXISTING FSX.CFG) and don't press the "Save" button, and it would be exactly as that page never existed because, as I've said, no values are changed without your intervention AND the "Save" button.

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I couldn't find anything out about the new Virtuali add-on Manager "INTERFACE" in your existing GSX manual... it's totally missing as far as I can see.  I only make suggestions as an 'end user' to help those of you who think "like programmers think" and may not realize that some direction is needed to prevent confusion. 

I don't see why this should be mentioned in the GSX manual, since it doesn't have anything to do with GSX. It's an Addon Manager feature, which is not "new", it has been there since about 4 years, and it has been discussed many times here in the past. And, even the actual tweaks presented were not always the same.

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To me, the only real 'danger' is a user who thinks "default settings" somehow may relate to any specific hardware

If it was, the button would have called "optimize settings", not "default settings". They are two very different terms with an entirely different meaning.

The only suggestion I can accept somehow, for someone that doesn't understand what "default" means, is to put an additional dialog box before pressing the default setting button, that will alert with something like "These settings will be restored to their default values after a clean FSX installation, are you sure ?"

rsm2000e

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Re: VIRTUALI add-on manager- "AFFINITY MASK" for i7 2600k CPU?
« Reply #12 on: April 23, 2012, 10:13:01 pm »
Ok, Thanks again Umberto.  Wonderful explanation - thank you for taking the time to clarify it for me!  I really appreciate it!

Again, I totally love GSX, and feel it's a "must-buy" along with the great airports from FSDreamteam!

One idea I had for GSX- would you ever consider putting a menu choice on the GSX menu for "Deboarding ONLY - no baggage reload"?

While some planes might be taking off again soon, it would help my flow when I shoot videos to demo your products if I could 'dismiss' the baggage loaders at the end of the flight.  I think I read in the forum that you chose to let them remain after the baggage carts disappear to handle the next flight.  If it's the 'last flight of the day' or if the plane is going out of service (say for maintenance), it would be nice to have the baggage loader guys get back into their vehicles and drive away, instead of hitting "reload position".

I have YouTube videos under user

rsm2000e

Two of them are based on GSX (one daytime one nighttime).


Thanks for considering my idea about the baggage handlers...  Ciao!