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Updated:	09-07-07 01:05 PM
Created:	unknown
Downloads:	6,170
Favorites:	43
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GCTweak

Version: r2

by: Cladhaire [More]

GCTweak is a small utility that will help keep your memory usage lower, by assisting the garbage collection system in World of Warcraft. Anytime your framerate is higher than the setting (30 by default) this addon will force the garbage collection system to continuing marking and deallocating objects. This will only happen when you are not in combat, and can be disabled and customized from the commandline.

/gctweak /gctweaker /gct:
/gct toggle - Toggles GCTweaker on or off
/gct <num> - Enables aggressive garbage collection above <num> frames per second
/gct debug - Toggles debug messages

You should set the FPS value to your "normal" frame rate to get the best performance. The addon is very careful to only take action when necessary, and never does anything during combat.

Please test this addon, and report back to me with your results (especially if you see a noticeable drop in frame rate, or memory usage). I've tested the addon quite a bit, and it has a very noticeable effect in resolving burst situations.

Thanks to Krka for talking through all the garbage collection issues, and pushing the idea of periodic collection.

TLDR Version:

Lua's incremental garbage collector only marks and deallocates in response to new allocations. As a result, the system can get into a deficit that makes it difficult to complete a full garbage collection cycle. In order to resolve this, I've created an addon which runs the garbage collection system periodically during system downtime to ensure you don't have an outstanding deficit of memory waiting to be collected.

Changelog:

Code:

2007-09-07 [r2]  artifici:

	* GCTweak.lua: * Small optimization suggested by ckknight

2007-09-07 [r1]  artifici:

	* GCTweak.lua (added), GCTweak.toc (added): * Initial import of
	  GCTweak

Comment Options

Page 1 of 2

11-13-07, 04:12 PM

Cladhaire

Salad!

Forum posts: 1935

File comments: 4939

Uploads: 19

Originally posted by Somnifer
Would I still gain some benefit from using this addon, or is this the 2.3 GC improvements?

Pending testing, this is no longer necessary. One more addon I don't need to update.

__________________
"There's only one thing that I know how to do well and I've often been told that you only can do what you know how to do well, and that's be you-- be what you're like-- be like yourself. And so I'm having a wonderful time, but I'd rather be whistling in the dark..."

11-13-07, 03:51 PM
Somnifer A Defias Bandit Forum posts: 2 File comments: 22 Uploads: 0	Would I still gain some benefit from using this addon, or is this the 2.3 GC improvements?

09-10-07, 07:48 PM
Cralor Mmm... cookies!!! Forum posts: 772 File comments: 313 Uploads: 5	Another wonderful addons by Cladhaire!! Just downloaded, will try it out tommorrow. __________________ Never be satisfied with satisfactory.

09-10-07, 11:05 AM

Cladhaire

Salad!

Forum posts: 1935

File comments: 4939

Uploads: 19

Originally posted by Geboran
Right. And I see a noticable difference when I use the addon "as is".

I was hoping to hear from some more experienced players how I should go about adjusting my video settings to increase FPS without degrading video quality so much that it makes the game "unplayable".

There is an older addon that changes your video decisions depending on which zone you're in. I dont recall what it would be called right now.. but its the best I can think of.

09-10-07, 11:02 AM
Geboran A Rage Talon Dragon Guard Forum posts: 308 File comments: 34 Uploads: 0	Right. And I see a noticable difference when I use the addon "as is". I was hoping to hear from some more experienced players how I should go about adjusting my video settings to increase FPS without degrading video quality so much that it makes the game "unplayable". __________________ ------------------------------------------ Geboran - Level 70 Paladin <Evolution> Stormreaver (US), Alliance

09-10-07, 10:35 AM

Cladhaire

Salad!

Forum posts: 1935

File comments: 4939

Uploads: 19

Originally posted by Geboran
I have been having issues with frame rates and could use some help trying to get them "higher".

I currently have 1GB of ram in my machine and a 256mb video card. Even without the recommended 2GB of ram WoW should run pretty good, right?

I average somewhere in the neighborhood between 2fps to 10fps in large cities and some battlegrounds at times, and anywhere from 11fps-25fps everywhere else. What would I need to set this addon at in order to help with frame rates?

Also.... any suggestions on other addons to use to help with adjusting the framerates to 30+?

Regards,

Your video settings are the #1 reason for FPS drops. This addon serves another purpose entirely, which is to help clean up excess garbage when the UI gets behind. As for framerates, tinkering with your video settings will be the biggest gain you find.

09-10-07, 08:36 AM
Geboran A Rage Talon Dragon Guard Forum posts: 308 File comments: 34 Uploads: 0	I have been having issues with frame rates and could use some help trying to get them "higher". I currently have 1GB of ram in my machine and a 256mb video card. Even without the recommended 2GB of ram WoW should run pretty good, right? I average somewhere in the neighborhood between 2fps to 10fps in large cities and some battlegrounds at times, and anywhere from 11fps-25fps everywhere else. What would I need to set this addon at in order to help with frame rates? Also.... any suggestions on other addons to use to help with adjusting the framerates to 30+? Regards, __________________ ------------------------------------------ Geboran - Level 70 Paladin <Evolution> Stormreaver (US), Alliance

09-09-07, 12:45 PM
MidgetMage55 Grinch! Forum posts: 1498 File comments: 66 Uploads: 2	Never fails that when you release a mod i alway end up adding it to my favorites. Another fantastic mod! __________________ I think Hong Kong Phooey was a ninja AND a pirate. That was just too much awesome. - Yhor

09-09-07, 07:32 AM

Cladhaire

Salad!

Forum posts: 1935

File comments: 4939

Uploads: 19

Originally posted by stqn
I'm sure you're right . When I wrote the last post, I hadn't read your explanation on the official WoW forums. I thought GCT only did something when it displayed a message (with messages enabled, of course.)

Now, after looking at the source code, I think I understand: GCT triggers a Garbage Collection step at each frame (when the fps count is high enough), but that step takes a very short amount of time, so there's no way that can trigger a drop in frame rate. The only noticeable effect would be the AddOns memory usage decreasing. When GCT tells us that it finished a GC cycle, it doesn't mean that it did more work than in the previous frames...

Correct, thats just a message to let you know that your memory should be close to the base, since a full garbage collection cycle will have just completed. Make 2 megs worth of garbage without GCT, and see how long it takes for it to get collected. Then enable GCT, and see the difference.

09-09-07, 01:32 AM

stqn

A Deviate Faerie Dragon

Forum posts: 11

File comments: 67

Uploads: 0

Originally posted by Cladhaire
Testing GCT is really simple, and I can assure you, it's working :P

I'm sure you're right

. When I wrote the last post, I hadn't read your explanation on the official WoW forums. I thought GCT only did something when it displayed a message (with messages enabled, of course.)

Now, after looking at the source code, I think I understand: GCT triggers a Garbage Collection step at each frame (when the fps count is high enough), but that step takes a very short amount of time, so there's no way that can trigger a drop in frame rate. The only noticeable effect would be the AddOns memory usage decreasing. When GCT tells us that it finished a GC cycle, it doesn't mean that it did more work than in the previous frames...

Last edited by stqn : 09-09-07 at 01:36 AM.

09-08-07, 07:59 AM

Cladhaire

Salad!

Forum posts: 1935

File comments: 4939

Uploads: 19

I have both FRA and GCT set to 35 fps, and GCTweak seems to be running not so often with no remarkable drop in frame rate... I can't say if GCT changed anything yet though. [/b]

Testing GCT is really simple, and I can assure you, it's working :P

09-08-07, 02:52 AM

stqn

A Deviate Faerie Dragon

Forum posts: 11

File comments: 67

Uploads: 0

FYI, the recommended VRAM for WoW is only 64MB, which is what I have on my laptop, and the game runs fine! However I have disabled a few graphics options and enabled LOD.

More interesting to you and users of GCTweak, I think, is the AddOn FrameRate Adjuster which lets you select a desired frame rate (say, 30 fps), and will automatically change the distance of vision to try and keep that frame rate.

I have both FRA and GCT set to 35 fps, and GCTweak seems to be running not so often with no remarkable drop in frame rate... I can't say if GCT changed anything yet though.

09-07-07, 10:28 PM

Cladhaire

Salad!

Forum posts: 1935

File comments: 4939

Uploads: 19

Originally posted by Flarin
I play on a laptop and my FPS fluctuates quite often, forcing this program to run a garbage collection a few times a minute on my machine. I have set it much lower than 30- actually my normal FPS is in the 20s, so I set it to 14. But, perhaps because my video card is on the motherboard and only 128mb the FPS frequantly dips down to 14/13/12 then pops back up, sometimes as high as 30.

Would it be feasible - or even possible - to keep track of the last collection time and if it is within a certain amount of time and / or a certain amount of memory increase THEN run?

Not sure this would help, what are your thoughts? Thanks for your time.

Not really, that's not how incremental garbage collection works. If you don't have issues with the game as-is, feel free to not run the addon. Have you tried setting it as low as 10, and seeing how that effects you?

09-07-07, 10:25 PM
Flarin A Frostmaul Preserver Forum posts: 290 File comments: 212 Uploads: 1	I play on a laptop and my FPS fluctuates quite often, forcing this program to run a garbage collection a few times a minute on my machine. I have set it much lower than 30- actually my normal FPS is in the 20s, so I set it to 14. But, perhaps because my video card is on the motherboard and only 128mb the FPS frequantly dips down to 14/13/12 then pops back up, sometimes as high as 30. Would it be feasible - or even possible - to keep track of the last collection time and if it is within a certain amount of time and / or a certain amount of memory increase THEN run? Not sure this would help, what are your thoughts? Thanks for your time. __________________ "I will crush and destroy and...ooo...shiny..." [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

09-07-07, 07:58 PM

Cladhaire

Salad!

Forum posts: 1935

File comments: 4939

Uploads: 19

Originally posted by JaedxRapture
Woot.

I'm sneaky

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