Microgaming Softare 100% CPU Utilization??

[chalupa]

I just ran into this today, I don't know if it was a result of recent changes to MG software or some side effect of something else, but thought I'd post it to warn others and/or see if anyone else was having this problem.

When running Microgaming Viper software, the software is completely hogging CPU usage when idle. If I click on the title bar of the window (or of course quit the software), CPU usage immediately drops to normal.

Luckily I have alert software on my computer that let me know my system was overheating... just what I need, my gambling activity to burn the house down!

Can anyone else verify this on their system?

To see CPU usage, right click the in a blank space in the start menu bar area in Windows, choose "Task Manager" and click on the "Performance" tab. Then run the Microgaming software.

 

[winbig]

I've had it happen with the poker software before, and believe there's been other threads about it too....never seen it on the casino side of things though.

 

[BradyCU]

mg makes my computer run at 100% as well, it'll automatically restart my computer after it gets too hot...say 10min. I can't do anything else if i have it running, it sucks.

 

[spearmaster]

MGS software apparently sucks up idle CPU cycles. Right now, it sucks up way too much - so I have been told that this issue is being addressed and hopefully a fix to make it less "greedy" is due shortly.

 

[Vesuvio]

This is a really serious problem. I've downloaded two MG casinos today - Bella Vegas and Jupiter Club - and both of them start a process called "casinogame.new" that takes over 90% of the CPU - the overall usage is a steady 100%. My laptop's fan spins non-stop and despite that the computer's still dangerously hot (incidentally I had to replace the fan and hard drive before christmas and I'm sure it was a direct result of leaving MG casinos running for hours at a time).

I think some of the operators make this problem much worse by choosing to have the casino download every last game while you're playing. As well as making things run slowly & taking up unnecessary space (BellaVegas ends up at 303Mb for me, so I always remove it & have to go through this cycle again) it seems to put a dangerous load on the computer. I don't know if it's a factor, but I've got an extremely fast internet connection, so maybe it downloads more at a time than it can properly deal with!?

Microgaming really need to come up with a solution to this quickly as it will result in damaged computers. A simple stop-gap measure would be to give the player the option of whether they want to pre-download every single game at the casino. An option not to load the "movie" whenever the casino loads up would also help a lot of players, as mentioned before.

 

[caruso]

I lost a couple of hard drives in mega-quick time, and apparently totally inexplicably according to my computer bloke, over period of a few months. If it turns out it was related to MG casinos overheating my machine, I will be mega pissed off.

In fact, I lost my last one WHILST running an MG casino, now I think of it. F***ing brilliant.

 

[Tdoggy]

happened to me also

I also had a hard drive burnt out thanks to a microgaming casino. Not fun having that happen. That was it for me. I will not download microgaming casinos and have this happen again. They need to fix this problem.

 

[tim5ny]

My puter's set up for hardcore gaming, so the MG software's a walk in the park for it. I have tried running it on a decent laptop before, and it lagged so bad that I had to run very low resolution at lowest color quality. These changes made an immense difference. Maybe you guys should try that route.

 

[chalupa]

I think some of the operators make this problem much worse by choosing to have the casino download every last game while you're playing.

While annoying, I doubt that is much of a factor... downloading shouldn't really cause much problem other than taking up hard drive space. The extra load on the processor is temporary during downloading, and on a modern processor should be relatively minimal. (Only an educated guess... I haven't tried it.)

There really is no excuse why casino software is taking up that much CPU time. It has to be some sort of bug or sloppy programming. Modern processors are powerful and casino software is pretty simpleminded stuff.

Regarding hard-drive failures... CPU overloading is a separate issue but I can see how it could lead to premature hard-drive (or other system components) failure in an enclosed system. Electronics don't like to run hot. Manufacturer's MTBF (mean-time between failures) ratings are typically worse at higher temperatures.

I have a nearly-silent PC which is more susceptible to overheating due to lower airflow. And of course laptops like Vesuvio's would be another likely victim with the components all crammed in there.

It's certainly something Microgaming should fix... fast.

 

[Vesuvio]

While annoying, I doubt that is much of a factor... downloading shouldn't really cause much problem other than taking up hard drive space. The extra load on the processor is temporary during downloading, and on a modern processor should be relatively minimal.

I agree it shouldn't be a problem, but seeing as the CPU runs at 100% even when you're not playing a game I guess it doesn't help! It may be temporary, but as I often install MG casinos each time I use them temporary gets close to being 100% of the time - 300Mb+ isn't that quick to download. If the casino insists on the whole package being downloaded I'd prefer the option to do it all at once from the website instead of in the background while the casino's running. A few MG casinos now seem to let you do that (or to download an 80Mb+ package, at least).

 

[KasinoKing]

I've had it happen with the poker software before, and believe there's been other threads about it too....never seen it on the casino side of things though.

Ditto to that. I've complained several times to ChatMaster about this problem while running Piggs Peak Poker - but never noticed it during casino play.
But at last Sunday's Casinomeister freeroll it seemed much better - so I assumed Microrigging had done something about it.
They certainly MUST sort this out - it's potentially very serious.
I also agree how darned annoying it is that MG's download the full package. That wants to be stopped as well.

 

[Simmo!]

Yes I get the same thing. My CPU alarm goes off after an hour or so following the load of an MG casino - any one. First time it happened was after the introduction of the Mermaids Millions games release.

 

[DealerBusts]

Interesting point raised regarding MG software. I can't say I've noticed the 100% CPU usage but MG software is always rather sluggish unless on my fastest PC.

Just a few tips for you PC owners, ideally your computer should be stable even with 100% CPU usage. Extra power is drawn when the CPU runs at maximum (producing more heat and puts strain on power supply) so you should ensure:

i) The room is not overly hot
ii) There are adequate cooling fans in your case and on top of the CPU
iii) The PC has a quality power supply unit (at least 300w, preferably more)
iv) Opt for an AMD CPU which run cooler. Intel Pentium 4 CPUs are noctoriously hot.

 

[KasinoKing]

i) The room is not overly hot
ii) There are adequate cooling fans in your case and on top of the CPU
iii) The PC has a quality power supply unit (at least 300w, preferably more)
iv) Opt for an AMD CPU which run cooler. Intel Pentium 4 CPUs are notoriously hot.

So the best thing to do is cram your PC into the fridge/freezer?

Seriously though - very good advice.
But at the end of the day, this is down to Microgaming. They should be sorting this out, or at least warning players of the dangers. (e.g. Replace the intro movies in casinos with a flashing sign: 'Warning - using this casino may cause your computer to explode!')

 

[tunisianswife]

I'm so glad that I read this post. I have recently stopped playing MG because the games seem to run so slow and I always think that it seems like my computer is working overtime to try to play the games. Now I know why. Thanks for the tip, TIMNY, maybe I'll give that a try since I have a b'day bonus coming from Maple and do want to play it but don't want the hassle.

 

[DealerBusts]

So the best thing to do is cram your PC into the fridge/freezer?

Seriously though - very good advice.
But at the end of the day, this is down to Microgaming. They should be sorting this out, or at least warning players of the dangers. (e.g. Replace the intro movies in casinos with a flashing sign: 'Warning - using this casino may cause your computer to explode!')

Hehe.....some people do the equivilant of that but we're talking about serious PC enthusiasts. Ideally PCs should be stable at 100% CPU usage but many PCs are not built with quality components and cooling in mind.

I agree that MG should be sorting it out, after all we're only running a casino application, not trying to predict the weather. Our PCs shouldn't be stressed out so badly.

 

[Thakid2u]

Jupiter Casino just redid their casino Lobby. Since then all hell has broke loose. The games run slow as hell, to the point where you wait a min or 2 for the slots to stop. Tried playing VP...LMAO...it wasnt even fun, (although I did hit my first RF on my second dealt hand.) It seems since the lobby changed, (more graphics, and anims.) It has been running crappier (if that's a word) then before.

Ok, you may say....It's the time you are playing....Nope, Tried about every hour you could play. Although about 5am to about 8am est. does seem to run a bit better. NOT MUCH THOUGH.

 

[KasinoKing]

It has been running crappier (if that's a word) than before.

Crappier sure is a word - so is Microrigging!

On my PC some MG's run real bad, while others work brilliantly.
I believe this is down to server congestion, rather than CPU usage - so to anyone having problems, it might NOT be down to this.

 

[Agamemnon]

Interesting posts.

What kind of CPU's are we talking about?
My own PC is quite powerful (6 month old, latest games optimised apparently),
and I although I've noticed high usage, it's never been complete 100%.

Is this a case of
1) Some CPU's not being up to the task?
or
2) Taking up all CPU space on principle.
My own take is that it's probably the former case, bit I'd appreciate some feedback.
Either way,
1 is a bad design decision.
2 is a really really bad design decision

I realise that ovehauling your software can't be done quickly,
but the next version should take these complaints into consideration.
If nothing else, shoddy software tends to be shoddy down the line.
Just my two cents

 

[chalupa]

My system is a 1.8Ghz Pentium 4 with 1GB RAM running Windows XP Pro, a bit out of date by today's standards but certainly it shouldn't be stressed by a simpleminded 2-D graphics casino client.

On my system the Microgaming Viper software runs without any sluggishness, but the CPU utilization is 100% even when the software is idle.

So there is clearly some sort of bug and/or really poorly designed code in there somewhere. You don't need 100% of a Pentium 4 while just waiting around for a mouse click.

 

[DealerBusts]

Interesting posts.

What kind of CPU's are we talking about?
My own PC is quite powerful (6 month old, latest games optimised apparently),
and I although I've noticed high usage, it's never been complete 100%.

Is this a case of
1) Some CPU's not being up to the task?
or
2) Taking up all CPU space on principle.
My own take is that it's probably the former case, bit I'd appreciate some feedback.
Either way,
1 is a bad design decision.
2 is a really really bad design decision

I realise that ovehauling your software can't be done quickly,
but the next version should take these complaints into consideration.
If nothing else, shoddy software tends to be shoddy down the line.
Just my two cents

Its probably a combination of 1) and 2). The software may be too CPU intensive due to poor programming and its effect will be magnified on older computer with slower CPUs. The vast majority of PCs out there are probably at least 2 years old so the program writers should definitely cater for everyone.

Maybe the same approach should be taken as computer games where the user can select a 'low detail setting' with fewer flashy graphics and sounds so it at least runs at a respectable speed.

 

[spearmaster]

This is a problem which will be fixed in an update soon. It has nothing to do with your computer - the software is using up too many spare cycles, thus causing the CPU to be overutilized.

It appears to be more a problem of "in order to get the best speed, claim all available remaining cycles" than "software can't operate without 100% CPU utilization". The result just wasn't as expected.

 

[Oebro]

This is a problem which will be fixed in an update soon.

How soon? This really bugs me. I've had my CPU overheat a couple of times now.

It's a little better in flash versions, but still not good.

 

[chalupa]

It appears to be more a problem of "in order to get the best speed, claim all available remaining cycles"

I hope the programming geniuses who thought this up weren't the guys who wrote the random number generator!

 

[Oebro]

I hope the programming geniuses who thought this up weren't the guys who wrote the random number generator!

Good one!