AME CPU Usage Goes To Zero To Often

[Steve Kalle]

Does anyone have any idea why AME keeps on dropping to ZERO CPU usage during encoding? The CPU temps are not the problem as it happens when they (all 12 cores) are anywhere between 50-60. I tested Cinema 4D and it keeps all CPUs pegged at 100% with NO drop during the entire render.

I have nothing but CS5, C4D, ClipBrowser and Wacom software installed (in addition to Firefox).

[Robert Young]

Does the encoding process stop when the meter drops to 0?
If the process keeps rolling on, maybe its some wierd issue with the metering software.
I'm using 8 cores, and AME keeps them all pegged the entire time on the little Win 7 gadget meter I use.

[Steve Kalle]

Yes, the encoding stops in that the time remaining just stays the same when the CPU drops to Zero.

I originally thought it was the CPUs overheating (well, they kinda were) so HP replaced the CPU heatsinks, the thermal sensor and most recently, the motherboard, which finally seemed to fix it. All of my encoding that day after the mobo was replaced worked fined. Now a couple weeks later, and its doing this crap again.

I have tried exporting to 5 drives on 3 Sata or SAS controllers with no change. My next attempt will be moving the source footage off the 12TB Areca R5 array to see if the Areca is the cause.

Then I will try in software MPE to rule out my Quadro.

[Bill Engeler]

How long does it linger at 0%? I notice it does the same when rendering on my rig, but only for a few seconds at a time, maybe 10 seconds max. I have no idea what is going on, but it doesn't appear to be a real problem, as I am finding many fewer render crashes with CS5 than in the past with earlier systems. It is curious though.

[Steve Kalle]

It lasts about the same, anywhere from 2 to 10 seconds. It seems to be very random. Sometimes it will go several minutes without dropping and sometimes it will only last a minute or two.

[Roger Averdahl]

Steve,

- CS4 or CS5?
- What media do you have on the Timeline *and* what Sequence Settings do you have for that Timeline?
- Any audio and/or video filters on the clips? (If yes, specify the filters.)
- What are you rendering to, MPEG2-DVD, DV AVI, Flash, etc, etc, etc?
- What graphic card do you have and what drivers?
- GPU Acceleration on or off?
- What BIOS version do you have on your motherboard?
- Have you changed anything manually in the BIOS? (If yes, what did you change?)
- Do you have Hyper Threading Enabled or Disabled in the BIOS? (It is Disabled by default. Enabled is strongly recommended)

I use a Z800 with dual Intel X5670's and 24GB RAM. If i for example render out AVCHD, 720p50, to MPEG2-DVD all 24 threads pegs between 95% - 100% during the *whole* render until the render is done after approx 24 minutes. (The Timeline is 70 minutes) The processors are water cooled. I have not seen this issue on any other HP machine, with or without watercooling, Z400 or Z800.

[Steve Kalle]

Roger,

CS5 - CS4 or CS5?
XDCAM EX, XDCAM 720 30p- What media do you have on the Timeline *and* what Sequence Settings do you have for that Timeline?
Video: Levels, Broadcast Colors, 3way CC, Curves, RGB Curves CC; Audio: Dynamics with Limiter engaged - Any audio and/or video filters on the clips? (If yes, specify the filters.)
MPEG2 & H264 - What are you rendering to, MPEG2-DVD, DV AVI, Flash, etc, etc, etc?
FX3800, latest from HP - What graphic card do you have and what drivers?
ON - GPU Acceleration on or off?
Don't know at the moment - What BIOS version do you have on your motherboard?
Disabled Ethernet Bootup; enabled Memory Interleave; enabled HT, enabled Turbo and Enhanced Turbo, Thermal Fan Speed at 3 or 4 - Have you changed anything manually in the BIOS?
Yes - Do you have Hyper Threading Enabled or Disabled in the BIOS?

This PC is also a Z800 with dual X5660 and 24GB of Kingston-Z800 certified ram. I have 6 2TB Seagate Constellation ES drives in Raid 5 connected to an Areca 1680ix with all source material on this array. I have 4 1TB drives in Raid 10 connected to the onboard LSI SAS for all renders. My 'work' OS drive is on an Intel X25 SSD and my 'testing' OS is on the stock 160GB drive. The Media Cache is stored on a 150GB V-Raptor.

This problem has been occurring on both OS installations (both Win 7 Pro x64).

[Bill Engeler]

Is this really a "problem"? From what has been described, it seems like a quirk of the encoding process. I would certainly like to know what is happening when the usage drops for a few seconds, but it doesn't really seem to be a problem.

[Don Blish]

I have noticed this in Encore 6 months ago...but not lately on CS5. Not only did the usage drop for 15 seconds or so, but the fan speed could be heard dropping to idle too so probably not a thermal issue.

Details. Cineform output at HDV resolution, a clean file from PProCS4 with Encore in process of encoding to mpeg2 at 25mbps CBR. i7-975, quad at 3.33 so motherboard is triple bank x58 chipset. data on pair of RAID0 discs, OS on single separate drive, apporved 1333 DDR3 RAM. This happend in the first months of use on this Win7x64. Problem is gone now using CS5, Quadro FX3800, RAM doubled to 12gb.

[Roger Averdahl]

Originally Posted by Steve Kalle

FX3800, latest from HP

I would try the drivers from NVIDIA Drivers 259.57 instead of downloading them from HP. I once updated Windows 7 and let it update the graphic card drivers by mistake, and that was a bad move since they performed bad. However, since you have tried with GPU Acceleration disabled the drivers are unlikely the issue.

Do you see the same issue if you set the Thermal Fan Speed to its max level the BIOS? (Yes, the computer will sound like a vacuum cleaner...)

I dont have native XDCAM EX footage, so i created some MPEG2 @ 35Mb/s and that rendered out with all the filters you use without any issues. I had the source footage on D:\ and rendered to E:\. Both drives are internal drives, 7200RPM. The timeline is 10 minutes. I use a Quadro FX 4800.

I have not had this issue with BIOS 3.07, 3.10 and 3.12. (The computer came with 3.07.)