Low CPU Usage ~20% rendering at highest priority

MP- wrote on 1/26/2021, 2:27 AM

In Vegas Pro 18 I cannot understand why the CPU usage when rendering at highest priority (realtime) remains around 20%, even when I overclock the CPU. Plus, you can see up-down bounces of the CPU usage. No other programs is running (uninstalled even some AVG services that were taking up some CPU usage).

This was not the case 1 month ago and appeared suddenly.

Now the 2h 4K videos that used to render in 4-6h, take 25h to render..

I have tried all configurations activating or not GPU acceleration etc.

Tried all possible 4K/UHD formats - sticked to Magix AVC output (smaller size) and different bit rates

The new high-end CPU and Grahic card were an upgrade effort, exactly in order to shorten rendering times...

See screenshots

System:

Asus X299A-II

i9 10980XE

XFX Radeon 6800 XT

64GB DRAM

Windows 64 - OS Build: Windows 10 Pro Insider Preview 2004 - build 21292.1010

Discks used for scratch-temporary and for reading source files - and final writing files are all Samsung Evo 970 Plus M.2 NVMes.

The OS is runing on a Samsung Evo 840 SSD.

Any help is appreciated

Thank you

Comments

fr0sty wrote on 1/26/2021, 2:34 AM

Are you rendering to Magix avc using one of the templates that has "VCE" listed next to it?

MP- wrote on 1/26/2021, 2:43 AM

RogerS wrote on 1/26/2021, 2:53 AM

Can you share a screenshot of the render template you are using? What Fx did you apply?

fr0sty wrote on 1/26/2021, 3:02 AM

No

You should, it'll render much faster.

MP- wrote on 1/26/2021, 4:58 AM

Tried VCE. Renders same or slower.

it seems as if there is a bottleneck to the CPU performance - checked it with IDTP CPU Diagnostic tools - all OK.

Ceteris paribus - I checked-reran a 2 min clip rendering VEG I had tested before with my previous CPU (i7-5820).

The system now takes longer to renders with the new i9 10980XE CPU!! (6.08 min vs 4.23 min with the older i7)

Render template = Magix AVC

FX= LUTS - Color curves - Sharpen

checked also for virueses with Malwarebyes and Webroot. nothing found...

MP- wrote on 1/26/2021, 5:12 AM

RogerS wrote on 1/26/2021, 6:20 AM

Try it without sharpen and see if you get noticeably higher CPU usage? I use LUTs and color curves and those work well. (I can't see the images you posted- something's wrong with the forum at the moment)

One other idea would be to download the standardized benchmarking project many of us are using. Try to render in 4K and 1080p mode and make note of how long it takes. Then compare it to others with similar hardware. If your results are way off, there's something wrong with the system or config of Vegas.
https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/benchmarking-results-continued--118503/

Musicvid wrote on 1/26/2021, 7:10 AM

Remove all fx and media generators. Therein should be your answer.

MP- wrote on 1/26/2021, 7:39 AM

I want to note that until recently with both this new CPU and the old i7 CPU I had better times, even with LUT and FX. The problem is not there

MP- wrote on 1/26/2021, 7:42 AM

I ran the benchmarking file and it gives strange results.

rendering duration = 3 min (compared to 0:45 sec of the weaker i9 9900K)

AVG fps = 5.78 fps (starts from 1.6 fps then after half clip goes to 20 fps!)

The pattern of CPU speed is really strange:

It starts from 80% then drops to 5% with coninuous spikes between 7 and 20% and after half clip climbs again to a steady 86% until the end.

Really strange

Will post screenshots once it will be possible.

MP- wrote on 1/26/2021, 7:46 AM

So the rendering of this benchmarking veg, starts like a turtle and then, after about half clip and until the end starts running like crazy.

The overall times are very slow compared to other users' benchmarks

The pattern of spikes between 5-20% in th middle of rendering is very linear.

Spikes appear like mountaintops (spikes=20%) with a constant time distance between them (lower plateau = 5-7%). Not a steady CPU usage.

No other programme running is taking any more than 0.1% of CPU usage.

Documented everything with screenshots

RogerS wrote on 1/26/2021, 7:58 AM

Hi Miltos, for the benchmark, the project itself is more intensive in some parts than others, so it's normal for there to be variability. What's more concerning is that your overall FPS isn't very good given how incredibly powerful your hardware is.

Is 3 min for the 4K or HD render? Is it to HEVC or AVC? VCE or just Mainconcept (CPU)?

For me in CPU only mode to HD as an AVC file I completed the render in 3 min. exactly.

RogerS wrote on 1/26/2021, 8:03 AM

Dumb question but did you upgrade the machine with Vegas installed or buy a new one? If it was upgrade in place, could you reset Vegas? It may have suboptimal settings it inherited from the old CPU and GPU. Hold down control and shift as you double-click to boot the program. You will lose customized settings but not files or projects.

MP- wrote on 1/26/2021, 8:08 AM

3 min for UHD VCE - AVC as suggested by benchmarking

Was already installed and upgraded. But I had much better timings with the upgraded vegas very recently...

Yesterday I upgraded also to build 454 (I think) but nothing changed in this sense.

MP- wrote on 1/26/2021, 8:12 AM

I reran it after starting as suggested (Ctrl_Shft-double click) - nothing changed.

Actually 3 min are for mainconcept AVC,

VCE gives 2:35 which is still too slow for the system I have..

RogerS wrote on 1/26/2021, 8:19 AM

Here are the full reset instructions- did it prompt you to clear the cache? If not, try it again.

You are using the Enterprise/Pro driver?

MP- wrote on 1/26/2021, 8:53 AM

yes, I have latest AMD radeon adrenalin software installed.

I reset Vegas and reached the exact same results 2:33 VCE UHD. But this time, without spikes and with constant very low CPU usage = 3-7%

RogerS wrote on 1/26/2021, 9:11 AM

No spikes this time, that's interesting.

Could you do the same render with CPU and see if it's faster than before? I mean it's possible the fast CPU is giving the GPU as much data it can handle with just 3-7% usage. It does seem low, though.

Not sure what else to try- if you see any users on the benchmark thread with a similar CPU, maybe tag them here and see if they have advice.

MP- wrote on 1/26/2021, 9:47 AM

Same story - Mainconcept AVC = 3:01 (and the spikes are back again)

There is not comparable CPU in the benchmarking xls. They are all much weaker...

But my system is slower... :(

Thank you for your time though!

RogerS wrote on 1/26/2021, 10:49 AM

Have you tried a general benchmark program (Passmark or something) to see if your system as a whole is performing properly compared to similar systems? Perhaps there is a bios or other setting that's not configured correctly and hurting performance?

Also, if you can provide your benchmark data in the format requested in the benchmarking thread, tag JN- and therhino and ask if they have ideas why your performance isn't better. They seem knowledgeable about high end systems and Vegas.

fr0sty wrote on 1/26/2021, 11:09 AM

Use the Radeon Pro for Enterprise driver.

Check preferences and make sure gpu acceleration is enabled in the video tab, and is set to use your AMD card, then check under file i/o tab and make sure that is set to QSV, if available, or your AMD gpu if not.

MP- wrote on 1/26/2021, 11:38 AM

Use the Radeon Pro for Enterprise driver.

Check preferences and make sure gpu acceleration is enabled in the video tab, and is set to use your AMD card, then check under file i/o tab and make sure that is set to QSV, if available, or your AMD gpu if not.

I do have the lastest AMD Driver for 6800XT via the page you suggested.

(Driver Version 20.45.27.02-210118a-363193E-RadeonSoftwareAdrenalin2020)

No GPU acceleration option is available there (only for video viewing experience)..

MP- wrote on 1/26/2021, 11:53 AM

Have you tried a general benchmark program (Passmark or something) to see if your system as a whole is performing properly compared to similar systems? Perhaps there is a bios or other setting that's not configured correctly and hurting performance?

Also, if you can provide your benchmark data in the format requested in the benchmarking thread, tag JN- and therhino and ask if they have ideas why your performance isn't better. They seem knowledgeable about high end systems and Vegas.

Thanks for the suggestion. Will do!

In the meantime, benchmarks are good:

Cinebench R15 - CPU = 3640

Passmark - perf.test 10.0 = 6521.4 /CPU Mark=33069

Howard-Vigorita wrote on 1/26/2021, 6:01 PM

@MP- Sounds like Vegas might not be seeing the amd 6800xt... when you go into the Vegas preferences, video tab, does an amd processor show up there? If it's recognized, you might see 2 possible selections there... one for amd and the other for an Intel igpu if your mobo has one. I would expect that selecting the amd board on the Vegas video preferences tab and the Intel (if you have one) on the i/o preferences tab to work best. Another totally different thought would be to make absolutely sure that your cpu/memory/timing settings are stable... if you haven't done it already, load up prime95 together with core-temp and make sure you can run it for at least 8 hours error free. If prime95 starts crapping out on the smaller transforms with cores overheating, you'll either need to slow down cpu clock rates, stretch out memory timing, and/or improve your cooling.