Microsoft Windows 10 "Game Mode" Further Detailed

[Raevenlord]

At GDC 2017, Microsoft trickled out a few more details regarding its upcoming "Game Mode" for Windows 10. If you remember, "Game Mode" is an upcoming Windows feature which is currently going through its "Beta" phase on Windows 10's Creators Update, which will purportedly improve performance in games or similar full-screen applications.

According to the details Microsoft let out, Game Mode will ultimately dive deeper than the simple attribution of higher priority to a game's process. Instead, "Game Mode" will be able to allocate entire CPU cores (whether there is any distinction between physical or logical cores wasn't disclosed) solely to the purpose of processing your game of choice. This will probably end the dynamic allocation of threads that currently occurs, where game processing can jump around in the cores employed, while also looking to ensure that the entirety of the CPU and cache is dedicated to the game. This could, theoretically, aid performance in some more exotic core complexes (I'm looking at you, CCX).





Microsoft is also planning to improve things on the GPU side of the game, by fully prioritizing game-related graphics memory allocation, downgrading all other VRAM needs to their absolute minimum.

In the initial throes of Game Mode, it's expected that users will be able to define whether a game runs in Game Mode or not (which is handy, considering there could be some unforeseen consequences in either your gaming or Windows environment). Likely, this means there will be a general Game Mode toggle, as well as an application-specific one. On their part, developers will reportedly have the option to run hardware queries at the beginning of their game's process so as to trigger Game Mode alongside it.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[MrGenius]

Improve performance in games "or similar full-screen applications". I wonder what that's supposed to mean. Like graphics benchmarks?

Curious...

 

[natr0n]

It's probably gonna change process priority to high and close off a ton of fkn useless services.

 

[Primey_]

We've already seen the benchmarks of having it on and off. It does nothing and sometimes it actually causes you to lose FPS.

Nice attempt Microsoft but try again next time

 

[R-T-B]

It's probably gonna change process priority to high and close off a ton of fkn useless services.

According to the details Microsoft let out, Game Mode will ultimately dive deeper than the simple attribution of higher priority to a game's process. Instead, "Game Mode" will be able to allocate entire CPU cores (whether there is any distinction between physical or logical cores wasn't disclosed) solely to the purpose of processing your game of choice. This will probably end the dynamic allocation of threads that currently occurs, where game processing can jump around in the cores employed, while also looking to ensure that the entirety of the CPU and cache is dedicated to the game. This could, theoretically, aid performance in some more exotic core complexes (I'm looking at you, CCX).

 

[silapakorn]

< UNDERLINE > Learn more

Someone messed up here.

 

[cryohellinc]

Sounds good, lets see how it works on practice.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

So Phil Spencer does care?

 

[Prima.Vera]

Unless you're running a ton of simultaneous applications in the background, and have low amount of RAM, this is pretty much useless.
On EOM laptops with A LOT of useless bloatware running this could be good though.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I think locking threads to cores could help no matter the circumstance elsewhere in Windows. I wouldn't be surprised if some FPS drops are caused by changing affinity so that should minimize those happening. Other than that, it's only really going to help on computers that can barely run the game as is.

 

[bug]

It seems this will be a UWP feature with limited usefulness on traditional applications. If that turns out to be the case, then meh.

 

[Tsukiyomi91]

yada yada yada. Just build a really fast rig with fast hardware will do the trick. Game Mode & other gimmicks are plain BS that developers & vendors are trying so hard to sell. Too bad MS. End users like me aren't gonna fall for that cheap tactics.

 

[Primey_]

It seems this will be a UWP feature with limited usefulness on traditional applications. If that turns out to be the case, then meh.

It works with win32 games as well.

 

[bug]

It works with win32 games as well.

http://www.windowscentral.com/windows-10-game-mode

Microsoft told me that while Win32 PC games (typical of Steam) will see some benefits from Game Mode, it will be UWP games (typical of the Windows 10 Store) that see the biggest improvements. This is because the UWP environment is a little more standardized than Win32, and Microsoft can more easily optimize the feature as a result.

 

[Serpent of Darkness]

yada yada yada. Just build a really fast rig with fast hardware will do the trick. Game Mode & other gimmicks are plain BS that developers & vendors are trying so hard to sell. Too bad MS. End users like me aren't gonna fall for that cheap tactics.

WTB Emoji with a happyface with sunglasses giving this TPU member the thumb-up.

I concur with this post.

 

[rtwjunkie]

It seems this will be a UWP feature with limited usefulness on traditional applications. If that turns out to be the case, then meh.

Actually I read from PC Gamer that this is not just UWP, but also W32. They announced that as a good news piece of info.

 

[remixedcat]

ummmm...