Best Practices? Defaults?

[yx-3s]

Heyo - trying to use this instead of Process Lasso. Was wondering if there are best practices for system processes, should we leave them blank? Or is it actually beneficial to set them as freq? Like System, Registry, explorer, dwm, csrss, cftmon, dllhost etc., what set should critical processes be set as? Thanks!

[yx-3s]

Also, does this not work for cod.exe/cod24-cod.exe? I did the battle net paths as well as call of duty paths, and it still shows as access denied.

[SimonvBez]

Morning! Since you mentioned freq I'm going to assume you're on a -900X3D or -950X3D CPU.
Personally I wouldn't touch any low usage processes, system ones or not.
I'm on a 9950X3D, and have set CPPC Preferred Cores to either Frequency or Driver (which acts like Frequency as long as Windows Game Mode is off). So any processes is put on the Frequency cores by default already.
I then apply the Cache mask to any games that benefit from it, which are most of them. Only when a background process gets heavy enough (say about 4+% avg) I'll actually force it onto the Freq cores.

I don't have CoD, so I can't really check. Changing the mask of Battlenet won't help, because CPU Sets aren't inherited like Affinities are. I'm guessing you're already running CPU Set Setter as Admin?

[yx-3s]

Ah yes sorry forgot to mention, 9950x3D. I see, makes sense. I do have it set to frequency.
And yes running as admin. Process Lasso did allow me to set affinities with some trouble but was never able to set cpu sets. After watching Jay's video, I assumed since he had the same access denied error on process lasso but then it worked with this program, that it would work with cod as well. Unfortunate, definitely due to the new kernel driver. I wonder if it's even fixable. Thanks for the prompt reply!

[SimonvBez]

So the reason CPU Sets work in (what I hoped was all, but apparently not) games with anti-cheat, is because CPU Sets require a lower process permission to apply (PROCESS_SET_LIMITED_INFORMATION instead of PROCESS_SET_INFORMATION).
Anti cheats tend not to block that. But if RICOCHET has decided differently, there likely isn't much that can be done about it. Other than sending Activision an angry email they will probably just ignore.

I do have one older CoD title, MWII that seems to use the same anti-cheat. I'll try tonight if I get the same, but don't get your hopes up

[SimonvBez]

Yes, same thing happening here. The OpenProcess(PROCESS_SET_LIMITED_INFORMATION, false, pid) functions returns a valid handle. But when that handle gets used by SetProcessDefaultCpuSetMasks, it always results in an Access Denied. Even when running CPU Set Setter as SYSTEM.
That's kernel-driver shenanigans by RICOCHET. Nothing to be done about sadly; I'm afraid you'll have to resort to Process Lasso with an Affinity to the parent process again.
I know for sure that at least EasyAntiCheat and EA Javelin allows for the CPU Sets to be set to their game processes.

[SimonvBez]

I had hoped this would just work universally maaan :(

[yx-3s]

All good man, appreciate the work! I wonder in cases like this it might be good to implement an affinity setting feature? Not sure if you'd want to expand the scope further, but wouldn't hurt 😂

[Fusikay]

Hi, same here on a 7950x3d. BF6 is working with CPU Sets and not really good with standard game mode. COD is working with game mode except one core on CCD1 but not with CPU Sets. I was really hopfull that your tool can do this because process lasso is a little bit too much and is sometimes crashing the game too.

But for you, good work ;)
These are my 2 main games. The idea to set all to frequency ccd1 by bios and only games to ccd0 with a tool is perfect. It can't be that difficult for MS, AMD and the Games Studios..........

[Fusikay]

Hi again,
because COD isn't working with CPU Sets do I have a problem or a disadvantage when I'm using BIOS CPPC Driver with Win11 Game Mode and use CPU Set Setter only for switching programms like discord, launchers, etc. to the frequency CCD? Because Game Mode is ON?

[SimonvBez]

Hi again, because COD isn't working with CPU Sets do I have a problem or a disadvantage when I'm using BIOS CPPC Driver with Win11 Game Mode and use CPU Set Setter only for switching programms like discord, launchers, etc. to the frequency CCD? Because Game Mode is ON?

That's something I haven't tested.
Either Game Mode parks the Frequency cores, and CPU Set Setter's Freq rules will be ignored (making Discord run on the Cache cores), OR it's going to prevent some Freq cores from being parked, which can lead to the game running on the Freq CCD as well.

Ideally, in this situation where CPU Set Setter isn't able to help because of RICOCHET, you'll want the first thing to happen, where all your Freq cores get parked.

But you'll have to experiment to see what happens for yourself. Enable an FPS counter in CoD that also shows 1% low, and see what works best.
Note that the Core Masks on a running process will stick when you exit CPU Set Setter. So for your testing you'll need to set Discord/launchers to <no mask>

And please report back your findings!

[Fusikay]

Ok I will try.
First thing I have tested. When battlenet is set to CCD1 and I want to open the install modification the app is instant crashing.
I think I have to go with Win Game Mode and hope switching BF6 with CPU SET SETTER will work. Or I have to switch Game Mode On and OFF manually.
Thanks ;)