DES application issues

[Sueisfine]

Hello all.

I have a EX38-DS4 motherboard which has the dynamic energy saver feature.

I have the DES application installed (last version "B8.0129.1") and it seems to me that the application sometimes is "buggy", for example:

- sometimes after turning on the energy saver function (big round button on the DES panel) and minimize the panel to the system tray, I get a ballon message over the DES icon in the system tray saying something like: "E/S function is not enable, click here to enable it", although I HAVE turned it on :S

- other times, after windows boots up, the panel just sticks in the middle of the screen, with energy saving function OFF, although I HAVE selected "Always run on next reboot" option in the tray icon. After I turn the energy savings on and minimize to system tray I sometimes get the message I mentioned in my above paragraph.

I tried the DES application in Windows XP Pro, Vista 32-bit and Vista 64-bit and noticed these bugs in the application.

I just wanted some feedback from people who have also experienced this issues with the DES application so I can rest my mind and be assured that these happens to everyone and not just me :)

Thanks a lot in advance!

[RedDwarf]

Re: DES application issues

I get the same problem with it saying it's not enabled. But once enabled it stays that way unless I get a system crash/reboot or something similar then it will be disabled.

I have not experience a problem with it sticking in the middle of the screen at boot up. Are you closing it using the close button or the minimize button? I use the close button (X).

[Sueisfine]

Re: DES application issues

I get the same problem with it saying it's not enabled. But once enabled it stays that way unless I get a system crash/reboot or something similar then it will be disabled.

I have not experience a problem with it sticking in the middle of the screen at boot up. Are you closing it using the close button or the minimize button? I use the close button (X).

I use the close button too.

I only experienced the "sticking in the middle of the screen at boot-up in disable mode" issue when using Vista (32 and 64bit). In XP Pro I only notice the other problem you mentioned having aswell (it saying it's not enabled when you use close button (X) although you have enabled it).

So I guess it's just the application being buggy? :)

[RedDwarf]

Re: DES application issues

So I guess it's just the application being buggy? :)

Seems that way.

I have tried a newer Bios which is meant to enable DES Advanced and I un-installed the DES software that we have both been using and installed the newer DES Advanced version.

But........there was a massive amount of CPU usage while my system was meant to be idling. 20 to 30% CPU usage when doing nothing which is just like playing a High Definition 1080p video in terms of CPU usage. When DES Advanced is not installed it is 0 to 2%. So I did not stay with that for very long.

The high CPU usage means that the CPU never idles so the power saving never really kicks in. The CPU throttling was always showing as at maximum and it never reduced like it does in the version that you and I are currently using. Even though the regular DES software does show the CPU throttling as moving up and down, the DES Advanced version never went down at all.

So it may be a bit buggy, but at least it works....sorta lol

[Sueisfine]

Re: DES application issues

Seems that way.

I have tried a newer Bios which is meant to enable DES Advanced and I un-installed the DES software that you have been using and installed the newer DES Advanced version.

But........there was a massive amount of CPU usage while my system was meant to be idling. 20 to 30% CPU usage when doing nothing which is just like playing a High Definition 1080p video in terms of CPU usage. When DES Advanced is not installed it is 0 to 2%. So I did not stay with that for very long.

The high CPU usage means that the CPU never idles so the power saving never really kicks in. The CPU throttling was always showing as at maximum and it never reduced like it does in the version that you and I are currently using. Even though the regular DES software does show the CPU throttling as moving up and down, the DES Advanced version never went down at all.

So it may be a bit buggy, but at least it works....sorta lol

Thanks a lot for your posts and feedback on this issue RedDwarf, I just wanted to make sure it was not only me experiencing that funny DES app behavior :)

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: DES application issues

It only saves you a few $$ a year anyway, and if you overclock it is pretty much a moot point.

But I do get what you are saying about the errors, not sure what to suggest though?

[Sueisfine]

Re: DES application issues

But I do get what you are saying about the errors, not sure what to suggest though?

Do you mean you experienced those errors too? Well I guess there isn't much to suggest here since apparently the DES app is indeed buggy.

Only thing we can hope for is Gigabyte releasing an new version of the DES app with those bugs fixed.

You think that's a possibility ?

[RedDwarf]

Re: DES application issues

Do you mean you experienced those errors too? Well I guess there isn't much to suggest here since apparently the DES app is indeed buggy.

Only thing we can hope for is Gigabyte releasing an new version of the DES app with those bugs fixed.

You think that's a possibility ?

I highly doubt it as they have released it's replacement, DES Advanced. But if you use that then you end up with the issue I already mentioned which is why I will not use it.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: DES application issues

They may try to update it, but I would assume it is not at the top of any list. As suggested above, it has been replaced

[RedDwarf]

Re: DES application issues

They may try to update it, but I would assume it is not at the top of any list. As suggested above, it has been replaced

Yes it has but are you aware of the bugs in DES Advanced? Even when not actually using it!

I have been doing some testing with Bioses and found a few things.

I currently have Bios F8a flashed and I am using that, but I have tried F6 which did not fix the standby issues like it was supposed to do. F8a causes my power LED to flash on and off at 4 second intervals, 4 seconds on and 4 seconds off.

I should point out that I don't have the DES Advanced software installed, only the older DES software as I thought that it was the DES Advanced software which was causing the high CPU usage when idling.

After booting my PC and starting process explorer by microsoft/sysinternals here is what it showed for the first two pictures. Notice the very high hardware interrupt CPU usage. I cannot believe Gigabyte released these Bioses with this bug.>




Here are the results AFTER putting my system briefly into standby and then resuming, notice how low the hardware interrupt CPU usage is now. The overall system idling CPU usage is much more like it should be>




It does this on 3 of my windows installs, one of which was only installed a couple of days ago as I mentioned in my ethernet thread.

I do intend sending these pictures to Gigabyte Technical support when I get a chance with a message about the apparent bugs in DES Advanced and the Bioses.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: DES application issues

The LEDs are flashings likely because you either have Smart Backup enabled, or as they are Supposed to flash with DES installed and running

Ya, I do see what you mean though for sure! No, I dont use it and have not tested it out yet either as I am a overclocker

[RedDwarf]

Re: DES application issues

The LEDs are flashings likely because you either have Smart Backup enabled, or as they are Supposed to flash with DES installed and running

Ya, I do see what you mean though for sure! No, I dont use it and have not tested it out yet either as I am a overclocker

I was referring to the power LED on the front of my case and not the LED's on the motherboard which are meant to be lit when they are actived by the DES software.

I have flashed back to F6b again and my power LED is working normally again. I have available all my CPU time for things that I want to do rather than something which I don't want. It's just a pity that Gigabyte don't provide Bioses without DES Advanced so people can choose. I bet most people, particularly power users and overclockers would not want it slowing their systems down as much as it does.

You say you don't use it, but if you have a DES Advanced Bios installed then your system will, if it is like motherboard, be wasting lots of CPU time, in the region of 20% on hardware interrupts to work the DES Advanced features. The DES Advanced software is only to set the features but is not required for DES Advanced to function. Your system will be wasting 20% of your CPU power by just having a DES Advanced Bios installed.

I have tried 3 windows installs and 3 different Bioses and the results are as I say.

I had my system overclocked to 3.5GHz earlier while video encoding. The encoding speed was significantly lower than a very similar encoding I did a week ago when my CPU was clocked to 3.2GHz. That's how bad these Bioses are.

But putting the system into a standby state does seem to stop the high CPU utilization. I stopped the encoding and I put my system into standby and then resumed it and the CPU usage had dropped significantly. I then started the encoding again and the encoding speed was faster than it had been the week before.

So your overclocked system is behaving like a system with a 20% lower clock speed because of your Bios. That is if it works the same as my motherboard which I suspect it will. You have no choice in it whether you want DES Advanced or not.

Just check your CPU time while your system is doing nothing, or check your processes using Process Explorer which is on the microsoft or sysinternals website. There is an interrupt process that shows, check how much CPU time it is using. It should be less than 1%.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: DES application issues

I was referring to the power LED on the front of my case and not the LED's on the motherboard which are meant to be lit when they are actived by the DES software.

So was I. But I did mean case hard drive activity light not the Power light though.

I will test DES advanced this week with 2 BIOS's on my board and see how it does.