Razer Gamebooster

[LongBlade]

I just got an email from Razer touting a new product (free, at least for now) called Gamebooster that is supposed to optimize game performance.

Anyone heard of this? Used it?

http://www.razerzone.com/gamebooster

[Bison]

Never heard of it before today. 

[LongBlade]

If I had my gaming rig back, I'd load it up and give it a spin.

Unfortunately, the current rig I'm using barely runs Solitaire. So I'll have to wait a few more days.

[Bison]

Time for an upgrade.  I know the plan, but you might want to execute it earlier than expected.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

That interface looks very similar to the free version that's been out for quite a while.  Wonder if they partnered up?

Anyway, here's the non-Razer version.  I used it on my old PC and found that it helped in some cases, boosting FPS by about 5%.

http://download.cnet.com/Game-Booster/3000-18512_4-10913645.html

EDIT: D/L'ed the Razer version.  It's the same program.

[LongBlade]

That interface looks very similar to the free version that's been out for quite a while.  Wonder if they partnered up?

Anyway, here's the non-Razer version.  I used it on my old PC and found that it helped in some cases, boosting FPS by about 5%.

http://download.cnet.com/Game-Booster/3000-18512_4-10913645.html

EDIT: D/L'ed the Razer version.  It's the same program.

Cool. Thanks for the info!

[MarkShot]

To me it looks like no-ware ... as in an advertisement in search of someone foolish enough to pay for it.

Some simple facts to consider.

Fact:  Many games still don't really support multi-threading across processors.  So, if you simply use a system utility to put your games on their own dedicated processor, it doesn't get much better than that.

Fact:  Many games boost their execution priority when running, meaning that they always go to the front of the line when the system has other things to do. And if they don't, you can easily do this yourself.

Fact:  Various software suites like Symantec's Norton Internet Security has a full screen and game mode.  Whenever it detects full screen, it defers all but firewall security.  Also, you can further identify processes which will cause it to do this.  Thus, even if you have games which play in a window, then you get the same effect.

Fact:  Many resource intensive programs have options to run at a demoted priority.  Thus, they only run when nothing wants the CPU anyway.  For example, programs that compress video data.

Fact:  Windows and countless other utilities come bundled with a defragger.  And practically and defragger will help games load faster.

Fact:  Windows 9X depended on cooperative multi-tasking.  Meaning programs yielding the CPU.  From the NT kernel on, there was preemptive multi-tasking.  Meaning interrupts allow an application to seize control of the CPU.  One of these, of course, can be a scheduling timer.  So, again the idea of shutting down unwanted stuff has less utility.

But let me know if anyone thinks there is really a market for such a thing.  If so, I'll start coding one by producing an EXE with mock ups of dials and time display graphs so that I can bring in some extra money on the side.  There is nothing like fancy artwork masquerading as engineering to bring in some money.

[MIGMaster]

I was just looking at the site and I suspect it works the same as the windows system enhancement software that vendors used to sell. Its one thing to install it, but once it makes adjustments and adds or deletes registry entries things can get dicey. With today's hardware you need to really crank up a game to see a difference due to the scaling of the CPU's and software optimzation - a 100Mhz gain doesn't even register any more. Saving money for hardware and downloading up-to-date drivers would probably yield the same results with less of a risk to system stability.