>>30% loss of gaming performance after 10.6.7

[major7]

Hi,

I'm on 10.6.7 and just made quick offline tests on OSX:

1. Just went solo on Killing Floor and started with 30 fps but when the zombies started to surround me it dropped to 20 average.

2. Hosted a quick game on CS Source with 10 bots and it started with 60 fps but then dropped to 40 average.

Anyone with the same games to make the same quick tests?

Killing flor: type "stat fps" on console
CS Source: type "net_graph 1" on console

 

[lucashungaro]

Fixed it

Im on 10.6.7 and getting 40fps on SC2

I had to reinstall from the USB Drive again
10.6.5 to 10.6.6 using the update from Apples website (non-combo)
10.6.6 to 10.6.7 again using the update from Apples website (non-combo)

only after doing the updates from Apple did I use the Software Update app

I think the key is using the non-combo separate updates from the download section of Apples website

Can I just reinstall it over from the usb stick or do I need to format the hd and do a clean install?

 

[KPOM]

Can I just reinstall it over from the usb stick or do I need to format the hd and do a clean install?

The latter, since a clean install would leave 10.6.7 on. That said, you can clone your drive onto an external drive (or use Time Machine) and then use Migration Assistant to restore your data and applications. That should work. The approach is to format the drive, install 10.6.4 (or whichever version is on your USB stick), and then install the "delta" updates that you can download from Apple's website. i.e. install 10.6.5, then 10.6.6, then 10.6.7. At that point, run Migration Assistant, and you should be on your way.

 

[GreyMatta]

The latter, since a clean install would leave 10.6.7 on. That said, you can clone your drive onto an external drive (or use Time Machine) and then use Migration Assistant to restore your data and applications. That should work. The approach is to format the drive, install 10.6.4 (or whichever version is on your USB stick), and then install the "delta" updates that you can download from Apple's website. i.e. install 10.6.5, then 10.6.6, then 10.6.7. At that point, run Migration Assistant, and you should be on your way.

That's exactly what I would do

 

[lucashungaro]

It works!

Did a clean install with the restore drive (10.6.4) and applied each incremental patch (10.6.5, 10.6.6, 10.6.7 and 10.6.7 supplemental). You can download them here: http://support.apple.com/downloads/#macosx106

After each patch I tested Starcraft II and, after verifying it was working fine, refreshed my Time Machine backup in case something went wrong with the next update, so that I could restore the system (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/15216.html).

Now I'm on 10.6.7 and gaming performance is fine, maybe even better.

So, do not use Software Update or the combo updates. You must install each patch manually.

Thanks GreyMatta.

 

[major7]

That's ok for SC2....what about others games?

 

[lucashungaro]

That's ok for SC2....what about others games?

I'm installing some games (Left 4 Dead 2, Civilization V) via Steam to verify.

 

[major7]

Let us know what you find out....thanks

Obrigado Lucas....sou português

 

[GreyMatta]

It works!

Did a clean install with the restore drive (10.6.4) and applied each incremental patch (10.6.5, 10.6.6, 10.6.7 and 10.6.7 supplemental). You can download them here: http://support.apple.com/downloads/#macosx106

After each patch I tested Starcraft II and, after verifying it was working fine, refreshed my Time Machine backup in case something went wrong with the next update, so that I could restore the system (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/15216.html).

Now I'm on 10.6.7 and gaming performance is fine, maybe even better.

So, do not use Software Update or the combo updates. You must install each patch manually.

Thanks GreyMatta.

no problem glad you got it working

 

[stylinexpat]

I couldn't find any discussion about this performance degradation on Apple discussion board...I think it should be brought there as well if not already.

Well I do not want to think about "degradation on purpose" but than again Intel gpu is such a garbage...

iTunes and not only iTunes "quality control" or something else in Apple has gone very wrong lately...

iTunes 10 broke visualizer performance and did not bring it back even until now (I know not a lot of you use it but anyway), later it broke startup times of MBA as well and now it seemingly freezes whole system in combination with 10.6.7. ...

Do not treat your customers like that Apple...

That's because they have something called censorship on their discussion boards It is if it were ran by the same people that censor stuff in China

 

[lucashungaro]

Let us know what you find out....thanks

Obrigado Lucas....sou português

Legal, tenho avô português.

So, Left 4 Dead 2 is working fine. I can't say if it was affected 'cause I haven't played it in months, but I can play it now with a decent amount of graphic detail.

Downloading Civilization V now.

 

[major7]

Great to hear.....Civ 5 is heavy...probably gonna get low fps....but i dont know because i dont play that...

Tomorrow i'm going back to 10.6.5, then .6 and then .7....compare results of CSSource and Killing Floor....and then decide which to keep.

Também tenho tios no Brasil

 

[GreyMatta]

Great to hear.....Civ 5 is heavy...probably gonna get low fps....but i dont know because i dont play that...

Tomorrow i'm going back to 10.6.5, then .6 and then .7....compare results of CSSource and Killing Floor....and then decide which to keep.

Também tenho tios no Brasil

good luck

keep us posted

 

[lucashungaro]

Civilization V is running fine too (1440x900, Low/Medium settings). Actually better than the last time I played (December). The OS X version performs worse than the Windows one, but I think they released some patches that got it better over the last months.

 

[mrsir2009]

Neither does Microsoft...

There's a little something called Windows7 default user friendliness *shudder*

 

[klaze]

If you update to 10.6.7, but play games on Bootcamp, will there be a loss of gaming performance? thanks!

 

[BlackMax]

Just upgraded from OS X 10.6.6 to 10.6.7 using the incremental upgrade and my FPS in SC2 are the same if not 2-3 FPS better. Thanks again GreyMatta for figuring this out.

 

[lucashungaro]

If you update to 10.6.7, but play games on Bootcamp, will there be a loss of gaming performance? thanks!

No.

 

[mag01]

Did anyone try going (from < 10.6.5) to 10.6.6 via Combo Update and then to 10.6.7 with just that incremental one? I guess that should be the way as well as the 10.6.7 Combo Update seems to be the main issue.

 

[mixvio]

I just made a thread about this, I probably should have looked first because I was convinced I'd broken something:

I've been having a slight issue with my Air. I went through the reformat/reinstall process a week or two ago because I was trying to put a Windows partition on the machine for some light gaming, but I ended up changing my mind and revoking the Boot Camp part entirely. Nevertheless, since I've reinstalled, I have noticed a big decrease in the Air's capabilities re: graphics and gaming that I am all but certain isn't placebo.

I bought a 13" MacBook Pro because I wanted the better specs but after a week or so with it I decided I preferred the Air more after all so I took it back and returned it. I'd fiddled with trying to get a gaming partition on my Air but changed my mind on that too and reformatted completely to reinstall.

Prior to that, I was running 10.6.6 on the Air. After I reformatted, I used the Software Update combo updater to go to 10.6.7 directly and I noticed an immediate degradation in anything using the GPU.

Starcraft was playable for me under medium settings and now I have to drop it to low just to get 30 FPS. I had an XP virtual machine under Parallels which I used for things like League of Legends and the game is just unplayable now. Even games with OS X specific ports that I've bought through Steam or the Mac App Store don't play the way they did under 10.6.6.

It's not a slight decrease, in a number of cases it's gone from "worked fine" to "completely unusable." Even my 27" monitor with a 2560x1440 resolution is dying under 10.6.7. Switching between spaces and activating Expose makes the system stutter with low FPS.

I thought it was something I'd done by using the combo updater, but I didn't realise it was a widespread issue.

So is there anything to do for this other than reformatting and reinstalling the updates one by one? Has anyone actually confirmed that fixes it?

 

[GreyMatta]

So far the only way to fix it is to reinstall and do the separate updates without using the software update app until you are on 10.6.7

Everybody who has reported on trying this has had success

 

[major7]

Hi, i just begin my process.

installed 10.6.4 from usb pen drive and tried KF and CS Source.

KF (Default: all high/medium) : around 20fps avg when monsters arrive.

CS:Source (all high/medium) : between 20/30 when facing enemy.

Much worse that 10.6.7, specially on CS (very noticeable)

I'm downloading now 10.6.5....

 

[mixvio]

Hi, i just begin my process.

installed 10.6.4 from usb pen drive and tried KF and CS Source.

KF (Default: all high/medium) : around 20fps avg when monsters arrive.

CS:Source (all high/medium) : between 20/30 when facing enemy.

Much worse that 10.6.7, specially on CS (very noticeable)

I'm downloading now 10.6.5....

10.6.5 included the graphics update, so that's not a surprise that 10.6.4 performs poorly. Do come back and update if the incremental updates fix it, I'm in the process of backing things up to reformat myself (not looking forward to it!) so I'm hopeful this does the trick.

 

[major7]

Hi!

So, after going back to 10.6.4 and manually install 10.6.5, 10.6.6 and finally 10.6.7 here is what i came up to regarding Killing Floor and CS Source (Played the same maps with same default display options: All high/ Medium, native resolution)

10.6.4: The worst....lowests fps values for those games. Steady 20's for KF and 20/30 for CS.

10.6.5 and 10.6.6: Around 30/35 for KF and 40 for CS.

10.6.7: Around 25 for KF and 40 for CS.


It's hard to be more precise as the fps values vary a lot. Except for 10.6.4, all fps values, when maps are starting, start at 60, 80 or 100 but then drop to those values when facing the enemy and that's what matters.

I seem to notice some improvments going from 10.6.5 to 10.6.6 but that could be my imagination as values looked the same.

Now, from 10.6.6 to 10.6.7 i noticed, that with .7, it was a little worse, specially on KF but also found that on CS, fps values, altough almost the same, do vary more than on 10.6.6.

Honestly, as i don't play alot and don't find those differences significant, i'm going to stick with 10.6.7. It's still an update and must have some improvements in other areas.

Ah, i came to the conclusion that i get the same fps values for 10.6.7 installed from soft. update before! I believe you when you say SC2 improved so maybe it wasn't such a waste of time...lol

 

[GreyMatta]

Hi!

So, after going back to 10.6.4 and manually install 10.6.5, 10.6.6 and finally 10.6.7 here is what i came up to regarding Killing Floor and CS Source (Played the same maps with same default display options: All high/ Medium, native resolution)

10.6.4: The worst....lowests fps values for those games. Steady 20's for KF and 20/30 for CS.

10.6.5 and 10.6.6: Around 30/35 for KF and 40 for CS.

10.6.7: Around 25 for KF and 40 for CS.


It's hard to be more precise as the fps values vary a lot. Except for 10.6.4, all fps values, when maps are starting, start at 60, 80 or 100 but then drop to those values when facing the enemy and that's what matters.

I seem to notice some improvments going from 10.6.5 to 10.6.6 but that could be my imagination as values looked the same.

Now, from 10.6.6 to 10.6.7 i noticed, that with .7, it was a little worse, specially on KF but also found that on CS, fps values, altough almost the same, do vary more than on 10.6.6.

Honestly, as i don't play alot and don't find those differences significant, i'm going to stick with 10.6.7. It's still an update and must have some improvements in other areas.

Ah, i came to the conclusion that i get the same fps values for 10.6.7 installed from soft. update before! I believe you when you say SC2 improved so maybe it wasn't such a waste of time...lol

at least you didnt get the massive performance drop from the 10.6.7 combo update