Win7: Enabling HPET, bcdedit /set useplatformclock true (command)

[ECH]

Win7: Enabling HPET

Hello,

I would like some help to understand a few things about win7+ HPET and Bios+ HPET. To start it was my understanding that if you enabled HTEP in the bios win7 would automatically be using HTEP. However, I'm reading that it does not and will still use the Time Stamp Counter (TSC). So I'm not sure what point it would be enabling it from the bios.

2ndly, using the command bcdedit /set useplatformclock true (then reboot) is said to enable HPET using Win 7. While bcdedit /deletevalue useplatformclock (then reboot) is said to remove it. To test to see if it's working or not you have to use either:
A. Timer Function Performance (run the program before and after the tweak to see if the QueryPerformanceFrequency() freq value increased or not)
B. WinTimerTester_1.1 (from UncleWebb to see if you have a 1.0000 ratio at or near 100 seconds)
To see if it improves anything or not. From Unclewebbs post he addresses the use of SetFSB. From another point of view it helps improve slow connections when using this application from here.

Should we be using Win7's HPET or stick to TSC for everyday use and gaming?

 

[ECH]

Can someone help me with this one?

 

[Britton30]

Welcome back to Seven forums. I suspect your mean HPET, not HTEP?
If so here is a Wiki on it. High Precision Event Timer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Dwarf]

Just tried it on my system (running W8 7989 64-bit), and you can see the difference.

[B]Before[/B]

Report file for timing the various timers.

*** Key number is the avg time.
    The smaller this number, the faster the timer.


QueryPerformanceFrequency() freq  = 0  2458572 


method 0:
  QueryPerfCntr..()  100 times
  tot:   0 10
  avg:   0.100000
  avg time:             4.0674e-008
method 0:
  QueryPerfCntr..()  500 times
  tot:   0 49
  avg:   0.098000
  avg time:             3.98605e-008
method 0:
  QueryPerfCntr..()  1000 times
  tot:   0 98
  avg:   0.098000
  avg time:             3.98605e-008
method 0:
  QueryPerfCntr..()  10000 times
  tot:   0 977
  avg:   0.097700
  avg time:             3.97385e-008



method 1:
  GetTickCount()  100 times
  tot:   0 2
  avg:   0.020000
  avg time:             8.1348e-009
method 1:
  GetTickCount()  500 times
  tot:   0 10
  avg:   0.020000
  avg time:             8.1348e-009
method 1:
  GetTickCount()  1000 times
  tot:   0 19
  avg:   0.019000
  avg time:             7.72806e-009
method 1:
  GetTickCount()  10000 times
  tot:   0 185
  avg:   0.018500
  avg time:             7.52469e-009



method 2:
  TimeGetTime()  100 times
  tot:   0 31
  avg:   0.310000
  avg time:             1.26089e-007
method 2:
  TimeGetTime()  500 times
  tot:   0 46
  avg:   0.092000
  avg time:             3.74201e-008
method 2:
  TimeGetTime()  1000 times
  tot:   0 92
  avg:   0.092000
  avg time:             3.74201e-008
method 2:
  TimeGetTime()  10000 times
  tot:   0 918
  avg:   0.091800
  avg time:             3.73387e-008



method 3:
  Pentium internal high-freq cntr()  100 times
  tot:   0 8
  avg:   0.080000
  avg time:             3.25392e-008
method 3:
  Pentium internal high-freq cntr()  500 times
  tot:   0 37
  avg:   0.074000
  avg time:             3.00988e-008
method 3:
  Pentium internal high-freq cntr()  1000 times
  tot:   0 74
  avg:   0.074000
  avg time:             3.00988e-008
method 3:
  Pentium internal high-freq cntr()  10000 times
  tot:   0 734
  avg:   0.073400
  avg time:             2.98547e-008

[B]After[/B]

Report file for timing the various timers.

*** Key number is the avg time.
    The smaller this number, the faster the timer.


QueryPerformanceFrequency() freq  = 0  14318180 


method 0:
  QueryPerfCntr..()  100 times
  tot:   0 1652
  avg:   16.520000
  avg time:             1.15378e-006
method 0:
  QueryPerfCntr..()  500 times
  tot:   0 8169
  avg:   16.338000
  avg time:             1.14107e-006
method 0:
  QueryPerfCntr..()  1000 times
  tot:   0 16310
  avg:   16.310000
  avg time:             1.13911e-006
method 0:
  QueryPerfCntr..()  10000 times
  tot:   0 163254
  avg:   16.325400
  avg time:             1.14019e-006



method 1:
  GetTickCount()  100 times
  tot:   0 28
  avg:   0.280000
  avg time:             1.95556e-008
method 1:
  GetTickCount()  500 times
  tot:   0 70
  avg:   0.140000
  avg time:             9.77778e-009
method 1:
  GetTickCount()  1000 times
  tot:   0 119
  avg:   0.119000
  avg time:             8.31111e-009
method 1:
  GetTickCount()  10000 times
  tot:   0 1099
  avg:   0.109900
  avg time:             7.67556e-009



method 2:
  TimeGetTime()  100 times
  tot:   0 105
  avg:   1.050000
  avg time:             7.33333e-008
method 2:
  TimeGetTime()  500 times
  tot:   0 287
  avg:   0.574000
  avg time:             4.00889e-008
method 2:
  TimeGetTime()  1000 times
  tot:   0 546
  avg:   0.546000
  avg time:             3.81333e-008
method 2:
  TimeGetTime()  10000 times
  tot:   0 5362
  avg:   0.536200
  avg time:             3.74489e-008



method 3:
  Pentium internal high-freq cntr()  100 times
  tot:   0 56
  avg:   0.560000
  avg time:             3.91111e-008
method 3:
  Pentium internal high-freq cntr()  500 times
  tot:   0 224
  avg:   0.448000
  avg time:             3.12889e-008
method 3:
  Pentium internal high-freq cntr()  1000 times
  tot:   0 441
  avg:   0.441000
  avg time:             3.08e-008
method 3:
  Pentium internal high-freq cntr()  10000 times
  tot:   0 4613
  avg:   0.461300
  avg time:             3.22178e-008

I managed to stop the clock on 100.0 seconds. The ratio initially fluctuated between 0.9998 and 1.0002, but eventually settled to 1.0000 as shown, with only the occasional ±0.0001 deviation.

 

[ECH]

Any information as to why HPET isn't enabled by default for win7?

 

[Sharza]

Hi,
Sorry in advance for reviving this old (dead) thread. Since you guys seem to know what you are talking about I'll ask this question:

Whenever I start up my system it gives me the error that HPET could not be enabled because of a BIOS Problem (ID 1). I checked my bios and saw that HPET was set to 32 bit although I am running Windows 7 Pro 64 bit. I changed the value and tried the command line to enable HPET. I rebooted and ran both of the aforementioned tests.

Win Timer Tester 1.1 gives me a stable 1.0001 after about 30 seconds.
Time Function Performance doesn't have significantly different values.

I ran each test several times and it always gives me the same results whether I manually try to turn HPET on or off.

I conclude that this means that for some reason Windows isn't able to start HPET and uses a different (but working) Timecode instead. Now I am totally puzzled about why this happens.

I have a Gigabyte Mainboard Bios Version "Award Software FG" (23.11.2007).

Small sidenote: All my programs etc. work fine, the reason I originally stumbled across the whole HPET thing was that I read that it can cause internet connection drops which I am experiencing randomly from time to time and that don't seem to be related to the ISP or my router settings.