HPET Timer - Your new Tweak ?

[Stanray]

I disabled the HPET timer in my mobo and this resulted in a better, yes you might call it more analogue, presentation. I also varied the SFS settings (2, 10, 20) and found 2 to have a bit more detail and maybe more dynamical, but also more fatiguing. At 20 I found the "tone" or "timbre" to be real and convincing (this is an important "parameter" for me). Higher values started to veil the sound a bit.

Next is to compare the RAMdrive I use now with a Hitachi SATA HDD I just got. keep you informed.

Stanley

[boleary]

Well, after a week of increasingly feeling that something wasn't right, I re-enabled the timer. I spent an hour or so A-Bing and I think I'm back to liking the sound with the timer enabled. Though each has its own sound I found myself playing a bit louder with the timer disabled and over time it just felt like there was a weird distortion that was related to the volume. With the timer enabled and the volume down 1.5 db there is a  clarity and presence without distortion that I was trying to get by turning up the volume with the timer disabled. Hope this makes sense!

[phantomax]

For those who, like me, have a BIOS that does not allow to manipulate almost anything, I have found the following software that seems to fix this problem. I am using the free version:
http://www.lucashale.com/timer-resolution/
The free version is supposed to be intended for 32 bit systems but it's working in my 64 bit system. You have to keep it running when XXHE is playing in unattended mode so you need to include it in the corresponding settings window and set the clock  to "max for this system".
In my case, this software in combination with a lower FSB (as I said in a previous post) and the RAMDisk as playback drive have provide me the most detailed  and refined sound to date.
BTW for those who can set the HPET in the BIOS I've read that deactivating it in the BIOS it isn't enough. You need to deactivate it in windows too. I don't remember the process but If I recover the links I'll post them.

Maxi

[PeterSt]

Maxi and others,

No, don't use that. It is the very same as the Clock Resolution in XXHighEnd, and when you have this program running it will overrule that. So, just use the Clock Resolution settings in XXHighEnd (and set it to 1ms when you had the idea that this program improved your SQ - it will work ar 1ms).

About the HPET timer - do not mangle further with this. It is quite destructable. So, the one advise I gave is something for people to test with, and when they don't like it it can be reverted. When you go further it will be a mess.
The next version of XXHighEnd will allow for tweaking this formally plus sufficient insight to *not* making it a mess. So, wait for that or otherwise it will conflict with XXHighEnd's settings later.
Notice that almost all can be reverted, but it is up to you keeping track of what you changed. And this often goes wrong and ends up in reinstalling the OS. Besides that, some settings can not be reverted at all (because it implies many other changes by the OS) and then you *have* to reinstall.
These things really (really) happened in the past ...

Peter

[phantomax]

Hello Peter,

Fortunately my bios doesn't allow me manipulate virtually nothing since I am a serious candidate to run into troubles because of my mania to touch first and ask later. 

But the point is that the SQ is better now so I am going to try the 1ms setting without the set timer running.

Best regards

Maxi

[PeterSt]

Hey Maxi,

I already know that your not being to able to arrange things in the BIOS (hey, I can't myself either) is not important;
The next XXHighEnd version will arrange for it anyway.

Regards,
Peter

[PeterSt]

Alain, thanks for your post. I removed it because it creates confusion anyway.
My own fault, and I probably will remove the whole topic.

Btw, nothing (!) you did wrong. Just my decision and ideas about this.

Regards,
Peter