Solidworks Screen goes blank, processor 25% 1

[evolDiesel]

When I'm modeling in Solidworks, every 10-30 seconds my screen suddenly locks up, and according to task manager, the Solidworks Process is taking up a steady 25% of CPU. I know this b/c this is what I use to tell me if I've crashed or it's just doing it's video glitch thing.

I have over 5k hours of seat time in Solidworks. My machine is a Dell and it's only 3 weeks old. I would say it's "Mid range", but I can dole out specs if this will help any of you.

This problem is absolutely enfuriating and if you've ever experienced it, you know what I'm talking about. It can take me over 10 minutes to design a part that should take under a minute?!

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!

Evol

 

[evolDiesel]

I flipped the switch on the OpenGL option on the Solidworks-tools-options-performance tab (see image below), and I haven't experience the locked up / black screen all day !!

Now what does that mean exactly? Wrong driver?

I'll post again after a few days and different models to make sure this was the fix. Very promissing though!

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

If the Software OpenGL option improved performance, that means that either the driver is an incorrect match for your video card ans SW version ... or that your card is crapping out.

The SW certified driver for your card and SW version is 6.14.10.7756 (for Dell) or 6.14.10.9136 (for nVidia).

https://www.solidworks.com/pages/services/videocardtesting.html

 

[Prototrax]

Are you using a Microsoft mouse?

I had a very similar problem and it was related to a conflict with the mouse driver and video card.

I switched to a logitech mouse and have never looked back.

It took me a day of deep reading on the forums to find this one out.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

A correction to my last post;

Dell Precision 670, 470, 380 = 6.14.10.7756
Dell Precision 690, 490, 390 = 6.14.10.8426
Generic Brand Computer = 6.14.10.9136

Which system and driver are you using?

 

[beachcomber]

Hi Evol,
Sorry to be a while getting back, but I've just got a reply from my supplier.
This is what he says -

"The issue is related to the CPU affinity.
A quad-core system has 4x individual CPU cores that are dynamically allocated to the software by the OS. This works great if you have a multi-threaded application as it can make 100% use of all FOUR cores;
however if you don't and you use a single threaded application (like SW design) then SW can actually work slower.
Solidworks being spread dynamically (by Windows) across all four cores works slower than it being spread across just 2 or even 1x core.
This can be tried by launching SW, loading Task Manager and click processes.
From the list of processes find SWwOrks.exe (or similar I think) and right click over it, click on Set Affinity and you'll find 4x tick boxes (1x for
each Cpu Core).
Try selecting just CPU0 + CPU1 and launch the same SW command. Does it still freeze? Do the same but just tick CPU0. Any quicker?
This should allow you to determine if the freezes are CPU Core/Affinity
related. "

I don't know if any of it is relevant but it may be worth trying anyway.
Good Luck

bc

 

[evolDiesel]

That's very interesting beachcomber.

However.. the problem ended up being Nvidia driver, and this was confirmed by:

1) SW-tools-options-performance... check the box for open GL.
2) Problem went away

That told me it was either the card or the driver. So I completely uninstalled the existing driver, installed the most up to date and approved SW video driver for the Nvidia card... and boom... I'm good to go. I haven't experienced the sluggishness in days now. VERY HAPPY!!

 

[beachcomber]

Hi Evol,
Glad you've sorted it.

bc

 

[SBaugh]

If you read through the FAQ for this you would have found this issue days ago. The FAQ describes these problems, how to fix them and how to install the Nvidia drivers.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

"If it's not broke, Don't fix it!"

faq731-376

 

[evolDiesel]

And for the record, my machine is this:

Dell T5400

http://www.dell.com/content/product...n_t5400?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~tab=bundlestab

It is a quadcore, and thus it would make sense that when it would lock up, it would max at 25% of total CPU.

 

[Chalniss]

Hello,
I have a similar problem with Sw 2006 as evolDiesel. Altough I am only working with parts, no assemblies, parts with rather complex geometries.

I have new Dell computer with: 4x1G Intel Pentium III Xeon preoseccor, RAM: 4096MB, Nvidia Quadro FX 4600, 768MB.
But the CPU usage is at maximum 50% and PF usage 900MB.
It can take up to several minutes just to move a point or to set a dimension, to change a conformation or to update the part it takes approx. 10-30min.
I have set down all the options as line visibility, and so on under SW Tools-options, without any greater progress. I have even tried with adjustment of affinity from 4 CPU to 2 CPU, still the same.

But then, I talked to SW-support…
The guy told me that the SW can only use 1G as a default setting, so according to him it does not matter how powerful workstation you have it will use maximum 1G. Then he started to talk about that I need to make some changes in boot.ini file… which I have not done, couse in some way that feels like a wrong way to go...

Can anybody help me with this issue? Isn’t there another way to solve this without changing the boot file?

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

The guy told me that the SW can only use 1G as a default setting

A default setting for what?

 

[Chalniss]

What he ment was that SW uses maximum 1G of CPU, and that this was some kind of standard setting.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

"1G of CPU" doesn't make sense. Do you mean 1GB of RAM? If so he is wrong.

The default limit for a Windows process is 2GB of RAM. That can be increased by adding the /3GB switch to the boot.ini file (which is a very simple task).

 

[evolDiesel]

Have you tried what I did above?

Scroll up until you get to my screen shot of SW System Options - Performance.

Turn on the radio box that I have in yellow.

Close SW.
Open SW.

Did your performance improve?

If it did... then it's either your card or your driver.

Mine was the driver. And the thing about nVidia is that you have to COMPLETELY install anything that had to do w/ the original driver, and then install the latest SW approved driver. Don't just install over the existing driver. I tried that, and it didn't work (as I.T. warned me, but I didn't believe them).

Now that I have the nVidia Quadro FX 3450 going, I may go back to the card that was originally supplied w/ this machine (Quadro FX 1700... which uses the new archetecture... but seems like a weak card besides the excellent SW benchmark number).

Anyway... good luck. Don't give up. SW doesn't HAVE to run like a dog.

 

[evolDiesel]

CorBlimeyLimey - I wonder if "the guy" was saying 1Gb, b/c chalniss has a quadcore machine (4x1Gb) and SW doesn't take advantage of multicore processing (so I'm told)... therefore, when SW is smoking... you'd see your processor max out at 25% total or 1Gb.

Is there a way to keep track of RAM useage? I look at page file, but that's not the same (I thought).

After my experience, I'm convinced he (chalniss) has the wrong driver. He's running a Quadro FX, and his situation sounds just like mine. The good news is that the trouble shooting only takes seconds to find out if it's the driver/card.

As far as this 1Gb argument... this is all I can think of, b/c if he talking RAM.. .then yeah... 3Gb max in XP, but unlimited in Vista 64 (as I understand).

 

[evolDiesel]

OMG... major typo above.

I meant to say "you have to COMPLETELY UNinstall anything that had to do w/ the original driver"... not "install".

Sorry. Not enough coffee yet.

 

[Chalniss]

I can make any changes in the "Use software OpenGL", the box is gray and can not be edited.

I do know that Xp can only use 3GB, would it then help to change 3Gb patch? That is 1G for the Xp and 2G for other applications?

 

[Chalniss]

I mean i can NOT make any changes in the "Use software OpenGL" box.


Well, thank you, I´ll try with new drivers tomorrow, now it's time for me to go home.

 

[EEnd]

You cannot change the "Use software OpenGL" with a model open. You should be able to change it immediately after starting SW, before opening any documents.

Eric

 

[evolDiesel]

EEnd is right.

As soon as you open SW, don't open any files... just go straight to Tools... options... performance. You should be able to access it. But not able to if you have a part/assy open.

Then start working as you normally do. If you witness remarkable improvement then it's either your driver (most likely) or the card itself (less likely).