[SOLVED] Why are some software programs slow on high end hardware?

ch33r

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For some reason it seems like some applications will run at the same speed on any computer. I've had applications say "please wait" at the install screen one a PC that's got like 3x the hardware of a different PC yet they both stay on please wait for the same amount of time at the install screen (just as example), and cpu/ram/disk loads will be at like 4%. Why are some software applications like this??
 
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I agree it basically doesn't matter, but there are all kinds of factors.

1) CPU Threading, if it is only written for one thread, then it doesn't matter if you have 16, going to use only one, so it comes down to the speed of a single core (or part of a core depending on how it is written).

2) Other software, Anti-malware, Anti-virus, Endpoint data protection, etc will all scan the installer as it is unpacked and run. Not the most common thing on a typical end user computer, but if you have Windows defender running, it is scanning all that stuff live. Not all of these tools accurately report CPU usage either. (In an attempt to hide themselves from malware usually)

3) Background processes. One big one is Windows restore points, backing...

ch33r

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Because not every application, or installation wrapper, is written to extract the most uber performance out of every system.

Some things are just old and crappy.

Ok, but all it does is execute the code that's written in the application. So wouldnt the application by default execute it as fast as possible. Line 1, line 2, line 3, etc etc. If it's not maxing all the resources available, what's slowing it down. The only thing I can think of is it intentionally has something implemented to slow it down. Why wouldn't it load its CPU cores to 100% until the task was done. What's slowing it down?
 

USAFRet

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Well there has to be something causing it. If it's stuck on loading and resources are at 1% usage, what's going on. Why are more lines of code not executing? What's the hold up?
Since I have not done a full reverse engineer and debug on whatever unnamed application or installation wrapper you're referring to, nor do I plan to...I have no idea why it seems to be 'slow'.
 

ch33r

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Since I have not done a full reverse engineer and debug on whatever unnamed application or installation wrapper you're referring to, nor do I plan to...I have no idea why it seems to be 'slow'.

Well ok.... but I'm asking from a logical perspective. If the resources are not loaded and an application says it's loading/installing, like.... I don't get it. The resources are at 1% which means nothing is being processed. So what's it doing when it says please wait while we complete the install.... What could it be waiting for logically??? I don't know how to explain it. I don't get it
 
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Eximo

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I agree it basically doesn't matter, but there are all kinds of factors.

1) CPU Threading, if it is only written for one thread, then it doesn't matter if you have 16, going to use only one, so it comes down to the speed of a single core (or part of a core depending on how it is written).

2) Other software, Anti-malware, Anti-virus, Endpoint data protection, etc will all scan the installer as it is unpacked and run. Not the most common thing on a typical end user computer, but if you have Windows defender running, it is scanning all that stuff live. Not all of these tools accurately report CPU usage either. (In an attempt to hide themselves from malware usually)

3) Background processes. One big one is Windows restore points, backing up the registry. Sometimes this isn't obvious and might just show up as 'System'. Might not use a lot of CPU, but it will save a backup, and then verify it. Updating or merging .NET framework.

4) Software may have artificial delays added. I have seen this in some software, where they don't necessarily know how long something will take, so they overestimate to an extreme, put in a timer, and trigger the next step after that. Pretty rare these days with canned installers. Usually only saw it on things coming out of universities. (Oh the stories there, how they let some of this crap become business critical...well what do you know, the guy that wrote it graduated 10 years ago and doesn't offer support)

5) Most progress bars and percentage complete steps in Windows installers are 100% made up. So you can't really go with that. If the installer is waiting on something that they didn't code for, it will just wait.
 
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