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    Please do not post a support request without first reading and following the advice in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

    Pi Zero Lagging with GBA emulation

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    • quicksilverQ
      quicksilver @luisito
      last edited by

      @luisito lr-gpsp is less demanding so stick with that one. From what I understand the zero can't handle all GBA games, something like only 60% of the game library plays full speed. Have you thought about getting a pi 3? GBA runs beautifully on my pi 3.

      luisitoL 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • luisitoL
        luisito @quicksilver
        last edited by

        @quicksilver I have been thinking about a full size pi, but other posts expect the pi 4 image until xmas at best. So I donโ€™t know if I should buy a pi 3. ๐Ÿง

        Does resolution affect overall performance? I am trying to display it on my computer monitor full HD at 27 inches. Will it run better or faster in those mini 3.5 inch displays?

        I plugged in my USB to dump some ROMs, and the frame rate went to 5fps and it froze for a solid minute. I am disliking the zero a lot.

        dankcushionsD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • EfriimE
          Efriim
          last edited by Efriim

          Maybe disable video threading?
          settings >> video >> videothreading = off
          settings >> drivers >> video = glcore/gl (if available)
          settings >> latency >> gpu stuff = off
          settings >> framethrottle >> rewind/gsync = off

          Initialize with runcommand, to set resolution = CEA 1-4

          1ghz should be enough for gba I think???

          how about reading from commandline, background processes, I guess you can do that with top, htop

          luisitoL 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • dankcushionsD
            dankcushions Global Moderator @luisito
            last edited by

            @luisito retropie defaults to 640x480 for libretro emulators on pi 0/1, so resolution should not be an issue. also, the physical size of the screen is not a factor, since you can typically run low resolutions on large displays no problem.

            luisitoL 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • luisitoL
              luisito @Efriim
              last edited by

              @Efriim I have changed all the setting with the exception of runcommand because I can't figure out where it is (I tried the runcommand option from RetroPie but it doesn't show as option in the submenus).

              With your proposed changes now I have managed to reach steady 32.7 FP, with the casual drop to 30 FPS.
              However, the main RetroPie menu sometimes drop to 12 FPS.
              If I access RetroArch within the game it pumps it to 60 FPS, but that is because the emulation gets paused.
              Zero still hoovers at a steady 42C at max temperature and 37C when idle.

              It definitely help by a lot, so thanks!! :D
              Still looks funny and feels slow but now it is playable.

              However, I still don't understand why the FPS are so low. A lot of people manage 60 FPS without a sweat with GBA games.

              And now, I am not sure what I did, changed or broke, but it seems that Hotkey (Select) + Right Shoulder, doesn't save state anymore.

              dankcushionsD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • luisitoL
                luisito @dankcushions
                last edited by

                @dankcushions said in Pi Zero Lagging with GBA emulation:

                for libretro emulators on pi 0/1, so resolution should not be an issue. also, the physical size of the screen is not a factor, since you can typically run low resolutions on large displays no problem.

                Thanks! I was under the impression that the GPU would have to squish more out for larger screens to achieve the desired scale.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • dankcushionsD
                  dankcushions Global Moderator @luisito
                  last edited by

                  @luisito i think it sounds to me like you've changed some settings in your tweaking, or perhaps weren't running from stock retropie in the first place. i would personally start from a fresh retropie standard image, no overclocking, and then see what it's like from there. once you've changed settings it's almost impossible to diagnose

                  luisitoL 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • luisitoL
                    luisito @dankcushions
                    last edited by

                    @dankcushions Sure, I will do that.
                    There is a new image right?
                    I will report after doing all that. Perhaps during the weekend if time allows ๐Ÿ˜

                    EfriimE 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • EfriimE
                      Efriim @luisito
                      last edited by Efriim

                      @luisito
                      Or you could upload your settings and I can run a diff on them to highlight all the changes.
                      Or delete the settings which should give you a new one, provided the overrides are also deleted.
                      network~\configs\all\retroarch.cfg
                      /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch.cfg

                      Were you able to try htop from ssh commandline?

                      upload large text files to pastebin.com
                      I will edit the post above about runcommand.

                      Since you got positive results if it wasn't just a fluke, you could try disabling a few more things
                      settings >> drivers >> audio = alsathread
                      settings >> video >> vertical sync = off
                      settings >> video >> frame delay = 0 (alternative to turning the vsync off, maybe try a quick compare of value 7 and 15 just to see, then turn off vsync)
                      settings >> latency >> run-ahead = off

                      and
                      settings >> user interface >> threaded tasks = off (Haven't had to use this before.)
                      settings >> user interface >> appearance >> icon shadows = off

                      dankcushionsD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • dankcushionsD
                        dankcushions Global Moderator @Efriim
                        last edited by

                        @Efriim said in Pi Zero Lagging with GBA emulation:

                        Or delete the settings which should give you a new one, provided the overrides are also deleted

                        no, this will give you retroarch defaults which are not retropie defaults, and will give you a whole new set of problems.

                        i really wouldn't recommend changing any of the settings you are recommending. retropie will default to the right settings for all of these.

                        luisitoL 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • luisitoL
                          luisito
                          last edited by

                          Thanks a lot! everybody. Things are improving so I think we are on the right track and your help is moving things forward.
                          Have a lot of responsibilities for the next 4 days.So I will post again next week.

                          But for the meantime I ran a very quick thop and hop, and the system is 97%m idle, nothing in the background eating power. Even the ram sits at 10% of maximum.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • luisitoL
                            luisito @dankcushions
                            last edited by

                            @dankcushions said in Pi Zero Lagging with GBA emulation:

                            no, this will give you retroarch defaults which are not retropie defaults, and will give you a whole new set of problems.

                            I was unaware of this. This is a revelation.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • Solid OneS
                              Solid One
                              last edited by

                              Try gpsp's non-retroarch version. With this version, you'll probably have less lag on GBA games, since it consumes less resources than the default retroarch version.

                              I've tested this version on a Raspberry Pi 1 B+, and I remember playing some GBA games without lag. It was on 2015, and back then, if my memory serves, there was no lr-gpsp yet.

                              I don't know if it'll work on your Pi Zero, but assuming Pi Zero and Pi 1 has approximately the same hardware, there's the chance that it can work.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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