Dual Xeon Problem

[coach]

I run 2 Dual Xeon server which is behaving oddly or at least I think it is. Could someone outline their thoughts on their capabilities or give any suggestions to the below problems.

Server : 2.4ghz dual Xeon
1.5 gig ram
10 meg pipe up & down
OS Windows 2003
FPSbooster
Serverdoc

Start up command : C:\Hlserver\DODS\srcds.exe -console -game dod -port27015 +maxplayers 28 + map dod_flash +fps_max 600

I have 1 server running 2 DODS servers & a HL2 mod.
Second server running 1 DODS server atm while I test & try to get it running correctly.

My problem is that the servers run fantastic while there are under 15 people on them but as soon as more join the CPU usage jumps & FPS drops. I would have thought that they should be able to cope with 20+ people on each server. I closed all servers & ran each independently to see if any 1 in particular was causing me problems to no avail. I have tried all rates & FPS settings to no avail. Up to the 15 people on the server & FPS is a solid 512 with good ins & outs via net_graph. AS it drops FPS with more people the ins & out also drop.
Currently I have 1 server of DODS (completely standard) running on a 10 meg pipe & still have problems once it gets over the 15 people. For example last night we had 22 people on for a test & HLSW showed CPU usage regularly over the 80-90% mark & FPS drop from 512 to 50-60. I have trawled through these forums but to no avail. I have put it down to the CPU usage causing the problem but are there any cures or reasons for being so high.

Any suggestions or ideas would be much appreciated.

[trev-gdr]

Try this if you haven't already done so. Lessens the strain on the cpu.
1) Click start, run, and type in regedit in the box
2) From the drop down menus, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
3) Navigate to SYSTEM
4) Navigate to CurrentControlSet
5) Navigate to Control
6) Navigate to PriorityControl
7) Click right inside the white box and select New-> DWORD Value
8) Type IRQ8Priority in the box
9) Click right on the new DWORD IRQ8Priority
10) Click Modify
11) Type 1 into the Value data blank
12) Click OK and close out of the registry editor

Also setting an affinity of each server to each processor may help.

[coach]

Yep tried your reg edit & thought it was doing something. Added the guardian.bat & the loader for affinity as well now. All are running on their own cpu. Tonight whenever we crossed the 20 people mark up jumped the cpu tp 90% again. I have even noticed that when only 4 are on sometimes the cpu usage can be 10-15% which I can't see as right for 2.4ghz cpu. Any other ideas welcome as this is driving me nuts.

[blik]

I'm not sure what the problem is, very strange...

However the IRQ8Priority registry tweak is in my opinion complete fiction, and a waste of time.

[trev-gdr]

Who knows if it works, but it only takes a minute to do anyways, thought it was worth trying. What's the memory usage like when the servers get loaded?

[Spartanfrog]

Just curious, whats your connetion to the 10 mb pipeline?

[coach]

Spartanfrog Wrote:Just curious, whats your connetion to the 10 mb pipeline?

The server is located in a database & is supplied with a 10 meg direct pipe by a member. My main concern is the cpu usage which I don't believe should be as high as it is. But willing to check allavenues to solve this.