Is Speed Freak likely to improve FCP X's performance?

Question

Level 7

21,066 points

Is Speed Freak likely to improve FCP X's performance?

Basically Speed Freak provides a renice Terminal command that allocates more processing power to the foremost application.

Ideally FCP X should be the only app open but I'm sure that many people, like me, have others open as well whilst editing.

So is Speed Freak likely to be useful in those situations, considering that it was developed for OS X 10.4.

I don't know whether the Terminal operations have altered with Leopard, SL or Lion.

The app is free and available from here:- http://home.comcast.net/~jeff.ulicny/software/utils.html

If you want a virtually identical app that claims to have been updated for Lion you can try CPU Speed Accelerator at $39 😢

http://alphaomega.software.free.fr/cpuspeedaccelerator/CPU%20Speed%20Accelerator .html

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8), FCE 4 + FCS 3 . . . Little Knowledge, Many Opinions.

Posted on Apr 16, 2012 12:59 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

Karsten Schlüter

Level 7

34,086 points

Apr 16, 2012 2:06 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

As far as in my very little understanding of the RENICE command, you do change the 'priority' of a task.

When using FCPX, it is always top-listed in the Activity Monitor.-

so, I dare to say, a renice of (-20) has no (noticeable) effect at all.

Reply

Answer 2

Ian R. Brown Author

Level 7

21,066 points

Apr 16, 2012 2:19 AM in response to Karsten Schlüter

I think the idea behind the app is that even though FCP X may already have priority, it is given a further boost and the other apps are reduced to their minimum requirements.

Or does FCP X do this automatically?

Reply

Answer 3

Apr 16, 2012 2:59 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

Ian R. Brown wrote:

… it is given a further boost and the other apps are reduced to their minimum requirements.…

two blind men discuss colour … 😉

a) does it boost noticeable? I asked my Unix-experts on my German board, as soon as I get a reply, I'll post here

b) if one task gets a higher prio than another - the other gets slower - is that what we want?

c) afaik, the engineers of an app define the priority of a task - there are time-critical ones and others - to fumble this fragile orchestra could in a mess .......-

d) finally: as long as I use FCPX, it is listed as #1 in Activity Monitor - is there any higher prio than 1? 😉

(perhaps yes …)

Reply

Answer 4

Apr 16, 2012 4:16 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

so, feedback from my UNIX-Geeks:

shouldn't have any NOTICEABLE effect.

renice is mostly used to slow down other processes, therefor to offer another task more air to breath.

example was given: while ripping a DVD (oh, those nasty UNIX-geeks!), the ripper gets a lower priority, while you're editing = editing smooth, ripping takes 5min longer ..........

Reply

Answer 5

Ian R. Brown Author

Level 7

21,066 points

Apr 16, 2012 5:29 AM in response to Karsten Schlüter

Looks like I will have to buy a new computer eventually. 😢

Would be nice if a free app could save one the expense. 🙂

Reply