performance metrics Archives

Tech Optimizer

April 24, 2025

Meet Xata Agent: An Open Source Agent for Proactive PostgreSQL Monitoring, Automated Troubleshooting, and Seamless DevOps Integration

Xata Agent is an open-source AI assistant designed for PostgreSQL database site reliability engineering. It monitors logs and performance metrics to identify issues like slow queries and unusual connection counts, helping to maintain database integrity and performance. The tool automates tasks such as vacuuming and indexing and provides actionable recommendations through diagnostic playbooks and read-only SQL routines. The architecture is built as a Next.js application using TypeScript, organized in a monorepo structure. Developers can set up their environment using Node, install dependencies, and configure a local PostgreSQL instance with Docker Compose. Production deployment involves using Docker images and configuring environment variables in a production file. Key functionalities include proactive monitoring, configuration tuning, performance troubleshooting, safe diagnostics, cloud integration, alerting, LLM flexibility, and playbook customization. Developers can create new tools and integrate them into playbooks for cohesive workflows. Future plans include custom playbooks, support for Model Context Protocol, evaluation harnesses, approval workflows, and a managed cloud edition. The architecture promotes extensibility and community contributions, standardizing incident response and reducing human error in database management.

AppWizard

April 17, 2025

Google to Help Android App Developers Identify ‘Excessive’ Battery Drain

Google has introduced a beta metric within the Android Vitals suite to help developers identify and address battery drain caused by excessive wake locks. This metric allows developers to monitor instances of excessive wake locks, defined as holding partial wake locks for more than three hours within a 24-hour period. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will provide user experience insights to assist in improving app performance. Samsung has expressed support for this collaboration, aiming to help developers create optimized apps that enhance performance and battery life. Google plans to expand the Android Vitals metrics and may highlight optimized apps on the Google Play store in the future.

AppWizard

April 16, 2025

Forget FPS. Here’s why Frame Time is the PC gaming stat that matters most

Frame time measures the time interval between individual frames displayed on the screen, providing a more detailed view of frame consistency compared to frames per second (FPS). An ideal frame time for a game running at 60 FPS is 16.6 milliseconds per frame, and deviations can lead to stuttering. A frame time graph shows frame time in milliseconds on the vertical axis and frame number or recording time on the horizontal axis, with a flat line indicating optimal performance. Gamers often prefer consistent, lower FPS over fluctuating higher FPS for a better experience. Troubleshooting frame time issues involves examining CPU and GPU utilization and adjusting settings. Keeping video drivers updated is essential, and persistent issues may indicate problems with the game itself, as seen in titles like Gotham Knights and Elden Ring.

AppWizard

April 15, 2025

Android addressing ‘excessive’ battery drain with new app wake locks metric

Google is launching an initiative to help developers optimize wake lock behavior in Android applications to reduce battery drain. A new metric in the Android Vitals section of the Play Console will track "excessive wake locks," defined as instances where the cumulative duration of all partial wake locks exceeds three hours within a 24-hour period. This metric currently monitors wake locks only when the app is running in the background without a foreground service. Google is collaborating with manufacturers like Samsung to enhance this initiative and has released updated developer documentation to guide effective implementation. Developers are encouraged to provide feedback on this beta metric, which aims to improve performance and battery life insights. Future plans may include additional metrics to address other performance issues.

AppWizard

April 9, 2025

The Last of Us Part 2 proves that 8 GB of VRAM can be enough, even at 4K with maximum settings, so why aren’t more games using the same clever asset-streaming trick?

Sony's The Last of Us Part 1 faced significant issues upon its PC release, including bugs, instability, and excessive VRAM usage, leading to debates about the adequacy of 8 GB of VRAM. In contrast, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered demonstrated improved VRAM management during testing, with an RTX 5080 averaging 11.36 GB of memory usage and an RTX 3060 Ti averaging 11.06 GB. The game effectively managed VRAM without overloading the GPU, unlike its predecessor. Additionally, TLOU2 exhibited high CPU utilization, indicating efficient parallel task management. This performance suggests that proper asset streaming can maintain stability even on lower VRAM configurations, highlighting the importance of effective asset management in future AAA titles.

AppWizard

April 7, 2025

Radeon RX 9070 wird per BIOS zur Radeon RX 9070 XT

The Asus Prime Radeon RX 9070 can now emulate the performance characteristics of the Asus Prime Radeon RX 9070 XT after a BIOS flash. This upgrade allows the RX 9070 to achieve clock speeds of up to 3.1 GHz, an increase from the original 2.6 GHz, and raises the Total Graphics Power (TGP) from 220 watts to 317 watts. The modification was successfully executed by a community member named Gurdi, who used a vBIOS from TechPowerUp. Despite the inability to reactivate eight disabled compute units and 512 streaming processors, the upgrade has led to performance metrics that can surpass stock RX 9070 XTs under certain conditions. Initial benchmarks indicate promising results, and Gurdi has shared stable gaming settings that are effective against reference RX 9070 XT models. Minor stability issues remain, particularly during idle states, likely due to the increased core clock speeds.

AppWizard

April 6, 2025

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered PC Performance Analysis

Sony has released The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered for PC, utilizing Naughty Dog’s proprietary engine. Performance analysis was conducted using an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and various graphics cards including AMD Radeon RX 6900XT, RX 7900XTX, RX 9070XT, and NVIDIA RTX 2080Ti, RTX 3080, RTX 4090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090 on a Windows 10 64-bit system. The game features customizable graphics settings and supports technologies like Intel XeSS, NVIDIA DLSS 3, and AMD FSR 3.1. Benchmark tests showed all GPUs maintained frame rates above 60FPS at 1080p and 1440p resolutions with Max Settings, with the NVIDIA RTX 2080Ti achieving 60FPS. The AMD Radeon RX 9070XT outperformed the RX 7900XTX, while the RX 6900XT lagged behind the NVIDIA RTX 3080. For 4K gaming at Max Settings, the AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX and NVIDIA RTX 4090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090 were necessary for 60FPS. The game requires a minimum of six CPU cores/threads for optimal performance, with dual-core and quad-core systems experiencing severe stuttering. An eight-core processor improved frame rates above 70FPS. The game features impressive pre-baked lighting but has some traversal stutters and asynchronous shader compilation that may affect performance on CPUs with fewer cores. Keyboard and mouse controls function well from the start.

Winsage

April 3, 2025

I use Windows Task Manager daily. Here are 9 tips I wish I’d known sooner

Jon Martindale is a technology enthusiast who explores hardware, software, and artificial intelligence. He experiments with AI applications and reviews ergonomic solutions, such as standing desks, to promote better posture and workplace health. His writing shares insights on technology and its impact on daily life.

Winsage

March 31, 2025

CrystalMark Retro 2.0.0 brings retro benchmarking to systems from Windows 95 to Windows 11

Crystal Dew World has released version 2.0.0 of its benchmarking tool, CrystalMark Retro, which now supports Windows 95, 98, and Me systems, in addition to Windows XP and later versions. The update was developed in response to user feedback and includes a new benchmark score comparison site, crystalmarkdb.com/retro. Users can benchmark a variety of systems, from vintage Windows versions to modern ones, including Windows 11 and various server editions. Windows NT 3.51 and its successors are also supported with a necessary patch.

AppWizard

March 31, 2025

I played 5 games on an RTX 5070 vs RTX 5070 Ti gaming PC — is it worth paying extra

Both the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti GPUs are being tested across five demanding PC games to evaluate their performance. The RTX 5070 is priced at £529, while the RTX 5070 Ti is priced at £729. In Cyberpunk 2077, the RTX 5070 achieved 17 FPS and the RTX 5070 Ti achieved 25 FPS at 4K Ultra settings without DLSS. With DLSS 4 enabled, both GPUs exceeded 100 FPS. In Forza Horizon 5, both GPUs showed similar 1% low performance. In Call of Duty Black Ops 6, the RTX 5070 showed limitations compared to the RTX 5070 Ti. Black Myth: Wukong revealed a noticeable performance gap between the two GPUs, while both performed well in Alan Wake II. The RTX 5070 Ti is recommended for multiplayer gaming, while the RTX 5070 may suffice for single-player experiences. Both GPUs offer enhanced performance for users with older hardware.