NT taking up all CPU and slow

[NinjaTrader_Dierk]

I have not clue why this happen, because my processor is an Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T9300 @2.50GHz (open my pC to see). But no problem, because I solved my issue.

Yes, is not a problem with my chip, is with some properties of my nView Desktop Manager. You did right when pointed the icon, not the icon but I disconnect all properties and now is working fine. I test in other PC with same problem, deactivate this properties and works again.

Maybe other user with this problem can solve making the same (see "control panel" "nView Desktop Manager", deactivate properties in desktop manager tab).

If any user can find exactly which property crash with NT, please post here.

Thanks for your advices. Especialy to poin the Nvidia issue, because all the other tips are unnecessary, I´m working now with all my workspaces, indicators, calculate on bar close to false, etc...

Regards.

Thanks for your feedback. Glad your issue is resolved.

[RJay]

FYI,

I only had a problem with a slow computer when I had one specific indicator on a chart overnight.

This indicator is called SwingTemp.

I like this indicator. but it was death to my computer if I used it.

RJay

[NinjaTrader_Ray]

- NT is multi-threaded and the data storing for sure is on it's own thread, most of the time API data handling or on separate threads etc...
- We run tests all the time and I can't be specific at this second on what is defined as acceptable. I can say that in my trading life, I am a scalper, once I have time after I get my NT7 priorities behind me, I can look at more defined performance benchmarks
- Whether a data burst is buffered or not is really irrelevant, if you get a block of large amount of data that needs to be processed, depending on the demands of a users workspace, this will impact the ability to process. There is a reason why most vendors filter --> That was my point. If you want consistent low, CPU utilization, use NinjaTrader with Interactive Brokers. There just is not as much data to process. On regular high volatile periods of time, there can be a difference in performance if we got 100 ticks evenly distributed over a second vs 100 ticks at more or less the same split second. The latter will have a heavier processing cost. This is just physics.

[JS999]

- NT is multi-threaded and the data storing for sure is on it's own thread, most of the time API data handling or on separate threads etc...
- We run tests all the time and I can't be specific at this second on what is defined as acceptable. I can say that in my trading life, I am a scalper, once I have time after I get my NT7 priorities behind me, I can look at more defined performance benchmarks
- Whether a data burst is buffered or not is really irrelevant, if you get a block of large amount of data that needs to be processed, depending on the demands of a users workspace, this will impact the ability to process. There is a reason why most vendors filter --> That was my point. If you want consistent low, CPU utilization, use NinjaTrader with Interactive Brokers. There just is not as much data to process. On regular high volatile periods of time, there can be a difference in performance if we got 100 ticks evenly distributed over a second vs 100 ticks at more or less the same split second. The latter will have a heavier processing cost. This is just physics.

I completely agree with your last statement - if there is too much data, it is more difficult to process all at once. That doesn't change the final result however, which is the fact that it makes trading during volatile times extremely difficult. Right at the very point where you need the data to be up-to-the-millisecond accurate on-screen is precisely where it slows down - which essentially makes your software unusable. Identifying the issue as being too much data streaming in is all good, but that doesn't solve the problem. So is the issue solvable or not? If not, then there is something very wrong with Zen-Fire in its current implementation because it means that it's impossible for you to write software to make it work properly during heavy volume times, which incidentally happen to be the most critical. It means that ZF is unusable as a data feed.

Here's an idea: can you not have a user setting that we can enable to filter out this data under heavy load? In other words, NinjaTrader itself could detect if too much data has come in all at once, and auto-enable some type of filtering instead of trying to automatically process all of it in the order it came in. I would rather have that happen and miss a few ticks during volatile times, instead of having it bravely try to process a chunk of data that occurred 5-10 seconds ago while I am sitting there in the dark wondering what is happening in the real-time market. In trading, current information is what's important, ESPECIALLY during the volatile times. Is this possible?

[NinjaTrader_Ray]

There are many thousands of users on NinjaTrader/Zen-Fire and there is only a handful who have had performance issues reported to us during volatile times. Your suggestion of monitoring on the client side is an interesting idea and I will add that to our list for consideration. At this time, my priorities are completing NinjaTrader 7 and not introducing any new features at the expense of slipping our schedule again.

[JS999]

There are many thousands of users on NinjaTrader/Zen-Fire and there is only a handful who have had performance issues reported to us during volatile times. Your suggestion of monitoring on the client side is an interesting idea and I will add that to our list for consideration. At this time, my priorities are completing NinjaTrader 7 and not introducing any new features at the expense of slipping our schedule again.

Ray, thanks for the response. I completely agree with you that your #1 priority should be to finish NT 7 and get it out the door. Having said that, the reason that thousands of people are using NT/ZF and not complaining is because the vast majority of them are probably not scalpers, and therefore may not notice that it is lagging under heavy conditions. This is further supported by the fact that NT is not exactly what I would call a scalper-friendly platform, in that it doesn't have basic features like hotkeys - which means that most scalpers will be looking elsewhere. You are not getting many complaints because most scalpers are not trading on this platform, not because there are no problems.

I am glad that you liked my idea - please do investigate something like that, since as you know it is far more important to accurately know where the market is right now instead of processing every last tick in the order it is received. I think that it should be obvious that as it stands NT does have problems with Zen-Fire under heavy conditions, particularly with multiple charts open. I have been able to get around this by running on an extremely powerful CPU with only 3 charts open with just about no indicators on them, and with very short look-back periods. I can't even run a time + sales window because it kills performance - I have to run that in a separate virtual machine, and run my longer-term charts in another separate virtual machine. Really, I shouldn't have to do this just to get the software to display accurate and timely market data under volatile conditions.

Once you are done with NT 7 rollout, please make this performance issue the first thing on your priority list, since displaying accurate data always has to be the primary function of any piece of charting software, and if it can't do that without serious compromises then it's a pretty big problem.

Thanks!

[qewcool]

I just stumble on this thread because I have the exact problems with zenfire and NT6.5 spiking the CPU at volatile period like the open freezing everything at worst or lagging the price update on charts at best. That is frustrating to say the least as it is the very moment where you need the information.

I agree with JS999 and the other posters here ... there seems to be a real problem with the underlying code of NT6.5.

So my hope is on NT7, I hope you address the issues the JS999 described in NT7. Cant wait to see the release of the beta.

Also reading JS999, I realized I had lately added a range chart up too ... coincidence ? I guess I will need to scratch that chart. But seriously, how can u say there is no problem when you cant have a range chart in a charting software ? also cant have a workspace besides the default. cant run the data recorder either from what I read.

Will take range chart off and see if it solve the problem.

[JS999]

I just stumble on this thread because I have the exact problems with zenfire and NT6.5 spiking the CPU at volatile period like the open freezing everything at worst or lagging the price update on charts at best. That is frustrating to say the least as it is the very moment where you need the information.

I agree with JS999 and the other posters here ... there seems to be a real problem with the underlying code of NT6.5.

So my hope is on NT7, I hope you address the issues the JS999 described in NT7. Cant wait to see the release of the beta.

Also reading JS999, I realized I had lately added a range chart up too ... coincidence ? I guess I will need to scratch that chart. But seriously, how can u say there is no problem when you cant have a range chart in a charting software ? also cant have a workspace besides the default. cant run the data recorder either from what I read.

Will take range chart off and see if it solve the problem.

You actually can run a range chart, but not much else. On one of my setups right now I have a single 3 range chart and a 20 second chart, both with a lookback period of a couple of hundred bars. No crazy indicators on there, just a MACD and a couple of MAs... seems to work more or less OK, even in heavy market conditions. However, you cannot load up your workspace with 6 or 7 charts looking back a few days each - that will kill your CPU on an instrument like crude oil when it is volatile. The reason a lot of people don't complain is (a) most people aren't scalpers, and (b) most people trade instruments like ES, which don't move that fast. Basically it's high-volume, high volatility stuff like CL which gives problems... but you can solve it by running multiple virtual machines with a copy of NT in each of them, to split up the processing amongst your CPU cores (assuming you have a quad-core CPU of course). You keep one copy with minimal charts and DOM just for trade entry, one copy for long term charts, and maybe one copy for medium terms charts... that splits up the processing and makes it usable.

[qewcool]

I trade ES and have 4 charts with lookback of 15 days. one of them was a range chart. 2 are profile chart and another a renko.

I dont scalp if you define scalp as 1- 4 ticks. I do more position trade/daytrade.

The range chart is out and I put in a renko instead. Lets see how it performs.
I have IB running on another computer and fortunately that one does not freeze when NT does.

was looking to switch to NT and zenfire but gone wait to see NT7.

I have AMD dual core but thought the OS was already splitting the work between the 2 cores ? you say i need a virtual machine to use both core ?

I am thinking of getting a quad core too if it comes to that.

[JS999]

I trade ES and have 4 charts with lookback of 15 days. one of them was a range chart. 2 are profile chart and another a renko.

I dont scalp if you define scalp as 1- 4 ticks. I do more position trade/daytrade.

The range chart is out and I put in a renko instead. Lets see how it performs.
I have IB running on another computer and fortunately that one does not freeze when NT does.

was looking to switch to NT and zenfire but gone wait to see NT7.

I have AMD dual core but thought the OS was already splitting the work between the 2 cores ? you say i need a virtual machine to use both core ?

I am thinking of getting a quad core too if it comes to that.

It's not fully multi-threaded, so on my quad core PC it can't take advantage of all 4 cores unless I run 4 separate copies of NT (which I do). I would definitely suggest getting the best and fastest processor you can, NT is very CPU intensive.

Renko charts are almost worse than range charts in terms of performance, from what I can remember... try it out and see. I would set up a virtual machine with a second copy of NT running all your long range charts, and then run your main copy of NT with a single chart and DOM for trading. You can download free virtualization software at www.virtualbox.org.

[saroj]

How do you do this?

I have not clue why this happen, because my processor is an Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T9300 @2.50GHz (open my pC to see). But no problem, because I solved my issue.

Yes, is not a problem with my chip, is with some properties of my nView Desktop Manager. You did right when pointed the icon, not the icon but I disconnect all properties and now is working fine. I test in other PC with same problem, deactivate this properties and works again.

Maybe other user with this problem can solve making the same (see "control panel" "nView Desktop Manager", deactivate properties in desktop manager tab).

If any user can find exactly which property crash with NT, please post here.

Thanks for your advices. Especialy to poin the Nvidia issue, because all the other tips are unnecessary, I´m working now with all my workspaces, indicators, calculate on bar close to false, etc...

Regards.

I am looking at the nView Desktop Manager dialogue box / Desktop Managment tab right now... I have 3 subwindows:
1) nView Desktop Manager "To turn on all the nView DM features, click Enable" (so mine are NOT enabled);
2) NView DM wizard... grayed out
3) Display properties with 2 hot spots (buttons): "Properties" where the resolution, appearance, screen saver, etc. are specified; and "Display Wizard"

then there is an "About" hotspot...

I don't understand what is meant by "disconnect all properties" nor how one would do it.

Thanks,
Saroj

[qewcool]

ok so today i took all renko charts out and put in a 5 min chart with 2 profile chart.

The CPU stayed at 50% practically the whole day and ninjatrader freezes up and shows up as "not responding" in windows task manager.

Usually its because it is processing all the tick data from zenfire and I leave it alone for it to finish .... takes about an hour or so after 10AM (ie the open period) for it to finish and update all the 3 charts graphically. Then it comes back to normal hovering around 10-20% CPU and no apparent lag until 3- 3:30 PM if the close is volatile. Then another hour or so after the close of ninjatrader "working" before the charts gets updated again

But today it stayed there ("not responding" and CPU at 50%) for the whole day and even 3 hours after the close at 16:15 EST. Its 19:30 EST and its not finished yet ... im giving up and killing the process.

This is FUBAR to say the least.

[meyer99]

Charts freezing

Ray,
I trade CL and use range charts. I use Zen fire and have no antivirus and have firewall disabled. Also store realtime bar data disabled. I also have the same problem: all charts freezing when the CL contract has high volatility (mainly every Wednesday at 10:30 am when they release news on oil). I did not write the issue before since I thought it was my PC, Core2 E8400 with 2GB of RAM. There could be many other users like me.
I hope you can find the problem and solve it.

[NinjaTrader_ChristopherJ]

Ray,
I trade CL and use range charts. I use Zen fire and have no antivirus and have firewall disabled. Also store realtime bar data disabled. I also have the same problem: all charts freezing when the CL contract has high volatility (mainly every Wednesday at 10:30 am when they release news on oil). I did not write the issue before since I thought it was my PC, Core2 E8400 with 2GB of RAM. There could be many other users like me.
I hope you can find the problem and solve it.

Hello meyer99,

Thank you for your post.

Please send a note to Support [AT] NinjaTrader [DOT] com with "ATTN: Chris" in the subject line.

In the message, please include the following:
1.) A link to this forum thread.
2.) Your most current trace file.

You will find the file here: My Documents > NinjaTrader 6.5 > Trace > trace.YYYYMMDD.txt

[meyer99]

Chris,
I send email but I do not think it includes the trace from 1-21 which is the day with issues. let me know if I have to send again at end of day or when NT is closed.