Windows 10 slow performance

[Trejvis]

Greetings,

I have a problem. I need to have windows on my mac for technical programs such as Inventor, mathcad and other win stuff, but I struggle with overall slow performance, mouse lagging, keyboard lagging while typing etc...
I am using Lacie USB-C external drive formated with ex-fat and I am trying to run win 64-bit on Macbook pro 2017 with 7360U, 16 GB ram. Because I have pretty low memory left on my internal SSD I had to use my external HDD.

The mouse cursor is laggy inside window with windows, but when i move the cursor away and cross the border line suddenly the mouse is smooth again, while I'm in mac os now. When I move the cursor back. The win mouse starts to lag. Mac CPU load is around 30% while doing this but win CPU load is 100% but when I turn out the low power mode on win, then there is around 30% of use. The HDD is almost 100% all the time, but I don't think it have significant impact on performance, since it's not CPU related but only HDD... The mouse is CPU and GPU dependent. I also noticed heavy load on macbook. The fans also start running, and the CPU temp is around 80°C. But Windows 10 can run on much older devices (2010 Asus laptop with C2D T6500, 4GB ram and GT205m) without any big problems.


Btw my school teacher uses older Macbook pro (I don't know exact year and specs but it's surely 2013-2015) and it works really great even with multiple programs using. But he don't use external HDD. So I am asking myself what am I doing wrong?
I have read several topics about this and watched also several videos. I've tried to change the settings little bit, but it seems to have no impact on the performance.
I cannot tell you the settings now, because It seems to have no impact, but I might be wrong. I have been experimenting with allocating 1 cpu cores or 2 or checking/unchecking GPU acceleration, adding more ram, etc... But without any results.

Do I have to install some GPU drivers, or I don't know? I feel like an amateur, and I surely am with no virtualisation SW experience whatsoever.

Any suggestions? Thank You for reply.

[socratis]

We need to see a complete VBox.log, from a complete VM run, where the problem occurs:

• Start the VM from cold-boot (not from a paused or saved state) / Observe problem / Shutdown the VM (force close it if you have to).
• With the VM completely shut down (not paused or saved), right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager and select "Show Log".
• Save only the first "VBox.log", ZIP it and attach it to your response. See the "Upload attachment" tab below the reply form.

[Trejvis]

So here is my Log file

[andyp73]

00:00:01.435217   NumCPUs           <integer> = 0x0000000000000002 (2)
00:00:01.779244 CPUM: Logical host processors: 4 present, 4 max, 4 online, online mask: 000000000000000f
00:00:01.779247 CPUM: Physical host cores: 2

You have assigned both of your physical processor cores (the thing VirtualBox cares about) to the guest. VirtualBox is a host application and so the host is going to need some CPU resources for itself. I think you should reduce the guest to 1 CPU and leave the other for the host.

00:00:01.418509 OpenGL Info: Render SPU: GL_RENDERER: Intel(R) Iris(TM) Plus Graphics 640
00:00:01.418520 OpenGL Info: Render SPU: GL_VERSION:  2.1 INTEL-12.4.7

Intel's graphics controllers aren't the best performing in the world (trying to be nice) and their OpenGL implementation in their drivers isn't so good either. Do you really need 3D support in your guest?

00:00:27.740757 AIOMgr: Host limits number of active IO requests to 16. Expect a performance impact.

On the storage controller, try enabling the "Use Host I/O Cache" setting.

-Andy.

[socratis]

Intel's graphics controllers aren't the best performing in the world (trying to be nice) and their OpenGL implementation in their drivers isn't so good either

Generally speaking, very true. Mac/OSX speaking, not really so. Apple would have killed the deal if they weren't performing well and they weren't up to par with AMD.

[Trejvis]

I've turner off acceleration and changed to 1 CPU instead of 2. The performance seems to be little bit better, but i see FPS drops or something like that, if you know what i mean. What should i do next? Btw I would like to use Inventor for modelling and acceleration would be useful there, I guess.

Do you need another logs, for further steps?

[socratis]

A couple more points in addition to the ones that Andy made:

VirtualBox VM 5.2.18 r124319 darwin.amd64 (Aug 14 2018 13:56:22) release log

That's rather an older VirtualBox version. We're now up to 5.2.26 in the 5.2.x series and 6.0.4 in the 6.0.x series. Please upgrade.

00:00:01.305289 File system of '/Volumes/Windousek/Radek Windows 10.vdi' is unknown

What's the mounted volume, an external one? USB? 2 or 3?

00:00:01.435241 CMPXCHG16B <integer> = 0x0000000000000001 (1)

This shouldn't be there. Did you add the directive manually?

The performance seems to be little bit better, but i see FPS drops or something like that, if you know what i mean.

No, actually I don't know what you mean. What FPS are you referring to? Finally, can you describe what "slow" means to you?

[Trejvis]

That's rather an older VirtualBox version. We're now up to 5.2.26 in the 5.2.x series and 6.0.4 in the 6.0.x series. Please upgrade.

I've upgraded to 6.0.4 and it looks like the mouse lags and slow performance is gone . But I have noticed, that 800x600 resolution performs better, than 1600X1200, but I think i have resolution scaling or something like that. The window itself (with 1600x1200) covers approx. 50% of my screen, but that is weird. I have same resolution on mac, and i am not using "Display Menu" or similar programs to have full 2550x1600 resolution. What should I do now? I don't want to untune the settings. Because it's better than it used to be before I started this thread.

Do I have to download VB extension pack? There is support for USB 2 and 3 and disc encryption etc., etc. Will it improve the performance?

What's the mounted volume, an external one? USB? 2 or 3?

I use Lacie Porsche design USB-C HDD. Tests in Blackmagic shown these results: write is around 98 MB/s and read around 89 MB/s

This shouldn't be there. Did you add the directive manually?

I don't understand this question I just plug the hard drive in my computer and then I start VB.

No, actually I don't know what you mean. What FPS are you referring to? Finally, can you describe what "slow" means to you?

I meant frames per second. Like now I am used to 60 Hz refresh rate and the Windows looked like 30 Hz with quite a lot of drops to 18 Hz or something like that. I hope I described it well.

[socratis]

I have same resolution on mac, and i am not using "Display Menu" or similar programs to have full 2550x1600 resolution.

This is not the resolution you're looking for...

You do *not* want the full resolution, you would need a magnifying glass. Even your MacBookPro14,1 says that it's 2560x1600 (Retina), but in reality OSX changes that, and the resolutions offered are 1680x1050, 1440x900, and 1024x640 (source Mactracker).

I need to see two files:

1. The "Radek Windows 10.vbox" file. Right-click on the VM in the Manager, "Show in Finder". That one...
2. The "VirtualBox.xml" from "/Users/radekchyla/Library/VirtualBox/VirtualBox.xml".

ZIP them both and attach them to your response.

Like now I am used to 60 Hz refresh rate and the Windows looked like 30 Hz with quite a lot of drops to 18 Hz or something like that.

There is no refresh rate in a VM. It uses the refresh rate of your host.

[Trejvis]

I don't want 2560x1600 I meant 1600x1050, but I have written it wrong. The problem now is that even on fullscreen it looks like windowed. The 1600x1050 settings on windows covers up just only half of mac screen, which is weird. This should be 1:1 not 1:2 the size.

Here is vbox. but I haven't found xml file.


I was trying to explain the lagging with framerate. The drops just looked like 20 Hz or less even if the mac is 60 and the VBox also.

[socratis]

Here is vbox. but I haven't found xml file.

The VirtualBox.xml *is* there, believe me. There are two ways you can get to it: either use the "Go to Folder..." from the Finder, or (even better), I'm going to show you how to open your eyes . Open a Terminal and enter the command:

• defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE; killall Finder

Now you actually get to see the "~/Library/" folder. Greyed out (a sign that it's hidden), but it's there... Find the "~/Library/VirtualBox/VirtualBox.xml" file.

And since you're at it, why don't you attach a fresh VBox.log (ZIPPED). Start the VM from cold boot, login, shutdown the VM, grab the log. Oh, and get out of Full-Screen.

[Trejvis]

I've finally found it.

[socratis]

Sorry for the late reply, a lot of things in the backlog...

00:00:01.508003 DMI Product Name: MacBookPro14,1

That's a Retina MBP, with 2560x1600 and 1680x1050 at the max resolution presented by OSX. You need to change the scale factor in VirtualBox for optimal performance. Go to VirtualBox Preferences » Display » Scale Factor » All Monitors: 200%.

00:00:01.561755 File system of '/Volumes/Windousek/Radek Windows 10.vdi' is unknown

What's the "Windousek" mounted volume? An external drive? A USB one perhaps? If so, USB2 or 3?

00:00:01.610334   BlockCache <integer> = 0x0000000000000001 (1)
00:00:01.610338   UseNewIo   <integer> = 0x0000000000000001 (1)
...
00:00:27.689417 AIOMgr: Host limits number of active IO requests to 16. Expect a performance impact.

Go to the VM Settings » Storage » select the SATA controller » Use Host I/O cache: Enabled.

00:00:01.610593 3DEnabled <integer> = 0x0000000000000000 (0)
00:00:02.432305 GUI: 2D video acceleration is disabled

2D/3D acceleration is disabled. Shutdown the VM and enable them in the VM settings » Display. Then re-install the Guest Additions (GAs) in the guest.

00:00:01.610634 [/GIM/] (level 1)
00:00:01.610635   Provider <string>  = "None" (cb=5)

I don't expect this to make a difference, but go to the VM Settings » System » Acceleration » Paravirtualization: Default.

00:00:01.610675 [/USB/HidMouse/0/Config/] (level 4)
00:00:01.610676   Mode <string>  = "absolute" (cb=9)
...
00:00:01.610689 [/USB/HidMouse/1/Config/] (level 4)
00:00:01.610689   Mode <string>  = "multitouch" (cb=11)

I don't recall ever seeing two USB mice/tablets attached to a VM! How did you manage that feat?

00:00:02.688707 GUI: UIMachineLogicFullscreen::sltHandleNativeFullscreenDidEnter: Machine-window #0 did enter native fullscreen

You should avoid getting into full screen with a system that has a fake GPU, no 2D/3D acceleration, 1 CPU and too many pixels to move around! I would suggest a 1440x900 windowed mode for your guest, zoom at 100% from within Windows.

[HF]

Your suggestion to enable the "Host I/O Cache" setting made a huge improvement in my Win 10 guest running on a Win 10 host.

Thank you.

[socratis]

Good, but I would like you to address/answer some of the other issues/questions as well:

1. What's the "Windousek" mounted volume? An external drive? A USB one perhaps? If so, USB2 or 3?
2. Did you change the Scale Factor to 200%?
3. Did you enable 2D/3D acceleration?
4. Did you change the paravirtualization option?
5. Did you take the guest off Full-Screen?
6. Can you explain the two mice?