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Can I force my computer to use my Acer MR headset?
Best Answer
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OptionsFranklinChen admin
@iBrews We have made a quick test on a Wesmere machine (different proc but in the same family), and on that tool it "passes" AVX, but checking with other tools, like CPU-Z, indicates that AVX is not supported:
So that tool is either misreporting the state or else is treating "this machine doesn't have AVX support so therefore there’s nothing wrong with the AVX circuitry on it" as a pass.
The CPU-Z tool does accurately report the instruction sets supported, on a westmere AVX is distinctly missing.
sometimes the Mixed Reality portal starts up and runs perfectly smoothly in my headset-- no problems at all. But also seemingly for no reason it crashes, or never starts up.
The random crashes are probably because the MR portal is exercising a code path that makes use of the AVX instructions.
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Answers
@iBrews thank you for the feedback. We'd like to learn more about what's happening so we can try to help.
1. Can you share a screenshot of the system check?
2. If the details on the system check don't match what's in your machine, can you share those too?
3. Can you also share your OS Build number? (Settings > System > About > OS Build)
4. We might need you to submit feedback to get more details, but no need to do that yet.
@LukeOR Not sure what you mean by a system check. See attached for a screenshot of my system information and the error I get with the Mixed Reality Portal. Let me know if you need more. Also note that I have a GTX 970 in this machine (doesn't seem to show up in the system information)
@iBrews I meant your equivalent of the attached.
The file created by Dxdiag > Save All Information... would be useful too.
Attached the Dxdiag. I can't access the Mixed Reality Portal system information page anymore because I bypassed it by entering Developer mode. I've also attached the screen I usually get when I try to start Mixed Reality with my headset plugged in.
Funnily enough, occasionally it works and everything works absolutely fine-- no juddering or lag or any problems at all. Inevitably at some point it crashes and I'm back to being unable to get in there.
@iBrews thank you for the extra data.
Windows Mixed Reality requires the AVX instruction set. Unfortunately the Dxdiag data suggests the CPU in this case, W3670 aka Westmere, doesn't support AVX instructions.
Hi @iBrews
You can find if AVX is supported with the Intel® Processor Diagnostic Tool
For my custom make Desktop the CPU this output is shown with the AVX highlighted
My Processor is Intel® Core™ i5-4460 Processor
6M Cache, up to 3.40 GHz
Looking at the specification my processor Instruction Extension is
SSE4.1/4.2, AVX 2.0 and for your W3670 is simply SSE4.2
Running the test on your CPU would be interesting
@LukeOR @Jimbohalo10 guess what? My CPU passed the AVX test, and every other test in the Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool. See attached. And again, since I bypassed the initial entry of the Windows Mixed Reality portal by enabling developer options, sometimes the Mixed Reality portal starts up and runs perfectly smoothly in my headset-- no problems at all. But also seemingly for no reason it crashes, or never starts up. Any other ideas?
@iBrews We have made a quick test on a Wesmere machine (different proc but in the same family), and on that tool it "passes" AVX, but checking with other tools, like CPU-Z, indicates that AVX is not supported:
So that tool is either misreporting the state or else is treating "this machine doesn't have AVX support so therefore there’s nothing wrong with the AVX circuitry on it" as a pass.
The CPU-Z tool does accurately report the instruction sets supported, on a westmere AVX is distinctly missing.
The random crashes are probably because the MR portal is exercising a code path that makes use of the AVX instructions.
Thanks @FranklinChen , I checked with CPU-Z and you are correct, AVX is missing. Is there another workaround, or will this CPU never function stably with Windows Mixed Reality?
@iBrews No workaround, some functions rely on this instruction, please consider upgrading the CPU hardware. Check out the recommended specs in here
Hello, i'm experiencing the same problem, and I have a question. I dont have much money for upgrading my CPU, so what's the minimum generation I can upgrade to? I believe I've seen the system specs say Haswell, but I've read that every generation Sandy Bridge and on supports AVX
see intel website Intel-Core-i5-3350P AVX (Advanced Vector Extensions)
You will have to check the motherboard supports upgrade and the bios supports the new processor. Upgrading requires advanced hardware skills.
Some test programs gives wrong results, as above, and says its working when not.