Hi Kev,
it would be cool idea if someone made a phone app for prt where you can program automated strategies on your phone and backtest from a server
If you leave out the phone part … it already exactly works like that. This is why you see the low cpu usage.
The memory usage you observe, is almost all consumed because of memory leakage. If you start PRT and run one simple backtest and stay out of typing in the editor, you will notice maybe something like 2gb max. That would be the real usage. But if you continue backtesting and especially using the editor (type-type-type) you will see an increase until ~10gb and then all collapses (and you will lose your work if not saved).
So PRT is essentially a server side application, unless you use the PRT-API, which would – as far as I know – be a requirement in Australia for using IBKR (broker). In that case your desktop would be providing all the horsepower (spread over PRT itself and the TWS (IBKR) application).
PRT is multi-threaded all right, but this is mostly used to serve the drawing of your several charts. I can’t tell whether multiple threads are used already for one chart, but I suppose so (there are many aspects to deal with for one chart alone).
The more volatile all is, the more any of your cores will be utilized and this is quite evenly (except for one which always consumes more). At least in my system with 40 or so charts, this easily shows. Below the situation in an almost idle system because of low volatility (20 or so charts with Futures which *are* live, but with nothing much to do at this time of day (night actually, over here).
As you are maybe able to see, my system has shut off Hyperthreading, as I rather have the core speed than double the threads (to 20, in my case). The core speed plays a role when your data (internet speed) is the highest (say like the 1Gb/s from these days). In your case this would be a kind of “sub-optimal” because of the largest round trip latency you’re dealing with (PRT servers are in France or for IG in the UK otherwise (not even sure about the latter)) which is, well, the other side of your world. And oh, round trip latency is not really a bottleneck because the data will merely be pushed to you in a continuous stream. But for some fun :
Did you know that the biggest boys are settled in wall street itself because they are closer to the broker’s servers so they will be faster than you and me ? That is where their own computer systems give the commands to buy and sell, and where round trip latency does play a crucial role; the fastest have the best trades … (once you go in the right direction to begin with – haha).
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