Major bottleneck?

[m00m1n]

Greetings all, thanks in advance for any help you may be willing to offer me on the following subject. I'm almost out of hair and nails :\

Ok, where do I start. I just recently bought a Gainward GF4 Ti4200 (the Ultra-650 128MB TV) in the hope I could get some good FPS going on - but alas it's only marginally faster than my previous ASUS GeForce2 GTS Pro 64MB. I know many, many people who are getting ~200 FPS on Quake3 with full details, and I can barely manage 100 with the lowest decals possible.

My system is:

Processor

Model : AMD Athlon(tm) processor
Speed : 1000MHz
Model Number : 1000 (estimated)
Performance Rating : PR1330 (estimated)
Type : Standard
L2 On-board Cache : 256kB ECC Synchronous Write-Back

Mainboard
Bus(es) : ISA AGP PCI USB i2c/SMBus
MP Support : No
System BIOS : Award Software International, Inc. 6.00 PG
Mainboard : VT8366-8233
Chipset : Elitegroup Computer Sys VT8366/A,VT8367 Apollo KT266/A,KT333 CPU to PCI Bridge
Front Side Bus Speed : 2x 100MHz (200MHz data rate)
Total Memory : 1024MB DDR-SDRAM
Memory Bus Speed : 2x 133MHz (266MHz data rate)

Video System
Desktop Monitors/Panels : 2
Monitor/Panel : CTX VL950 series, EX950 series, PL9 series
Monitor/Panel : Default Monitor
Monitor/Panel : Default Monitor
Monitor/Panel : Samsung SyncMaster 750s(T)/750Ms
Adapter : NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP8X

Physical Storage Devices
Removable Drive : Floppy disk drive
Hard Disk : IC35L060AVVA07-0
CD-ROM/DVD : Generic STEALTH DVD SCSI CdRom Device
CD-ROM/DVD : YAMAHA CRW8824S SCSI CdRom Device

Logical Storage Devices
1.44MB 3.5" (A : N/A
Hard Disk (C : 19.5GB (1.2GB, 6% Free) (NTFS)
Two (D : 37.7GB (165MB, 0% Free) (NTFS)
Vl (E : 151MB (0MB, 0% Free) (CDFS)
CD-ROM/DVD (F : N/A

Peripherals
USB Controller/Hub : VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
USB Controller/Hub : VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
USB Controller/Hub : USB Root Hub
USB Controller/Hub : USB Root Hub
USB Controller/Hub : Generic USB Hub
USB Controller/Hub : USB Printing Support
USB Controller/Hub : Generic USB Hub
Keyboard : Easy Internet Keyboard
Mouse : HID-compliant MX500 Optical Mouse
Mouse : HID-compliant Cordless Mouse
Human Interface : Logitech USB MX500 Optical Mouse
Human Interface : Logitech Cordless USB Mouse

MultiMedia Device(s)
Device : kX 10k1 Audio - Model CT4760
Device : kX 10k1 Audio - Game Port

Printers and Faxes
Model : Lexmark X74-X75
Model : FinePrint 2000
Model : Fax Printer

Operating System(s)
Windows System : Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version 5.01.2600 Service Pack 1

Network Adapter(s)
Network Drivers Enabled : Yes
Adapter : 3Com EtherLink XL 10/100 PCI For Complete PC Management NIC (3C905C-TX)

---

Bear in mind I have:

- Installed the latest 4in1's
- Installed the latest Gainward drivers for my card
- Flash the latest Gainward BIOS for my card
- Tried all the XP / Q3 tweaks under the sun, and then some
- Tried all the BIOS tweaks under the sun, and then some
- Pulled lots of hair out

I dont know what's wrong, but it's just not right

If anyone could help me I would be eternally grateful

Yours, Cliff (aaaaargh!)

 

[m00m1n]

I dont know if this is any help either:

Mainboard
MP Support : No
Model : VT8366-8233
System BIOS : 02/24/2003-VT8366-8233-MS8137CC-00

FLASH Memory Controller
Location : Mainboard
Error Correction Capability : None
Number of Memory Slots : 4
Maximum Installable Memory : 256MB
Bank0/1 - A0 : DIMM 512MB
Bank2/3 - A1 : DIMM 512MB
Bank4/5 - A2 : Empty
Bank6/7 - A3 : Empty

Chipset
Model : Elitegroup Computer Sys VT8366/A,VT8367 Apollo KT266/A,KT333 CPU to PCI Bridge
Bus(es) : ISA AGP PCI USB i2c/SMBus
Front Side Bus Speed : 2x 100MHz (200MHz data rate)
Maximum FSB Speed / Max Memory Speed : 2x 133MHz / 2x 133MHz
IO Queue Depth : 4 request(s)

Chipset Hub Interface
Type : V-Link
Width : 8-bit
Full Duplex : Yes
Multiplier : 1x
Speed : 4x 66MHz (264MHz data rate)
IO Queue Depth : 9 request(s)

Logical/Chipset Memory Banks
Bank 0 : 512MB DDR-SDRAM 8-1-1-1R 4-1-1-1W 2.5-3-3CL 2CMD
Bank 2 : 512MB DDR-SDRAM 8-1-1-1R 4-1-1-1W 2.5-3-3CL 2CMD
Speed : 2x 133MHz (266MHz data rate)
Multiplier : 1.33x
Power Save Mode : No
Fixed Hole Present : No

Memory Module(s)
Memory Module 3 : 512MB 16x(64Mx4) DDR-SDRAM PC2100U-2533-750 (CL2.5 upto 133MHz) (CL2 upto 100MHz)
Memory Module 4 : 512MB 16x(64Mx4) DDR-SDRAM PC2100U-2533-750 (CL2.5 upto 133MHz) (CL2 upto 100MHz)

Environment Monitor 1
Model : ITE IT8705/12 ISA
Mainboard Specific Support : No

Temperature Sensor(s)
Board Temperature : 34.0°C / 93.2°F
CPU Temperature : 53.0°C / 127.4°F
Power / Aux Temperature : 33.0°C / 91.4°F

Cooling Device(s)
Auto Fan Speed Control : No
Chassis Fan Speed : 3375rpm
CPU Fan Speed : 2860rpm

Voltage Sensor(s)
CPU Voltage : 1.76V
Aux Voltage : 2.59V
+3.3V Voltage : 3.22V
+5V Voltage : 4.87V
+12V Voltage : 12.79V
Standby Voltage : 2.71V
Battery Voltage : 3.06V

AGP Bus(es)
Version : 2.00
Speed : 66MHz
Current Data Transfer Rate : 4x 66MHz (264MHz data rate)
Side Band Enabled : Yes
Fast-Writes Enabled : Yes
Aperture Size : 64MB

PCI Bus(es)
Version : 2.10
Number of Bridges : 1
PCI Bus 0 : PCI (33MHz)
Multiplier : 1/3x

LPC Hub Controller 1
Model : Elitegroup Computer Sys VT8233 PCI to ISA Bridge
ACPI Power Management Enabled : Yes
Random Number Generator Enabled : No
Multiplier : 1/4x
Speed : 8MHz
DMA Multiplier : 1/2x
DMA Speed : 4MHz

USB Controller 1
Model : VIA Technologies Inc VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (All VIA Chipsets)
Version : 1.10
UHCI Interface : Yes
Channels : 2
Speed : 48MHz
Legacy Emulation Enabled : No

USB Controller 2
Model : VIA Technologies Inc VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (All VIA Chipsets)
Version : 1.10
UHCI Interface : Yes
Channels : 2
Speed : 48MHz
Legacy Emulation Enabled : No

System SMBus Controller 1
Model : VIA VT823x SMBus
Speed : 16kHz

Expansion Slot(s)
PCI (8h) : PCI 32-bit +5V FullLength Available
PCI (9h) : PCI 32-bit +5V FullLength InUse (3COM Corp, Networking Division 3C905C-TX Fast Etherlink for PC Management NIC)
PCI (Ah) : PCI 32-bit +5V FullLength InUse (Adaptec Inc AHA-2904/Integrated AIC-7850)
PCI (Bh) : PCI 32-bit +5V FullLength InUse (Creative Labs CT4760 SBLive!)
AGP (8h) : AGP 32-bit +5V FullLength InUse (CardExpert Technology GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP 8X [NV28.2])

Port Connector
PRIMARY IDE : None - ATA / None
SECONDARY IDE : None - ATA / None
FDD : 8251 FIFO - Floppy Disk / None
COM1 : Serial Port 16450 - 9 Pin Dual Inline / DB-9 pin male
COM2 : Serial Port 16450 - 9 Pin Dual Inline / DB-9 pin male
LPT1 : Parallel Port ECP/EPP - DB-25 pin female / DB-25 pin female
Keyboard : Keyboard - None / PS/2
PS/2 Mouse - No Detected : Mouse - PS/2 / PS/2
USB : USB - None / None

 

[Shamus MacNoob]

just to get an idea what score can you get on 3dmark2001 ?

Would give an idea dont always believe what people say they are getting most of the people will lie and brag about all of it .. 100fps is fine anytime of the day or night ... Did you format and start clean withthe new card? It is not a must do but it does make things better ...


I would think rough guess 8,000-9,000 for that setup on 3dmark2001

 

[m00m1n]

Right, I havent tested with 3DMark, but I will do that right now.

Thank you /so/ much for helping, this really has become the bane of my life

 

[Shamus MacNoob]

Btw welcome to NTFS ....

And your welcome

 

[m00m1n]

6699 using 3DMark2001SE

1024x768, 32bit color, compressed textures, D3D Pure Hardware T&L, No AA

 

[GoNz0]

for one, you need to go into the system BIOS and set the AGP Aperture Size to 128MB at least, 256MB is recommended.

 

[m00m1n]

Yeah I only just changed it to be honest, about an hour ago - I was testing 256, 128, 64. 128MB is best but I dont gain a whole lot, maybe an extra 5-10fps in Q3. I feel I'm losing a lot more than that .. for e.g. I'll get 94fps for a timedemo on four.dm_68

 

[GoNz0]

oh and is that the t-bird athlon chip your running ?
if so it has no onboard support for some of the new Nvidia cards, i tried getting a customers pc running the nvidia eve demo to find out the chip did not support the program. one of the lower spec AMD XP chips will help a lot. very low priced.

 

[Misfire]

yeah doing that would help, formating and starting with the new card would help too, to make sure no old gf2 files are lingering

 

[m00m1n]

Yes it's a T-Bird. Will an XP chip /really/ help that much? I know people getting ~200fps with a Ti4200 exactly the same as mine. I'm behind ~100fps on that

 

[Misfire]

run dacris benchmarks and it will tell you what u need. I think you need to upgrade your processor

 

[m00m1n]

Downloading as I type

 

[GoNz0]

ok lets start picking here.

Mainboard
Bus(es) : ISA AGP PCI USB i2c/SMBus
MP Support : No
System BIOS : Award Software International, Inc. 6.00 PG

update the BIOS for 1.

Video System
Desktop Monitors/Panels : 2
Monitor/Panel : CTX VL950 series, EX950 series, PL9 series
Monitor/Panel : Default Monitor
Monitor/Panel : Default Monitor
Monitor/Panel : Samsung SyncMaster 750s(T)/750Ms
Adapter : NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP8X

uninstall all the 2nd monitor support and have 1 monitor installed. also make sure your on the latest driver release from Nvidia www.nvidia.com

Logical Storage Devices
1.44MB 3.5" (A : N/A
Hard Disk (C : 19.5GB (1.2GB, 6% Free) (NTFS)
Two (D : 37.7GB (165MB, 0% Free) (NTFS)
Vl (E : 151MB (0MB, 0% Free) (CDFS)
CD-ROM/DVD (F : N/A


you have no free space = major system performance drop.

its time for that reformat and clear all the junk off the drives.

Operating System(s)
Windows System : Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version 5.01.2600 Service Pack 1

the fact your hard drives are full makes XP run like a dog.... Reformat....

Bear in mind I have:

- Installed the latest 4in1's
- Installed the latest Gainward drivers for my card
- Flash the latest Gainward BIOS for my card
- Tried all the XP / Q3 tweaks under the sun, and then some
- Tried all the BIOS tweaks under the sun, and then some
- Pulled lots of hair out

scrap the gainward drivers, use Nvidia refrence drivers from www.nvidia.com

also the format will undo all those tweaks, and reset the bios after the flash.

that should give you somthing to go on anyway.

 

[m00m1n]

Yes sure enough it suggests I upgrade my processor. I really hope that is the case, and that buying a new processor really will solve these problems .. I couldnt bear it if I paid out for a new CPU, only to find the problem still there

 

[GoNz0]

just make sure you sort those drives out, diskeeper couldnt defrag those.... have you ever ran the defrag ?

 

[m00m1n]

Originally posted by GoNz0

System BIOS : Award Software International, Inc. 6.00 PG

update the BIOS for 1.

Done

Video System
Desktop Monitors/Panels : 2
Monitor/Panel : CTX VL950 series, EX950 series, PL9 series
Monitor/Panel : Default Monitor
Monitor/Panel : Default Monitor
Monitor/Panel : Samsung SyncMaster 750s(T)/750Ms
Adapter : NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP8X

uninstall all the 2nd monitor support and have 1 monitor installed. also make sure your on the latest driver release from Nvidia www.nvidia.com

Can't, need it for work Plus, I disable monitor #2 when I play. I have actually tried booting the system with only 1 monitor attached too, and it makes no difference.

Logical Storage Devices
1.44MB 3.5" (A : N/A
Hard Disk (C : 19.5GB (1.2GB, 6% Free) (NTFS)
Two (D : 37.7GB (165MB, 0% Free) (NTFS)
Vl (E : 151MB (0MB, 0% Free) (CDFS)
CD-ROM/DVD (F : N/A


you have no free space = major system performance drop.

its time for that reformat and clear all the junk off the drives.

Yeh I know But we're talking about actual 3D performance, my HDD isnt actually active at the time, and its still slow

Operating System(s)
Windows System : Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version 5.01.2600 Service Pack 1

the fact your hard drives are full makes XP run like a dog.... Reformat....

Yeah I'll get around to that

scrap the gainward drivers, use Nvidia refrence drivers from www.nvidia.com

Despite the fact Gainward use a different board design? Ok. I read that its better to use the Gainward drivers. I have tried the latest NVidia drivers, by the way - with very little in performance gain.
[/QUOTE]

Thanks

 

[m00m1n]

Originally posted by GoNz0
just make sure you sort those drives out, diskeeper couldnt defrag those.... have you ever ran the defrag ?

Yeah I run defrag at least once every week, and then sometimes manually too.

 

[GoNz0]

and from experience, machines of that design just dont push high 3d marks. thats why im thinking of stripping it down a little to test the performance,

 

[m00m1n]

Of which design? Sorry, you lost me there a sec