I have a pretty decent rig:
core-duo x6800 at 2.93
2 gig on memory
intel 975 badaxe mobo
nvidia 7950gx2 video card
vista ultimate

system was working fine. I was most recently with halo and graw2 with fine performance. One day, my pc boots to black screen of death, and I had to reinstall Vista.

I slowly start to get my apps back onto system and buy Bioshock.
It performs so bad, but it isn't playable even at lowest video settings(mouse jerky...). I just assumed it was some tweaking needed for Bioshock.
I finally get GRAW2 back on system and it has the same problem. For example, starting a new campain and the video cut-away where the helocopter takes you around a mountain takes FOREVER and some times crashes.
GRAW2 used to play great!

Any thoughts?
There are some data points on the web about a microsoft update causes vista to eat more memory than before. I think my 2gig is fine. I can monitor task manager on my other monitor while graw2 runs, for example. Memory is fine, but cpu usage goes up to around 100% and stays there.

I tried various nvidia drivers including:
1) the one a used before install
2) the one recommend for bioshock that fixes some issues with that game
3) the relatively new microsoft certified one.

Thanks in advance!

Have you done the normal tests?

Memtest86 to check your ram
Prime95 25.5(important to get the new version) to test your cpu
Core Temp to check you cpu temps and make sure they stay under 70(ish) or so
Rive Tuner to see if you can get your video temps?

Is SLI on for your 7950GX2? Without it you have less then a 7900GTX

EDIT

Linking you up

http://www.memtest86.com/ - memtest86
http://majorgeeks.com/download4363.html - Prime95 25.5
http://www.thecoolest.zerobrains.com/CoreTemp/ - Core Temp
http://www.guru3d.com/index.php?page=rivatuner - Rivatuner - not sure if it will see both cards temps....

I have sli off right now, and this setup was running before ???? (re-install, update, I don't know). Performance is bad for even low settings like 800x600 so I don't think I am taxing the card.

Yes, I ran memtest right before the re-install.
My temps as reported by the Intel platform utils are 40-50C
I will check out prime95 and rivatuner

thanks for the info.
Anything else???

Look at CPU-Z screenshots. Does everything look okay?

yeah 8x6 should not tax it.....as said above check cpu-z maybe something is set wrong....

ok, I will try cpu-z tonight as well.
Anything special I should look for?

This may sound obvious but have you tried re-installing your Chipset driver again, also when your CPU is at 100% check which process is using it all up, if it is Bioshock try running another graphic intensive game and see if the same applies?

hmm the BIOS might have defaulted into some very low settings because of the crash, you know a failsafe thing incase of a failed overclock, just to make the system able to boot again...

that would be pretty much everything, FSB, multiplier, voltages, ram etc

Well, thanks for all the information, but everything look ok.
BUT, my problem is gone by I don't know why.

One thing I noticed was I ran the Vista Performance Assetment (or whatever it is called) and my system ranked a 3.3 mainly because of graphics test. I was pretty sure by 7950gx2 scored better than that in the past.

I decided to change my mobo from d975xbx to a d975xbx2. Anyway, I couldn't get the new mobo to boot so I returned it.
I put my orig. mobo back in and decided to run the assetment test again and I score 5.7 with graphics tests at 5.9. Maybe something was loose????

I run GRAW2 and everything is great. I am maxed out at 1900x1200 and performance is awesome again.

I haven't reinstalled Bioshock yet, but I am guessing it will be fine now. I forgot how much fun GRAW2 is so I am busy on it.

Thanks again for the help