Underperforming GT260...

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predtetm

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Acquired the BFG GT260 MaxCore today, switched out the 8800GTS (610/800) -- was a solid enough system, but now I'm getting poor performance.

Gigabyte P35C-DS3R (latest bios)
BFG GT260 Maxcore (stock, running the 180 beta from 10/21)
Kingston 2x1GB DDR2-800 (running at 400, 5:6 ratio)
Core 2 Duo E6600 (333 x 9 = 2997mhz, stock cooling)
Antec NeoPower 500W
Vista 32bit

I'm getting a 3DMark score of ... 6406. I've done all the preliminaries, everything's updated, everything's defragged and scanned. I can't think of anything else that I can do... I read that GT260 is similar in consumption as the 8series, but maybe I'm wrong and it's the PSU. However, I haven't experienced crashes under games like Crysis Warhead or STALKER CS. In fact, those games run slightly better than before. Games like Witcher, however, play at 17-25fps regardless of setting on 1920x1200.

Appreciate any help...
 
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dagger

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Well, here's Witcher, so that fps can't be right.
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3341&p=17

If it handles okay in some programs, but not others, it may be due to drivers. Try uninstalling, reboot, run driver sweeper, and reinstalling. Download the latest driver instead of using the one that comes with the card.
http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=1655
 
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predtetm

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Yeah, I looked into comparable FPS on Hellgate, Witcher, etc, and that just didn't seem right. And 3Dmark was a giveaway, knowing how some 8800gts can get like 11k.

Okay, didn't do driver sweeper -- I'm using the betas off Nvidia's site, the 180.42. I'll go for the most recent verified one this next reinstall.
 
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dagger

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Beta drivers are called betas for a reason. Try 178.13 instead. :p
 
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predtetm

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Oh, also, my mistake -- the Antec is actually *480Watt*... I think I read 500 W minimum, but then again I had weak PSUs before that just ended in crashing games during high loads... I wouldn't think it's possible just to have weak FPS when there's not enough wattage...
 
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dagger

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It should still be enough, as long as the psu is stable. Besides, why would the power be enough for one game and not another similarly graphically intensive game? And if power isn't enough, it's more likely to just crash instead of selectively underperform. :p
 
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predtetm

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Haha, exactly. So I'm glad I don't have to blow extra cash just to make this thing run!

OK, reinstalled with the sweeper -- ... 6378 marks :(
 
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Guest

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Weird... I previously had a similar system... and got 12000 with 3dmark06 (8800 gts 640) and now i get 18000 with a 4870 (q9550 oced at 3.85... so of course it inflated a lot)

but you should be getting close to 14-15 k with that processor... pretty weird... I still think its a driver issue but idk
 
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predtetm

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Update: On 178.24 (latest certified) -- I ran 3DMark Vantage and got P8880. GPU of 7539 and CPU of 19031...

Ugh.. this is so frustrating! It's one of those moments where I'm about to "format c:\" and start fresh. Never a bad idea but damnit!
 
ZOldDude

ZOldDude

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I have a AMD 6000+,2 GB ddr-800 and a 8800GTS 512 (G-whatever the new chip is) and without any overclocking I get over 12K+ in 3DMark2006 benchmarks.
Perhaps you did not correctly remove the old drivers befor installing the new ones?
Antec is -not- that good of a PSU (I had many fail), try a real PSU...PC Power & Cooling.
PC P&C 610 is often under $100 and gives a -constant- 49 amps @ 40C intake temps/12 volts (the Turbo 510 does 46 amps @ 50C intake air temp/12 volt constant) and PC P&C are far cleaner on an ocilascope -under full load- than a Silverstone which Falcon Northwest uses in thier $10-15K builds.
I have no idea why Falcon Northwest uses a 2nd grade PSU...although Silverstone is better than all but one other PSU maker.
 
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predtetm

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I've done a full uninstall of all old drivers, DriverSweep, then installed new drivers -- no go. Downclocked everything to stock and fps dropped even more. Although I'd love to replace parts without a moment's thought, that's not the case here. Trying to figure out all possible issues that can be resolved without replacing more parts. It can't seem to be an underpowered PSU because that would lock up my games under high load. It seems to me like a 0 or 1 effect, either the PSU has enough power or it doesn't. If not, then lockup. Or is that incorrect?
 
ZOldDude

ZOldDude

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Well it may well be the Antec 500 then (I used Antec 550's befor getting better PSU's due to failur around warrenty end times).
Another issue is I see for some odd reason your using Vista rather than XP.

Grab a copy of XP...backup all your programs,do a reformat via XP in NTS and install,do a full update to SP3 and any extras and then install all drivers.
You will be -amazed- at both how not just how much less RAM you are using but at how fast -every thing- runs compaired to Vista.

No mater what some others who say "Vista runs OK/fine after you get the corrrect drivers and -enough- RAM"....Vista is still crap and Windows 7 is going to be Vista with a new name.
Ther is NO reson to install 4GB+ of RAM to get the same CPU to -all most- run as well as XP.
Software is written to run on XP with 1GB of RAM.
Using only 2GB of RAM (like me) and with 4 active security programs (one blocks 1,169,238,177 IP address's),seeding 6 torrent files AND playing Frontlines: FoW all at the same time only uses 49% of my 2GB of ram.
Vista may be your problem.
 
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Liderc

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So I'm wrong but you agree with me...
 
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predtetm

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Liderc: I think roadrunner was answering the "Or is that incorrect?" part of my question to PSU.

ZOldDude: I agree with you. I've noticed the same thing and was even thinking, "Oh, maybe I should just get another 2gb stick, it's only $40." I guess I upgraded to Vista thinking I wanted to see all the Dx10 support (even though I sometimes can't even tell).

But, if not now, then the Vista-only games in the future is my concern (it's even said that Far Cry 2 runs better on Dx10, contrary to other games where opposite still remains true). I'm curious to know if Windows 7 will have that sort of backwards compatibility. Or if those supposed Vista-only games can be tweaked to run just as well on XP systems. I suppose all those answers are TBA when W7 is finally around and running...

Thanks for the support -- I'll at least re-do my OS with XP and see how that fares. If that's not enough, well, new PSU it is...
 
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predtetm

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Update: Zalman ZM600-HP PSU, decided to get the Samsung HD753LJ as well. Reinstalled XP XP3 on fresh disk. 3DMark score is now 13320. thogrom believes 14-15k is more appropriate with this setup, maybe I'm forgetting something...
 
Sephirangel

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Underpowered PSU ^^. Rule of thumb, the more power you have, the more stable your system is likely to be. I like to make sure i have a PSU thats at least 200W over what i need! e.g: gfx card needs min 500W, I get 700W PSU!

At least your getting somewhere with the 3DMark benchmark, although the zalman you picked up should be good enough. Maybe try out some games and see where that gets you.

 
Sephirangel

Sephirangel

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I also disagree with ZOldDude's comment about vista. I have always been a big XP fan for many years, but decided to make the leap to Vista as I bought a laptop with XP for work and business, leaving my gaming rig for multimedia and gaming, so I installed Vista and after a few updates and disabling a few services, every game i run works brilliantly (including Crysis) and thats while running 2 anti-virus/firewall programs and iTunes.
Every operating system in history has faults, including XP, and Vista is no exception.

But yeh...PSU ^^
 
Ibanezrg570

Ibanezrg570

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I believe 13.3K is average and par for the course with that set-up in 3DMark06. Prior to my Q6600, I was averaging 13.6K with the same set-up in my sig, but using an E6420 @ 3.2 ghz. With the Q6600, I get around 14.5 K or so with it clocked @ 3.0. Funny thing is, games do run somewhat slower with this new CPU. Just goes to show you, synthetic benchies don't mean real world results :p

Cheers
 
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