P4 1.5 running like a 486 computer

[scottphillips]

I just bought this computer used and games ran slow so I download latest driver for video card and games ran a lot better. But the computer in general runs real slow (5 minute boot up). I have 128 meg of memory so added another 256 meg and it did not help. Any body got any suggestions.

Compaq P4 1.4
Nvidia 16 meg video card
20 gig hard drive
Windows XP
128 meg sdram

 

[lhgpoobaa]

well for starters i dont like the idea of a 16Mb video card... sounds VERY old and slow.

for XP, yes i would reccomend more ram, especially if your playing games. 256mb at least.
128+256 = 320mb would be great.

do you know what make and model the hard drive is??? a slow 5400rpm drive will forever be holding you back.

some other things you can try:
go into your device profile page (start -> settings -> control pannel -> system -> devices) and ensure that
A. write caching is enabled and
B. DMA is enabled for all drives.

having DMA disabled REALLY slows things down.

you could also try cleaning up your drive... remove recycle bin files, unwanted stuff and doa drive defragmentation.

think thats about it...

<font color=purple>Be gentle with yourself, but not too gentle when browsing porn .</font color=purple>

 

[scottphillips]

I,ve tried everything you suggested, No luck.

 

[FiL]

errrm i don't mean to be nit picky, but

128+256=384.....

you got your maths wrong

 

[jclw]

Make sure the L2 cache is enabled in the BIOS.

- JW

 

[Scout]

Download Sisoft Sandra and run a disk drive benchmark. I'm guessing your hard drive is operating very slowly and that's giving you the slow performance. As the other poster said, make sure DMA is enabled. You just may have a very slow hard drive in that Compaq...

Scout
700 Mflops in SETI!

 

[kusek]

I aggree with most of what was said above it's probably DMA not enabled and the 128MB Memory. I highly doubt that a 16MB video card would cause it to boot slow or be the cause of the slow down you are describing. Check the Sandra tests. I assume it has PC133 SDRAM. 256MB of quality PC133 can be had for $75-100. That would be a fairly cheap fix. Also, you should be aware that the P4 Willamette kind of sucked performance wise and a 1.4 is probably slower than a 1.0 or 1.2 GHz or larger AMD model as well as the P3 Tualitan models in that same range.

<font color=green>"No Thoroughbred for you! Come back, 2 months."</font color=green>

 

[lhgpoobaa]

LOL

so it is...
one of my memory sticks musta been faulty hehe

<font color=purple>Be gentle with yourself, but not too gentle when browsing porn .</font color=purple>

 

[lhgpoobaa]

you SHOULD be getting faster boots out of a fresh system, even if it is a P4 with SDRAM...

but you should bear in mind that your system is not the best to be had unfortunately.
far too many system builders save money by mating the P4 CPU with the slowest ram available, SDRAM. this is extra bad as the architecture of the P4 CPU relies on lots of memory bandwidth.
so your system should be on par with the 1Ghz P3 or athlon (approx)

my main worry is your hard drive. a slow drive is a slow drive, and no amount of defragging will change that.

do u have any detailed links to system specs handy?

<font color=purple>Be gentle with yourself, but not too gentle when browsing porn .</font color=purple>

 

[scottphillips]

DMA is enabled and I have installed another 256 pc 133 sdram

 

[scottphillips]

Processor cache is disabled in my bios, Does that matter

 

[HonestJhon]

PROCESSOR CACHE SHOULD BE ENABLED IN BIOS!
that will make a BIG difference!!!!!

-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-

 

[FUGGER]

Delete the extra crap off your machine, go into c:\windows\temp and delete everything. go into explorer and click tools, then internet options, and "delete files"

start, control panels, add remove programs and remove stuff you dont need or use.

empty the trash

defrag your hard drive

Download and install "Intel application accelerator" from intel.com

and then download and run Microsoft "bootvis" from microsoft.com.

When you run bootvis there is a pulldown menu option to start optimizing, it will make you reboot and sit thru a long pause at the next start, you will see msg box telling you not to touch the keyboard or open apps while its working.

Once it is done, reboot and run it again going thru same process.

You are limited to what your mind can perceive.

 

[lhgpoobaa]

<font color=red>OOOOOOOOO</font color=red>

<font color=blue>ENABLE</font color=blue> <font color=green>THE</font color=green> <font color=purple>PROCESSOR</font color=purple> <font color=red>CACHE!!!</font color=red>

no wonder it was chugging.
when i did that on my celleron years ago i lost 1/3 of my performance. when i also disabled the L1 cache it took so long to boot i gave up!


<font color=purple>Be gentle with yourself, but not too gentle when browsing porn .</font color=purple>

 

[kusek]

enable that CPU cache and do what Fugger says.
a clean format and reinstall always does wonders.

<font color=green>"No Thoroughbred for you! Come back, 2 months."</font color=green>

 

[NurseMSIC]

You might think me pendantic, but personal experience (and personal stupidity) leads me to offer the following::

Remember that DMA has to be enabled on your hard drive CONTROLLER (in device manager), rather than just seeing 'DMA' on the hard drive.

Yes, i was that stupid.....

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=18108" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=18108</A>

 

[FatBurger]

Processor cache is disabled in my bios, Does that matter

<font color=blue>Hi mom!</font color=blue>

 

[Guest]

if any of u have history woth computer then you will remember 1999 when intel first sold celeron 300 without L2 cache and the speed got to the level of MMX, then intel started selling celeron 300A (A with the cache) and the speed raise so much even with only a small amount of L2.

 

[Copenhagen]

<blockquote><font size=1>Svar på:</font><hr><p>
Compaq P4 1.4
Nvidia 16 meg video card
20 gig hard drive
Windows XP
128 meg sdram
<p><hr></blockquote><p>Get rid of it, fast.


<i>/Copenhagen - Clockspeed will make the difference... in the end</i>

 

[Guest]

ripped off man cost less than $1000, buy it if u plan to upgrade it in a year

 

[Crashman]

P4 at 1.5 with SDRAM should run like a Celeron 1000. Bad deal. It took me around 8 minutes to boot up the last Athlon 1.2GHz system I had with the L2 cache disabled.

What's the frequency, Kenneth?

 

[scottphillips]

Problem solved ! Processor cache was disabled in Bios. System flying now. Thanks for all your help People.

Scott

 

[eden]

BUT....and only BUT...if you still find it slow in PERFORMANCE wise....then I think a lot will agree, it's that SDRAM combo... only then and only then should you rethink that purchase....otherwise, good luck!

--
Thunderbirds in wintertime, Northwoods in summertime! :lol:

 

[lhgpoobaa]

im just thinkin...
if sdram + p4 1.5 = 1000mhz other cpu.... then what does disabling the L2 cache do to it performance wise?

any P4 owners care to benchmark that???


<font color=purple>Be gentle with yourself, but not too gentle when browsing porn .</font color=purple>

 

[kusek]

Glad you solved the problem. I hope the 256MB Ram you added was permanent 'cause that will definitely help with XP. Everyone here seems to have the tendency to recommend upgrading but unless you could return this machine and get all your money back I would stick with it. The P4 SDRAM combo is pretty weak but 95% of the people that buy computers will never know the difference (that's why Intel and Dell (or Compaq) build them) with the applications they run. The other 5% including THG readers insist on the latest and greatest CPU's and video cards but to the average person it is just not worth the money. That money would be much better spent on a completely new system 2 years down the road.

<font color=green>"No Thoroughbred for you! Come back, 2 months."</font color=green>