Low 3DMark scores & choppy performance problem

[nimrod]

Running C&C Generals, the motion gets slow and choppy (very low frame rates) when there's like 30 things moving around. I'm not using the highest res it has, but the middle setting. Even that fish tank screen saver has choppy bubbles that move up the screen. My whole system is stock as far as settings go. (stock speeds without overclocking) My D3D settings are all on Application Preference. I have a Gigabyte ga-8knxp mobo, 2.8ghz 800fsb cpu, 1gb of Kingston Hyper-X pc3500, 2 250gb sata drives, 400w power supply, lots of fans, and an ATI 9800 pro 128 vpu. My benchmark results are:
16273 for the 3dmark2001 and
5690 for the 3dmark2003. During and after the benchmark tests, the cpu temp gets up to 38 degrees Celsius and the VPU gets up to 47 degrees Celsius with my aftermarket fan/coolers.

Here's what 2001 said:
FSB 200 MHz
Memory 1024 MB
Graphics Chipset ATI RADEON 9800 PRO
Driver Name RADEON 9800 PRO
Driver Version 6.14.10.6387
Video Memory 128 MB

Program Version 3DMark2001 Original
Resolution 1024x768 32bit
Texture Format Compressed
FSAA Disabled
Z-Buffer Depth 24bit
Frame Buffer Double
Rendering Pipeline D3D Pure Hardware T&L

Detailed Test Results
3DMark Score 16273 3D marks

Game 1 Car Chase - Low Detail 214.7 FPS
Game 1 Car Chase - High Detail 73.0 FPS
Game 2 Dragothic - Low Detail 309.7 FPS
Game 2 Dragothic - High Detail 165.0 FPS
Game 3 Lobby - Low Detail 212.7 FPS
Game 3 Lobby - High Detail 93.3 FPS
Game 4 Nature 113.8 FPS
Fill Rate (Single-Texturing) 2123.6 MTexels/s
Fill Rate (Multi-Texturing) 2968.0 MTexels/s
High Polygon Count (1 light) 86.2 MTriangels/s
High Polygon Count (8 lights) 19.0 MTriangels/s
Environment Bump Mapping 204.6 FPS
DOT3 Bump Mapping 238.8 FPS
Vertex Shader 213.0 FPS
Pixel Shader 234.7 FPS
Advanced Pixel Shader N/A
Point Sprite 43.5 MSprites/s

and here's what 2003 said:
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP
DirectX Version 9.0
Mobo Manufacturer Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
Mobo Model 8KNXP
AGP Rates (Current/Available) 8x / 4x, 8x
CPU Intel Pentium 4 2814 MHz
FSB 200 MHz
Memory 1024 MB

Display Information
Graphics Chipset ATI RADEON 9800 PRO
Driver Name RADEON 9800 PRO
Driver Version 6.14.10.6387
Driver WHQL Certified Unknown
Video Memory 128 MB
Core Clock 378 MHz
Memory Clock 338 MHz

Sound Information
Sound Adapter Driver Name Realtek AC97 Audio
Sound Adapter Driver Version 5.10.0.5273

Benchmark Settings
Program Version 3DMark03 Revision 1 Build 3
Resolution 1024x768@32 bit
Texture Filtering Optimal
Pixel Processing / Antialiasing None
Post Processing false
Vertex Shaders Optimal

Main Test Results
3DMark Score 5690 3DMarks
CPU Score 644.0 CPUMarks

Detailed Test Results
Game Tests
GT1 - Wings of Fury 197.8 fps
GT2 - Battle of Proxycon 37.6 fps
GT3 - Troll's Lair 33.3 fps
GT4 - Mother Nature 33.3 fps
CPU Tests
CPU Test 1 69.8 fps
CPU Test 2 11.8 fps
Feature Tests
Fill Rate (Single-Texturing) 1688.8 MTexels/s
Fill Rate (Multi-Texturing) 2602.5 MTexels/s
Vertex Shader 18.3 fps
Pixel Shader 2.0 48.3 fps
Ragtroll 24.1 fps


The benchmark test scores aren't really relative to me, but having choppy mid-level games and even screen savers shouldn't be happening with this machine. Besides ati bashing, is there anything I can set or do so this "should-be-screaming" system isn't so lethargic??

Any help is appreciated...

 

[addiarmadar]

Do you experience this kind of problem with other games? Maybe related to that new Catalyst driver problem. Try to find an older version...

F-DISK-Format-Reinstal DO DA!! DO DA!!

 

[coolsquirtle]

CHOPPY? ON THAT SWEET SETUP? something's wrong...

have you tried older catalyst?? did u format ur HDD when ur installing the new parts??

RIP Block Heater....HELLO P4~~~~~
120% nVidia Fanboy
bring it fanATics~~ nVidia PWNS all!
SCREW aBOX! LONG LIVE nBOX!!

 

[nimrod]

I tried installing catalyst version 3.5 with the same effect. I totally turned off all of the stuff in the 3D tab on the ati panel, but it still gets sluggish with 50 tanks on the screen. What kind of benchmark scores are typical with this setup?
When overclocking a cpu or memory or agp card, do you have to increase the voltage? I tried setting the FSB to 217mhz to match the pc3500 and 72 for the agp card, but then it just reboots all the time by itself or doesn't boot at all. Should I not use that gigabyte easy tune 4 thing?

 

[marneus]

Generals does get choppy on my current system with that many units, suggestions that i can give you;
1.try with no overclocking at all
2.tone down your memory timings to standard
3.turn off FSAA & Ansio/set to lowest
4.in the game, pare back the graphics options until it runs more smoothly (custom video options)
5.fdisk & defrag may help

Trust me I know what I'm doing... ooops, grab the cat...

 

[Willamette_sucks]

Nothings wrong, you're a dumbass. The fish screensaver bubbles are supposed to be choppy, cause its a sh*ttily programed screensaver, meant to be run on 200mhz pentiums, and of course CCG is gonna slow down with tons of stuff on screen, deal with it. 38C OMG! Sit down.

SIGNATURE: Stop asking people "whats up" or "hows it goin", you know you don't give a sh*t. And noone cares how you're doing either.

"We are far less than we knew." - Bright Eyes