Bad Framerates with ti4600 and XP! Please help D:

sbot

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Hello -- D:

I am becoming discouraged at finding a solution to this seemingly simple problem. First, let me give some specs:

Windows XP Pro
P4 2.2 Ghz 400 mhz bus
512 MB DDR RAM
Gigabyte Mobo
2 80 GIG IBM RAID-0 HDs
and.. Chaintech Geforce 4 ti4600.

Basically, I am getting very poor frame rates in video intensive games at times. Sometimes, for exmaple, i get the

expected 250 fps in CS :) but more often than not, the rates decrease drastically down to 5-10 fps, making the

games unplayable. I am rather lost as to what this problem is caused by, as I have the newest nvidia ref drivers

(labled as 3.0.8.2 in adv display prop). I removed all excess IRQ uses, like ports and USB, and still no

improvement. Just to note, im not sure if this is related, but the problem seems to increase after my computer

hasnt rebooted in a while... This could be a coincedence as sometimes it is bad upon a fresh boot.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thank you,
Seth L
 

Atipsychotica

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If you had some Ati graphiccard earlier your old driver could not be deleted and may cause errors. Check your cooler if it works allright. Is there some sort of special driver for your graficcard like min has the gart driver?
 

Greeny

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What's your AGP aperature set to? Also, check your paging file size in Windows. Although it's probably not the issue with 512mb RAM, I've had certain games (Porsche Unleashed) that wont run properly unless the pagefile is set to around 300mb max/min.
 

MeTaLrOcKeR

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Make sure ur CPU cooler is seated properly.....as ur CPU might be throttling itself down severly...thats the effect...the CPU will slow down and ur FPS will drop if ur CPU is overheating......

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=13597" target="_new">-MeTaL RoCkEr</A>
 

MeTaLrOcKeR

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Not me dude...thats the original Poster...and everyoen knows that HL is capped at 100FPS MAX......but he said sometimes scenes drop to 5-10FPS....

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=13597" target="_new">-MeTaL RoCkEr</A>
 

sbot

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I'm pretty sure my fan is functional, but I really should buy additional fans for my case, as it is not too well ventilated (I have a side blow hole though). But, interestingly (or.. maybe thats not the best word..), in my bios, it says that my CPU fan is dead... although it IS working (i've made sure of that.). Maybe the fan is not seated properly or is malfunctioning?
 

sbot

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How do i edit my AGP apeture? SOrry, i dont tihnk ive ever altered anything other than the actual driver for my video card before :0 although i do know how to edit basics like AA.

Btw, i shall try messing with those settings while i wait on how the hell to edit my... apeture :D

thanks again guys,
sbot
 

Greeny

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AGP aperature settings are in your BIOS, probably under an advanced setting such as "chipset" or something like that. It will depend on your bios... Anyhow, just browse through the menus. You should be able to find it. Since you've got 512mb RAM, you should have no problem setting it to 256mb. Hope that helps!
 

Prussian

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Just posted my own question and it seems to relate to yours however I'm not sure its an XP Pro problem....maybe a P4 issue? Here is my issue....Video Performance Decrease?

My question has to do with the 3DMARK2001SE Benchmark test and my recent upgrade to a P4 platform.

My previous machine was the following.

XP Pro
P3 866Mhz CPU
512Mb Crucial Cas2 133 sdram.
GForce 4 Ti 4600 (Nvidia 3082 drivers)
3dmark benchmark 6900.


Switched to;

XP Pro
P4 Motherboard with 533FSB capability.
1.7 Celeron with 128cache on board (400FSB).
1Gb of Cas3 133 sdram.(My board has Sdram OR DDR ram capability, either or only)
Gforce 4 Ti 4600 (Nvidia 3082 drivers)
3dmark benchmark 5300

What is the reason for my large decrease in video performance? Is it the Celeron cache? Is it the fact that my memory is now decreased to 100mhz instead of 133 because of the Celeron FSB being 4 X 100MHz? If this is the case would getting the P4 2.53ghz CPU solve my problem? Or would switching to DDR memory be the quick fix? Maybe its something else and if so what?
Really like to know.
 

ejsmith2

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Nah.

Both of you have ghz+ processors, with a Ti4600. You should be hammering out any game that you throw at the system, regardless of DDR or Sdram.

I dunno 'bout p4 systems. Make sure your fast writes are on, and if you're using XP, flip on sidebanding, 256 burst, and the whole works.

Then turn right around and make sure you have AA completely off. You should be playing at 1024x768, at the very minimum. Those cardz can handle 1280x1024 with everything cranked up.

That 1.7ghz celeron loses a bit of performance compared to a 1.7XP, or a 1.7p4, but it doesn't lose *THAT* much. Still more than enough to keep a Ti4600 full-up.

I'm gonna say it's a driver issue, with a few "tweaks" as well.

[Jedi mind trick] You LOVE Palladium. [/mind trick]
 

Macel

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Really? I thought I remember reading a review that the celerons based off the p4's really sucked...That a high end p3 could outperform them...
 

ejsmith2

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"Really? I thought I remember reading a review that the celerons based off the p4's really sucked...That a high end p3 could outperform them..."

My post, good sir, did not compare/contrast the processing power of the cpus.

Specifically, it said a 1.7ghz processor was more than enough to keep a Ti4600 as the limiting factor in your framerates.

[Jedi mind trick] You LOVE Palladium. [/mind trick]
 

slvr_phoenix

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My previous machine was the following.

XP Pro
P3 866Mhz CPU
512Mb Crucial Cas2 133 sdram.
GForce 4 Ti 4600 (Nvidia 3082 drivers)
3dmark benchmark 6900.


Switched to;

XP Pro
P4 Motherboard with 533FSB capability.
1.7 Celeron with 128cache on board (400FSB).
1Gb of Cas3 133 sdram.(My board has Sdram OR DDR ram capability, either or only)
Gforce 4 Ti 4600 (Nvidia 3082 drivers)
3dmark benchmark 5300

What is the reason for my large decrease in video performance? Is it the Celeron cache? Is it the fact that my memory is now decreased to 100mhz instead of 133 because of the Celeron FSB being 4 X 100MHz? If this is the case would getting the P4 2.53ghz CPU solve my problem? Or would switching to DDR memory be the quick fix? Maybe its something else and if so what?
Really like to know.
One <b>massive</b> reason for your decrease in performance is that everything but your video card is a complete piece of garbage. The Wilty (a P4 Celeron) has crap for cache, which a P4 needs badly to help fight off memory latency. On top of that, the Wilty has only a 4x100MHz FSB, which also kills performance compared to a good P4.

But <b>far</b> worse than the processor itself is the pairing with SDRAM! And CAS3 at that! A P4 is designed for a LARGE amount of memory bandwidth. In fact, the p4 needs it desperately to perform well. PC133 has almost no bandwidth to even offer the P3, and CAS3 PC133 also has a really bad latency.

So you've basically taken an ultra-low performance CPU and then slowed it down even further with no memory bandwidth and high memory latency. It's no surprise at all that your old system can outperform it.

DDR would be a <b>very</b> good start at helping. However, DDR400 is the only DDR that would even offer your Wilty the bandwidth that it is designed for, which is touchy stuff. DDR333 would be better, but still leave your Wilty at slightly less than optimal performance ... for a P4 Celeron.

What would be MUCH better would be to get <b>Northwood</b> P4 1.8a and PC800 RDRAM. (Or, for even more money a P4b and PC1066.) Or get an Athlon with PC2700/DDR333.

But basically, your new system is testament that newer isn't always better and you get what you pay for.

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sbot

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Hmm...

Well yesterday, i was playing cs, and the frame rates had become quite bad (15 fps or so... yea...), so since I thought a possible cause could be overheating processor, I opened my case and put my room's fan next to the case. After 5 seconds or so, my fps shot back up to the incredible amounts that actually reflect my system....

However, I tried again today when it happened, and the frame rates seemed not to change, so maybe it was just a coincedence.

Egh... any help would still be enjoyed :-/

-sbot
 

MeTaLrOcKeR

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Well since ur board supports either SDRAM or DDR Ram.......u gotta sell all that SDRAM and get some DDR....SDRAM actually slows the whole P4 Platform down CONSIDERABLY......put some DDR RAM in there.....also ditch that Willamete Celeron CPU and get urself a P4 Northwood....even a Pr 1.6 is faster....probaly by 30% than ur 1.7 Celery......ur old system is a better choice to use than ur "new" P4 derivative AKA a Celery 1.7........infact i dont think theres much at all that ur new system would outperform ur "old" P3 system in....

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=13597" target="_new">-MeTaL RoCkEr</A>
 

MeTaLrOcKeR

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I dunno....but i still think theres a temperature problem.......

Just for the hell of it.......pop ur Heatsink off while ur playing a game......the FPS should drop liek u say it does....ALSO remember..ur CPU will throttle itself down...no damage can or will be done to ur CPU...nwo also while playing.....pop the heatsink BACK on......make sure its sitting properly...check ur temps.....and see if the FPS change...

if this is not the problem..u might wanna think that u got a buggy Video Card....and try another....

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=13597" target="_new">-MeTaL RoCkEr</A>