Should games be running smoother for me?

[Sleepy88]

I feel that I should be running my games with alot higher FPS than I am with the hardware I have.

My system:

ASUS P4C800
P4@2.5 ghz
MSI Geforce 6600GT
1024MB Samsung PC3200
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition (I installed it from a reinstall disk that came with a dell computer)


I installed the 3Dmark2005 demo today and ran it, I never finished all the tests, but I was getting 1-2 fps almost the entire time for the two that I went through, and I never got above 30. Now those tests are pretty beatuiful looking and must put a huge demand on my hardware, but 1 FPS A SECOND?? I also run half-life2 at 30 FPS mostly, I set my resolution to 800x600 and all the graphics settings at their reccomended setting (AA, AF off) and need to be staring at a wall or inside a structure (where I am usually staring at a wall) to get a satisfactory framerate.

I'm wondering if it could be my OS, I did use Windows 2000 for a short time and the two games I played then (Delta Force BHD and Warcraft III) seemed to run noticeably smoother than they did in my version of Windows XP home. So should I shell out the $150 for a copy of XP professional or would that not help very much?

Some other things to note, my P4 has a FSB speed of 800mhz, however I can only get my RAM to run @ 333mhz (according to POST) I have looked through my BIOS and motherboard manuel over and over changing different settings but to no avail. I also have a messed up case with no panels, everything is opened, and I turn my computer on by contacting the two wires instead of pressing a button. I also don't have any fans for cooling the motherboard and everything on it, only the stock CPU fan, however I have never had any problems with cooling.

 

[Didou]

There aren't any 2.5Ghz P4s with a 200mhz (800) FSB. Either a P4C 2.4Ghz or 2.6Ghz but nothing in between. Maybe your memory forces you to use a slower FSB which in turns stops your P4 from reaching its optimum speed.

For example if you have a 3000mhz chip with a 200mhz FSB, lowering it to 166 (to be in sync with the Ram) will make it run at ~2490mhz. That could indeed be your problem. Either get the FSB to run asynchronously with the memory speed or just get PC3200 Ram.

 

[InsaneMonkeyBoy]

haha lol, sorry but you need to get your case sorted out! You have to hotwire your pc everytime you use it?! With no sidepanels, beware of dust, and with no fans and a 9700pro, it's going to get hot in there!

A 2.5ghz processor? Where did you get it from? It sounds like your processor is overclocked or underclocked unless you mis-typed.

 

[Sleepy88]

A 9700 PRO? No, I have a Geforce 6600GT. Hmmm, I went into BIOS and changed the AI overclock tuner to manuel, it said my processor external frequency was 133Mhz...........So how do I change that to 200 mhz? My memory is PC3200. I was reading this earlier https://www.techspot.com/vb/topic9388.html and I got the first question wrong, so I must ask, what do you do to get the speed of the processor? I tried multiplying the multiplier by the FSB speed. Hmmm, I'm a little confused, my FSB is 800MHz, so why you say 200 mhz. According to my BIOS and Device Manager, my processor is 2.53GHz

 

[bushwhacker]

CLEAR EXPLANATION

2.53ghz is running IN 533mhz not 800! your plm on games is YOUR VIDEO CARD, you can try overclock it into higher frequencies. Dont tweak the BIOS and RAM, it wont work with 3d games (E.G. Half - Life 2.) P4 is currently running in quad-pumped in 200 mhz <We do meant 200mhz X 4 multiplier>.
Your RAM of Samsung PC3200, lemme guess, Kingston? is fast enough to handle the heavy directx 9.0 games. i think GeForce 6600GT is budget and is slow similar as GeForce FX 5700 LE.

Lucan

P.S. Multiplier on P4 is locked, what you could do is adjust the FSB a notch. mine is 133mhz FSB X 20 multiplier = 2660mhz CPU on 533 mhz bus you can change ur fsb in Frequency opinion in BIOS

EDITED: Before I forgot, Windows OS is not the problems for games, stay with windows 2000 pro. W2k is same as XP but XP has more features = more ram needed

 

[Didou]

Were you using another card prior to the 6600GT ? If yes, uninstall the video drivers from the old card.

Also, the Dell install CD probably comes loaded with video drivers for the video card installed on the Dell system it was intended to be used on. See if you can uninstall these video drivers & install the latest detonators from nVidia instead. While you're at it, download & run CPU-Z & post a screenshot of what it shows for the CPU. The identification string of your CPU will tell you the speed it should be running at.

i think GeForce 6600GT is budget and is slow similar as GeForce FX 5700 LE.

The 6600GT is at the level of a Radeon 9800 Pro in some cases, a 9800 XT in other cases & is the best bang for the buck card right now. Far from being a low end card.

 

[Sleepy88]

 

[Secondgunman]

Do you love your pooter???

Ok first most gaming bench marks are made for AMD chips not Intel, this is not your case, as EVEN Intel as bad as they are for gaming should score alot higher then that, your GPU is not the best as far as gaming goes and nVidia runs better on AMD... ATi are built to run best on Intel even thought HL2 was backed buy ATi and AMD, this is very unlikely your problem either. Your problem is you have no case you are running everthing on a frame.

See computers use the confind space made when a case is closed to move air simple Bio 10... here in Canada will tell you that A = A if you have AA - A in a confined space it most become A-A-A when you close off a computer you build heat in the system and pressure the pressure inside the system is what wants to get out aided by fans on your case this will happen. To keep an open system cooled proper you will need more fans and larger fans.

With this said I only have on thing to say; Do you love your pooter go buy a real case or atleast a few fans a power button and some ducttape install the fans and the power button then seal the case with the ducttape and don't scimp on the tape pull the tape tot... with all that work I would just do get a new case I have seen cases for 40 bucks Canadian thats what 27 - 30 U.S.

P.S. if that wire you use to jump your power on and off is not the same rating as the switch that should be there you may kill parts in or your computer or the whole thing and I you not want to be near that thing if the PSU blows or shorts out... do you know how meny people are killed a year for a PSU crapping out and the dont unplug it before they work on them, zap! pop! crispy poofs... so realy do you want to be working on a system thats grounding is compermized?

And you are overclocking your system your looking for 8' of top soil or atleast not having a working computer... just because you can do it does not mean it should be done... take playing with a loaded gun or putting your finger in a light socket, if you need more power just buy a better CPU.

Remeber Intel Chips are all over the board some slower chips are better for something the a chip that is 1Ghz faster so look at what you are going to use the chips for and look at what is overall best for the job and your money, money should be on of the last thing you look at as you can save money up.

 

[Secondgunman]

OOPS sorry wrong person...

OOP sorry wrong person that was ment for first posting... Sleepy88 Read that Posting It is for you, and he is right you don't have 800 Mhz if it is 2.5Ghz
:giddy:

 

[Sleepy88]

That wire that I'm using to turn the computer on and off is the one that came with the case. I'm going to buy a new case nonetheless Case . Oh, BTW, I wasn't planning on overclocking, I was just hoping someone would answer my question of why I was getting the total clock speed that I was getting for the first question in that thread about overclocking.