Problem with mobo/CPU, sluggish processing on graphic intensive/non-intensive games

[pacefka]

Hi, I have an Asus P4P800 mobo with a pentium 4 processor running at 3ghz. I'm using 2GB of RAM with a Gigabyte 256mb GeForce 6800 GT video card.

I have run benchmark tests using PerformanceTest on graphics processing and had 700+ FPS on 2D graphics, 90+FPS on 3D Medium graphics, but was under 10FPS on 3D complex graphics. These tests were run at 800x600. The card itself I know is not faulty because I've tested it in another computer and it performed beautifully.

On any graphic intensive game, basically any HL2 game or mod, battlefield 2, C&C Generals, elder scrolls: oblivion, the games run at a very low FPS. However the graphic abilities of the card can be enabled, (HDR, pixel shading, etc) but even without these graphics enabled the game will still run very sluggish. This problem even occurs sometimes on very non-graphic intensive games, such as flash games.

I'm wondering if anyone knows what the issue is, i've checked all the settings in the bios at least 5 times and they're all correct and all other benchmark testing was great, the only bad result was the complex 3d graphics test. Normal CPU functions run very well, i can alt-tab in and out of programs very quickly and can ran many programs at once, but since this computer is designed for semi-gaming, this fault is very problematic.

 

[pushkarn]

try installing the latest version of drivers....download it from the net...

 

[almcneil]

That's the same reaction I have as Pushkarn. Definitely sounds like a driver issue. Make sure you're using the latest driver from the manufacturer.

 

[allenk524]

how many processors do you have running? i found with my comp, if i had more than 60 running then my game would run slower than normal. make sure you dont have other intensive stuff running in backround. that would also slow it down.

 

[almcneil]

how many processors do you have running? i found with my comp, if i had more than 60 running then my game would run slower than normal. make sure you dont have other intensive stuff running in backround. that would also slow it down.

Good point!

First, and sorry to be a nitpick, but you mean "processes" not "processors". A process is a program running in RAM. A processor is a piece of hardware.

Anyhow, your point is a good one. If you have too many background processes, that process-intensive game will be compromised! Best to check that out. I did notice he did some benchmarking, so perhaps he's checked that out already.

 

[allenk524]

lol thanks for that pointer. good luck

 

[pacefka]

I'm positive I have the latest video drivers and chipset drivers, I've installed the new one at least 3 times hoping that would solve the problem but hasn't. It's not an issue of too many processes either, in fact, I'll commonly close any programs I have running in the task manager before playing any game (i must resort to older games such as diablo 2, which still runs very sluggish when there are a lot of things on screen, but very smooth without) and I also have my startup set so that it loads basically no programs when I start my computer.

My computer is also very clean of any spyware and viruses, I have two computers in fact, one is a pentium 4 2.6GHZ, 512MB RAM, 128MB GeForce 5200 FX, and of course the trouble computer, ASUS P4P800 mobo, pentium 4 3 GHZ, 2GB RAM, 256MB GeForce 6800 GT. On my less capable computer I can play HL2 games and mods C&C Generals, basically any newish game with pretty extensive graphics with no sluggish performance at all, maybe at 30FPS or so and it has a particular spyware/virus that i can't get rid of. My more capable computer runs those same games all at under 10 FPS. There has to be a bad setting or maybe a hardware issue, any other ideas?

 

[allenk524]

have you tried setting the bios to the default values? i really cant think of anythink else. maybe clear the cmos. take the batt out the mobo. leave in ten seconds and put it back in.

 

[pacefka]

I will try that. In the event that doesn't fix the issue, does anyone know if this could be a mobo problem? or a cpu problem? Perhaps there's a bad DMA on the motherboard or maybe the CPU overheats when any large amount of processing is happening and overall performance suffers (although there's no errors, crashing, or screen tearing or anything like that happening, only low FPS).

Basically if there isn't a setting or something I can do as far as software goes and it is a hardware issue, i have it narrowed down to the cpu or the motherboard, or maybe there's simply a compatibility issue. If I do have to replace the CPU or the mobo (i personally think the getting a new mobo can fix the problem, but im unsure) I want to know that will fix the problem.