CPU bottlenecking?

Shaft,

You might try this for your CPU: http://cpu.rightmark.org/ & this for you system: www.freshdiagnose.com Hopefully either/both might give some 'tips' on optimizing. I've had good luck with the 29.20 driver ( www.guru3d.com ) maybe you will too.

Is this a new install & maybe you're having compatibility problems with the old drivers? "Detenator Destroyer" @ www.guru3d.com will remove all traces of previous drivers.

HTH,

It could be the CPU that is the limiting factor. I have seen this in the past on a PII 400Mhz a GF2MX scored around 1000 3dmarks, whereas a Duron 1Ghz with the same card scored 2500 3dmarks.

I made a mistake on my system specs, both of my hard drives are 7200 RPM...if that matters in this situation.

Try this for 'optimizing' your hard drive to CPU thruput: http://www.3dspotlight.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=1339

Try 'Fresh Diagnose', it has 'tips' for making your system run better/faster too.

HTH,

No, the CPU is not the limiting factor in this case.

What type of card did u upgrade from?
If it was NOT nvidia, you need to reformat asap.

How long ago has it been since a reformat?
Have you upgraded anything like your motherboard without reformating?

This system u describe should play those games at 1280x1024 32bit laughing all the way man

O forgot to ask:
What type of motherboard do you have?

If its a VIA based board, the 4 in 1 drivers will increase performance by %40

ALSO - You need to grab COOLBITs and overclock that card a bit.
You can get it in our NEW files section that I just finished uploading to (when it officially comes out that is)

I upgraded from a Hercules Geforce 2 MX 64 mb, so the drivers shouldn't have a conflict.

I put my larger HD in less than 6 months ago, so that's when it was formatted.

I have an Intel SE 440BX-3 motherboard that came with my comp.

Shaft,

Since the GF2 MX400 is an entirely different architecture than the GF4 Ti4400, I'd use 'Detenator Destroyer' & remove all traces of the Hercules GF2 Driver. Use uninstall (if available), add/remove programs & DD for a clean install of the MSI GF4 Ti4400 driver.

I can't find a BX-3 @ Intel, but this may be of interest/help: http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/se440bx2/ I didn't look to see the specs ... does that board support AGP4x or only 2x ?

HTH,

I really appreciate your assistance.

I think the mobo is basically an enhanced BX-2, possibly made just for Dell. It supports AGP 2x only.

I just gave everything a complete clean install and used different drivers (27.50), which, ironically solved my nview problem. I've yet to check on performance.

Re: I really appreciate your assistance.

Originally posted by Shaft
I think the mobo is basically an enhanced BX-2, possibly made just for Dell. It supports AGP 2x only.

I just gave everything a complete clean install and used different drivers (27.50), which, ironically solved my nview problem. I've yet to check on performance.

Click to expand...

This is always something I do when I have a problem that just doesn't seem to go away with normal fixes. One thing you could have tried first is to use the detonator destroyers to remove the old drivers before reinstalling ( available at www.guru3d.com ).
Sometimes uninstalling DirectX and reinstalling can help too.
Glad you got it sorted out though. Let us know if you have achieved a reasonable increase in video performance

I did the detonater destroyer thing before, and it helped my other problem.

I dled that application accelerator, but it says I need an 800 series processor and it won't install.

I did a little experiment in Max Payne. I was running it with the settings on high, so I tried it on low...same problem. The large areas really slow things down no matter the detail level. I barely had any performance hit with higher resolutions and high detail.

I also installed newer motherboard drivers and overclocked my vid card (to 300/650 from 275/550), so it's essentially as fast as a ti4600. From the looks of things the card isn't the problem...thank god .

Shaft,

Hmmm. Hub controller bottleneck? Strange. Strange the "AA" didn't install (it did on my 810E & 500 Celeron) & strange on the low frame rates even at lower resolutions.

I think you're right: it isn't the card > it's the system. I *think* the BX chipset & it's 2xAGP coupled w/a possibly slow controller is the problem, BUT I don't know.

SiSoftware Sandra or Fresh Diagnose will tell you your bus, hub, AGP, PCI (sound card right?), CPU, RAM, USB & IEEE1394 speeds, along with a lot of other useful info. Maybe just looking at the #'s will shed some light on where the system is bogging down.

Arris has another thread where he has some excellent info on the GF cards. I hope he can help you, cuz I'm a tad stumped > to be honest. Those #'s will probably help him too.

Arris? Could you enlighten us both?

AGP speed is 66 mhz, PCI is 33 mhz. My sound card is an SB Live Value. FSB is 100 mhz (I've heard it's overclockable to 124, but I don't want to try). AGP version is 2.0.

SiSoft Sandra report.

CPU & BIOS Information

Notice N224: System BIOS : SMBIOS/DMI information may be
inaccurate.
Tip T207: System BIOS : A SMBIOS/DMI 2.3 or later compliant BIOS
is recommended. Check for a BIOS update.
Tip T212: System BIOS : BIOS can be shadowed so check whether it
is.
Warning W214: System BIOS : BIOS is flash-able but surface-mounted.
An unsuccessful flash may be fatal.
Tip T210: Processor 1 : Mainboard supports faster CPUs, so the
CPU can be upgraded when needed.
Notice N224: Processor 1 : SMBIOS/DMI information may be
inaccurate.
PCI, AGP, CardBus Buses Information

Warning W1206: Intel Corporation 82443BX/ZX 440BX/ZX PCI to AGP
Bridge : PCI latency too high. Device could hog the
bus for too long.
Warning W1206: Bridgecom Inc Linksys LNE100TX Fast Ethernet Adapter :
PCI latency too high. Device could hog the bus for too
long.
Video System Information

Tip T316: Default Monitor : Use a Energy Star (DPMS) power
saving monitor.
Warning W332: Default Monitor : Use a Plug & Play/DDC compatible
monitor and video adapter.
Tip T327: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) : Reduce colour depth to improve video
performance. 16-bit may be enough.
Tip T322: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) : Turn off screen savers. Use the monitor power
saving mode.
Tip T323: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) : Remove the desktop wallpaper to save memory
and improve performance.
Tip T325: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) : Turn off window animation to reduce delays.

Drives Information

Warning: 1.44MB 3.5" (A : Cannot obtain drive information;
check that a disk is in the drive and it is correctly
formatted.
Tip T1822: Hard Disk (C : DMA transfers improve performance.
Enable it if possible.
Tip T1821: Hard Disk (C : Label (name) drive.
Warning W1802: Hard Disk (C : Large cluster sizes waste disk space.
Break drive into smaller partitions or use FAT32.
Tip T1803: Hard Disk (C : Increase max. disk cache. It should
be at least 25% of system memory.
Tip T1805: Hard Disk (C : Change typical role to 'Network
Server' to improve disk performance.
Tip T1813: Hard Disk (C : Scan drive for errors at least
weekly.
Tip T1814: Hard Disk (C : Optimise drive at least monthly.
Tip T1822: Hard Disk (D : DMA transfers improve performance.
Enable it if possible.
Tip T1821: Hard Disk (D : Label (name) drive.
Warning W1802: Hard Disk (D : Large cluster sizes waste disk space.
Break drive into smaller partitions or use FAT32.
Tip T1803: Hard Disk (D : Increase max. disk cache. It should
be at least 25% of system memory.
Tip T1805: Hard Disk (D : Change typical role to 'Network
Server' to improve disk performance.
Tip T1813: Hard Disk (D : Scan drive for errors at least
weekly.
Tip T1814: Hard Disk (D : Optimise drive at least monthly.
Warning: CD-ROM/DVD (E : Cannot obtain drive information;
check that a CD-ROM/DVD is in the drive.
Tip T1822: CD-ROM/DVD (E : DMA transfers improve performance.
Enable it if possible.
Tip T1822: Nolf disc 1 (F : DMA transfers improve performance.
Enable it if possible.
Sound Card Information

Warning W710: Creative S/W Synth : Driver may be obsolete. Check
that it is the latest version.
Printer and Fax Information


Tip T403: Capture fax BVRP Extended : Print to an EMF data type
to improve printing speed.
Tip T401: Capture fax BVRP Extended : Printer resolution may
have been set too low. Check settings.
Windows Information

Tip T1313: Consider upgrading to Windows 2000.
Tip T1300: Enter your company name or "Home" instead of
"Unknown".
Tip T1308: Boot without the Windows logo to reduce boot delay.
Tip T1302: Double-Buffering is only needed for real mode SCSI
devices.

DirectX Information

Tip T2221: Primary Display Driver (display) : Driver is not
certified.
Tip T2221: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) (\\.\Display1\U0) on \\.\Display1\U0 : Driver is
not certified.
Tip T2221: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) (\\.\Display1\U1) : Driver is not certified.
Warning W2207: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) (\\.\Display1\U1) : Video card does not have 3D
accelerated hardware. Consider upgrading.
Tip T2212: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) (\\.\Display1\U1) : No hardware stretch support.
Tip T2213: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) (\\.\Display1\U1) : No hardware overlay support.
Tip T2216: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) (\\.\Display1\U1) : No Z-buffering support.
Warning W2211: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) (\\.\Display1\U1) : No hardware colour-space
conversion support.
Error: Game Compatible Device (emulated) (WaveOut 1) :
Resources Already Allocated
Error: Voice Modem Wave #00 Line (emulated) (WaveOut 2) :
Resources Already Allocated
Error: Game Compatible Device (emulated) (WaveIn 1) :
Resources Already Allocated

Having AGP 2X is not the problem.
There is not a significant increase with 4x.
Also, this system should be on FIRE man, a 1GHZ p3 with a geforce4! I mean really..

HOw about BIOS settings.
Make sure L2 cache is ENABLED, and set latency to "1"
Also, set all RAM timings to "2" (that is if your RAM can handle it)
Turn of bios cache/vid bios cache and that stuff..

Make sure DIRECTX is 8.1 (latest version, but should not really matter that much)

Check SYSTEM RESOURCES. I know you have 512MB ram, but check them anyhow. Make sure NOTHING is running in the backround when doing benchmarks.

Use only NVIDIA certified drivers

Clean your REG with reg clean

If you do all this, and your system performance is still that bad, I think you need to reformat and try a fresh start.
What type of motherboard is it (brand??) Is it actually an INTEL branded m/b?

I couldn't find those options in my bios...how do I get to them?

DirectX is 8.1. System resources is almost always between 70% and 85%. I just cleaned my registry, and yes, my motherboard is Intel brand.

those options might not be there

If not, L2 cache is enabled.. Not to worry..

Your resources should be in the 90% area, mine usually run about 99%

Hmmmm..

Not all bios's offer optimized options, mabey yours doesn't..

Could just be your motherboard , Intel does not make performance motherbords thats for sure..

Hmmm..
I dont know what else to recommend.

I can get an ATA/100 controller card for $25, so I think I'll give that a try and see if it works.

Shaft,

Intel made 2 versions of the 1Ghz PIII FC-PGA > one @ 100 FSB & one @ 133 FSB. If you have the 133 running @ 100 = 750mhz. Just a 'heads up' to check on.

I'd suggest applying the 'tips' on SiSandra. Some (splash screen, animated windows, etc.) won't matter much, tho'. Here is what I see tho':

"Warning W2207: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) (\\.\Display1\U1) : Video card does not have 3D
accelerated hardware. Consider upgrading. What!?
Tip T2212: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) (\\.\Display1\U1) : No hardware stretch support.
Tip T2213: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) (\\.\Display1\U1) : No hardware overlay support.
Tip T2216: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) (\\.\Display1\U1) : No Z-buffering support.
Warning W2211: MSI MS-StarForce GeForce4 Ti 4400 (NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti
4400) (\\.\Display1\U1) : No hardware colour-space
conversion support. "

Where is all the hardware support? SiSandra says: "Tip T2207 - Your video card does not support any hardware 3D functions or they are not implemented in this version of the video driver.
Fix: If you do have the latest video driver consider upgrading the video card if you play 3D games.
SiSoftware Sandra Help File"

It doesn't say the driver doesn't support it > says the card doesn't. ??? SiSandra is a respected benchmark/program. I'd get ahold of MSI (or your retailer) & try another card.

I agree: you should be on fire! :hotbounce

PS: FWIW, my GF2MX400 doesn't have any of these 'warnings' & shows everything is supported & working.

My processor is 100 FSB, I know for sure. As for the SiSoft reporting, I've had a number of programs reporting things wrong, and I believe SiSoft said something about inaccurate info when I ran the tests. If the card actually didn't support these functions the games wouldn't run, which they do. My hard drives are transferring data at ATA-33, but with the controller card they will with ATA-100, which should make a difference.

Shaft,

I missed the ATA-33, card couldn't hurt.

I'm sure you've done this, but gotta bring it up anyway just in case: you have gone into 'Control Panel" > 'Display' > 'Settings' > 'Advanced' > 'Performance' & set the slider at full? Might set it lower > reboot > set it all the way up & reboot, too to check its 'function'.

Have you ran: "dxdiag.exe" in 'Start' under 'Run'? I should have mentioned that sooner. Have you checked w/Western Digital for a driver update? Might get lucky ...

HTH,

Yes performance is all the way up and DirectX supports it's direct3D/directdraw. The problem isn't with the vid card, as I believe I had slowdown in large areas with my Geforce 2 as well (I figured it would go away with the upgrade).

After doing some more tinkering with FreshUI and my video drivers, I've raised my 3dmarks to 6701.