Is it my setup or is my PC just too slow?

[LostBok]

I have recently upgraded my OLD P3 system (mobo is 3 years old, so really need to ditch it soon)... this system has been ticking along quite alright, but I think I've now REALLY hit a CPU bottleneck:

System Spec (the bits that may matter):
TekRam P6B40D-A5 Dual PIII motherboard
2 x Intel PIII-560Mhz CPU's (500's@5x112Mhz)
2 x 256meg Micron PC133 CAS2 SDRAM DIMMS (512meg total)
64meg GeForce 2 Ultra (Hercules 3D Prophet II Ultra)
21" EIZO T960 (w USB hub) 1600 x 1200 @ 92 Hz

In 3Dmark2001, when I had my old 32meg Hercules 3D Prophet PRO (Geforce256 DDR) in there, it was getting around 1800. The DDR blew up and I replaced it temporarilly with a 32meg Geforce 2 MX, which was getting around 1550.

I now have a Hercules 3D Prophet II Ultra, 64meg Geforce 2 Ultra, no O/C at all... it is only getting 2200 on 3Dmark2001.

The reason why I included the monitor res is that I thought the GF2 Ultra should be getting a LOT higher than the GF-DDR and I think my OS resoltion had been 1280x1024@120Hz when I ran the test on the GF-DDR... This was the only discrepency I could think of between all three setups - but then 3dmark sets its own reolutions and the splash screen res's between tests shouldn't make a difference....

I assume it 'cos the BX motherboard isn't able to use the GF2 Ultra properly, but is there any way of getting it to run any faster or is this as quick as I'll get with 560Mhz CPUs??

[Bob The Great]

You should be able to go faster. First run 3dmark at it's defualts (1024x768 16bit). The higher resulutions really give you worse scores.
BTW:The scores are calculated by the frame rates in each level.

Also make sure you have the latest detonator drivers. Also try around with some of the older ones, you can sometimes get better scores with them. Make sure you MOBO has latest drivers.

[LostBok]

I'm getting 2200 running 3Dmark2001 @ 1024x768, but I THINK its 32bit colour!

At work at the mo, so can't check right now. Not sure what colour depth the GF-DDR and GF-2mx were running at either, although they were at 1024x768.

Any tips on how to squeeze a bit more out of a BX board - I've tried the AGPset software, no luck - "EPriviledge!" error the whole time.

[Aaron_J]

Is 3d mark capable of taking advantage of both processors? If not you are being "bottlenecked" by your cpu. I have the same videocard on my PIII 500 and score about 1900 on the default settings.

I know it is a cpu problem (or agp problem) because I also tested this card on a 1 gig Athlon system and it scored about 4100. It is an awesome card but I don't think your system is up to the task of feeding it.

One other possibilty is that your agp is set on 1x or 2x. Check the tray icon you should have for the "Hercules tweaker" (little round thing with "3D" in it) and see what it says in the lower right corner. Try putting it in 4x if possible but I doubt your 3yo mobo supports it.

Either way I think you are going to have to upgrade to see better results. But the bright side is that your vid card will stay "current" for a while because I don't think there is anything short of a G-force 3 that can touch it's performance right now.(and not all of those can either)

[LostBok]

Aaron, thanks - I noticed your reply on a previous benchmarking question where you gave your PC specs and 3D mark scores.

3Dmark2001 doesn;t use the 2nd CPU AT ALL... so yes, it is bottlenecking it...

The mobo supports AGP 2x - which is enabled. All the memory setting are as low as they will go, CAS, RAS-CAS, pre-charge, etc... I think I'm jsut goign to steadilly OC my CPU' smore and more until they fry - then replace them. I've been looking at getting a couple of 733-866 coppermine CPU's and clocking them to 8(highest multiplier)x112Mhz(highest safe FSB speed for my BX chipset)=896Mhz

Once I've got these CPU's I can start looking for a new mobo, but quite honestly those CPU's are sop expensive 2nd hand I might be better off buying a all-in-one special or just getting an Athlon 1.4 and running it with my 2x256meg PC133 DIMMs for a bit and upgrading that later, if that's possible. I'm just loathed to turn my back on multi-CPU http://www.sysopt.com/forum/frown.gif

All of this is funds permitting at the mo, so nothing's happening for a while!

laters!

[Aaron_J]

Btw, it should be noted that it only scores about 1900 with my system at 500mhz. My best of 2100-2200 was achieved with an overclock to 650mhz but my system is very unstable at that speed and unfortunatly I either have to use 100 or 133 fsb speed. There is no in-between with my mobo so 500 it is.

Also overclocking the vid-card will, of course, provide no increase in performance till you upgrade.

Oh, and out of curiosity, what do you do that utilizes 2 processors? I have considered building such a beast just to say I have one (kinda the reason I dual boot OS's) It would be great if I could actually justify doing so.

[This message has been edited by Aaron_J (edited 09-05-2001).]

[LostBok]

I don't REALLY need to have a dual board any more, its jsut that it doesn't cost THAT much more and once you've used one, you'll be hooked! I've got two dual 1Ghz PC's at work which are great, but I can't justify upgrading this one at home, 'cos its as fast as I need at the mo... I used to used it at university and run iMesh and Napster in the background, while running a few FTP sessions and then Alt-TAB in and out of games to put a CD in to rip to MP3 or to write a CD (before BURNproof!) and I don't think I ever dropped a CD doing that.... and that was when my system was dual P2-350Mhz! It also helps with stability a LOT - if an application locks up it only takes out one CPU, it is then VERY easy to switch across and close that task and restart the application.

I'm probably gonna try to hang on until just after Christmas and then see what I can afford - either gonna be a dual Tualatin 1.2Ghz (which apparently clock to 1.6Ghz) or a dual Athlon... eitehr way its gonna be another BIG upgrade and I'm gonna make sure it lasts me another two to three years!

[LostBok]

Although those 1Ghz Celeron's in riser cards are looking like a VERY cheap alternative!! Two Celeron 800's and the riser cards for about £100 including tax!! £160 for the two 1Ghz's!

I've just heard that the newer Celerons are NOT capable of running in dual motherboards - only up to 533Mhz!!

Know anything about that?


[This message has been edited by LostBok (edited 09-06-2001).]