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[HELP ON] Just got a rebuilt computer...
Nightslyr
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
...and it's running like crap.
Here's the story:
My monitor died this past Friday, so we sent my PC to work so my boss could look at it (at the time, we weren't sure if it was just the monitor that died or if the graphics card went caput). It turned out it was just the monitor, and he would be able to get one within a day or so. What I didn't know at the time was that my boss was planning to rebuild my computer for me as an X-mas gift. So, last night, I get this new(ish) computer in return for my old, hulking, circa 2002 Gateway computer. Unforunately, it's running like my old Win98 computer right now.
He changed the motherboard, so where I once had a P4 (not 100% sure on the speed) and an older GeForce card (some 5000 model), I now have an Athlon 3000+ and a GeForce 6100. I wanted my brother to try Half-Life 2 on it, but it ran so choppy it was unplayable (ironic, as the new graphics card supports the HDR of the Lost Coast and Episode 1).
Is this normal? Was I unwittingly screwed over by my boss, or is something else possibly the cause of my problems? As an aside, EVE ran better than it did under my old setup, but the graphics were pretty muddy. Please help.
Here's the story:
My monitor died this past Friday, so we sent my PC to work so my boss could look at it (at the time, we weren't sure if it was just the monitor that died or if the graphics card went caput). It turned out it was just the monitor, and he would be able to get one within a day or so. What I didn't know at the time was that my boss was planning to rebuild my computer for me as an X-mas gift. So, last night, I get this new(ish) computer in return for my old, hulking, circa 2002 Gateway computer. Unforunately, it's running like my old Win98 computer right now.
He changed the motherboard, so where I once had a P4 (not 100% sure on the speed) and an older GeForce card (some 5000 model), I now have an Athlon 3000+ and a GeForce 6100. I wanted my brother to try Half-Life 2 on it, but it ran so choppy it was unplayable (ironic, as the new graphics card supports the HDR of the Lost Coast and Episode 1).
Is this normal? Was I unwittingly screwed over by my boss, or is something else possibly the cause of my problems? As an aside, EVE ran better than it did under my old setup, but the graphics were pretty muddy. Please help.
Nightslyr on
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It sounds like to me he's the one that got a nice x-mas upgrade and just gave you his old shit. You'd probably be better off with your old video card if you can get it back from him. If you don't want to ask, I recently upgraded my computer and have a Geforce 6600GT laying around in good condition, I'll sell it to you for $40.
Did you update your drivers at all? you might want to reformat too, if he just stuck a mobo in willynilly and didn't bother with drivers it could fuck you up, considering you crossed CPU manufacturers.
And honestly it sounds more like a lateral move, depends on your P4 speed but Athlon 3000+ isn't that big of an upgrade.
Does the motherboard support a full 16x PCI Express card, just PCI-E 1x slots (no support for add-on video cards, sometimes found on budget boards) or does it support AGP?
If it's running poorly while using the desktop, then there's a problem. Did you make sure you reformatted and re-installed Windows? Sometimes using the same Windows install, when changing motherboards works fine, sometimes it just doesn't boot. And there are times when it works, but not as you'd expect (ie slow, lots of crashes, etc). That's why people recommend re-installing Windows most of the time, because most of Window's system configuration tasks are handled upon installation.
From the sound of what he gave you, and what you had, he surely didn't screw with you.
Athlon XP with an old ass onboard video card not even nforce'd? I doubt it has any pci-e slots.
Where are you getting this info? There's nothing in the OP's post to indicate whether it was an XP or an A64, or whether it used Socket A, 754, or 939. And if it has a GeForce 6100 IGP, it's using the nForce chipset on the rest of the board too.
It runs okay on the desktop, about as fast as my P4 setup, so I'm thinking it's just the card that's crap. Like I said before, EVE actually runs faster than it did with my old setup, but even the graphics there were a step down from before (muddy colors, some slowdown while entering warp).
its stickied in HA
http://www.penny-arcade.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1073840130
awesome... I was convinced it would be here in G&T for some reason.
We still need to know if it's PCI-E or AGP based. Can't recommend you a card otherwise.
And there's no manufacturer and model number printed on the motherboard?
You can try using CPU-Z to identify the motherboard you have. You don't have to install it, just run the app when you extract the zip file.
It's pretty straight forward when CPU-Z pops up. Tell us which board model you have, and who made it.
The manufacturer box is empty
I have two results coming up while Google searching. One that's old, and one thats fairly new. I'm assuming it's the fairly new board, as it has a 6100 chip (NVidia barely started making Int. chips not too long ago).
But I want to make sure.
DDR Memory, 1024 MB. Dual Channel.
nvidia 6100 igp for amd only exists with 939 and am2. Odds are from the CPU it's 939.
That still doesn't answer the question of if he has a pcie slot, but the expansion slots for either socket "should" be pcie.
Hmm, it looks like it's a 939 socket Biostar motherboard.
Sounds like it's this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813138264
Now, we still need physical confirmation that it has a PCI-E 16x slot. But all signs point to yes so far.
And I highly doubt it's missing either slot types, as manufacturers have stopped doing that as far as I know. It was a shitty business practice to begin with.
As far as graphics cards go, if you can wait until February/March, that's when the new midrange Nvidia cards launch and they're going to kick the shit out of everything else in the price range because they'll be using unified shader architecture as seen in the 8800GTX/GTS. Some games will see performance doubled over previous generation cards (ie, the ones available now). Wait a couple months and you'll get twice as much horsepower for the same money. That and they'll support DX10 and HDCP, which are both important.
Sound advice and I would say that anybody who want's dx10 should wait. I'm an early adopter and went 8800 sli. Yes it's fast, but the drivers blow and there is no vista support.
Wait.
I'm not sure what you mean by 'the drivers blow'. Nvidia drivers have been solid for a very long time. My only guess is that the unified shader architecture is such a significant departure from previous GPU technology that they don't have all the kinks worked out just yet as it is brand new, very different stuff. A couple more driver releases should take care of that almost entirely.
I would say run hijackthis, and some other quick viral scans. Check everything that's running in the background. Lower your startup items, and if you're feeling confident, update your drivers for the mobo and vid card.
Eve can run on this laptop just fine, so a computer with nearly double the specs should NOT be having issues with all the settings as low as they can go.
edit: I don't mean to criticize, but I would say it would be a very good idea to take a little time to make sure you know (or atleast have a list) of the exact parts that compose your computer. First hand knowledge is going to be way more valuable than hoping someone won't screw you over if they offer to upgrade your system. (Not saying this happened to you, what's in your pc seems to be better than what you had before, which is why I say check what's running in the background).
If he has an onboard video card and/or sound card that's more than likely where his "missing" memory went. His system info says he has 1024MB.
Exactly. 64 MB of the 1024 is being used as dedicated "video card memory," bringing him down to 960MB of RAM.
Your old video card, despite the lower number, is probably better
Edit: Though it might not work on the motherboard he gave you, as has already been said.