Snarkpit Forum Index » General Banter » Computer performance issues
Computer performance issues
1
23 next page »
Post Reply
Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Wild Card on Fri Nov 26th at 12:45am 2004

Ok, serious question guys. Im having performance issues, be it with Half-Life 2, Hammer (for HL2) UT2k4, etc.

Hardware:

Athlon XP 2500
512mb RAM PC2700
NF7-S mobo
Seagate 80gb 8mb cache SATA

You know the specs lol

Software:
Aston Windows Shell replacement
AVG anti-virus
MSN 7.0 BETA
Limewire
winAMP
gmail notifer
VHE for HL2

Should I get a component upgrade (I was thinking adding 512RAM) or should I scrap some software, notably having limewire in background when I dont need it and the Aston Shell.

Keep in my my budget is VERY tight. I have 100$ in my account, I get 250$ every 2-weeks, and I have to fly once a month (150$)

[addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Gorbachev on Fri Nov 26th at 12:55am 2004

Video Card?
My specifications are very similar and I have no performance issues...
[addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by scary_jeff on Fri Nov 26th at 1:02am 2004

when you say performance issues, what exactly is happening?



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Wild Card on Fri Nov 26th at 1:35am 2004

slugish performance. Alot of disk activity. Oh, and ATI 9800pro forgot to mention.

And VHE crashes everytime I try to clip a sphere in half... With lots of disk activity

[addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Crono on Fri Nov 26th at 3:43am 2004

? quoting Wild Card
slugish performance. Alot of disk activity. Oh, and ATI 9800pro forgot to mention.

And VHE crashes everytime I try to clip a sphere in half... With lots of disk activity


Try checking to see which program is slowing you down by checking the CPU and Memory usage.

[EDIT]
Forgot, check VMM size too. It might be oddly sized. [addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by wil5on on Fri Nov 26th at 5:16am 2004

Sounds like low RAM, but 512 should be enough for general use. HL2 hammer however Ive heard is very demanding... but chances are youve got something clogging the system. Do what Crono said, until youve got enough for more ram (its quite possible you wont need it tho). [addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Crono on Fri Nov 26th at 5:48am 2004

? quoting wil5on
Sounds like low RAM, but 512 should be enough for general use. HL2 hammer however Ive heard is very demanding... but chances are youve got something clogging the system. Do what Crono said, until youve got enough for more ram (its quite possible you wont need it tho).


My system is fairly similar, except my ram is slightly faster, my CPU, HDD, and chipset (probably) are slower. I run HL2 and Hammer 4 at the same time with absolutely no trouble. It's so convenient too. [addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Wild Card on Fri Nov 26th at 6:23am 2004

hammer.exe -- 22 660K
msnmsgr.exe -- 18 840K
Steam.exe -- 50+% CPU 17 712K

Processes: 31
CPU Usage: 100%
Commit Charge: 310M / 1250M (whatever that means)

[edit] Now hammer.exe is CPU 99%

[edit2] Now CPU Usage 0% [/edit]

[addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Gorbachev on Fri Nov 26th at 7:20am 2004

That's mostly the same system as I have. So the problem lies somewhere else. Which drivers are you using for your card and did you install the proper motherboard drivers when you first installed Windows? I'd generally not have LimeWire just running in the background, when I'm mapping or what-not I usually have MSN, WinAMP, Steam, Avast! AV, and Webroot Spysweeper running. 512 should be enough memory for general mapping...but the new Hammer is somewhat laggy, try lowering your undo levels as well as scroll the 2D views in a bit as maps get laggy the larger they are and the more 2D view you can see.
[addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by $loth on Fri Nov 26th at 7:22am 2004

hmmm, I have similar specs [athlon 2500, 512 pc2700, asus a7v8x-x and a 9600 pro]. I'm currently running hammer and real one player, and there seems to be no slow down. Might be a prog hogging some of your power.

[addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Orpheus on Fri Nov 26th at 11:10am 2004

my gaming PC never seems more/less sluggish from day to day because,

1) i run spybot either daily, or every other day.
2) i run msconfig daily to make sure only systray is on.
3) i have nothing on but the game/editor. i want nothing running in the back ground. no music s**t, no icq, no msn.. NOTHIN. machines may get bigger, but resources are still from 0-100%, you only have so many before s**t happens.
4) i scandisk and defrag weekly.
5) i run regclean daily.

i also learned a trick i did not know before i read that XP article. page files/swap files wont defrag, they are non-movable files.. turn off, or turn them to zero, defrag, then turn them back on to the previous setting.. all your hard drives will be nice and well defragged.

[addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Wild Card on Fri Nov 26th at 4:08pm 2004

I have the latest (I think?) ATI drivers for my card as well as my mobo. Catalyst drivers, not the omega stuff.

I also run evert few days:
Ad-aware SE
Spybot S&D
Registry Mechanic
Disk Keeper
Security Task Manager
BPS Spyware remover (although it tends to remove all my good cookies too lol)

I'll try killing my pagefile and defraging like you said Orph. If I had the Windows XP pro CD, I would reformat, but I dont anymore so Im kind of screwed..

[addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Orpheus on Fri Nov 26th at 4:18pm 2004

Don't say the "F" word nick, you'll have crono's panties all in a knot again.

just make sure you have all nonessential things turned off via "msconfig"

you should be fine if you have.

i had 2000pro available, you scorned it, took me hours to do so, i'm not about to do my XP corp.. its even larger.

[addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Wild Card on Fri Nov 26th at 4:51pm 2004

Sorry Orph buddy. I just. Never really looked into 2000pro.

Here's what I have in MSCONFIG:

GENERAL
Normal startup

STARTUP
atiptaxx
gnotify
avgcc
avgemc
qttask
ctfmon
msnmsgr

[addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Spartan on Fri Nov 26th at 4:56pm 2004

Orph where'd you learn so much about computers? Is it just through experience.



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Orpheus on Fri Nov 26th at 5:02pm 2004

? quoting Wild Card
Sorry Orph buddy. I just. Never really looked into 2000pro.

Here's what I have in MSCONFIG:

GENERAL
Normal startup

STARTUP
atiptaxx
gnotify
avgcc
avgemc
qttask
ctfmon
msnmsgr

bet you money, its your AVG, i have not seen a virus scanner that is not a hog on resources..

turn off all that crap.. somes video crap, somes msn crap, all is not worth having running full time.

turn it all off and let me know how the machine runs then.

? quoting Spartan 34
Orph where'd you learn so much about computers? Is it just through experience.

trial and error, and friends like crono helping out.

and i read articles people post just like the one i posted

i found that article, when i was researching how to make my doom III run better on my mid level comp.

i can post that link too if you like, it had some great stuff, really smoothed out the play.

[addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Wild Card on Fri Nov 26th at 5:54pm 2004

I've removed atiptaxx, qttask, and ctfmon. We'll see how it goes now. [addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Orpheus on Fri Nov 26th at 6:06pm 2004

? quoting Wild Card
I've removed atiptaxx, qttask, and ctfmon. We'll see how it goes now.

*sighs*

what part of "ALL" slipped by you nick

you don't need a virus scan running full time, just #1 don't visit places you need one and #2 don't open things without scanning them 1st.

shut all that crap off.. you know my downloading habits, i rarely get a virus (1 confirmed in 5 years) and never do i get anything that doesn't clear up with "trend"

but seriously, shut it all off for a few hours, see how it runs. AVG tore me a new one when i had it running full time :/

if nothing changes, turn it back on.





Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Wild Card on Fri Nov 26th at 6:35pm 2004

lol Ait, I'll turn "almost everything off" Everything. AVG included

[addsig]



Quote
 Re: Computer performance issues
Posted by Orpheus on Fri Nov 26th at 6:45pm 2004

Tis obvious you didn't read that article i posted, it clearly states that you can turn off everything in startup.. WinXP can cope without it.

the issue IMO, is establishing what, if anything to leave on. I always heard, you must leave systray on, so i do, but i always wonder if i am slitting my own thoat by no leaving something else on.

anywho's, all of my PC only run systray, no more.

use your own judgement.. but for right now, you are experimenting with a proformance issue. shut it all off, see how it goes, then gradually turn the crap on if you must.






1
23 next page »
Post Reply