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I was just wondering if not having a good power supply could cause my video card to run like crap. I have a 300w PSU with 2 hard drives and lots of other things attached to it... I've had to use 2 splitters already... could this be the reason my GeForce FX5700 card is running like a GeForce 2 MX or is there a defect i don't know about?... I spent a big chunk of money on it and so far it's been the crapiest card i've ever used.
Whats up,
Please post system specs.
First go to www.futuremark.com and download the free version of 3DMark. Test you system and post result.
Then download Spybot Search and Destroy from www.safe-networking.org. Most of the time programs (adware/spyware)running in the background will cause you computer to run very slow. This program will remove them.
Then I suggest you get another powersupply. It does not effect your video performance. But I am assuming you are running 2 HDD, 2 CD-Roms, at least 512 ram, CPU, Mobo, FX5700, etc.. 300w is not enough, you will eventually blow it up, and that can harm other components. Over exerting that PSU can put out alot of heat as well. Newegg.com has a nice 400w Aluminum PowMax for like 35 bucks, lights up and everything.
A 5700 should run very smooth, I am betting the slow performance is being caused by adware. What are you trying to run? What brand and specs of video card? And what type of programs do you have running in the background?
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Hey,
Asus A7V133 Mobo
AMD Athlon 1.2Ghz
Asus Nvidia GeForce FX5700 256MB
512 SDRAMOn 3DMark03 I get a score of only 1650 and on 3DMark 2001 SE I get a score of 7319
I don't have a lot of stuff running in the background, mainly norton, but i'll check out the adware. 3DMark says I have 319MB of physical memory free. When I run a game like Unreal Tournament 2003 it will run amazing at a high resolution at maximum setting. But running a game like Need 4 Speed Underground seems to lag no matter what i seem to do. Also, some games seem to lag at the beginning in the same spots, but after about 20 - 30 sec it stops and runs somewhat normal. Do u think i could use this power supply for now, or should i just spend the money and upgrade? Any thoughts you have, please let me know.
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Spybots & Adwares are not likely to cause slow-downs in performance. First of all, YES weak low psu's will lower your GPU's performance and often cause a lot of problems(crashing, freezing). I would recommend that you get a 400w or 450w psu.
If I were you I would try installing the latest drivers from nVidia and drivers from your motherboard manufactorer first and see if that helps.
Pentium 4 2.6ghz
eVGA Geforce FX 5900 SE
SB Audigy LS
512mb DDR4003dmark03 : 6022
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Adware and Spyware do cause you to slow down tremendously. This is why people who never clean out their comps have machines that take forever to start, takes longer to open an application, and takes so long to shut down you normally have to do it manually.
It is time to update your system. 1.2ghz with SDRAM is rally gonna slow you down. Athlon XP's are getting extremely cheap along with the boards.
I saw an A7N8X-E Deluxe on Newegg.com for $75.00 in the refurbished section. It is a pretty sweet board, especially for the price. You could get both that board and a Athlon XP 2500 Barton for $150.00.
Course your RAM needs replacing also.
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I am completely aware of that Lawrence, spybots and adwares sometimes make your pc slow and laggy but it is NOT likely to affect your gpu performance/quality. They mostly affect your internet speed, and internet browser(pop-ups, diferent homepage). Spybots and Adwares can be easily cleaned by using tools such as Spybot SD, Adware 6.0.
Asus P4S800
Pentium 4 2.6ghz @ 3.0ghz
eVGA Geforce FX 5900 SE
SB Audigy LS
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When RAM is being used up by ANY program in memory, everything runs slower. RAM is not something just used to surf the web.
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Did I say anything about RAM? RAM and Spywares are two different things. Of course I am aware of that, using programs like *Cacheman* and increasing disk cache etc. could boost your performance dramatically in gaming. Increasing Virtual Memory could also help.
Asus P4S800
Pentium 4 2.6ghz @ 3.0ghz
eVGA Geforce FX 5900 SE
SB Audigy LS
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Your 3D Mark score is good considering the hardware you have. Which makes me positive it is a system memory problem.
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Spyware and/or viruses on the computer can hog the RAM, causing the entire machine to run slower.
And yes, new graphics cards can be power-hungry. An under-powered card can perform very poorly. But you didn't say how many watts you currently have, and how many components are plugged in.
And you don't need Norton running in the background, especially if you're not online or opening new files. Norton is another resource hog.
Best Luck,
Bob
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Let's see, tell me if this is correct.
Your motherboard supports AGP4X and runs SDRAM.
Your Video card is 4X/8X AGP and runs DDR.
You are running a full case with an AGP onboard fan on a 300 watt power supply.
You should check for spyware but I suspect you have too much video card for your system and getting "bottlenecked".
First step is a better power supply at least 400 watts. Shop around, sometimes you can get a case/ps combo for the same price as a ps alone.
If your problems persist after the new ps, you might consider putting the old card back in and testing or seriously start looking at upgrading your mobo/cpu/ram to support the graphics card.
I always run a faster board then graphics and never have any problems.
AMD 2500+
1 gig 400 RAM @333 mhz
ATI 8500 DV 64MB DDR (gotta have for capture) The thing runs so fast my eyes can't keep up.
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