Somebody please help me!!

[sriram]

I have recently upgraded to a new PC :
P4 2.4 Ghz(with HT),256 MB DDR RAM,GeForce FX 5200 128 MB Card,80 GB HD running on Win 98SE and Win XP.
The problem is with the performance..I barely get more than 25 FPS(at any resolution above 640x480) with any of the new games...I cant figure out where the bottleneck is.
I have the latest nVidia drivers(45.23) and Direct X 9.I've turned off vsync,AA,AF and I also make sure that there arent any background processes running(except systray and explorer),I regularly defragment my HD..but still no improvement..Somebody please help me :-(

[minibubba]

I wish ppl would put some thought in their thread titles... :rolleyes:

anyway, those are not the latest nvidia drivers. I'd suggest you update and make sure you have the latest version of directx (9b)

Also check out our tweaking guides for winXP and several popular games

btw, the 5200 is a crappy card and is probably the reason for your poor performance. Try lowering the eye candy in your games and see what happens

[Soulburner]

For one, the latest drivers are not 45.23, they are 52.16. Second, the bottleneck is the video card, it simply isn't fast enough to play any new games with a decent framerate. It is the same speed as a GF4 MX440.

[sriram]

Thanks for the suggestions guys !
Well,I do have DirectX 9b...The nvidia site hasnt got the 52.16 drivers for win98..(its avialable for win2k/XP...they are giving the 45.23 drivers for win 98)
BTW,I run my games on Win 98 only..
So you guys say that my graphics card is the bottleneck...I cant just dump it rigth now so does increasing my system RAM to 512 MB bring any improvements in the framerate(atleast 30 FPS) ?

Thanks again..

[sriram]

Well thanks minibubba..I've lowered the detail settings to medium in Unreal 2 and UT 2003 and got an average FPS of 40(at 800x600,32 bit)..but I want to play the game with the eyecandy:(

[Beefy]

When was the last time you did a clean install of Win98?

[minibubba]

Well thanks minibubba..I've lowered the detail settings to medium in Unreal 2 and UT 2003 and got an average FPS of 40(at 800x600,32 bit)..but I want to play the game with the eyecandy:(

no problem

but if you want all the eye candy, an upgrade of your video card is in order. The 5200 just isn't suitable for a gamer. If you want decent performance without spending a fortune, I'd recomend a Ti4200 128 MB. I consider 512 MB RAM a must for any gamer, although in your case I doubt it will be enough for you to get the performace you desire. (*enough; meaning it's not the only thing you need to upgrade)

Tweaking your system and games, as well as a healthy overclock, will certainly help, but not as much as ditching that 5200 for something better :)

[sriram]

BTW,I havent mentioned this before...I'm using the onboard sound(Sound MAX) that came with my intel motherboard...does this reduce the performance ? Does buying a sound card help..or does it make no difference in the FPS.
Thanks again for the suggestions minibubba...but I've bought the new PC just 4 months back..so I cant just throw away my graphics card(atleast for an year)..
All I want is a decent 30 FPS throughout my game with all the eyecandy at a resolution of 800x600..I'm ready for minor upgrades like RAM and Sound card...
Thanks again..

[minibubba]

onboard sound has a very minor impact on performance. IMO, a soundcard would be a waste of money if that's your only goal. Well as 'minor' upgrades go, definatly upgrade the ram to 512 or more. Seriously though, tweak your OS and games to the max, you will be surprised what kind of performance boost you will get from that.

But don't set your hopes too high, your video card is a real bottleneck. You will have to find some form of compromise between performance and quality. We all have to do it at some point. No one can keep up with the latest and greatest forever.

*Actaully, on second thought, if you use win98 to game, limit the RAM to 512. win98 can have problems with anything more than that.

[sriram]

You will have to find some form of compromise between performance and quality. We all have to do it at some point. No one can keep up with the latest and greatest forever.

[sriram]

Thanks minibubba..I'll upgrade to 512 MB RAM..and I'll try to tweak my OS and games..right now I'm reading the "win xp performance tweak guide" on tweaktown..

[dude281]

the best way to go would be to sell your 5200 on ebay for about 50 bucks and get a 9600 pro. they run like 130ish. that way youll be paying about 80 bucks for a WAY better card. you're fps will be MUCH better and you can have your eye candy :thumb: that'd be the best bargain, and ebay is AWESOME