How to Improve Performance?

[rao]

I built my pc recently and my config is

Processor: P4/3.06GHz 533M 478P/512K HT
Motherboard: Soyo P4M266A-8235 533FSB,4x AGP
Memory: 1 Gig
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900XT (MSI)
Sound: SB Audigy 2 ZS
Case: ASPIRE|ATXB5KLW-BK/350W

I use this mostly for gaming and so far have
had a really good experiance with most of the games.

I got Doom3 a couple of days ago and tried playing it in
Ultra mode in 1600x1400 resolution and found it very choppy.
I tried it again in 1280x1024 and got better results. It was
very playable but was still jerky at some points.

I think as my graphics card is a 8x/4x card and my mb is 4x,
it is limiting the performance of my graphics card. Do you think
if I upgraded my mb to one which has 8x AGP, it would improve
performance?

I am thinking to get one from the following
- Abit A17
- ASUS P4P800SE
- ASUS P4P800-E Deluxe

Which one would be the best choice? If there were other options, please
suggest. The main thing is that I would like to reuse most of my
components.

Thank you

 

[etp777]

Or maybe it's fact that Ultra mode is only supposed to be used by 512MB video cards.

 

[Coyote]

I understand there is about zero difference between 4x and 8X AGP.

To play Doom 3 on Ultra high you need, well hardware that doesn't exist at this time. You're expecting too much from your system.

Here's a link to Doom 3 Hardware guide that give you a good indication of what you can expect from your rig, as well as an idea of what one needs to play D3 at those settings.

<A HREF="http://www2.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NjQ0" target="_new">http://www2.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NjQ0</A>

Mobile XP 2600+ (11X200)
Abit NF7-S v 2.0
Maxtor 60GB ATA 133 7200RPM
512MB Corsair Twinx 3200LL
BBA 9800 Pro
Enermax Noisetaker 420 watts
Win98SE

 

[blackphoenix77]

Rao, try 1024x768 at medium quality, you might get ok frame rates.

<font color=blue>AthlonXP-M 2500+(12x211)</font color=blue><font color=green>Abit NF7-S</font color=green><font color=red>Kingston DDR400 2x256Mb</font color=red>
<b>Old Expierienced Hands, Finally</b>

 

[Crashman]

Well, you would get better performance by switching boards, but not because of AGP8x. Rather, you'd get better performance:
1.) Because you have a very poor quality chipset with lower than average performance and other quality issues
2.) Because you probably have either 2 or 4 matching modules, which could be used in dual channel configuration with modern boards.

I'm not sure how much the added performance is worth to you, but the Abit IS7 cost around $90.

The IS7 has a better reputation and more ports than the AI7, and uses the MCP-T southbridge plus a nice firewire controller. I'd take either over the Asus boards.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Cybercraig]

Have to ditto that for obvious reasons.

Abit IS7 - 2.8C @ 3.4ghz - Mushkin PC4000 (2 X 512) - Sapphire 9800Pro - TT 420 watt Pure Power
Samsung 120gb ATA-100 - Maxtor 40gb ATA - 100
Sony DRU-510A - Yellowtail Merlot

 

[HardWareBoss]

What Crashman said about IS7. Best Mobo for the money.

 

[quagmire]

its definitely not the agp 4x
they did a test here at toms to see tghe differenct between the 2 and was practically nil.

go with the IS7 just like Crashman said

 

[endyen]

A new mobo will not give you any better settings in D3.
You blew it when you got the XT rather than the ultra card.
If you have some serious cash, get the 6800ultra. That is the only thing that will give you the fps at settings you want.