What is bottlenecking my GTS 250? How do I fix?

[N.Broekhuijsen]

I recently bought a new video card: Sparkle GeForce GTS 250 512MB

My friend has a 9800GTX+, running an intel C2D, and gets 12,500 3dmarks in 3dmark 06 These graphics cards are the same, GTS 250 is just a re-branded 9800GTX+
I am only getting 10,500 marks, yet my cpu is clocked from 2.8Ghz to 3.2Ghz.

My system specs are:

Asus M2N-E motherboard (chipset NForce 570)
160GB Seagate IDE hard drive
2 GB (Dual Channel) Kingston ValueRam (2* 1024MB) (667)
Creative- X-fi Xtreme Audio
AMD X2 5400 @ 3.2Ghz 1.55 volts (running stable and cool)
Sparkle GeForce GTS 250 512MB (connected through PCI-Express x16, version 1.0, maybe the old version of PCI-Express bottlenecks my card
Cooler Master 520 PSU

I was running XP home 32bit, and heard a rumor that home edition only uses one core of the CPU at a time, so i installed Pro x64, but this did not help in performance (same 3dmark score and slightly lower frame-rates in games...by like 2 frames) , and only cost me time.

Can anyone help me figure out what is bottlenecking my system, and perhaps how to fix it.

I have quite some knowledge about computers so don't worry about me understanding.

PS: soon (2 weeks) i will be upgrading to 4GB of ram, can anyone tell me id this is going to help?

TY

 

[tijmen007]

Post your friends rig as well, and yes the Asus M2N-E uses the old PCI-e interface. Upgrading the memory will maybe give a small ( 100 - 500 points ) boost , but I'm not sure about that.
Furthermore, your processor is getting old as well, it's a pitty you don't have a am2+ motherboard.
Good luck and don't forget your friends rig to post,

Tijmen

 

[Mousemonkey]

Onboard cache? (this may well turn into my new catchphrase).

 

[N.Broekhuijsen]

Friends rig:

Intel C2D 3.0 Ghz
2Gb ram
XFX Nforce 610 Motherboard
9800GTX+
250GB sata HD

Essentially same system except diff brand CPU, and he's getting 2000 more 3dmarks

 

[N.Broekhuijsen]

By the way, my mobo, does support newer quad cores phenom etc. It supports AM2+ CPU's, i just need to update bios.

 

[N.Broekhuijsen]

Onboard cache? (this may well turn into my new catchphrase).

What do you mean by that?

 

[Mousemonkey]

How much cache on your CPU and how much on your friends?, bear in mind that the two CPU's do not utilise cache in the same way though.

 

[N.Broekhuijsen]

My CPU (x2 5400 @3.2Ghz) has 2 x 512 K
My friends I dont know,
quick google 6MB, but he has an intel, and I use AMD

 

[hundredislandsboy]

It's not all about the CPU frequency but more about bus width or bus speed. I don't have any AMD cpus but have you tried to compare your systen on Futuremark's ORB to check if yours is average or below average?

 

[Mousemonkey]

His CPU is just faster, regardless of the OC you have put on yours.

 

[ac3144]

Onboard cache? (this may well turn into my new catchphrase).

Have you got any spare cache is my catchphrase...well have you?...anything? Just a sniff??
AC

 

[invisik]

Yes the reason of the higher score is due to the faster cpu and memory (assuming his running 2gb dual channel 800mhz+)

 

[Mousemonkey]

Have you got any spare cache is my catchphrase...well have you?...anything? Just a sniff??
AC

:lol:

 

[N.Broekhuijsen]

So i need to buy a faster CPU..... from what i hear though it could also be my slow HDD, anyways, any advise on the cheapest CPU to get rid of this bottleneck???

 

[N.Broekhuijsen]

actually this is quite strange, I just realised: My CPU gets a higher CPU score in 3dmark than my friends,

x2 5400 @ 3.2GHz: 2384
C2D 3.0 Ghz: 1847

 

[invisik]

Don't worry about those numbers play your games and if your not pleased then do upgrade.