Computer hang/slow down problem!??!

[ApocalypseNow]

Ok heres my problem in detail:

System Specs:

• MSI 875P Neo-FIS2R
• P4 3.0GHz 800MHz FSB 512MB Cache
• ATI AIW 9800 PRO 128MB @3.9 CATS
• 1024MB Corsair 400MHz Low Lantancy DDR3200
• Antec True 400w Power Supply
• Windows XP PRO Service Pack 1
• 200GB Western Digital SE 8MB Cache
• Turtle Beach Santa Cruz 6.1 Sound Card

(1st computer I have built COMPLETELY CUSTOM)

My computer used to run 100% fine with none of the problems below for like 4-5 months! SEE BELOW

Problem:

Ok, First off this problem started a week & 1/2 ago after I moved my computer to my friends house for a LAN party. I might have damaged some hardware while moving around.

What happens is when I am playing a game like CS, it gets good FPS when running around a level with no one on the screen, but once you come around a corner with 4-10 people on the screen, my computer kinda studders for a second, then stops locking up and shows everything but, when you look at the FPS read out, the numbers jump around like crazy from 20-100 really fast and makes the game VERY UNSMOOTH!

Another instance is with DOD. Usually I get good FPS, but once a level loads up with rain, the FPS do the samething they did in CS!

In UT2003 certain areas of Map bring my FPS into 10s and 20s for no reason!!! I could be looking striaght at a wall and the FPS would be in sub 10 levels! I also get random slow downs where the FPS will be fine and then drop for 5-6 second by 40, then rise back up and then like 3 seconds later it would do another random drop for 5-6 seconds.

In Warcraft 3 it sometimes starts off kinda laggy, but once theres a more then 10 units on the screen, it starts getting really laggy FPS wise.

Also I was on a webpage where there was a box with a bunch of spinning cubes in it. When ever you moved the mouse it would either spin faster (this could have been a flash/java script. maybe even running in D3D.) As I stared at it, I noticed that it had the SAME random slow downs as I have been getting in 3D games.

I have tried:

Reverting ATI drivers back to 3.7CATS

Dis-assembling my whole computer (INCLUDING CPU CHIP) and re-assembling it.

Running SISANDRA test on my CPU to check if its scores had dropped from when I first tested it when it was running great. (Scores checked out the same both multimedia and Arithmatic.)

Running AIDA32-Bit Memory Benchmark tests to check if its scores had dropped from when I first tested it when it was running great. (Scores were the same.)

Conclusion:

Ok heres where you guys come in. I really need some input because I want to get to the root of my problem...

Im 75% sure that the problem lies with my video card, but some evidence points to my CPU and even, ram.

When I dis-assembled my comp. I took a good look at my cpu chip and everything looked fine. So did my video card and memory.

BUT: When I looked at my Video Card I may have noticed some very light burn marks on the DRR RAM chips Although (I could be wrong) Because for some reason there were no independant silver heat sinks on the ATI AIW 9800 PRO, when there are independant heak sinks on the regular 9800 PRO. I also know for a fact that the AIW 9800 PRO runs HOTTER then 9800 PRO because it has more transitors, and even if you have AGP 8X (as I do) you still HAVE TO plug it in to the power supply no matter what.

So, what do you guys think?? Please tell me if It could be a problem with the CPU to.

I want to be atleast 90% sure because I don't want to send anything back and have it come back with no problems with it...

Thank you in advance!!

 

[Shuzer]

Before you do anything, make sure you scan for Spyware, run a registry cleaning program, and defrag your harddrive. All 3 of those things could be causing your issues

Edit: Also make sure you have a clean bootup in msconfig, sometimes programs running in the background on bootup can do stupid stuff to your CPU usage

 

[ApocalypseNow]

Originally posted by Shuzer
Before you do anything, make sure you scan for Spyware, run a registry cleaning program, and defrag your harddrive. All 3 of those things could be causing your issues,

Done, Done and Done

I use Ad-Ware 6.0 which cleans out all spyware and cleans registry too.

I defraged my 200GB HD 2-3 days ago.

 

[Shuzer]

Have a second graphics card you can swap out and test with? Always good to see if you can produce the results with a different hardware configuration, best way to determine if the problem is what you believe it to be

 

[ApocalypseNow]

Originally posted by Shuzer
Have a second graphics card you can swap out and test with? Always good to see if you can produce the results with a different hardware configuration, best way to determine if the problem is what you believe it to be

eeek, i was think about that, but all I have is a Voodoo 5 (LOL) maybe I will barrow my friends Geforce 3, but he will think that my comp. will destroy it....

 

[Shuzer]

Use the Voodoo 5, if you still have drivers for it (lol), is it AGP? I'd definitely make sure to test an AGP card, as it could be something wrong with the AGP slot (although, that's practically impossible, but ya never know.. I've had weird computer problems like that)

 

[Damaged]

www.voodoofiles.com should have drivers if you need them.

 

[Faravid]

Originally posted by ApocalypseNow
Ok heres my problem in detail:

System Specs:

• MSI 875P Neo-FIS2R
• P4 3.0GHz 800MHz FSB 512MB Cache
• ATI AIW 9800 PRO 128MB @3.9 CATS
• 1024MB Corsair 400MHz Low Lantancy DDR3200
• Antec True 400w Power Supply
• Windows XP PRO Service Pack 1
• 200GB Western Digital SE 8MB Cache
• Turtle Beach Santa Cruz 6.1 Sound Card

(1st computer I have built COMPLETELY CUSTOM)

My computer used to run 100% fine with none of the problems below for like 4-5 months! SEE BELOW

Problem:

Ok, First off this problem started a week & 1/2 ago after I moved my computer to my friends house for a LAN party. I might have damaged some hardware while moving around.

What happens is when I am playing a game like CS, it gets good FPS when running around a level with no one on the screen, but once you come around a corner with 4-10 people on the screen, my computer kinda studders for a second, then stops locking up and shows everything but, when you look at the FPS read out, the numbers jump around like crazy from 20-100 really fast and makes the game VERY UNSMOOTH!

Another instance is with DOD. Usually I get good FPS, but once a level loads up with rain, the FPS do the samething they did in CS!

In UT2003 certain areas of Map bring my FPS into 10s and 20s for no reason!!! I could be looking striaght at a wall and the FPS would be in sub 10 levels! I also get random slow downs where the FPS will be fine and then drop for 5-6 second by 40, then rise back up and then like 3 seconds later it would do another random drop for 5-6 seconds.

In Warcraft 3 it sometimes starts off kinda laggy, but once theres a more then 10 units on the screen, it starts getting really laggy FPS wise.

Also I was on a webpage where there was a box with a bunch of spinning cubes in it. When ever you moved the mouse it would either spin faster (this could have been a flash/java script. maybe even running in D3D.) As I stared at it, I noticed that it had the SAME random slow downs as I have been getting in 3D games.

I have tried:

Reverting ATI drivers back to 3.7CATS

Dis-assembling my whole computer (INCLUDING CPU CHIP) and re-assembling it.

Running SISANDRA test on my CPU to check if its scores had dropped from when I first tested it when it was running great. (Scores checked out the same both multimedia and Arithmatic.)

Running AIDA32-Bit Memory Benchmark tests to check if its scores had dropped from when I first tested it when it was running great. (Scores were the same.)

Conclusion:

Ok heres where you guys come in. I really need some input because I want to get to the root of my problem...

Im 75% sure that the problem lies with my video card, but some evidence points to my CPU and even, ram.

When I dis-assembled my comp. I took a good look at my cpu chip and everything looked fine. So did my video card and memory.

BUT: When I looked at my Video Card I may have noticed some very light burn marks on the DRR RAM chips Although (I could be wrong) Because for some reason there were no independant silver heat sinks on the ATI AIW 9800 PRO, when there are independant heak sinks on the regular 9800 PRO. I also know for a fact that the AIW 9800 PRO runs HOTTER then 9800 PRO because it has more transitors, and even if you have AGP 8X (as I do) you still HAVE TO plug it in to the power supply no matter what.

So, what do you guys think?? Please tell me if It could be a problem with the CPU to.

I want to be atleast 90% sure because I don't want to send anything back and have it come back with no problems with it...

Thank you in advance!!

I have similar problem, everything with complex shaders and transparent textures slow down like hell.
I'm pretty sure the problem is in my mobo.

 

[Element Alpha]

Sounds like a mobo problem to me.

To test your ram, get one of them ramtesters(use google)

Did you use a decent anti-virus? Get a trial version from norton if you haven't.

You could also install a firewall like zonealarm to check for troyans asking for internet acces.

Use the voodoocard you have to determine if it's your videocard. CS/HL runs fine on one of those.

I'm guessing your ram consists of 2 sticks. If so, remove one, test it, then replace it with the one you got left and test again.

Hope it helps