Jazino

Well I have been playing Far Cry 2 and about a week ago it started slowing down every few minutes then running fine.

So I buy an HD4850 to replace my old HD3850 thinking maybe it was the 256 ram choking it. As soon as I get the new gpu in it starts slowing down every 40-60 seconds and getting a bit worse. Not it will slow down even opening internet pages.

I am unsure what is causing the problem, possible culprits include:

PSU: 500W Coolermaster, may be over-volting though. Asus probe said 12.7 on the 12v. but bios reads 11.7 on the 12v. Also CPUID reads 1.47vcore while I have it set to 1.35 in bios.

CPU: This was new 6 months ago and had never been overclocked. I have been using an old hsf and it may have overheated, possibly into the high 70's which could have really hurt the cpu I imagine.

Mobo: This was a refurb Asus M2N-MX SE Plus. I have no good reason why this would be the problem however.

Ram: Some HP(?) DDR2 667




I have run it with onboard graphics and it still shutters sometimes, superpi took 40 seconds.

I also reinstalled windows which almost wouldn't even install. It would hang for minutes without doing anything. I also tried underclocking the cpu and turning down N/Sbridge voltages.

So it seems like it has to be a hardware problem but I never had anything slowly give out on me like this so I am not sure what it would be. All help is appreciated.

AIpha

I know that CPU-Z give horrible readings on my vcore.(Pc probe is more accurate in that area.) IDK about the PSU thing. I know that PC probe has a default setting to alarm you if you go 10% over/under. (So Unless you go up into the 13v I wouldn't worry too much.)

This is stuff I picked over reading like 10 minutes ago. So it may not be 100% correct.(Or correct at all)

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maddux

using programs for voltage ratings...12v, 5v 3.3v etc is crap..they are all usually wrong.

Only correct way to test is with a DMM.

Jazino

Good to know about the voltages. That isn't so much the problem though as it was a possible cause of problems.

I can't game due to the slowdowns. I am starting to think it has to be the cpu, I don't think that psu or mobo dying would simply cause me to slowdown. If that cpu was getting into the 70's maybe i fired it and it is limping along.

Anyone know the sypmtoms of a dying cpu?

Hephasteus

Ya some of the ways they calculate them are bit iffy to me. This is a great page to peak into how some of the sensors work.

http://www.lm-sensors.org/wiki/iwizard/1

But computer powersupplies are really tough to understand and build. They are trying to turn ac sine wave which tries to be constant current and varying voltage into DC which tries to be constant voltage varying current. Processors are just so fast and can go from moving very little current to rushing tons of it I'm sure the voltages vary quite a bit over time. Its a bit scary that the voltage sensing stuff motherboards use is what they base their regulation off of.

But to the original poster slowdowns like this are usually heat problems. Something is throttling either the GPU or the CPU or the Northbridge though most northbridges can't throttle but they can bumrush the cpu or gpu with runaway temperature induced current and make them throttle.
Sorry edited that again didn't explain it very well. The cpu and gpu are like a powersupply in the computer so it's more correct to say that the northbridge can bumrush the cpu or gpu with current DEMANDS which will cause them to trottle.

rock3ralex

might be psu or mobo.

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Jazino

Yeah, sounds like it could be all three. Also good psu info.

It is not in a case so airflow is good, NB hsf never gets searingly hot and gpu stays very reasonable as well. I don't think it is a current heat problem as much as it is something likely caused by overheating.

Jazino

Looks like I am buying a new psu, mobo and cpu.

I want to keep it on the cheap, anyone have a better suggestion than this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.142046

It will be for GTA4 and FC2.

Edit: I would also be willing to go dual or quad core depending on if it will help me game. If I can do it cheaper I would even try Intel

The Duke

That HP DDR2 667, if it was that server memory that was on the cheap and well posted on in the On Line Deals section months ago is Micron NHY ICs that can hit hear DDR2 1000 speeds. Not to shabby overall actually.

Your whole issue is odd with this slow down thing, are you sure you don't have some crap software sucking the life out of your system? Did you check for CPU load and what possible programs/processes may be suspect in the Windows Taks Manager?

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Jazino

Yeah it was the ram that was like $6 AR. Interesting to know it might not be terrible.

As for the slowdowns it isn't as bad now but I still can't game for crap. And I did a full re-install after running antivirus, adware etc and having no luck.