Will my system hold back a new graphics card

Discussion in '3D Hardware, Software & Output Devices' started by tomdon, Jul 23, 2004.

  1. Randell

    Randell Senior Daddy
    Veteran

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2002
    Messages:
    1,869
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    London
    also,

    what speed is your RAM? I just upgraded from 640meg of PC2100 running at 148mhz/296mhz to 1 gig of PC3200 at 200/400mhz and increased my Far Cry Cooler map bench on a 9700Pro from 49 fps to 59 fps (medium settings, no AA/AF). 20% is not to be sneezed at and makes my platform as fast as I can make it without switching to AMD 64.

    My CPU is a Barton Mobile 2500 at 2400mhz (12x200)

    So that will help me wait for the new card.
     
  2. oddfellow

    Regular

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2004
    Messages:
    355
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    South West England
    That cpu will be fine for a while. Or, if it does become troublesome, you could allways O/C it (assuming it's an early non-locked one). I have a Barton 2600+ running at 3200+ speed (2.2G) withought breaking a sweat.

    Go for a ram upgrade though. 1gb is really gonna be a realistic minimum for the next generation of games.

    I have a Shuttle SN45G and I'm gonna upgrade to a 6800GT when the prices and availability stabilize here in the UK.
     
  3. jvd

    jvd
    Banned

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2002
    Messages:
    12,724
    Likes Received:
    9
    Location:
    new jersey
    that would perform like a 3.2 or 3.3 ghz p4 . Now if you could get your ram higher it would perform better.
     
  4. François

    Newcomer

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2004
    Messages:
    55
    Likes Received:
    0
    Lezmaka,

    I thank you for your post, it may actually impact my purchasing decision. I thought I would be bottlenecked by CPU (P4 3.06Ghz with 533Mhz bus speed) and there would be no use for an Ultra or Platinum Edition.

    In HardOCP's benchmarks with a 3.2Ghz P4 (as opposed to the first benchmark with the 3.6 Ghz P4), on 1024x768 HQ NoAA 8XAF, Kyle said:

    Bring down the resolution and turning off AA shows us that CPU power is still very much a factor in our gaming experience. The three stronger cards are surely held back by the CPU at these settings.

    So if he is bottlenecked by the CPU with a 3.2 with 2GB of ram, I will be too. But now you gave me a reason to splurge on a high-end card !

    Thank you !

    François
     
  5. KimB

    Legend

    Joined:
    May 28, 2002
    Messages:
    12,928
    Likes Received:
    230
    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    The 1.5GHz is a recommendation on P4 frequency. Athlon's are much faster on a per-clock basis.
     
  6. Randell

    Randell Senior Daddy
    Veteran

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2002
    Messages:
    1,869
    Likes Received:
    3
    Location:
    London
    yeah I know that, I only got this RAM yesterday, now at 11.5x210 :)
     
  7. tomdon

    Newcomer

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2004
    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    0
    I just ordered a PNY 6800 GT but I ordered on a friday night so I will have to wait till monday/tuesday for my "next day" delivery :x . If theres one thing I cant stand its waitng for a pc part to come in the post lol.
     
  8. RostokMcSpoons

    Newcomer

    Joined:
    May 6, 2004
    Messages:
    45
    Likes Received:
    0
    I'm buying a 6800GT for a Shuttle.. there's a big thread I started asking if it was possible to run it on a 200w psu. (It is)
    Apparently temp is not a problem either, especially if you a buy a mesh sided case cover (approx £22)

    As for Stalker, well it's TWIMTBP game, which means it'll be possibly nVidia optimised (or ATI hobbled, given how things have gone in the past , *cough* Tiger Woods 2004 *cough*), and it's one of the games that will have an SM3 path. I'm still not convinced the gameplay will be as good as the environment it's played in, but I've got a close eye on it.
     
  9. Mariner

    Veteran

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2002
    Messages:
    2,288
    Likes Received:
    1,055
    Hey Rostok - whereabouts in the UK can you get the mesh-sided case covers? I've had a quick look around the usual suspects and can't find anywhere that lists it!

    Perhaps if I get one of these case covers, it would reduce the banshee wail that is my "SilentX" PSU! :wink:
     
  10. RostokMcSpoons

    Newcomer

    Joined:
    May 6, 2004
    Messages:
    45
    Likes Received:
    0
    Here's the thread http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13669&start=40

    and here's the company that does the mesh cover http://commerce.uk.sage.com/GEMMA/

    You're not the first person to complain about the SilentX psu... is it louder than the normal one, or just louder than you were led to believe?
     
  11. Reverend

    Banned

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2002
    Messages:
    3,266
    Likes Received:
    24
    Hmm... are you able to overclock the Athlon to 3200+ speed?
     
  12. RostokMcSpoons

    Newcomer

    Joined:
    May 6, 2004
    Messages:
    45
    Likes Received:
    0
    Well this is helping to hijack a thread... but can I ask a n00b question about this too? :oops:

    I've tried overclocking my Shuttle SN41G2v1 by sticking up the fsb, but if I change it *at all* from default, my system locks up :( I've got a fairly old Athlon 2500+, which I believe were unlocked when they first came out... is it just my Crucial DDR333 that's holding me back? Or am I being an idiot? :roll:
     
  13. Mariner

    Veteran

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2002
    Messages:
    2,288
    Likes Received:
    1,055
    Thanks for the link.

    I previously used one of the Achme PSUs which I had modded with an ADDA fan and this was pretty quiet (I have a 120mm fan strapped onto the back of the system). What did irritate me was various buzzing noises which intermittently came from the PSU so I thought the SilentX would be nicer. I was also considering buying one of the 'moddable' 9800SE AIWs which were around at the turn of this year. With the SilentX, when the system starts up it is nice and quiet but soon gets louder and louder until it's making a right bloody racket!

    I should really have put the old PSU back in but after mucking around installing a passive NB cooler I was too disillusioned (i.e. pissed off) and just tried to ignore the sound. It's not exactly a high powered system (Athlon XP 2500+) but it does have a passively cooled 9600NP as well as the Zalman on the NB. Perhaps a mesh case might remove enough heat to stop the SilentX PSU spinning the fans up too high? I'd be happiest of all if the Soldam external power bricks were available in the UK, but a mesh case doesn't sound too expensive so that may be the next stop.
     
  14. Mariner

    Veteran

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2002
    Messages:
    2,288
    Likes Received:
    1,055
    Continuing the hijacking...

    I'm pretty sure that you won't be able to get any real overclock out of the SN41G2 (which I also have).

    The one which was good for overclocking was it's successor, the SN45 which (I believe) had an updated nForce chipset which is better for overclocking. The original SN41G2 just can't hack overclocking, unfortunately. You'll probably find more information on www.sfftech.com.
     
  15. RostokMcSpoons

    Newcomer

    Joined:
    May 6, 2004
    Messages:
    45
    Likes Received:
    0
  16. mustrum

    Regular

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2002
    Messages:
    288
    Likes Received:
    0
    @thread starter: Hell it's a barton 2500+! Get a thermalright SLK900-A and OC the crap out of it. XP3200+ should be the minimum you can do.
    And no i don't think a XP3200+ bottlenecks the new cards so bad. Sure they go faster on a AMD 64 3800+ but a XP3200+ with a 6800 GT or x800 will play any game to come in the near future.
     
  17. Mariner

    Veteran

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2002
    Messages:
    2,288
    Likes Received:
    1,055
    Would a Thermalright SLK900-A even fit in a Shuttle, however? :?
     
  18. tomdon

    Newcomer

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2004
    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    0
    I have never oc a proc before, but im sure I read somewhere that you couldnt do much overclocking on a shuttle because some technical reason that i can not remeber lol.

    *edit- Some google research later*
    Ok im think im down with the kids now. As I understand it because the shuttle does not let me set the voltage this can mean it does not overclock well. The only option is to crank up the fsb.
    The problem I see with this is my cpu is at 50 now as it is :| thats just browsing the net. I would hate to think what cranking up the speed would do to it.
    Any shuttle overclocking advice would be great now.

    Oh yeh I dont know if this makes any differnce but there was lots of talk where I looked of "locked" bartons. I dont know if it makes any diff but I got my barton 2500+ long time ago lol.

    **Edit again**

    I just tried upping the fsb by 10 but it wont work. I save exit it restarts then it says dont turn system off applying new settings or somthing like that. Then the screen goes into standby and nothing happens at all. It happens what ever setting I have it on. The only time it gets past first bios screen is if its at 166 fsb and everything stock :( :(.
     
  19. mustrum

    Regular

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2002
    Messages:
    288
    Likes Received:
    0
    I'm sorry. I somehow "overlooked" the shuttle part. Thermalright wont work. :D I hat my 2500+ running ant 3200+ at stock vcore with a arctic cooling copper silent TC. That's not a great cooler at all so i am surre it'S possible to squeeze some more out of yours. I got a good stepping on my barton though.
    I don't know how good your shuttle is cooled but it should be doable. If not 3200+ you can go to 300+ at least i guess.

    Edit: 50 while browsing the web is awful. Is it possible to apply case cooling to a shuttle? you also should replace the cheapo thermal paste or thermalpad with arctic silver V. It's really impressive how good AS V is belive me.
    If your barton is locked or not wont matter since you're going to OC viaa FSB anyways. Locked bartons can't change their multiplier.
    Old bartons aren't locked usually though just as a sidenote.

    What you need is a better airflow in your case. It's running alarmingly hot at stock allready.
     
  20. tomdon

    Newcomer

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2004
    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    0
    I just took the time to go have a look at my barton. To my suprise when I took the heat pipe off there didnt seem to be any thermal paste left on it :shock: There was some left round the side but the rest of it had gone lol. I just stuck some more on there and am going to check how much of a differnce this makes.

    While I was there I also set up an old pentium 2 fan to suck some cool air through the cover grill and into the shuttle.

    *edit*

    Well after the tweaking mentioned above the cpu temp has dropped down to around 40 - 44 from way up in the high 50's. The inside case temp has also dropped down to 38 - 40, so all in all its been a productive day :).
     
Loading...

Share This Page

  • About Us

    Beyond3D has been around for over a decade and prides itself on being the best place on the web for in-depth, technically-driven discussion and analysis of 3D graphics hardware. If you love pixels and transistors, you've come to the right place!

    Beyond3D is proudly published by GPU Tools Ltd.
Loading...