x1950 pro p4 problem help pls

[tony]

Hi,

I just got a pass mark of 377 on this set up of a 2.93 ghz p4 and connect3d x1950 pro and I can't understand why the 3d graphics results are so low and why the rating of 377 is only the same as a 2.66 ghz p4.

I have been having problems when running games at 1280x1024 and high settings and thought that this would highlight where my problem is and it probably does but I'm to thick to see where ... obviously something is doing in the graphics of the gpu .... but what?

Benchmark Results
Test Name: This Computer
CPU - Integer Math: 85.3
CPU - Floating Point Math: 262.4
CPU - Find Prime Numbers: 137.2
CPU - SSE/3DNow!: 1479.1
CPU - Compression: 2313.6
CPU - Encryption: 15.9
CPU - Image Rotation: 320.4
CPU - String Sorting: 929.1
Graphics 2D - Lines: 102.8
Graphics 2D - Rectangles: 60.0
Graphics 2D - Shapes: 28.4
Graphics 2D - Fonts and Text: 150.4
Graphics 2D - GUI: 104.1
Graphics 3D - Simple: 1399.2
Graphics 3D - Medium: 263.7
Graphics 3D - Complex: 22.2
Memory - Allocate Small Block: 1108.1
Memory - Read Cached: 1592.6
Memory - Read Uncached: 1086.8
Memory - Write: 774.1
Memory - Large RAM: 163.4
Disk - Sequential Read: 34.0
Disk - Sequential Write: 48.7
Disk - Random Seek + RW: 2.4
CD - Read: 7.1
CPU Mark: 443.6
2D Graphics Mark: 333.7
Memory Mark: 349.3
Disk Mark: 308.0
CD Mark: 874.4
3D Graphics Mark: 66.1
PassMark Rating: 377.6
System information: This Computer
CPU Manufacturer: GenuineIntel
Number of CPU: 1
(1 Core(s)/CPU, 2 Logical(s)/Core)
CPU Type: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.93GHz
CPU Speed: 2925.6 MHz
Cache size: 1024KB
O/S: Windows XP (WIN32)
Total RAM: 1022.5 MB.
Available RAM: 691.7 MB.
Video settings: 1280x1024x32
Video driver:
DESCRIPTION: Radeon X1950 Pro
MANUFACTURER: Radeon X1950 Pro
BIOS: 113-AB12700-100-CO


Thanks for any help and any indication of the cause of the pc crashes in games.

[David (PassMark)]

OK, this is going to hurt, but someone has to tell you.

Your PC is probably functioning reasonably well, but getting old and slow and is just doesn't have the power to play new games on the high settings (despite having a good graphics card).

Check out our new CPU Charts. You CPU is in the middle of the mid range (CPU mark 443). But new machines have 6 times more processing power and are getting CPU Mark results over 3000.

But nevertheless check for updated video card device drivers and new DirectX versions.

A lot of game crashes are because of bugs in the games, and there is nothing you can do to avoid this type of crash. But you need to gather details about the crash then research the Net for details about that game.

[tony]

Ouch quit it your killin me .... lol......I was kinda coming round to that conclusion myself, think it's a case of a new chip and mobo.

Is that the reason I scored so low on the overall 3d graphics section, the gpu was able to play its part in the lower graphics test yet the cpu wasn't good enough to work with the gpu in the higher tests?

Just a "YEP" will do here fine.

Thanks.

[tony]

Would a small overclock might help things? Say up to 3.2ghz ... the only reason I say is because alot of games, or so I have read, that are slightly older don't recognise the 2 cores in new chips or don't allow them to be properly utilised.

Your just gonna say "it couldn't hurt, give it a go." ....

Cheers.

[David (PassMark)]

Even a single Core of a Core 2 Duo will outperform your P4.

If you want to check if your CPU is the bottleneck,
1) Sstart Windows task manager (CTRL-ALT-DEL)
2) In the PerformanceTest preferences, set the test duration to 20sec
3) Run all the 3D tests.
4) Go back to task manager and see if your CPU hit 100% (or 50% if you have hyperthreading turned on) while the 3D test was runnning. If it did, or came close, you have a CPU bottleneck.

I have a X1950 video card in my machine, but with a Core 2 CPU. My 3D frame rates are about double yours.

[David (PassMark)]

Just following up from this. After looking at this more closely, your 3D Graphics Mark score of 66.1 is wrong (much too low based on the frame rates).

What version of PerformanceTest are you using? Where did it come from? Could it be possible you applied a patch in an attempt to crack the app, but instead have corrupted the executable? Can you get a clean copy of the software from our web site.

[tony]

No I didn't have to apply a crack or anything and thought I was running the free version .... downloaded it from fileshack or file share I think ... but definitely no cracking it says it's v6.1.

Do you think that the hyperthreading should be turned off for games?

I did as you suggested and the cpu went up to nearly 95% ...... a bottleneck .... doh.

Time for upgrade.

Cheers.

I'll download and reinstall a new version from your site and see if that helps......was starting to think it may be the graphics card as it was getting the same graphics results as a x1600.

[tony]

Hi,

don't know what I did last time but the results this time:

CPU - Integer Math: 87.5
CPU - Floating Point Math: 262.6
CPU - Find Prime Numbers: 140.3
CPU - SSE/3DNow!: 1509.2
CPU - Compression: 2387.3
CPU - Encryption: 16.6
CPU - Image Rotation: 329.5
CPU - String Sorting: 960.5
Graphics 2D - Lines: 107.8
Graphics 2D - Rectangles: 61.1
Graphics 2D - Shapes: 29.2
Graphics 2D - Fonts and Text: 158.2
Graphics 2D - GUI: 109.9
Graphics 3D - Simple: 1544.8
Graphics 3D - Medium: 282.9
Graphics 3D - Complex: 22.7
Memory - Allocate Small Block: 1163.8
Memory - Read Cached: 1631.1
Memory - Read Uncached: 1064.2
Memory - Write: 808.6
Memory - Large RAM: 147.3
Disk - Sequential Read: 34.3
Disk - Sequential Write: 48.9
Disk - Random Seek + RW: 2.4
CD - Read: 0.7
CPU Mark: 454.6
2D Graphics Mark: 348.0
Memory Mark: 356.0
Disk Mark: 309.4
CD Mark: 89.7
3D Graphics Mark: 592.2
PassMark Rating: 376.5


So the 3d graphics mark is up to - 592.2

But still the graphics 3d complex is only 22.7

Is this still half your score for the x1950 pro - would this indicate there was something wrong with it or just a lower score due to the processor?

[David (PassMark)]

I think your score it about what you should expect from your hardware. Some twaeking and overclocking might raise it a bit. But it is never going to match a new CPU.

[tony]

Once I got the new scores back from this test and the graphics mark were up it just confirmed what you were saying was right (thinking ... damn that mark guy .. ..lol).

Then when I ran the demo of future mark 06 and got:

sm 2.0 at 1600

sm 3.0 at 1900

and ....wait for it ..

cpu mark 800


Not to sure what happened the first time with the test but I always manage to mess things up ... lol ... get this I can't plug my xbox 360 controller (wired) into the pc without losing internet service until I restart.

Gotta love pc's

A sincere thanks for all your help,

Cheers.

[tony]

Hi,

left back the x1950 pro card to get a replacement as after a few other tests I was able to rule out the cpu and memory and so I'm back to the integrated gpu for now. But I ran your test again and the results are strange as some of them have increased and the overall score has not changed that much.

Integer math is up.

The overall cpu score is up
Prime number, SSE, compression, encryption and image rotation are all up.

Obviously the individual graphics 3d scores are down. But there has been no real change in 2d graphics.

CPU - Integer Math: 88.2
CPU - Floating Point Math: 264.3
CPU - Find Prime Numbers: 147.0
CPU - SSE/3DNow!: 1512.3
CPU - Compression: 2380.4
CPU - Encryption: 16.3
CPU - Image Rotation: 331.4
CPU - String Sorting: 930.8
Graphics 2D - Lines: 101.9
Graphics 2D - Rectangles: 40.6
Graphics 2D - Shapes: 27.8
Graphics 2D - Fonts and Text: 114.9
Graphics 2D - GUI: 108.3
Graphics 3D - Simple: 142.1
Graphics 3D - Medium: 27.2
Graphics 3D - Complex: 6.6
Memory - Allocate Small Block: 1108.8
Memory - Read Cached: 1626.7
Memory - Read Uncached: 1362.6
Memory - Write: 732.8
Memory - Large RAM: 130.3
Disk - Sequential Read: 34.1
Disk - Sequential Write: 48.5
Disk - Random Seek + RW: 2.4
CD - Read: 7.3
CPU Mark: 454.7
2D Graphics Mark: 290.1
Memory Mark: 366.8
Disk Mark: 307.2
CD Mark: 898.3
3D Graphics Mark: 56.3
PassMark Rating: 378.4
System information: This Computer
CPU Manufacturer: GenuineIntel
Number of CPU: 1
(1 Core(s)/CPU, 2 Logical(s)/Core)
CPU Type: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.93GHz
CPU Speed: 2925.7 MHz
Cache size: 1024KB
O/S: Windows XP (WIN32)
Total RAM: 958.5 MB.
Available RAM: 561.7 MB.
Video settings: 1280x1024x32
Video driver:
DESCRIPTION: ATI RADEON XPRESS 200 Series
MANUFACTURER: ATI RADEON XPRESS 200 Series
BIOS: BK-ATI VER008.048I.006.000
DATE: 06/03/03
Drive Letter: C
Total Disk Space: 72.4 GBytes
Cluster Size: 4.0 KBytes
File system: NTFS


I thought a graphics card would have made a much bigger change to the system overall. Does this indicate it was faulty maybe in the vidoe ram?

Cheers

[David (PassMark)]

The overall cpu score is up

Well only if you are splitting hairs. Your previous run was, 454.6. This run was, 454.7. An improvement of 0.02%. Not even 1/10 of 1% difference. Hardly something to write home about

But there has been no real change in 2d graphics..

Your last run was 348.0, this run was, 290.1. This is a significant 16.6% drop.

The 3D result absolutely plunged from 592.2 to 56.3, as you would expect.

So I don't agree with your assessment that the removal of the video card impacted the CPU but not the 2D video. Your improved CD score somewhat compensated for the poor video scores.

I have no reason you think you have, or had, faulty video RAM.

[tony]

OK fair point... the only reason I mentioned video ram was the screen corruption through playing games and not understanding how much or what kind of information you could gleen from the test scores.

4th screen down:

http://www.playtool.com/pages/artifacts/artifacts.html

This is what happens after a few seconds playing as it says it could be bus artifacts but as this is a PCI express card and these are rare so going to the next closest pic ....vram.

Just want to work out what is going on.

Also, why did your x1950 pro get twice the mark of mine.....lead me too there is some kind of problem (look at the screens above ... a big problem).

Cheers.

[David (PassMark)]

Yes, if you are getting video corrupting in various games, this can be a sign of a bad video card.

My x9150 score was better becuase I had more CPU power to drive it. Frames rates are often a combination of the video card speed and the CPU speed.

[tony]

Thanks, I really appreciate you spending your time trying to help me out.

Hope its not the power supply .... joking, it exceeds the requirements of the GPU.

Cheers.