1080P movies run problems

[MegafreD]

Hi everyone!
I need help running @1080p movies with my old computer.
Is there any technical solution for this case?

Exactly the same movie (example .mp4 files H.264 encoded clips):
@720p no problems at all, runs perfectly.
@1080p can't play it smoothly.



SPECS:


1.PC

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 2.01GHz
PCB: ASUS K8N-E
GPU: ASUS ATI Radeon A9600Pro 128Mb
RAM: 3Gb
OS: WIN 7 Ultimate x64 + SP1 (clean install last month)


2.TOOLS

CODECS: K-Lite Mega Codec Pack v10.32 full features configurated to MPC, WMP and BS.
CoreAVC Codecs v1.8.5 configurated with KMP.

PLAYERS: MPC-HC v1.7.3, WMP v12, VLC v2.1.2, BS v2.66, KMP v3.8


Please, don't need the 'buy a new pc' advice, I know I built this one at 2005.
I'm just asking for troubleshooting about this issue with this machine since I only pretend it for internet usage, watch some decent movies and eventually play a few old-school games.

My CPU usage when playing the movie
@720p jumps around 56% - 100%, but mostly uses +/-80%.
@1080p is always 100%

I don't know if it matters but the memory either way is always around 42% which is +/-1.27Gb
If it helps, here's some facts about problems noticed using different players @1080p:

MPC - Audio almost sync but turns off constantly through the film. Video full of grain as moving tiny squares (watchable but not smoothly).

WMP - Audio very low. Video full of big squares moving everytime (unwatchable).

BS - Audio very low. Video full of grain as moving little squares. Completly out of sync.

VLC - Video so choppy it's a slideshow and full of squares. Almost sync.

KMP - Video full of squares most of time. Totally out of sync.



Thanks for your attention.
I hope some brilliant mind can solve this problem.

 

[SlickSnake]

Hmm, right off the bat, that video card looks pretty underpowered.

MPC - Audio almost sync but turns off constantly through the film. Video full of grain as moving tiny squares (watchable but not smoothly).

WMP - Audio very low. Video full of big squares moving everytime (unwatchable).

BS - Audio very low. Video full of grain as moving little squares. Completly out of sync.

VLC - Video so choppy it's a slideshow and full of squares. Almost sync.

KMP - Video full of squares most of time. Totally out of sync.

All these problems look like video card bottlenecks of some sort. I think you need to upgrade it, and most if not all of these problems will go away.

And you might want to bump up the memory a bit on the mobo, to at least 4 gig. Win 7 prefers 4 gig or more for smooth video playback, but 3 gig is kind of pushing the OS as a media server at 1080p.

Depending on resolution, video playback may require additional memory and advanced graphics hardware

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/system-requirements

 

[jtvang125]

Your cpu is quite underpowered and your video card provides no video acceleration. That's why your cpu is getting hammered at 100% utilization.

If you can't upgrade your video card to one that has video acceleration you'll need a least a fast dual core cpu for smooth 1080p playback.

 

[Chapbass]

Yep, what these two said. Maybe look for a used 8500GT or something, those started the video acceleration thing.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Please, don't need the 'buy a new pc' advice,

But it fits. That is a AGP system. They simply never made an AGP video card that can play 1080p worth a damn (the one you have certainly can't). Your CPU is too weak to do the job otherwise.

The only way to TECHNICALLY get the job done is a PCI video card (yup, old PCI lasted longer than AGP). Like this card:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814500262

That would do the trick, but performance in everything but 1080p video is going to kinda suck.

 

[TAC763]

freD,

For comparison, I experienced the same problem running a AMD Athlon 64 4200+, WIN7, 4GB DDR2, with a Redeon 3450 (512MB/64 Bit).

Moving up to a GT630 (1GB/128 Bit) GPU fixed problem with stuttering. I'm assuming video acceleration, larger memory and double bit rate provided by the new card served to solve the problem.

Based upon my experience, I think your 3000+ would probably run 1080p with a modern GPU.

 

[smitbret]

I had the same occasional issue with my Athlon x2 4400+. Had I overclocked it at all, it probably would have been fine. However, I eventually tossed in a GT240 and problem was solved.

 

[alcoholbob]

You need a 8000-series or better nvidia video card for GPU acceleration.

If you don't want any new hardware at all, you can purchase a CPU codec like CoreAVC. It hasn't been updated since 2011 but should maximize your CPU to its full potential. That said, a 3000+ even with CoreAVC probably can only smoothly run lower bitrate 1080p material.