Help me trouble shoot why my new computer is slow

[croikee]

Okay, a friend came over and we built my computer yesterday. I bought some new components and recycled some. Here is my system:
AOpen AK86-L Motherboard (new)
AMD 64 3000+ (new)
512 megs DDR 400 Gail memory (new)
Sony cd rom/rewrite (new)
GeForce 3 Ti 200 (reusing)
Quantum IDE 30 gig hard drive (reusing)
3.5 floppy (reusing)

My computer has seemed slow. In fact, in some games, its felt slower than my old maching, a Athlon 1 ghz with 300 megs of SD ram. I ran 3D Mark 2001 and got 6040. Others with my processor are getting around 17000.

I then ran PCMark 04. A company that reviewed my processor (XBIT) got a score of 4040. My score? 3303. So something is going on that is making my computer slow.

Is it my old graphics card? Or my old harddrive? What do you think? Help

 

[flexy]

yes OF COURSE it's your graphics card (And your HD)

you would have a nice system with a decent card a la Radeon 9800/Pro and a HD like WD120JB...my 0$.2..in my case i have the nice card and the fast HD, but my CPU/mobo is old

 

[loafbred]

The hard drive won't make much difference for games, but the video card is just adequate for older games at 1024X768 or less, with lower geometry and detail settings giving a big boost. Things like dynamic lighting and texture filtering really bring it to its knees. If you turn all the graphics features off, it will be fast, and you'll see the advantage of the new parts. If you're ready to buy a video card, you should ask, in the video section of the forum, about what's best for your budget.

 

[nick1985]

is the hard drive a 5400 or 7200rpm? if 5400, thats your problem

 

[jdogg707]

ya, a 5400RPM hard drive will kill performance on any machine, no matter the speed.

 

[croikee]

K, so I need a new graphics card. I'm a moron with computers, but I figured its been three years, I'm probably due. Got the B-Day coming up so there you go. You can get decent ones for $150 or so, right?

Now the hard drive is a different story. I had no clue they could effect performance. Here are the stats for my current hard drive, it came with my IBM 3 years ago. Tell me if this is the bottleneck.

Features Product Description - Quantum Fireball lct20 - hard drive - 30 GB - ATA-100
Type - Hard drive - internal
Form Factor - 3.5" x 1/3H
Dimensions (WxDxH) - 4 in x 5.7 in x 1 in
Weight - 1.1 lbs
Localization - English
Capacity - 30 GB
Interface Type - DMA/ATA-100 (Ultra)
Connector - 40 pin IDC
Data Transfer Rate - 100 MBps
Average Seek Time - 12 ms
Spindle Speed - 4500 rpm
Cylinders - 16383
Heads (Physical) - 3
Sectors per Track - 63
Bytes per Sector - 512
Buffer Size - 128 KB


I'm guessing it is. If it is my hard drive (or a big half of the problem) what would you all recomend for a replacement? Is there anything out there that is solid, and under 100 bucks?
Thanks for the replies so far.

 

[AIWGuru]

Now the hard drive is a different story. I had no clue they could effect performance.

BWAHAHAHAH!
WOW! You have a 4500RPM HDD according to what you posted. I've only heard of 4200 or 5400 but...whatever.
You should definitely upgrade that first if you find the system being just generally pokey.

 

[nick1985]

Originally posted by: croikee
K, so I need a new graphics card. I'm a moron with computers, but I figured its been three years, I'm probably due. Got the B-Day coming up so there you go. You can get decent ones for $150 or so, right?

Now the hard drive is a different story. I had no clue they could effect performance. Here are the stats for my current hard drive, it came with my IBM 3 years ago. Tell me if this is the bottleneck.

Features Product Description - Quantum Fireball lct20 - hard drive - 30 GB - ATA-100
Type - Hard drive - internal
Form Factor - 3.5" x 1/3H
Dimensions (WxDxH) - 4 in x 5.7 in x 1 in
Weight - 1.1 lbs
Localization - English
Capacity - 30 GB
Interface Type - DMA/ATA-100 (Ultra)
Connector - 40 pin IDC
Data Transfer Rate - 100 MBps
Average Seek Time - 12 ms
Spindle Speed - 4500 rpm
Cylinders - 16383
Heads (Physical) - 3
Sectors per Track - 63
Bytes per Sector - 512
Buffer Size - 128 KB


I'm guessing it is. If it is my hard drive (or a big half of the problem) what would you all recomend for a replacement? Is there anything out there that is solid, and under 100 bucks?
Thanks for the replies so far.

4500 rpm hard drive :Q thats why your system is slow...

 

[Abydos]

I remember having a 65MB hard drive in an old 386SX that seemed about that fast. Those were the good ole days! Anyways, pull that thing and use it for a door stop. Go get aWestern digital WD800JD (80GB w/ 8MB cache @7200RPM) which should run about $100.00 after shipping (or something comparable). Hope that helps ya.

 

[nbarb99]

Sorry to be a naysayer, but I recently purchased a WD 120GB special edition drive and it conked out on me within 6-9 months THANKFULLY, I had a 90% backup of my data, because the drive won't spin up (the feared "WD click of death").

I've heard that WD can be hit-and-miss, some people get horrible drives and others get fine ones. Something you should know for a purchase decision

 

[jdogg707]

I have never had an issue with any WD drive I have ever had, but that doesn't mean they don't die. I would say WD is just as reilable if not more reliable than any other manufacturer out there. Plus the three year warranty on the SE drives is a very nice addition.

 

[flexy]

lets not make this to the 1000th 'WD is bad HD' thread....i had Maxtor before too, got a WD120JB..and despites what people say it still runs fine. People just shouldnt pack 5 or so tight in a RAID and then have no adequate ventilation....

BUT.....back to topic...i had a DX400 Maxtor 40Gig 2MB cache before.....and now the WD120JB 8MB (both 7200RPM drives) and i THINK the performance gain from the Maxtor was totally neglectible....he should get a newer Maxtor or a WD....and..note....his HD has 128KB buffer

$150 graphics card...hmm....hmm....hmmmm.....i personaly would not get anything less than a 9800 NP/Pro...maybe he can get a 9800NP for $150 somewhere...anyone give him advice otherwise he will end up with some cr*p lke a NV MX card etc

 

[croikee]

Yes Yes, someone listent to Flexy. I need advice on this stuff so it doesn't suck. I know the foundation I have is good, I just need a solid hard drive and graphics card.

Sata Drive or not? I don't know what Sata is but I hear it is good *smacks self in head.*

As for graphics cards, I was looking at ATI 9600XT (or XE the new model), a ATI 9700 Pro, or a FX 5700 Ultra
Thoughts?

Oh, the hd doesn't neet to be more than 40 gigs.

 

[kd2777]

Yes as others have said it is your Video and HDD, I have the 2500+(OC'ed a little ), 74 GB Raptor, and a 9800pro(OC'ed a little ). I get 18000 3dmark2001 and over 4000 on pcmark04. A few more upgrades and you will be there. But before you plump the money down ask yourself if your system is fast enough in your everyday computing.

 

[kd2777]

If you have about 250 to spend (150 video/ 100 HDD)

1) if you are a big gamer 9800pro 210 and a WD 80GB 70 bucks = 290
2) if you are a minor gamer 9600xt 150 and a 36GB Raptor 120 = 270

IMHO

 

[flexy]

Originally posted by: kd2777
If you have about 250 to spend (150 video/ 100 HDD)

1) if you are a big gamer 9800pro 210 and a WD 80GB 70 bucks = 290
2) if you are a minor gamer 9600xt 150 and a 36GB Raptor 120 = 270

IMHO

i agree so far, the 9700 Pro would also be an optiom..i dont know how much he is wiling to spend and what he actualy uses the comp for.
9800Pro (or 9700 Pro) for games...yeah !

I dont agree with the last one...i personally never spend more than $100 on a HD...and for sure not $120 on a HD with only 36GB... would make much more sense (to me) to spend less money and get a BIIIG HD (WD120. WD80 etc..)...but as said..depends what he does with his PC....the more power..the better gfx...the sooner he might realize that he might want a bigger HD

Re: SATA...i dont know whether your board has a SATA connection...overrated in my opinion..to expensive...too small...etc...i'd just get an IDE HD

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: nbarb99
Sorry to be a naysayer, but I recently purchased a WD 120GB special edition drive and it conked out on me within 6-9 months THANKFULLY, I had a 90% backup of my data, because the drive won't spin up (the feared "WD click of death").

I've heard that WD can be hit-and-miss, some people get horrible drives and others get fine ones. Something you should know for a purchase decision

My secondary system has 4 hard drives, all happen to be Western Digital. No problems yet.

croikee - yes, your graphics card is definitely what's keeping your 3dmark scores down.
You said something around $150 - I've seen 9700 Pro cards for under $200 on the For Sale/Trade forum here.

 

[kd2777]

I dont agree with the last one...i personally never spend more than $100 on a HD...and for sure not $120 on a HD with only 36GB... would make much more sense (to me) to spend less money and get a BIG HD (WD120. WD80 etc..)...but as said..depends what he does with his PC....the more power..the better gfx...the sooner he might realize that he might want a bigger HD

Re: SATA...i dont know whether your board has a SATA connection...overrated in my opinion..to expensive...too small...etc...i'd just get an IDE HD

I wouldn't want to be stuck with a 36 GB hard drive either, but he said it didn't need to be over 40 GB, and he wanted a great upgrade for 100. I personally have the 74 GB HDD and know for sure that it is a great upgrade. But if he doesn't have s-ATA connectors then he will have to go with a cheapper IDE one. But my first chose is still the Raptors (because they are awesome )

 

[Cerb]

The video card upgrade isn't worth it quite yet (if you've held on to a GF3 this long, at least wait for the new cards to come out and cause a flushing of 9800 and 5900 inventories). If that's not an overclocked GF3, the 3Dmark01 score is a tad low, but within acceptable limits.

However...a 4500 RPM drive?
I'm using two 5400 RPM drives, and I know very well they are dogging me down (college student budget and all), but 4500 RPM w/ 128k buffer? Dayumn! (is it just me or do those specs look like a laptop drive? ATA100 & 4500 RPM...)

A 80GB 3-yr drive from any major manufacturer (Maxtor, WD, Seagate) will offer a good boost in performance, most notably in program loads, swapping, and boot times. Also, it falls well under your budget.

 

[Davegod]

Cerb, dunno about elsewhere but the 9800pro prices in UK already make it look like theyre dumping them, £145 for the sapphire at some places, at a guess 6 weeks ago £220 was as cheap as a 9800pro could be found (often more like £250-£280).

The 3dmark 2001 score looks right for a GF3ti200. Hard drive speed shouldnt affect it much, if at all, since it doesnt count the time it takes to load up each test HDD speed will affect how fast the system "feels" though, in general windows usage and games loading maps etc.

I'd probably suggest a 9800pro and use whats left for a decent hard drive, at least a 7200rpm at whatever size 80gb and over that there is money for (preferably an 8mb cache version).

 

[croikee]

Thanks for all the information guys. Yeah, I said I don't need a hard drive with more than 40 gigs because i barely used my 30 gig hard drive in three years. If they are that cheap though (under a 100) why not get a 80? I guess programs aren't getting any smaller.

As for the computers use, I'd say 75% of it is video games, the rest either work or just surfing around. I read a review that said the 5700 ultra and 9600 XT were great middle road cards, but if you could get a 9700 Pro for under $200, to do it. I don't know the difference between the 9800 Pro and the 9700 Pro. What about the XT model of the 9700?

 

[AIWGuru]

Originally posted by: croikee
Thanks for all the information guys. Yeah, I said I don't need a hard drive with more than 40 gigs because i barely used my 30 gig hard drive in three years. If they are that cheap though (under a 100) why not get a 80? I guess programs aren't getting any smaller.

As for the computers use, I'd say 75% of it is video games, the rest either work or just surfing around. I read a review that said the 5700 ultra and 9600 XT were great middle road cards, but if you could get a 9700 Pro for under $200, to do it. I don't know the difference between the 9800 Pro and the 9700 Pro. What about the XT model of the 9700?

Greater arial density = greater speed.
Bigger is better (with fewer platters)