Huge frame loss with GeForce 7800 GT

[billsbury]

I just built a new system with the following specs:

-Windows XP Pro (not the 64-bit one)
-AMD 64 X2 3800+ processor
-Asus A8N-SLI Premium motherboard
-GeForce 7800 GT video card w/Dual Analog LCDs (Samsung 710N)
-Kingston 1 GB PC3200 memory
-Western Digital 250 GB SATA II hard drive

With dual-displays turned on, every time I do anything video-oriented, both cores of my 3800+ X2 CPU are maxed out (100% solidly) until I stop it. It's almost as if my video card is sittin back and letting my CPU do all the work. Consequently, the NVidia demos move at snail speed, as do games. I lose more frames than Bill Gates has dollars. However, it gets much better when I disable my secondary display. CPU usage overall goes from 100% to 50%. The video still doesn't look nearly as good as it should, but I gain quite a few frames per second.

I have the following going for me:

-I have the latest Chipset drivers from Asus (Version 6.65)
-I have the latest video drivers from Nvidia
-I have installed the latest AMD driver from their site
(AMD Athlon? 64 X2 Dual Core Processor Driver for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Version (exe) 1.2.2.2).
-I have installed the Microsoft hotfix that supposedly helps dual-core CPUs and Windows get along.
-I know Service Pack 2 is not the problem.
-I know the video card is not defective.

The only thing I haven't done is update the BIOS from my current version of 1008 to whatever is the latest from Asus.

My weak hypothesis:
My AMD X2 3800+ DUal-Core processor is incompatible with the rest of my system in some way
OR
new video cards simply don't like dual analog LCDs.


Any help you give me would be GREATLY appreciated. If any of you figure this out, I am already eternally greatful. Thank you in advance.
-Bill from IN

 

[SuperStrokey]

Make sure that you ran driver cleaner and then reinstall the drivers

 

[xtknight]

The NVIDIA driver offloads vertex processing to the second core as far as I know. And the game is using 100% of the first. But I don't know why it's running so slowly. What happens if you set the second monitor to 'off'? Did you say disable as in unplugging it or disabling it in drivers?

 

[billsbury]

I just unchecked the 'Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor' box to disable it.

 

[BFG10K]

Get the latest chipset drivers from nVidia, not from Asus.

 

[billsbury]

Yea I just did that. Good idea but same results.

 

[grimlykindo]

Have you tried a digital (DVI) monitor yet to see if digital/analog is your problem? Other than that try a fresh OS install (if you haven't already)

 

[SergeC]

If the BIOS on your board is old enough, it won' be completely compatible with the X2 CPU. Might want to try that.

 

[BFG10K]

Try disabling nVidia's dual-core driver optimizations. Download their driver release notes and it states how to do it in there.

 

[billsbury]

I haven't. However, why would they give me two DVI to VGA convertors if I'm not supposed to use Analog LCDs? Good insight though.

 

[billsbury]

Thanks for your input. I have updated my BIOS to the newest version I know of, which is 1009. I'm starting to think the motherboard just has a defective PCI-E bus.