New System Clean install of XP running slow

[kumo]

i just got a new system here are the specs
abit aa8 duramax motherboard
3.4ghz prescott
two 512 ddr2 in dual channel
ati radeon x600xt 256mb
two SATA harddrives in raid-0

have a clean install of windows and sp2 and updated drivers for everything
was having freeze-ups in call of duty so changed to omega drivers and it doesn't freeze up anymore
cpu temp is being reported as very high 60degrees idle and up to 79 degrees under full load however abit says the shutdown temp can be safely set to 90 degrees and when put under full load for several hours it still seems to function fine so until thermalright comes out with a heat sink i think cpu is ok

however i have not seen the performance increase i was hoping for my old 1.3ghz duron with 512 sdram and a crappy video card loaded maps and played games smoother then this... there is obviously something wrong that is making my computer run slower but i don't know what... i have over 800mb of available ram in task manager

what could possibly be causing my computer to run slow?
is there any way i can check to see if my cpu is thermal throttling?
is there any way that i can run a test to see how good my cpu is actually performing?
could it be a ram issue?
could it be a software issue?

 

[eydolic]

It could be any and all of those. Just because it is a fresh install doesn't mean you couldn't have gotten a virus or some malware when you first signed onto the internet, or even when and if you swapped some old data over. I would start looking in software first- look at your process list and monitor the CPU usage of each application, etc, and if you can't find anything post a HJT log in here for evaluation. Umm, it could be any number of things in hardware... But software is the best place to start with this.

 

[sodamninsane]

this is really dumb, but i can't post a new topic. can someone please paste me the link for the new topic button. for some reason it doesn't work on my box... same with the help button.

 

[kumo]

this is really dumb, but i can't post a new topic. can someone please paste me the link for the new topic button. for some reason it doesn't work on my box... same with the help button.

do you perhaps have a pop-up blocker enabled? the new topic and the help button both open new windows i can't really give you the link to new topic because it is a javascript just try to disable your pop-up blocker or put anandtech.com on the safe list

ok i'm kinda familiar with HiJackThis logs and mine doesn't seem to have anything suspicious i know what everything in it is but here you go anyway

Logfile of HijackThis v1.98.2
Scan saved at 2:28:09 PM, on 10/25/2004
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Application Accelerator\iaantmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Application Accelerator\iaanotif.exe
C:\Mozilla\firefox.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\KuMo\Desktop\hijackthis\HijackThis.exe

O2 - BHO: AcroIEHlprObj Class - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Acrobat 6.0\Reader\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IAAnotif] C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Application Accelerator\iaanotif.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AtiPTA] atiptaxx.exe
O9 - Extra button: AIM - {AC9E2541-2814-11d5-BC6D-00B0D0A1DE45} - C:\AIM\aim.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://v5.windowsupdate.micros...site.cab?1098154536071

also i've run AVG and am about to run housecall but i'm almost 100% sure it isn't a software problem

 

[kumo]

*bump*
no viruses no spyware i'm pretty sure it is a hardware problem... it isn't causing shutdowns or errors just running slowly and sluggishly and really shouldn't be with what i have in it... any suggestions anyone?

 

[mechBgon]

Did you install your motherboard's chipset drivers before installing your video drivers? Yes = If not, install the chipset drivers, then reinstall the video drivers, and see if that lights a fire under it

Also, those temperatures might be fudged by the BIOS but if they really are in that area, you need more case ventilation. Try aiming a house fan into the side of the open case and see what the temps do.

 

[kumo]

yes i installed the chipset drivers first thing

my system temperature is 33 degrees which i think is an acceptable temperature i have two case fans one in front blowing air in one in back blowing air out everything in there is nice and cool except the cpu

i just ran 3dMark05 and i got a score of 1500 which is ALOT less then people with my exact same cpu and graphics card that are getting scores of 4000+ i know alot of things can affect those scores like ram mobo ect ect. but still same cpu same graphics card mine should be at least in the 3000 range... is there anything that tests JUST the cpu to make sure it isn't thermal throttling or something

is it possible i got a bad cpu? if you return it can they tell if you overclocked it? (i underclocked it once to try to get it to run more stable)

i'm serioiusly getting pissed off and feel like i wasted a ton of money

 

[mechBgon]

Maybe the heatsink isn't making flat contact with the CPU. A couple reasons that could happen:

1) maybe your heatsink broke a "foot" where it's supposed to grab onto the plastic cage (look here on all corners)

2) if the plastic receptacle is fastened to the motherboard using barbed things something like this, check that they're all engaged and intact, because if they aren't, the receptacle would lift at the corner and then the heatsink will too.

 

[IvanAndreevich]

Thermal throttling ring any bell? That's it IMO

BTW, where do you see people with 9600XT getting 4K in 3DMark2005? 1.5 is where you should be.

 

[kumo]

i've gone through the whole heat sink thing already and i even went out and purchased new silver thermal paste and i'm 100% sure the heat sink is installed correctly

ok i guess i don't know where i got that 4k i checked again and i guess my 1.5 is about where i should be so i guess i'm fine for now i'll just be testing it out and stuff still seems like there is something wrong though i'm not sure what thanks for all your guys help

 

[IvanAndreevich]

What difference does the THERMAL CONTACT make if the HSF is UNABLE to dissipate the massive amount of heat the Prescott produces? Good luck.