Perfect Gaming Rig Suddenly Gone Bad!

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akshayt

Banned
Feb 13, 2004
2,227
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1)I have installed nforce 6.86 including storage drivers and they seem to have infact made my performance better than ever and hadnle things like cache and page file for me. The storage drivers are good this time. I know my system acted up after a few days but the storage drivers have been of great help atleast till then.

2)Memtest can't be fitted on a FDD, too big for it, I need to make a CD.
 
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akshayt

Banned
Feb 13, 2004
2,227
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You say write combining should make my games faster, then you say it is pointless and uncheck it. Please explain. Also, none of my game is crashing.
 
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wanderer27

Platinum Member
Aug 6, 2005
2,173
15
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I think the Write Combining is more to do with older AGP (or even ooolllldddd PCI) card, it's more a relic from W95 I believe. Now days it just seems to cause problems.

As for your games working fine at first, my guess would be your PF was clean. After some use (playing) there may be fragments that are/were getting pulled from it, thus affecting performance. This is only a guess, but it seems logical.

I had a similar experience with Far Cry. Once Write Combining was turned off it ran like a champ.



 
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akshayt

Banned
Feb 13, 2004
2,227
0
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What PF?

Can a HDD become fragged in less than 3-4 days for format with only 3-4 games and a fraction of basic software installed?

What kind of experience are you talking about?
 
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wanderer27

Platinum Member
Aug 6, 2005
2,173
15
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PF = PageFile, or Swapfile as it's sometimes called.

I always do a Disk Defrag after a clean install. Windows just throws things on the Drive, decompressed them, installs what's needed, and then deletes the bits and pieces. Games and Drivers aren't a whole lot better.

So yes, I'd run Defrag on it, this (fresh install) is probabely one of the worst fragmenting times on a Windows System.


Far Cry ran okay at first, then started to have long pauses/stuttering type of effects. Turning off Write Combining cleaned it up.

 
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40sTheme

Golden Member
Sep 24, 2006
1,607
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Akshay, I wasn't saying unchecking it was pointless, I was saying Write Combining is an archaic, pointless feature. Just for the record. Hmm, don't worry about memtest, I don't think it is the problem. Just turn off write combining and test some games. Defrag. Also, for your PageFile:
1. Right Click My Computer
2. Go to Properties and click the Advanced Tab
3. Click the Settings button under the Performance area (should say something about virtual memory).
4. In the Performance area, click the Advanced Tab
5. Where it says Virtual Memory, click Change. Set it to something like 2048. Should be perfectly sufficient.
 
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akshayt

Banned
Feb 13, 2004
2,227
0
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Min is 2046 and max is around double. Storage drivers themselved set that.

I haven't changed page file since the format.

I will uncheck Write Combining and try.

I won't have comp/internet access for the next 3 days, so I will do all this after that. Please don't let the thread die, don't delete it, I will continue it after 3 days. I will be leaving in another 2hrs or so, till then I am at AT.
 
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lavaheadache

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2005
6,893
14
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Just a thought, I always had problems using sound blaster live's. How come you dont just use the onboard sound on your mb? I would try gaming without it
 
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wanderer27

Platinum Member
Aug 6, 2005
2,173
15
81
Originally posted by: lavaheadache
Just a thought, I always had problems using sound blaster live's. How come you dont just use the onboard sound on your mb? I would try gaming without it
Click to expand...


I had some problems with the older SB's, but I haven't had any issues with the more recent ones. It's not XiFi (?), I've heard of lots of problems with those.

Onboards not as good as the SB's either, at least I don't think so.

 
Keysplayr

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
21,219
56
91
Originally posted by: akshayt
Dude there is a lot wrong. Other than image tearing (little bit plus major in curves) my MW was perfect after the format, after 2-3 days it started to stutter and become choppy with crap gameplay. I can post a video if you like.
Click to expand...

So what did you do in the last 2 to 3 days? It can't be nothing.....

 
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akshayt

Banned
Feb 13, 2004
2,227
0
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In those 2-3days all I did was install Rallisport demo, did some internet, maybe some small software(I doubt I installed any) and maybe some webupdate or something windows did itself.
 
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coolpurplefan

Golden Member
Mar 2, 2006
1,243
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Originally posted by: m21s
I've seen similar issues with friends who use pirated versions of Windows.

This is what I'm going to assume is the case here.
Don't ask me why, but after legit versions of Windows were installed all there problems went away.

could be the problem here.

Yes/No?
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting that. Now I know maybe I ordered a new processor for nothing (I was going to buy a new mobo as well). I reformatted and disabled updates and did not do any updates. Now my machine is working fine. I do have a legitimate copy of WinXP Pro now but I've been waiting to replace my motherboard before I install it though. I'll likely use my extra parts to build a machine for file sharing/testing.
I can't believe MS would stoop so low. There are ways of making money but that's just evil.

 
Keysplayr

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
21,219
56
91
Originally posted by: akshayt
In those 2-3days all I did was install Rallisport demo, did some internet, maybe some small software(I doubt I installed any) and maybe some webupdate or something windows did itself.
Click to expand...

What do you mean "maybe"? And how do you "doubt" you installed anything else? You need to keep a closer track on what you do with your PC man.
Take note of what you install, no matter how insignificant it might seem.

Start over, yet again. Format your hard drive. 1 partition. C: Install Windows XP SP2. Disable automatic updates in your system services. You get there like this:

Right click "My Computer" and left click "Manage".

Expand (left click the + ) next to "Services and Applications"

Single left click "Services" in the expanded sub list

In the right pane, find and right click "Automatic Updates" then left click "Properties"

In the service status area, click "STOP"

In the startup type area, click the dropdown arrow and choose "Disabled"

Click OK.

Close Computer Management window.
 
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akshayt

Banned
Feb 13, 2004
2,227
0
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I will do this once I return. One more thing, should installed orignal SP1 or pirated SP2?
 
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Stumps

Diamond Member
Jun 18, 2001
7,125
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Originally posted by: akshayt
I will do this once I return. One more thing, should installed orignal SP1 or pirated SP2?
Click to expand...

Use the Pirated version....then report yourself to microsoft and see what happens
 
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PorscheMaD911

Member
Feb 7, 2005
128
0
71
Originally posted by: Stumps
Originally posted by: akshayt
I will do this once I return. One more thing, should installed orignal SP1 or pirated SP2?
Click to expand...

Use the Pirated version....then report yourself to microsoft and see what happens
Click to expand...

Hahaha yeah, listen to Stumps not me ... that's way funnier!
 
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Sable

Golden Member
Jan 7, 2006
1,130
105
106
Originally posted by: akshayt
I will do this once I return. One more thing, should installed orignal SP1 or pirated SP2?
Click to expand...
You can;t pirate service pack 2, it's a free update. o_O
 
Maximilian

Maximilian

Lifer
Feb 8, 2004
12,604
15
81
Originally posted by: 40sTheme
Whoa, Stumps, 20 fps in a dungeon is a severe problem in some cases. I think we are not giving akshayt enough credit here.
What image quality settings do you have in Oblivion/MW?
I gotta go for today so... i'll get back later.
Click to expand...

Youve missed his other threads :laugh: Most are about the X1900XT and have some relation to MW or some other demo that dosent work etc.

He knows as well as we do that an xbox 360 is his solution.
 
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