Setting Up a Rig for Benchmarking Video

[apoppin]

OK ... i am done with mickey-mousing around. i was totally *crippled* by Win2K and HD2900xt ... evidently there might be some workarounds but i felt my frustration level go way too high ... so i retired Win2K and bought WinXP today and already it's *complete* on my "junk" IDE HD as a 'back-up' for everything - i am just d/ling updates

NOW ... i need some help in setting up my rig as a "benchmarking machine" and want to compare not only HD2900xt to GTX 640 ... BUT, i want to also compare their respective performance in Vista vs. XP ... Best Buy OK'd it for me to buy a GTS to compare with the XT and to bring one back without restocking fee .... of course, i will participate 100% in the test vs. Key's rig and others ... but i need pointers on "fine tuning" my own rig for Video benchmarking

so ... what do you think? 4 partitions on my RAID-0 ... i have 500GB total ... 2 for Vista [1 partition for nvidia and 1 for AMD] and 2 for XP [1 partition for nvidia and 1 for AMD] ... at what point do i ghost the partitions ?? ... i don't want AMD drivers to interfere with nvidia ones

i'd like relative size suggestions ... i am guessing that 2 partitions can be smaller than the other since they will be deleted eventually [unless i do it again in the future] ... or just 4 x 125GB partitions ?


what about setting XP up on RAID? ... do i need a "bootable" floppy? ... or just a floppy with the RAiD drivers? ... Vista makes it easy ... you just use the Gigabyte CD ... and Gigabyte did not include a floppy for XP

 

[tuteja1986]

System :

X6800
2GB 1066Mhz 5.5.5.15
320GB western digital
Windows Vista Ultimate 32bit
Samung 305T
8800GTX Gigabyte

and i just ordered 2900XT Vision tek http://www.itestate.com.au/pro...il.asp?code=PD00004835

Driver :

# ATI Catalyst 7.5;
# Nvidia ForceWare 158.24.

Benchmark :

Battlefield 2142 1920x1440 FSAA 4x / AF 16x
8800GTX : 71


Edit : on second thought I hate benchmarking ... took like 1hr to get it all setup

 

[apoppin]

Price(IncGST):
$ 517.00

how much is that in 'real money" ?

and how do you keep your nvidia drivers from conflicting with AMD ones? ... separate partitions?

and it took a "whole hour" to set it up ?!?! ... you are pretty slow for a fresh OS install

 

[apoppin]

come on ... i KNOW someone here knows about this better than me .. i'd like to set it up right ...
--the 3rd time at least

4 partitions, right?

equal in size?

but can't ghost them to each other because of the AMD vs nvidia driver conflicts ... AFTER i set them all up, then image them for the next drivers, changes, etc.

and do i need to make a "boot disk" to install RAID-0 on XP ... or just a floppy with the driver files?

how else should i optimize? ...
---my D/L's are nearly done
:clock:

 

[thilanliyan]

If you have more than one HDD, as a temporary solution, I'd install XP/Vista on a separate drive for each card and then depending on which you want to benchmark just disconnect the power to the other HDD and boot and run the benchmarks. That way you are absolutely sure there are no conflicts.

This is what I did when I benchmarked the DX10 demos for Vista. I didn't want to stick to Vista yet so I installed on a separate HDD. I still have Vista installed on the other HDD and just disconnect (or set boot priority in BIOS...although I don't like this solution either since the Vista install puts some extra files on my XP install drive) my main XP drive when I want to run some DX10 stuff.

Do you need to run RAID-0?? If you have enough ram (+2GB) then I don't think it will make much difference for benchmarking. I used to run RAID-0 and the only difference it made was in load times(and not my a huge amount)...but I learned the hard way about RAID-0 when both my drives (2x 80GB Western Digital) ended up dying on me within a year. Unless you're gonna do a lot of video editing RAID-0 wouldn't be very useful.

 

[tuteja1986]

You need 2 same size , brand , spec HDDp

You install one hDD with XP with ATI stuff
You install 2nd hdd with XP Nvidia stuff

To change the HDD all you do is turn off the system plug the sata to either Nvidia HDD or ATI HDD :! this is the way : )

 

[bfdd]

Just partition a drive into 4 partitions. Clean installs no fluff newest drivers for your mobo and video, whatever else. Do windows updates. Install the games with the latest patches and go at it I would say.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: thilan29
If you have more than one HDD, as a temporary solution, I'd install XP/Vista on a separate drive for each card and then depending on which you want to benchmark just disconnect the power to the other HDD and boot and run the benchmarks. That way you are absolutely sure there are no conflicts.

This is what I did when I benchmarked the DX10 demos for Vista. I didn't want to stick to Vista yet so I installed on a separate HDD. I still have Vista installed on the other HDD and just disconnect (or set boot priority in BIOS...although I don't like this solution either since the Vista install puts some extra files on my XP install drive) my main XP drive when I want to run some DX10 stuff.

all my HW is in my rig for easy viewing

i have 3 HDs ... the slower IDE is a 'junk' catch-all [back-up] HD ... even though it is relatively fast

the other two are 2 x 250 GD Seagate 'cudas in RAID-0 ... so they are seen as a single 500GB [pretty fast] HD

i was *thinking* of 4 separate partitions ... Vista won't put anything in XP - except to order the sequence of booting. 2 parttions will be Vista - 1 of them for GTS and one for XT ... and two will be XP with the same 1- gts and 1- XT.

the Other way would be to have just 2 separate HDs ... 1 for Vista and 1 for XP ... each drive partitioned in two parts .... one for nvidia and one for AMD.

but then i LOSE "performance"

afaik, partitions are just as 'separate' as physical HDs ... i don't think there is ANY disadvantage to 1 500GB RAID-0 drive divided into 125GB partitions

after i am done, i can always merge them if i like ... or keep them for further testing [and of course, "ghost" them for really easy set-up next time]

 

[thilanliyan]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: thilan29
If you have more than one HDD, as a temporary solution, I'd install XP/Vista on a separate drive for each card and then depending on which you want to benchmark just disconnect the power to the other HDD and boot and run the benchmarks. That way you are absolutely sure there are no conflicts.

This is what I did when I benchmarked the DX10 demos for Vista. I didn't want to stick to Vista yet so I installed on a separate HDD. I still have Vista installed on the other HDD and just disconnect (or set boot priority in BIOS...although I don't like this solution either since the Vista install puts some extra files on my XP install drive) my main XP drive when I want to run some DX10 stuff.

but then i LOSE "performance"

I added something to my original post. You'll only notice a drastic difference in video editing with RAID-0, at least in my experience. Don't forget seek times are slower with RAID-0 although your sustained transfer rate goes up...but transfer rates are paramount if you're working with very large files (ie. video files).

 

[nullpointerus]

Originally posted by: apoppin
so ... what do you think? 4 partitions on my RAID-0 ... i have 500GB total ... 2 for Vista [1 partition for nvidia and 1 for AMD] and 2 for XP [1 partition for nvidia and 1 for AMD] ... at what point do i ghost the partitions ?? ... i don't want AMD drivers to interfere with nvidia ones

i'd like relative size suggestions ... i am guessing that 2 partitions can be smaller than the other since they will be deleted eventually [unless i do it again in the future] ... or just 4 x 125GB partitions ?

I believe ghosting is most useful in benchmarking when you want to use the same OS partition for multiple video cards. This way you set up XP once, instead all other drivers once, make a ghost image. Whenever you want to switch video cards, you just restore the ghost image of the initial configuration.

I'm not sure what the benefit of ghosting would be if you want multiple OS's and drivers installed simultaneously. (As I understand it, ghosting is just a way to save time.) Maybe in this case you could install/update Vista w/ all third party software, create a ghost image, duplicate the image onto another partition, and then install AMD drivers on one partition and nVidia drivers on the other partition. Then you would repeat this process for XP, right?

You will need at least 20GB each for the Vista partitions. Outside of that minimum recommended size, there's no fixed ratio. Most likely you will want it 1:1:1:1 since you will want the same third-party software installed on all four partitions, and you'll just end up limiting yourself to the capacity of the smallest partition if the partitions are different sizes.

Vista has some ability to resize partitions. Specifically, you can shrink a partition if there's no data (e.g. data files, paging file, etc.) present near the end of the partition, but this really varies in usefulness because Vista apparently does not try to keep files organized near the front of the partition (even when defragmenting). You can also extend a partition if the free space is contiguous and at the *end* of the partition you want to extend. So put the Vista partition you would want to keep in the beginning of the disk. When you finish benchmarking, you can delete the other three partitions and extend the first partition to use all available space on the disk.

what about setting XP up on RAID? ... do i need a "bootable" floppy? ... or just a floppy with the RAiD drivers? ... Vista makes it easy ... you just use the Gigabyte CD ... and Gigabyte did not include a floppy for XP

With XP you do not need a bootable floppy. You boot from the XP CD and then at some point in text mode install you are given the opportunity to insert a floppy disk with the SATA drivers. I am not sure whether XP setup will let you use a CD with the SATA drivers, but I cannot imagine a motherboard being sold today without a working XP/SATA driver disk. Check your system board manual and the paper inserts included with the motherboard. Somewhere you should find step-by-step instructions for setting up XP on a SATA drive.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: nullpointerus

Originally posted by: apoppin
so ... what do you think? 4 partitions on my RAID-0 ... i have 500GB total ... 2 for Vista [1 partition for nvidia and 1 for AMD] and 2 for XP [1 partition for nvidia and 1 for AMD] ... at what point do i ghost the partitions ?? ... i don't want AMD drivers to interfere with nvidia ones

i'd like relative size suggestions ... i am guessing that 2 partitions can be smaller than the other since they will be deleted eventually [unless i do it again in the future] ... or just 4 x 125GB partitions ?

I believe ghosting is most useful in benchmarking when you want to use the same OS partition for multiple video cards. This way you set up XP once, instead all other drivers once, make a ghost image. Whenever you want to switch video cards, you just restore the ghost image of the initial configuration.

I'm not sure what the benefit of ghosting would be if you want multiple OS's and drivers installed simultaneously. (As I understand it, ghosting is just a way to save time.) Maybe in this case you could install/update Vista w/ all third party software, create a ghost image, duplicate the image onto another partition, and then install AMD drivers on one partition and nVidia drivers on the other partition. Then you would repeat this process for XP, right?

that's what i was thinking ... each partition is exactly the same when you begin testing .... what ever you test and when ever you test

You will need at least 20GB each for the Vista partitions. Outside of that minimum recommended size, there's no fixed ratio. Most likely you will want it 1:1:1:1 since you will want the same third-party software installed on all four partitions, and you'll just end up limiting yourself to the capacity of the smallest partition if the partitions are different sizes.

Vista has some ability to resize partitions. Specifically, you can shrink a partition if there's no data (e.g. data files, paging file, etc.) present near the end of the partition, but this really varies in usefulness because Vista apparently does not try to keep files organized near the front of the partition (even when defragmenting). You can also extend a partition if the free space is contiguous and at the *end* of the partition you want to extend. So put the Vista partition you would want to keep in the beginning of the disk. When you finish benchmarking, you can delete the other three partitions and extend the first partition to use all available space on the disk.

yes, i think i'll just go equally divided by 4 ,,, i imagine a future benefit ... with 600GG of storage i should be fine for awhile

what about setting XP up on RAID? ... do i need a "bootable" floppy? ... or just a floppy with the RAiD drivers? ... Vista makes it easy ... you just use the Gigabyte CD ... and Gigabyte did not include a floppy for XP

With XP you do not need a bootable floppy. You boot from the XP CD and then at some point in text mode install you are given the opportunity to insert a floppy disk with the SATA drivers. I am not sure whether XP setup will let you use a CD with the SATA drivers, but I cannot imagine a motherboard being sold today without a working XP/SATA driver disk. Check your system board manual and the paper inserts included with the motherboard. Somewhere you should find step-by-step instructions for setting up XP on a SATA drive.[/quote]
i wasn't insure ... the Gigabyte manual isn't clear ... it mentions a bootable floppy but also says to point to the Optical drive for the drivers ... USUALLY the MB comes with the floppy preloaded ... of course for Vista, you never need to touch any floppy ... just use the DVD or CD
[ i like that]

and my floppy drive isn't reading ... i tried reversing the cables but something is fritzed ... but i am SURE i have another one around here
... somewhere ...

gotta look ... after my nap

and i still can't quite get my old OverClock .. with a better MB and a better cooling solution then the stock intel HS/F


perhaps i need to lap the HS a bit further [it was not perfectly flat] ... and maybe reinstall it again ... it still slides a little when you twist on it ... even with the screws locked down as tight as they will go
-and i used ACS instead of the ThermalRight compound ... OK?

 

[nullpointerus]

Originally posted by: apoppin
i wasn't insure ... the Gigabyte manual isn't clear ... it mentions a bootable floppy but also says to point to the Optical drive for the drivers ... USUALLY the MB comes with the floppy preloaded ... of course for Vista, you never need to touch any floppy ... just use the DVD or CD
[ i like that]

XP Setup asks for a floppy disk (if needed) at some point, so I'd imagine Gigabyte is just saying to put the CD in and point XP Setup to the driver files. It only takes a few minutes to find out, and you don't have to modify your hard drives at all in this process.

and i still can't quite get my old OverClock .. with a better MB and a better cooling solution then the stock intel HS/F


perhaps i need to lap the HS a bit further [it was not perfectly flat] ... and maybe reinstall it again ... it still slides a little when you twist on it ... even with the screws locked down as tight as they will go
-and i used ACS instead of the ThermalRight compound ... OK?

Overclocking is really finicky. Maybe you should create a thread in the CPU/OC forum as there are likely lots of people who know all the little quirks of overclocking a C2D on your particular motherboard.

EDIT: Do you have the latest BIOS? I've heard this plays a big role in C2D overclocking.

EDIT2: Darn, someone's playing with the forum software again. :Q My quote tags keep disappearing.

As for the HSF, mine cools *really* well, yet I can twist it very easily. I don't think pressure has much to do with overclocking potential (beyond the minimum required contact). What are your ambient/CPU temps like?

 

[apoppin]

very low 40s at idle to upper 50s at max under load using TAT
... and using the very latest BIOS showed no improvement ... i might ask in OC'ing if i can't figure it out further
lots still to DL ... so no biggie

Great Nap! ... i am finally catching up on sleep !

and thank-you for you help !!

finally, i am using the RAID utility that came with my gigabyte MB ... i might also try Maxtor [seagate]'s Max Blast ... i used older versions with good results

EDIT ... that nap was wonderful! .. i woke up and went straight away - FIRST place i looked!! - to my brand new Sony floppy-drive that i set aside about 7 years ago for someone else for like $5 ... and i wondered why i kept it all these years .. and then completely lost track of it, 'till now
--now i know why

and i will see you in a few hours --don't worry ... i will have more questions ... but i do want to set this up as well as possible
--thanks for your help and suggestions!