Visual Lag

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WheresMyBeer

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This is my first post, and I'm pretty sure that this is the correct forum...

Well, my current computer set up is as follows:

Pentium 4 2.4 Ghz
512 DDR
Intel Desktop Mobo
GeForce 4 5200 256 mb

The problem that I'm having is that when playing any games on it, I'm forced to deal with massive visual lag. I could deal with this lag if it wasn't on games like Half-Life and Postal II, which are relatively unadvanced.. graphically speaking.

Now, what frustrates me, is before I gutted my system, everything was running fine, without lag. And I was using a Pentium 3 set up.

Can anyone help me?
 
WheresMyBeer said:


Now, what frustrates me, is before I gutted my system, everything was running fine, without lag. And I was using a Pentium 3 set up.

what do you mean by this? What did you upgrade or changeout? Did you install a new graphics card and mobo and cpu or what, are u sure all drivers are installed, guessing the graphics card you have you should have no problems at ALL on Half life, ensure your 512 MB or ram is registered in bios. Maybe one is bad and only 256 mb ram registered, but first i need to know what u did by gutting it and ensuring all drivers were installed and updated
 
By gutting the system, I mean that I replaced pretty much everything connected to the mobo. Yeah, all of the drivers are installed, and I'm sure they're updated. Everything is registering with the Bios.. I'm baffled..
 
when you said that you replaced "pretty much everything connected to the mobo" im guessing you didnt replace the actual motheboard? this means it is a pentium 3 board? your problem might be that socket 370 (the socket p3's use) pentium4s dont go to 2.4ghz. i would either get a new mobo or just put the pentium 3 back in (unless theres some other reason you switched to p4)
 
When you "gutted" your pc, did you Re-install windows.
Or did you just update the drivers?

If you re-installed windows, (IE. Fdisk, Format, Setup.exe), then i think you have some hardware issues.

If you just updated the drivers, then I suggest that you properly format your hard drive and install windows again.

My rule of thumb is this. If you change the motherboard and CPU, then it's best that you properly re-install the operating system along with it. You can get a way with it from time to time. But in the end, Windows will prolly completely fall over in 3 to 6 month time.

Upgrading a motherboard and cpu with the same generation of CPU (ie P4 to another P4), I find you have a 90% chance that you can get away with no having to format.

Upgrading your motherboard and CPU with a different generation of CPU (ie P-III to P-IV), reduces your chances to 75%

Upgrading your motherboard with one cpu to another cpu, (ie Pentium 4 to AMD Athlon), reduces your chances to under 75%.

This is all variable on OS. Like a server OS is very unforgiving. I have change the motherboard in the work server enough times. And ever time that get done, I am up for at least 3 to 12 hours of work. For the first 3 hours, I will try to see if I can get the drivers to work. But after that, I will just bit the bullet and format and start again.
Windows 95/98/Me/FAT32 Xp are mostly forgiving.
Windows NT/2K/NTFS Xp are not so forgiving.

And in the end, all you will do it delaying the inedible of having to format your computer.

If you change a motherboard, then expect to format C.
 
I guess I'm not being specific enough, yes I did replace the mother board too. Yes, I reformated my hard drive, and reinstalled XP pro.

God I suck at this.

Thanks for the help thus far. I think that I may just bring this to a real computer techie, for I am a noob when it comes to this.
 
Your really glossing over some important stuff for some odd reason.Which mother board do you have.Which version of 2.4 C 800 FSB or B 533 FSB version.If you got C version what memory do you got and do you got 2 stick's.If its B version what is it.

You have formated and reloaded your Hard drive with XP.The very next thing you loaded was your Mother board driver's.Intel Inf update,Intel Application Accelerater, and your audio driver's.Or which ever chipset you got.

Then you reloaded your Video and sound card's driver's.You also went to there support site and loaded up there latest driver's.

Then you did yuor window's update and got SP1 and directx 9b and all the other crap microsoft likes you to have.

If you did all that id say your memory is mixxed types or like Mokelizer said maybe a stick is bad.

Maybe your video card isnt seated all the way back or it is defective.

You said everthign is registered in bios.It say's 2.4 pent running 512 memory.Some bios wont automaticly select 256 mb videocard. Could it be set for 32 mb.

Is somethign running in the back ground a program or virsus.

This old lady bought a computer online.When she recieved it.She plugged in the keyboard ,mouse,moniter,and plugged the computer into the wall.It didnt work.So she called the tech lineThe tech asked her about how she hooked the computer up.Everthing checked out .He apologized because something must have happened while shipping it to her.Heed just need some information for returning the defective product.She informed him she would need a flash light to read the serial number.He thought that sort of strange so asked why its right on front.She informed him the power has been out all day.
 
First of all, its a good question.
Seconds don't get down on yourself for not being specific enough right away, thats why these forums are good.

Now, did you just get the video card too? You said it was a GeForce 4 5200 256Mb? do you mean GeForce FX5200 or maybe GeForce4 4200? or is it an older video card because I don't know of a GeForce4 5200, and its not on the NVidia website?

Oh well, only reason I ask is I'm interested in the FX5200 but I have heard rumours of lag with that video card, I have a PCI version and there is serious lag, even campared to a much older and definitely lower end card...so I would be interested in knowing if there is something with the chipset itself.

But if you had the card before with no problem, then that is a different story...just make sure that the AGP is set to 8x or 4x, I've heard that causing serious lag like you are reporting.
 
Actaully, If you really want to see some really bad VGA LAG, try drown grading your video card some time.

I resently sold off my sister GF5200 128Mb Card (which I was borrowing in the mean time). So I am back on my GF4MX420 64Mb. Untill I re-installed the nVidia Drivers, I was having all sorts of problems. Even scrolling up and down in windows.
 
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