A bottle of whiskey for some tweakin advice:)

2005-11-09 11:22:51

#1

[GDC]SinnFein: Got Whiskey?; +63|6784|Meiriceá - frm 'Real Capital'

Howyas Gents, Just so yas know Trigger, I tried the search:) as any upstanding memeber should.

I'm quite able with most comp related things. I do however get lost amongst all the jargon, and I must admit I donot take the time to fully investigate each and every optimizing option(s). Actually, I find meself becomming overwhelmed by the endless pages of tweaks etc. Now, figuring that several of you may have already been down this path numerous times and are quite proficient in such things, I pose a cry for help. My comp runs smooth, lags not too bad, and me graphics are decent. But there must be more I can do to help me get to the next level if you will. Here's my Dell specs:

Dell Computer Corporation
System Model: Dimension 4600i

Operating System
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Version: 5.1.2600

Memory (RAM)
Capacity: 1 GB

Processor
Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.80GHz
Version: x86 Family 15 Model 3 Stepping 4
Speed: 2793 MHz

Local Disk
Total Capacity: 74.46 GB
Sum of Hard Disks: (C: )
Used: 24.94 GB
Free: 49.51 GB

Video Card
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200
Adapter RAM 128.00 MB (134,217,728 bytes)
Installed Drivers nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version 6.14.10.7801
Resolution 1024 x 768 x 75 hertz

I've wondered about what I can shutdown in the task manager, but to be honest I went to a few sites that explain what each and every task actually is and I must admit, I was still lost.

I do spybot, adware and defrag at least once per weak, I also use ccleaner 1/week, I 'end task' my virus (AVG) before i play, and I use 'end it all' to shutdown what I guess is unimportant tasks.

But is there more I can do WITH THIS current system, as is? Me wifey definately wont let me drop one ounce of cash into the system for 'better gaming'. FOR NOW:) I sure could use some help with this system to tie me over until after the holidays wherein I'll upgrade my system tobesure.

Thanks in advance lads,
-Sinny

2005-11-09 11:27:49

#2

smefeman: Member; +0|6746

OVERCLOCK OF COURSE!

figure out how to OC your penitum and use rivatuner for your FX5200 btw fx5200 is kinda old, you should upgrade if you are allowed to

2005-11-09 11:31:06

#3

dr4gonman: Member; +0|6805

Post your list of tasks from task manager. There is also a listing start, run, services.msc that can be helpful in killing unwanted programs from starting. check out answersthatwork.com for another of those sites that lists what some of these items are and if and how to disable them.

Last edited by dr4gonman (2005-11-09 11:32:43)

2005-11-09 11:32:25

#4

Possum61: Member; +9|6745|Philly PA USA

Yep Better video card will work wonders Here in my system GeForce 6800GT

2005-11-09 13:14:48

#5

chuyskywalker: Admin; +2,439|6844|"Frisco"

Yeah. That process can def go faster. I (think) I have the same one pushing 3.0 in my system with a decent fan. And yes, OC the video card (ramp it up in small steps; play a game every time and look for artifacts; ramp down one step; enjoy)

2005-11-09 18:11:12

#6

polarbearz: Raiders of the Lost Bear; +-1,474|6785|Singapore

how do you overclock your system?

yes i'm a complete comp n00b.

2005-11-09 18:47:09

#7

General_Anabolic: Member; +0|6766|Washington, USA

The problem isnt your CPU really but the fact that the Nvidia 5200 video card is very slow. I dont think overclocking it is going to do much at all. Just sneak a new video card in there, she'll never know.

2005-11-10 09:27:59

#8

pvtepyle: Member; +0|6763

You should go for a better Video and an extra GB of RAM that will do you just fine until the system becomes out of date. However, your restricted to AGP i believe... And hopefully not a low profile card. If you have the ability to upgrade to a full-size card in AGP get the 6800GT. The best of the AGP Era. Then add 1GB of RAM to hit the 2GB standard. Estimated Cost - $350.

2005-11-10 09:30:26

#9

pvtepyle: Member; +0|6763

As for your Wife... "It's easier to seek forgiveness, then to ask for permission"

2005-11-10 09:34:51

#10

BladeRunner: Member; +5|6745|UK

pvtepyle wrote:
As for your Wife... "It's easier to seek forgiveness, then to ask for permission"

lol there speaks the voice of wisdom and experience

2005-11-10 13:37:14

#11

=ST6=SewerMaster: AK Whore; +152|6793|Barrington, RI

I thought that Dell and those other OEM's locked and hid the settings that you need to overlock the CPU in the BIOS but maybe using a windows app could get around this. check www.majorgeeks.com for every OC'ing app you can dream up

Last edited by sewermasta324 (2005-11-10 13:37:43)

2005-11-10 17:58:13

#12

KillerAFET: Member; +3|6777|Abilene, Texas

You've not indicated what problem you are experiencing in the game. However, research MSCONFIG to shut off unused applications. This will improve performance by increasing available resources for gaming.

2005-11-10 18:11:02

#13

MattCicioni: Member; +1|6826|Arizona

polarbearz wrote:
how do you overclock your system?

yes i'm a complete comp n00b.

put your alarm clock on top of your case tower..... ;-)

2005-11-10 21:12:29

#14

mikejr879: Member; +0|6745|USA, Ohio (Ulm,Germany)

MattCicioni wrote:
polarbearz wrote:
how do you overclock your system?

yes i'm a complete comp n00b.
put your alarm clock on top of your case tower..... ;-)

lmfao

2005-11-10 21:14:29

#15

mikejr879: Member; +0|6745|USA, Ohio (Ulm,Germany)

I was told that getting a soundcard for my pc would take process off the north or south bridge. Could that be true??

2005-11-10 21:34:38

#16

=ST6=SewerMaster: AK Whore; +152|6793|Barrington, RI

it would take a significant load off the CPU at least.

2005-11-10 21:38:06

#17

=ST6=SewerMaster: AK Whore; +152|6793|Barrington, RI

polarbearz wrote:
how do you overclock your system?

yes i'm a complete comp n00b.

go to a tech site like www.tomshardware.com or www.extremetech.com and do a serach for overclocking and you should get a few good articles that will explain the process in detail. but basically if you want to get started get the app CPU-z to find out evrything you will need to know about your CPU before you start OC'ing. if you want some help on the project try posting in the tech forums at www.anandtech.com

Last edited by sewermasta324 (2005-11-10 21:40:44)

2005-11-11 06:20:44

#18

oasis: Member; +0|6770

Also note overclocking is not safe and might cause your system to overheat and destroy some of ur hardware.

Make sure you have the hardware like good cooling for ur system before even attempting to overclock.

Also, overclocking voids warranties of ur comp hardware.

2005-11-11 11:56:23

#19

dr4gonman: Member; +0|6805

Overclocking is really for folks who can afford to have their machines melt down in some way, shape or form. If you have a spare/other machine to use for pratical matters then by all means O/C your processor and vid card like chuy says. If you don't use your machine for anything critical or practical then all you risk is your capacity to goof off. I prefer dependability and stability over riding a lightning bolt. But that's just me, speaking from a few past rides on lightning bolts. One other thing you might consider is getting well away from the clogged up driver set that dell puts on everything. And the only way to be certain there are no lingering parts of dell's weak driver set is to reformat and install a set from Nvidia.com or you could try Omegadrivers. I used these on a dell I9100 notebook and noticed a 10C degree drop in my GPU temp when playing Doom 3. Hell prior to installing these driver the machine would lock up at the first cut scene. Good luck.

2005-11-11 12:14:30

#20

Mabec: Re-Member-Me; +6|6828

i wouldnt touch an P4 over 2ghz, and to OC a P4, thats just silly, makes it burn up in seconds, if it aint in a fridge. your problem is your graphiccard. as the other are saying aswell.

2005-11-11 13:02:52

#21

foofdawg: Can I be Friendly Firer?; +1|6754

I realize its not the greatest source of info, but I watch callforhelp on techtv, and they recently did a test of the best way to increase system performance, without upgrading parts. Out of several options (preventing startup items through msconfig, defragmenting, etc) they found the greatest performance increase by reinstalling windows. I realize this might sound like a chore, but I have started doing it every six months (Of course I back up all personal photos, the rest of the info I could care less about, the movies are burned to dvds and I dont have an extensive mp3 collection like most other people). Every time I reformat (or in my case, use the HP recovery feature to reset to factory settings, which is a pain, because i have to reinstall all of my upgraded components) I am amazed at how much faster windows loads and everything in general seems to run. Then again, I install/de-install a lot of little programs and pirated games, so I probably have more leftover junk in my registry/hard drive than your regular user. Anyways, I would recommend doing a clean install of windows every year if you can manage it, it has really helped me. I'm in the process of piecing together a new system (my first DIY build!), but my current system is a 2.2Ghz celeron with 768MB Ram and a FX5200 256MB PCI card (yes PCI, no AGP slot in my POS) and I can run BF2 at the lowest settings and it is playable, although a bit jumpy when there is a lot of action, hence the new build! Before I reinstalled XP, it wasnt playable. Anyways, its worked for me until now, hopefully it helps you

2005-11-11 15:03:05

#22

Scorpion0x17: can detect anyone's visible post count...; +691|6762|Cambridge (UK)

MattCicioni wrote:
polarbearz wrote:
how do you overclock your system?

yes i'm a complete comp n00b.
put your alarm clock on top of your case tower..... ;-)

NO! that would underclock it - you need your system box above the alarm clock for it to be overclocked!

2005-11-11 16:28:57

#23

Lawk: Member; +2|6771

www.blackviper.com for a list of services that aren't needed. It will help you create hardware profiles.

Also end task for explorer before you play. You can use progman.exe for your app shortcuts.

I prefer Jameson.

Thank you

Last edited by Lawk (2005-11-11 16:31:26)

2005-11-18 18:18:53

#24

[GDC]SinnFein: Got Whiskey?; +63|6784|Meiriceá - frm 'Real Capital'

blackviper.com seems to be offline now/shutdown

2005-11-29 09:52:58

#25

Lawk: Member; +2|6771

Sorry. Looks like he hasn't been paying his bill.

I found his site archived though.

http://web.archive.org/web/200411280841 … icecfg.htm

Read the entire site if you want. A lot of the info can help you increase you system performance. If you do anything, follow the quidelines on creating hardware profiles in order to disable unneeded services.

BF2S Forums A bottle of whiskey for some tweakin advice:)

pvtepyle wrote:

polarbearz wrote:

MattCicioni wrote:

polarbearz wrote:

polarbearz wrote:

MattCicioni wrote:

polarbearz wrote:

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