Poor Radeon 9000 Pro performance

[RJARRRPCGP]

Since I purchased a Radeon 9000 Pro based video card, a Tyan Tachyon G9000 Pro video card, it's been stable, but been getting random video stuttering. The video stuttering appears as a fast frame rate, but is making pulsing motions, much like a heart beat rhythm, chiefly noticable in 3D Mark 2001 SE, after the Lobby test.

Also, I noticed that the video will stutter sometimes under GTAIII, but the GTAIII video stuttering problem may be caused by another problem, because I noticed the hard disk drive light flashing a lot, usually when the video stuttering occurs under GTAIII. I made sure my hard disk drive was thoroughly defragmented with O&O Defrag V6
and changed the draw distance setting under GTAIII, but still, if any change at all, little change under GTAIII .

Also, the above problems are *not* caused by any motherboard, because the video stuttering problem was still randomly occuring with my Asus A7N266-VM/AA motherboard.


...But, here is some good news, in fact, the Asus A7V8X-X motherboard *DON'T* have the problem the Asus A7N266-VM/AA motherboard has:

Everytime, right after a clean Windows XP installation and Catalyst drivers, SmartGART *ALWAYS* sets my AGP data transfer rate to AGP 1X and thus I'm required to manually change the AGP data transfer rate to AGP 4X by dragging the AGP data transfer rate setting to AGP 4X.

This problem is gone since my Asus A7V8X-X motherboard .

...Then, I have some more bad news:
Even when the video stuttering is the same, if not less since my Asus A7V8X-X motherboard, I have *ALWAYS* gotten less 3D marks, easily by approximately 300 3D marks less, then with my Asus A7N266-VM/AA motherboard!
Why?

BTW, this is with DirectX 9.0b and Catalyst 3.9.

 

[jollyrancher]

It's most likely an AGP-related problem. Make sure you have the ATI Control Panel installed and that the AGP speed is set to 4X. You can also try reducing the AGP Apperture size in the BIOS.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

It's most likely an AGP-related problem. Make sure you have the ATI Control Panel installed and that the AGP speed is set to 4X. You can also try reducing the AGP Apperture size in the BIOS.

It was my other motherboard, an Asus A7N266-VM/AA motherboard that caused
SmartGART to *ALWAYS* set the AGP speed at 1X, right after I installed the Catalyst drivers and was required to manually drag the AGP speed slider to AGP 4X. It seems that SmartGART thinks that the Asus A7N266-VM/AA motherboard's AGP is unstable at AGP 4X, *EVEN* when I manually dragged the AGP speed slider to AGP 4X and games still didn't crash.

With the current motherboard, the Asus A7V8X-X, I *NEVER* had a problem with the AGP speed being set to AGP 1X. It has *ALWAYS* been at AGP 4X.

I now have an Asus A7V8X-X motherboard, *NOT* the Asus A7N266-VM/AA
motherboard, which is a major difference between the two.

BTW, I have *always* installed ATI Control Panel.


Asus A7N266-VM/AA motherboard: (nForce1 chipset)
http://usa.asus.com/products/mb/socketa/a7n266-vm/overview.htm



Asus A7V8X-X motherboard: (Via KT400 chipset) (CURRENT MOTHERBOARD)
http://usa.asus.com/products/mb/socketa/a7v8x-x/overview.htm

 

[Trotterwatch]

Turn off fast writes and VPU recover, see if that helps.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

Turn off fast writes and VPU recover, see if that helps.

I don't have fast writes enabled, because I'm worried that I will get infinite loop crashes if I do.

BTW, I'm surprised you would mention fast writes, because I'm
right now *NOT* getting any crash problems. I thought the only benefit of disabling fast writes was to stop the crashing problems.

I'm getting the notorious video stuttering problem, *NOT* crashing problems.

BTW, I have yet to see any BSODs with my new PC configuration.

So far, *NEVER* even got one BSOD or a spontaneous reboot

 

[Trotterwatch]

I mentioned fast writes simply due to the inherent stability issues it often causes... did you bother with changing the VPU recover option?

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

I'm having frame rate problems, *NOT* stability (crashing) problems.

I have fast writes disabled.

AGP 4X is enabled.

Nope, I didn't change the VPU recover option.

Question, Trotterwatch, why the VPU recover option?

 

[Trotterwatch]

Nope, I didn't change the VPU recover option.

Question, Trotterwatch, why the VPU recover option?

Because the option has shown itself to be a pain in the ass......

I'm having frame rate problems, *NOT* stability (crashing) problems.

I am NOT thick btw I had already ascertained that you were having FPS problems *NOT* stability from your post.

Video stuttering is one symptom of VPU recover I had read about.

Edit//

Ensure you have all background programs turned off (as a diagnostic test)
for ex: In a couple of games running Zone Alarm + Bit Torrent in the background caused them to stutter (Virtual Tennis & Virtual Pool 3), it didn't however cause (Pro Evo 3 or UT2003 to stutter)

Try turning down graphic acceleration by precisely one notch (again a diagnostic that all 'PC Wizards' should do to narrow down possiblities)

Set everything to conservative values in the BIOS, reset all drivers to default too (ie Radeon properties)

Check for Spyware

Try downgrading or upgrading AGP driver version

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

Because the option has shown itself to be a pain in the ass......



I am NOT thick btw I had already ascertained that you were having FPS problems *NOT* stability from your post.

Video stuttering is one symptom of VPU recover I had read about.

Edit//

Ensure you have all background programs turned off (as a diagnostic test)
for ex: In a couple of games running Zone Alarm + Bit Torrent in the background caused them to stutter (Virtual Tennis & Virtual Pool 3), it didn't however cause (Pro Evo 3 or UT2003 to stutter)

Try turning down graphic acceleration by precisely one notch (again a diagnostic that all 'PC Wizards' should do to narrow down possiblities)

Set everything to conservative values in the BIOS, reset all drivers to default too (ie Radeon properties)

Check for Spyware

Try downgrading or upgrading AGP driver version

I don't have spyware and the video stuttering *ISN'T* a Via chipset problem,
because the video stuttering occured with my nForce 1 based Asus A7N266-VM/AA motherboard as well .

I'm testing things right now with Windows 2000 this time, because I saw some stuff on the internet that Windows 2000 can be faster than Windows XP with disk benchmarks and 3D Mark 2001 SE. :matrix:

 

[Trotterwatch]

I don't know why I bother.

 

[Tagrineth]

R2x0 is famous for being pretty sensitive to background programmes. Just make sure nothing is running in the background that could eat a lot of CPU cycles and the stutter should go away.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

I make sure I don't have other processes running in the background, except what are required. Still don't guarantee the video stuttering problem will go away for good .

 

[james.miller]

well, frankly the r9000 is rubbish. it isnt a gamers card - infact it is marketed by ati as a home/buisness card. That should give you a clue.........


i get that same stuttering when maxing out the fsaa in some games, like gta for example. It isn't caused by anything other than the fact that your card isnt up to the job.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

Thus you are trying to tell me my video card is hardly any better than a GeForce 2 MX! ? BTW, I wasn't even using *ANY* anti-aliasing at all, but still get video stuttering, when it feels like it .
I don't recall video stuttering with my GeForce 2 MX200 32 MB video card.


Also, a Radeon 9700 Pro is still *TOO EXPENSIVE* where I live .

Also, I see that at the store I purchased my motherboard and video card from has*JACKED UP THE PRICE OF THE RADEON 9000 PRO VIDEO CARD FROM AROUND $60 DOLLARS to AROUND $90 DOLLARS!!!* :ranting:

That store also DON'T HAVE ANY RADEON 9500S NOR RADEON 9600S .

 

[Tagrineth]

RJARRR, can't you get a 9600/9600P online or something?

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

RJARRR, can't you get a 9600/9600P online or something?

Maybe, but then again they may fail with my PC, because, I have been seeing
complaints about when their old video card was stable, their Radeon 9500 Pro+ video cards fail to POST and/or repeated crashes occur when gaming.

I just hope I don't muck up PC stability by changing video cards.

 

[Tagrineth]

OK... that usually has to do with power supply issues, from what I've seen.

My CURRENT install of Windows went from a Voodoo5 5500 (RIP) to a Kyro II with dual Voodoo2's, now to a Radeon 9500 Pro with no reinstalling, and everything still runs just fine. (I am teh lucky bitch)