AMD 3800+ Runs Like my Old '286

[RSavage]

I'm hoping I'm missing something. I have searched all through the forums and have spent weeks working on this but I'm still having problems.

 

The problem is slowness. The kind that makes you want to do yourself in because it is so excrutiatingly slow that anything is better than watching that hourglass.

 

My system spec's are in my signature. The only thing it doesn't show there is all the iterations I've gone through. I've tried the different BIOS versions available on DFI's Web site, I've tried running two sticks of memory instead of four, I've reinstalled from scratch the operating system, I've scanned for viruses/adware/malware/and rootkits, I've run with the CPU driver, without, with different memory timings, with different voltages (currently 1.4vCore, 2.7memory) and nothing has made any difference one way or the other. I'm not running C&Q or thermal throttling, but the CPU doesn't get hot enough to throttle anyways. I've fiddled about and overclocked a tiny bit (210Mhz bus speed). I've tried different versions of the nVidia drivers, both the ones from DFI's Web site and the updated v6.66. I've run diagnostics, checked out the Event Log, done benchmarking tests, SiSoft Sandra, SIW, and everything else I can think of try and figure out what the problem is.

 

I have spent a week in dialog over at AMD's forums and have tried every suggested fix made by other users and by the staff and nothing has made any difference: the system is slow. It's extra-extra slow if I'm multi-tasking, and heaven-forbid if one of the tasks is doing disk I/O, then the whole thing practically grinds to a halt. Its better after a fresh boot, but not great. Eventually it will slow down so much that I T D O E S N O T M O V E. Strangely, often the CPU isn't maxed out or anything, Task Manager will show nothing going on, CPU utilization at a couple percent or often 0%, yet the PC behaves as if processing Pi to the n-millionth place. Sometimes it is maxed out on something, but the slowness while not maxed-out at 100% utilization made me suspect some kind of malware infection via root-kit, so I ran down that road, read all I could, scanned with several rootkit scanners (in addition to all the normal stuff, I run McAfee 8 enterprise for virus) and came up clean, but did a fresh installation on a formatted hard-drive (1 drive only to start) just to make sure anyways.

 

I've seen some of the posts of X2 problems, particularly in games. I'm not running dual core, nor am I running games.

 

The CPU and Motherboard replaced a Abit IC-7g wit a 3.2Ghz Intel P4. 3800+ is faster, right? So far, not by a long shot. My P4 with all the same parts, same memory, etc. will smoke this thing handily. This setup will get to the point where it behaves like its a '286 with 2MB of of memory.

 

I'm ready to get rid of the whole setup, RMA it, whatever.

 

Does anybody have any useful suggestions?

 

And before somebody admonishes me that the answer is readily available yes I did search the posts and read everything I could find here and a half-dozen other forums and DFI's Web site, and AMD's Web site and several dozen other Web sites too and have tried everything I could find without luck.

 

Either I'm missing something, or does anybody want to buy a LANPARTY UT SLI-D with AMD 3800+ almost brand new?

[-CsA-TAZ]

have u done an testing? prime 95? mem86? if you have allready tried ur hardware on ur P4 then maybe you have a duff CPU, and yes i would buy for the rite money!

 

try your system with just 1 gig of ram in dimm 1 {1st yellow} then try both in dimms 1 & 2

both will be in single channel not dual! lmk how it goes

[Misfit138]

I'm having a similar issue.....My CPU seems to be s-l-o-w-i-n-g down! My Sandra benchmarks have taken a significant hit (dropped by 1400 MIPS) recently, which I originally thought may have been due to an SLI mod, but after reversing the mod, the CPU is still slowing down. (see thread in this sub forum) I'm still trying too. I've tried clearing CMOS, manually plugging BIOS settings back in, a fresh XP install, none of which has restored my CPU to its original lustre of 13,400 MIPS.

I havn't given up yet, but I havn't found a promising lead yet either....

[RSavage]

I'm having a similar issue.....My CPU seems to be s-l-o-w-i-n-g down! My Sandra benchmarks have taken a significant hit (dropped by 1400 MIPS) recently, which I originally thought may have been due to an SLI mod, but after reversing the mod, the CPU is still slowing down. (see thread in this sub forum) I'm still trying too. I've tried clearing CMOS, manually plugging BIOS settings back in, a fresh XP install, none of which has restored my CPU to its original lustre of 13,400 MIPS.

I havn't given up yet, but I havn't found a promising lead yet either....

 

You have a 3500 and you got 13400? I just ran mine & to 10100. Sandra gives it that "PR" score of "3600."

 

It's nice to know I'm not alone, although believe me when I say I feel your pain.

 

There has to be a fix. How could so many people rave about this CPU? So far, this dog isn't huntin'.

 

I also notice that the DFI Lanparty UT is not on AMD's approved motherboard list. What does that tell you?

[RyderOCZ]

When you say the system is slow.....what exactly are you referring to?

 

Your apps don't execute like they should?

The system just "feels" slow?

Long load times?

 

Question posted above...ran any Super PI...Sandra bandwidth...Everest? to see where your system falls?

 

You are running 4 sticks of ram (if I read your sig right), so you have to run 2T timings. You mentioned that you tried with 2 sticks...no change.

 

Can you post a shot of CPU-z...or a link to one so I can see what your system is running?

 

Thanks

[-CsA-TAZ]

I'm having a similar issue.....My CPU seems to be s-l-o-w-i-n-g down! My Sandra benchmarks have taken a significant hit (dropped by 1400 MIPS) recently, which I originally thought may have been due to an SLI mod, but after reversing the mod, the CPU is still slowing down. (see thread in this sub forum) I'm still trying too. I've tried clearing CMOS, manually plugging BIOS settings back in, a fresh XP install, none of which has restored my CPU to its original lustre of 13,400 MIPS.

I havn't given up yet, but I havn't found a promising lead yet either....

 

DEFRAG UR DRIVE

CLOSE ALL PROGRAMS WITH UR NAME ON IT IN TASK MANGER EXCEPT EXPLORE

KEEP UR SYSTEM FREE OF PROGRAMS AND GAMES YOU DONT USE OR PLAY

THE ONLY BENCH MARK IM INTRESTED IN IS 3D MARK 03 & 05 AMD FOR GAMES

INTEL FOR OFFICE ON ENCODING ETC WITH THE EXEPTION OF X2 64s!

HOPE THIS HELPS!

PS. CAP LOCK IS STUCK ON, IM NOT SHOUTING Grrr, NOT HOLDING SHIFT DOWN COS IM LAZY!! :nod:

[Dynomutt]

yes post some benchmark results, 3dmark01 as its quite CPU dependant, SuperPI, run some test from the sandra test suite

[Angry_Games]

I also notice that the DFI Lanparty UT is not on AMD's approved motherboard list. What does that tell you?

 

lol, it tells me that we didn't pay the big fee that AMD wants to get on their 'approved' list

 

same as why a lot of psu's don't get on Nvidia's "SLI Certified" list....it costs thousands of dollars...

 

 

before you try to guess at something, you should maybe read a little and do some searching instead of making a ridiculous comment like 'its not on AMD's approved list so thats why it runs like crap'

 

 

sheesh

[Ozymandias]

Are you using the nVidia SW IDE drivers? Most people recommend that you just stick to the Win XP ones instead, since the nV drivers can be buggy.

 

Are your HDs overheating? How about PWM or the chipset temperatures?

 

How do you have all your HDs hooked up- through the motherboard, or a separate card (PCI or PCIE?). If it's a x8 PCIE card and you have it in the second x16 slot with the jumpers in the stock locations, you're only giving it two lanes of bandwidth! Try setting the jumper blocks from 1-2 to 2-3 to give each x16 slot 8 lanes.

[-CsA-TAZ]

lol, it tells me that we didn't pay the big fee that AMD wants to get on their 'approved' list

 

same as why a lot of psu's don't get on Nvidia's "SLI Certified" list....it costs thousands of dollars...

 

before you try to guess at something, you should maybe read a little and do some searching instead of making a ridiculous comment like 'its not on AMD's approved list so thats why it runs like crap'

 

sheesh

Well said, in short DFI and AMD are the only GAMERS choice!

[repoman]

Maybe you've got a bad hard drive? Does it load Windows really slow? Is it slow pre-windows and in memtest? Try another hard drive

[Swylen]

My 3000 Venice NF3. computer was benching at PIII 500mhz speeds until I noticed my CPU Usage at 100% at idle. Turns out my Belkin Wireless G PCI card in the bottom most PCI slot was causing it. Moved it and all was well.