P4-3.6Ghz too slow - WHY & Help.

[FatRakoon]

I have got a P4 3.6Ghz

Mobo is an Asus P5GD1-FM/S

Its got 2x512MB Samsung RAM, and as of this morning, its got 36GB Raptor as C: and a 200GB WD SATA as D: with a DVDROM and a DVDRW Drive. Graphics are X700 PCI-E and Audio is a SB Live24.

Not too bad.

Anyway, I will be totally honest with you, but its a pile of cack.

With the x700 I dont expect gaming to be seriously good, but its fine, and as expected, but the real issue is that the CPU is far too underpowered to be real.

Encoding video files from VCD to DVD using TMPG DVD Author is taking about 15 to 20 minutes for about 2GB, while on my AMDs its far, far, far quicker, and even the slowest PC I have, which is a sempron 3100 S754 does the very same files in under 10 minutes???

The best score I have acheived on SuperPI ( 1M ) is 42 seconds... Hell, considering a 1.8Ghz Sempron does it in 50, this is a very poor CPU indeed.

I wasnt it to run better, I have been told that the CPU is simply not doing anywhere near as well as it should be. I have had well under 40Second with both my Winchester and the X2 when clocked, but this P4 is doing my nut in.

So, can anyone help me here?

Offer me anythign to go on??

I will also point out, that there is some device in this PC that is unknown and no driver that I have ( All the disks that came with the PC dont seem to have it, nor does the MS updates seem to know either ) and I am thinking that, this unknown device could be a source of the problem, but what is it? -0 I really cant say without telling you what devices I dohave, and see if I can work out by knowing what I do have, and whats left? Erm, I dont know?

The basic PC is a Fujitsu Scaleo P, whether that may help or not I dont know?

Anything?

I have been playing about a few days now, and right as things stand, I am gettign nowhere very quickly.

 

[FatRakoon]

1. Is Hyperthreading turned on?
2. Have you installed the correct motherboard/chipset drivers?
3. Is it overheating and thermal throttling?

1 - Yes, and no.

I have tried it with it on and with it off. It seems to me, that there isnt all that much difference about this, unless I install with it off.

2 - Drivers.

This is the one isnt it? I have the C Dthat came with it, its one of those generic "I Do them all" kind of CD, that has all the necessary updates etc for the safe running of the system, and it installs tons of those, as well as all the drivers for the motherboard, but there is still one device that eludes it, plus it does not actually install the audio drivers properly either... I need to go online to do that, so whats that all about???

I have also downloaded drivers too, but these dont seem to make any difference at all either?

So, while I would like to say yes, I must actually say no

3 - Temps - Seem to be hovering at about 62c
Throttling? - I doubt it, but in the BIOS, I have forced it to stick at 3.6Ghz rather than do that speedy-upy-thingy cos as normal, it was on 2.7, which bugged me.

 

[FatRakoon]

I think its all sorted now.

Dont know what happened, one day I was on 43 Second SuperPI, the next I am at 35 so why I dont know, but it was probably somehtign in the BIOS?

I have NOT updated it, its the same one as was supplied, so it wasnt that, but I have been messign around the BIOS, so I recon its there somewhere?

PSU
Agreed. The supplied one was a poorly 300w job. Pathetic that these companies that supply PCs ready-built can actually get away with cutting corners like this hoping that 99% of the users dont do anything more than surf the net with them... There you go!

Temps
Again, the case is tighter than the wifes bank account... Its a lovely case however, but with the SATA Drives side on, and me adding another HD ( My usual attempt at speeding up systems, always end up with multiple HDs ) and so the 40GB for C: is a PATA drive with a Serillel adapter that only just fit, so I have swapped the guts out of this one, into my DFI / Clawhammer37 PC.

I am now runnning inside an Aluminium case, 2x80mm YSTechs blowing stone cold over the 1x40GB + 2x200GB Drives, the rear of the case has 2x80mm pulling the stuff in & out, with a Hyper 480w for the juice.

I have also taken off the stupid CPU Air Sleeve thingy off, and one of the rear fans is blowing air directly towards the CPU with a 45 Degree air-duct adapter.

The Case temps are hovering at about 18c right now, and the CPU is at an all-time low of 44c... Previously I was at 36c & 62c so a fairly massive drop in temps have been had today.

I am 50-50 as to making it my main PC, but the AMD is still the better system for now... If I do swap them over, it will be going into either the TT Armor or the CMS Case... Not decided which one, but I prefer the Armor which is a surprise to many.

Cheers for the advise.