Strange hardware problem

Retro6 · 6 Jan 2022 at 05:31

Here I go again. Hoping somebody will reply....

I have an issue playing videos, games and audio Videos will stutter, audio will stutter. Games wont play properly if at all.

Video audio stuttering, timing, speed issue

Any kind of a reply to what this problem might be grate.

I don't seem to be getting replies to my questions???

Video and audio stuttering playback issue. Games not playing properly if at all. Any clues???

The_Arbiter · 6 Jan 2022 at 06:46

What have you tried so far and what is the system?

Retro6 · 6 Jan 2022 at 08:06

I have tried changing video cards I have tried changing Ram I have scanned the hard drive for errors and I have checked the PSU. That just leaves the processor and BIOS settings. I have looked trough the BIOS settings but nothing really stands out of what I could change.

Sinbad2000 · 6 Jan 2022 at 08:08

What is the spec of the system? What OS?
Drivers all up to date?
Done a decent malware scan?

Retro6 · 6 Jan 2022 at 09:02

All drivers are good. The computer doesn't use the internet.

The problem is a hardware problem something is not synchronizing correctly. Its a timing issue. The computer has always been like this since I've had it. something on the motherboard is causing the issue. Its nothing to do with software.

mickyflinn · 6 Jan 2022 at 09:26

Retro6 said:
All drivers are good. The computer doesn't use the internet.

The problem is a hardware problem something is not synchronizing correctly. Its a timing issue. The computer has always been like this since I've had it. something on the motherboard is causing the issue. Its nothing to do with software.

Bios up to date ? Windows ?

List your system spec please

Retro6 · 6 Jan 2022 at 09:54

Processes are running to fast even the screensaver goes faster than it should. Any media played it will play faster than it should hence the skipping of audio and video.

If I were to list my specs which are Intel Pentium 4, 256MB RAM 20GB HDD ATi Radeon 9200 128 GPU OS Windows 98. I will just be told to use a virtual machine which is not what my question is about because its not running Windows 10. It has nothing to do with the specs I've been building retro PCs for a long time and this is a problem I've not encountered before with the problem with timing. I'm trying to apply the same logic as I would from a modern machine into a retro machine which functions the same way as I know its not a not a software Issue.

raralis · 6 Jan 2022 at 10:07

Sounds like a cpu issue to me. I've seen very similar stuttering issues when generally using the PC on my old AMD thunderbird cpu. These were around the same time the P4 was released.

I think with time, these cpus start to degrade.
You may want to check the cpu voltages.

I haven't managed to resolve the issue. Just ended up replacing the cpu and mobo.

Edit: Just to clarify; the stutter would happen even when moving the mouse cursor on the desktop sometimes. If this sounds like what you're experiencing, it's the cpu.

mickyflinn · 6 Jan 2022 at 10:16

Retro6 said:
Processes are running to fast even the screensaver goes faster than it should. Any media played it will play faster than it should hence the skipping of audio and video.

If I were to list my specs which are Intel Pentium 4, 256MB RAM 20GB HDD ATi Radeon 9200 128 GPU OS Windows 98. I will just be told to use a virtual machine which is not what my question is about because its not running Windows 10. It has nothing to do with the specs I've been building retro PCs for a long time and this is a problem I've not encountered before with the problem with timing. I'm trying to apply the same logic as I would from a modern machine into a retro machine which functions the same way as I know its not a not a software Issue.

Strange.

Initial thought after you said its a retro pc was a codec issue.

Retro6 · 6 Jan 2022 at 15:01

raralis said:
Sounds like a cpu issue to me. I've seen very similar stuttering issues when generally using the PC on my old AMD thunderbird cpu. These were around the same time the P4 was released.

I think with time, these cpus start to degrade.
You may want to check the cpu voltages.

I haven't managed to resolve the issue. Just ended up replacing the cpu and mobo.

Edit: Just to clarify; the stutter would happen even when moving the mouse cursor on the desktop sometimes. If this sounds like what you're experiencing, it's the cpu.

The mouse cursor operates as it should. This computer is fine when it comes to basic things like MS Office and a few games will work without issues like Lemmings for example or basic DOS games but anything like need for speed or Roller Coaster Tycoon they will run to fast and audio will be choppy and anything audio /video related it will have the same problems. Hopefully a change of the CPU will resolve the issue.

Purgatory · 6 Jan 2022 at 15:08

Retro6 said:
Here I go again. Hoping somebody will reply....

I have an issue playing videos, games and audio Videos will stutter, audio will stutter. Games wont play properly if at all.

Video audio stuttering, timing, speed issue

Any kind of a reply to what this problem might be grate.

I don't seem to be getting replies to my questions???

Video and audio stuttering playback issue. Games not playing properly if at all. Any clues???

Is it the same machine as you mentioned before ?

Retro6 said:
I have a COMPAQ EVO here are the specifications:
CPU Intel Pentium 4 @ 1.3GHz
RAM 256MB
HDD 20GB
GPU ATi Radeon 9200 SE 128MB
OS Windows 98 S.E

Its always had this timing issue with video and audio regardless of what format its playing. The timing of the video is skippy and the audio sounds like its skipping. I'm also unable to play a number of games on this machine because of this issue some games work but many don't.

At first I thought it was a problem with the GPU or GPU driver but after installing a different CPU and Driver the problem remains.

Has anybody encountered this problem before or knows what this problem relates too?

Thanks.

What soundcard are you using with that machine ? I see it's a retro pc but reality is it may just be dying too or you are using bad drivers for the hardware.

Retro6 · 6 Jan 2022 at 23:11

It uses the onboard audio that Windows 98 automatically detected and the video card drivers came from Phils Computer Lab website. I had planed to bung a sound blaster live in there but at the moment the onboard sound will do and seeing that the sound stutters anyway I'll save my sound blaster cards for my other retro builds. It does sound like the CPU or a faulty chip on the motherboard I'm hoping its the CPU as that is changeable. It might even be the crystal or one or two components on the board have drifted out of spec.