MASSIVE FPS drop -- help!

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MASSIVE FPS drop -- help! HDD noises + 100% CPU usage

#1 Showbiz

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Posted 08 August 2011 - 12:53 AM

Hey guys,

some have helped me with a problem or 2 in the past, so I thought I'd throw another one your way that I've put up with for a while now!

Here's the issue:

- (First noticed when playing QuakeWorld -- taking MASSIVE FPS hits in fights and just running around).

- Now, when browsing almost _any_ video online (youtube, redtube) the picture is unwatchable. The image moves a couple of frames a second (or not at all on some of the higher resolution videos), and is EXTREMELY jerky. - The sound during this time plays as normal.

- I can hear the HDD (spinning?) or under serious stress (chugging) while attempting to do this.

- By maximising the actual video itself (full screen), I can sometimes IMPROVE the video frame rate, making it more watchable (possibly because ads or other surrounding website images are no longer visible?)..

- (This problem does not occur with any videos I've downloaded and played through VLC etc, so it's purely online based).

- CPU Usage is close to 100% over various processes during this time.

- Also, downloading a file from say Rapidshare website (which contains graphics and animated buttons), there is a serious delay in the time it takes from me clicking on the download button, to the time my download window appears, and also when the download finishes, the little pop-up box to say the download has finished (in Firefox) appears in stages and is laggy/jerky.

- Once again, the HDD is very noisy during the download process, making loud spinning/chugging noises.

- These same problems occur when browsing _any_ website involving moving/animated graphics (pop-ups, banner ads etc.), or websites with multiple embedded videos posted. -- They take forever to load, with serious delays in watching the videos.

- My FPS are also well down in other games (apart from QuakWorld), making them next-to-unplayable. -- These are games I've successfully played and had MAX frames per second in prior to..

Here's what I've tried:

- In terms QuakewWorld, I tried adjusting all the Smooth Quake settings, messed around with sys_yieldcpu + highpriority.

- I've tried Downloading and installing the latest video card drivers, tried reverting back to the 178.24 drivers, disabled all running programs, dropped my resolution down to 640 x 480 and reduced FPS to 240 and STILL can't get stable.

- I've also tried getting rid of the 24 bit textures and using standard, as well as r_drawflat.

- v_sync is forced OFF

- Freshly formatted the computer and installed a "streamline" Performance Edition of Windows XP, with all latest updates.

- Bought and installed new RAM - same difference.

- REPLACED video card with another working card - same difference.

- I've run memtests on RAM and stress tests on my video card which came back fine.

System as follows:

- P4 3.00ghz
- ASUS P5VD2-VM MB
- 1gb RAM
- GeForce 8600 GTS 256mb card
- 19" Philips 109B4 monitor
- XP Pro Performance Edition

If anyone can provide me with any suggestions, I'd GREATLY appreciate it!
I know it's an old system, but it has worked fine in the past. -- I'm starting to think it might be a Hard Drive issue? ..either that or CPU?

Thanks in advance!
Scott

This post has been edited by Showbiz: 08 August 2011 - 12:57 AM

#2 cryptodan

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Posted 08 August 2011 - 01:01 AM

Your processor and video card is not what they used to be. You also have 1Gig of RAM.

Also where did you get this Performance Edition of Windows XP.

Windows XP comes in the following flavors:

Windows XP Home

Windows XP Professional

Windows XP Media Center

Of course the above can be purchased via Microsoft to be ran in a certain nation which can exclude IE and Windows Media Player. All other versions are considered illegal and pirate copies.

My work schedule is as follows: Mon and Tues 1800 to 0600, Friday - Sunday 1800EST to 0600, and Wednesday to Thursday 1800est to 0600. So if I do not respond right away I am at work.
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#3 Showbiz

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Posted 08 August 2011 - 01:11 AM

cryptodan, on 08 August 2011 - 01:01 AM, said:

Thanks for the reply.

So what are you saying? - That even though the games/websites have stayed the same over time, my processor and video card have just 'shat' themselves due to age and are barely functioning?
Like I said; it's an old system, but if you look back at say the specs for QuakeWorld (a game from 1996), 1GB Ram is more than ample..

I have a purchased copy of Windows XP Professional that I was using, but grabbed a copy of this "streamlined" version a friend had downloaded to see if it would help. - it didn't.. :/

#4 cryptodan

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Posted 08 August 2011 - 01:20 AM

Over time system specs for software can change with or without notice.

#5 dpunisher

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Posted 08 August 2011 - 01:35 AM

Showbiz, on 08 August 2011 - 01:11 AM, said:

So what are you saying? - That even though the games/websites have stayed the same over time, my processor and video card have just 'shat' themselves due to age and are barely functioning?
Like I said; it's an old system, but if you look back at say the specs for QuakeWorld (a game from 1996), 1GB Ram is more than ample..

You operate from an incorrect assumption.

The "games and websites" have not stayed the same over time. Unless you are running some sort of adblocking software, websites can hog memory. Top it off with online games, that 1gig of RAM starts to shrink. I can compare IE9 to IR6 on my old lappy, and that Turion with 1gig of RAM don't cut it like it used to. I even reformatted 2 weeks ago to see if the OS was just cluttered, it wasn't. IE is still slow, Chrome is slightly better, but flash/java still slug it.

Run "Task Manager", keep it in the background. Keep an eye on memory/CPU utilization when your problems occur. When the memory runs low, that hard drive will start pagefile writes/reads and slow everything to a crawl. Try the simple stuff first.

I am a retired Ford tech. Next to Fords, any computer is a piece of cake. (The cake, its not a lie)

#6 Showbiz

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Posted 08 August 2011 - 01:53 AM

dpunisher, on 08 August 2011 - 01:35 AM, said:

Showbiz, on 08 August 2011 - 01:11 AM, said:

Thanks for the reply Punisher.

But even if I'm running these games in an offline mode (single player), the FPS issue is still in effect. These are big unplayable drops by the way (like everything is in slow motion..) with the HDD chugging overtime!
To me, it sounds like the HDD is about to bleep itself. -- Even when just scrolling down the sidebar on webpages it makes a little churning noise for every scroll.

I've run task manager in background, and when checking say, a porn in redtube, CPU usage is anywhere from 70-100% with the main usage being divided between firefox.exe, plugin-container.exe (65+) and SYSTEM. The video in 'normal screen mode' basically wont change, with the sound playing as normal.

Is there one aspect/part that can be replaced to fix this problem? IF anyone can pin-point it?

Thanks for the help!

#7 cryptodan

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Posted 08 August 2011 - 02:00 AM

I would recommend with having 1Gig of RAM that you close out of any and all un-necessary applications to give all available resources to the video card.

By default a fresh install of WIndows XP SP3 with nothing running can run up to 512 Megs of RAM fully used up. Start adding applications like Virus Scanners and chat programs and other application that number will slowly rise to 1Gig of RAM used, and when all that RAM is used up you start paging and that is why you are receiving high amounts of hard drive use.

Also now that you mentioned porn, you could very well be infected:

Hello,

And welcome to BleepingComputer.com, before we can assist you with your question of: Am I infected? You will need to perform the following tasks and post the logs of each if you can.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Quote

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Now GMER

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#8 HiroPro

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Posted 08 August 2011 - 02:02 AM

You need to disable all Firefox plugins. The performance issue is due to a screwy plugin for Firefox as you have already diagnosed in seeing the plugin-container.exe CPU usage. Close Firefox then CTRL-ALT-DEL and make sure firefox.exe and plugin-container.exe is closed. To disable all plugins in firefox use the new menu at the top left then goto help then let it expand to the left then select "Restart Firefox with Add-ons Disabled..."

This will tell us if it's a plugin causing the issues.

It could also be flash plugin issues with your video card driver and it's use of directshow IE directX.

Make sure you download the DirectX enduser runtimes and update directX

DirectX Enduser Runtime Webinstaller

What I would personally do would be the following.

Completely uninstall firefox making sure you nuke it's Appdata folder.
Run directX webinstaller.
Update Video card drivers.
Reinstall the latest version of firefox.
Reinstall Flash player.

Return to your ahhem... redtube site and see if it plays video with low CPU utilization. I'll bet money it now does it with 10-20% CPU usage.

I'd also follow Bleepin Madman canned AV scan and remove advice because your probably also infected.

I would also not use the latest GeForce drivers from nVidia. Even though it's a unified driver architecture drivers for the 8600 era will run better than newer ones.

Using this older nVidia driver for that board should work best.

GeForce 196.21 WHQL

This post has been edited by HiroPro: 08 August 2011 - 02:53 AM

#9 Showbiz

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Posted 08 August 2011 - 06:51 AM

HiroPro, on 08 August 2011 - 02:02 AM, said:

Hey Hiro,

thanks for the reply.

I thought you might have been on to something with firefox for a second there!

Unfortunately however, after following your instructions and re-checking redtube, CPU Usage was back at 100% with firefox.exe and plugin-container.exe sharing the load.

Firefox wouldn't have explained the same jerkiness and massive FPS drop in games either.. :/

It has to be hardware related, and is either down to RAM (as mentioned by cryptodan) or CPU.

When I checked my idle temperatures over a 15 minute period in BIOS, my CPU Temperature was 83-85 and my M/B Temperature was 33-36.

If this is measured in degrees Celsius, then I think this is WAY too high!

Instead of just going out and randomly buying some more RAM, are there some tests or something I can run that show me EXACTLY where I'm lacking?

- what would be ample RAM for my setup/purpose?
- and how should I go about checking my CPU?

Thanks again for any help!
Scott

ps- It's not a virus either, as I've done clean installs, am careful with protection/scans, and run Malwarebytes registered.

This post has been edited by Showbiz: 08 August 2011 - 06:56 AM

#10 cryptodan

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Posted 08 August 2011 - 10:50 AM

It still wouldn't hurt to check for malware and to make sure that malwarebytes is fully updated, and with the other tools youll possibly see other things.

Also tell us what kind of case of you or a link to it on NewEgg or another website from which you bought it from.

Your case sounds like it it is providing adequate air flow, so that can also be causing the massive fps drop.

#11 HiroPro

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Posted 08 August 2011 - 01:18 PM

Showbiz, on 08 August 2011 - 06:51 AM, said:

HiroPro, on 08 August 2011 - 02:02 AM, said:

Did you install that older driver and update directX ?

#12 HiroPro

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Posted 08 August 2011 - 01:21 PM

Quote

Firefox wouldn't have explained the same jerkiness and massive FPS drop in games either.. :/

It would if you didn't CTRL-ALT-DEL and shut down the firefox and plugin container processes before you open/run your game.

This post has been edited by HiroPro: 08 August 2011 - 03:21 PM

#13 Showbiz

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Posted 08 August 2011 - 07:37 PM

hey again guys,

thanks for the replies!

FIRSTLY, just let me update by saying that when I switched out the RAM a year or so ago, I actually bought a stick of DDR2 G.Skill 2GB, so this whole time I've been running 2GB..

I'll run the virus tests cryptodan, and see if it comes up with anything just out of curiosity. -- Malwarebytes is always fully updated.

I'm unsure of the case, and even its make/model. It nothing special tho, and being a case suited to a Micro ATX board, I'm sure it's flow isn't all that great. - It's worked fine in the past tho, and even with the side off, there's no sign of improvement.

Hiro: Yes, I did everything as suggested. (Installed the new/old driver and updated DirectX).

Firefox and plugin container processes weren't running while playing these games..

Cheers