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Slow performance with p3 and tnt2 ?

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Reply 20 of 37, by rasz_pl

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We still dont really know what the "very poor performance" is here. Run some standard benchmarks (3dmarks, quake 1/2) and post results

https://github.com/raszpl/sigrok-disk FM/MFM/RLL decoder
https://github.com/raszpl/FIC-486-GAC-2-Cache-Module (AT&T Globalyst)
https://github.com/raszpl/386RC-16 ram board
https://github.com/raszpl/440BX Reference Design adapted to Kicad

Reply 21 of 37, by PcBytes

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AlexZ wrote on 2026-04-23, 20:00:

Ford Lian BX-6VP2 has VIA VT82C693 chipset which is part of the problem. It has extremely slow memory access. It is possible to fix it with wpcredit by tweaking some chipset settings (In-Order Queue depth=4-level). You also need full Riva tnt2, not m64. They should be cheap. If you ever find cheap Katmai 600Mhz CPU, buy it.

AFAIK there's the Memory Interleave enabler for those 693/694 mobos - worth taking a look into it, I've used it on a MVP3 board (DFI K6BV3+/66, probably the finest I've used so far!) and the performances are noticeable.

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Reply 22 of 37, by cydvog

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PcBytes wrote on 2026-04-27, 19:41:
AlexZ wrote on 2026-04-23, 20:00:

Ford Lian BX-6VP2 has VIA VT82C693 chipset which is part of the problem. It has extremely slow memory access. It is possible to fix it with wpcredit by tweaking some chipset settings (In-Order Queue depth=4-level). You also need full Riva tnt2, not m64. They should be cheap. If you ever find cheap Katmai 600Mhz CPU, buy it.

AFAIK there's the Memory Interleave enabler for those 693/694 mobos - worth taking a look into it, I've used it on a MVP3 board (DFI K6BV3+/66, probably the finest I've used so far!) and the performances are noticeable.

Ive used memory enabler dont make any changes

Reply 23 of 37, by cydvog

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Here is 3dmark99 max pro report. Pentium 3 500 mhz , 128 mb sdram.

Driver version 43.45 directx 8.1 , via 4in1 435v.

Reply 24 of 37, by cydvog

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rasz_pl wrote on 2026-04-27, 16:27:

We still dont really know what the "very poor performance" is here. Run some standard benchmarks (3dmarks, quake 1/2) and post results

Here is results , thanks

Reply 25 of 37, by AlexZ

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Post results for 3dmark 99 in 1024x768 32bit.

Pentium III 900E,ECS P6BXT-A+,384MB,GeForce FX 5600, Voodoo 2,Yamaha SM718
Turion 64 ML-37@2.4Ghz,Gigabyte GA-K8NE,2GB,GeForce GTX 275,Audigy 2ZS
Phenom II X4 955,Gigabyte GA-MA770-UD3,8GB,GeForce GTX 780
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Reply 27 of 37, by appiah4

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cydvog wrote on Yesterday, 07:27:

Here is 3dmark99 max pro report. Pentium 3 500 mhz , 128 mb sdram.

Driver version 43.45 directx 8.1 , via 4in1 435v.

That's a tad slow, but not terribly so. A good M64 should be able to do around 4500 pts with a low end P3 (can go up to 5500pts with an AthlonXP) but the deficit here might have to do with a) Your card's GPU/VRAM speeds or b) the Apollo vs BX440 difference.

Reply 29 of 37, by leileilol

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yeah that's running normal to me. Deus Ex was a heavy one and a p3 500 ain't going to work wonders on it (especially not with the cut-down variation of the TNT2)

apsosig.png
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Reply 30 of 37, by appiah4

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cydvog wrote on Yesterday, 08:52:

Here video from deus ex1 . Generally others games has same behaviour. Between 1997 - 99

https://youtu.be/ZF1J72owApw?si=V89YetLCugioIPOz

That looks like 1024x68?

It takes a High End P3 and a Geforce 2 at the very least to run Deus Ex smooth at that resolution. I don't know what you were expecting, but TNT2 M64 is good for games from 96-98 and at 800x600 at most. You are talking about a Voodoo 2 (1998) class hardware here and trying to run it at resolutions it was never meant for in a game from 2000..

Last edited by appiah4 on 2026-04-28, 09:02. Edited 3 times in total.

Reply 31 of 37, by cydvog

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leileilol wrote on Yesterday, 08:56:

yeah that's running normal to me. Deus Ex was a heavy one and a p3 500 ain't going to work wonders on it (especially not with the cut-down variation of the TNT2)

Ok. But get same fps like carnageddon 2 and other.

Reply 32 of 37, by leileilol

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Carmageddon 2 has a low framerate in general, that's also to be expected.

apsosig.png
long live PCem
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Reply 33 of 37, by cydvog

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appiah4 wrote on Yesterday, 08:57:
cydvog wrote on Yesterday, 08:52:

Here video from deus ex1 . Generally others games has same behaviour. Between 1997 - 99

https://youtu.be/ZF1J72owApw?si=V89YetLCugioIPOz

That looks like 1024x68?

It takes a High End P3 and a Geforce 2 at the very least to run Deus Ex smooth at that resolution. I don't know what you were expecting, but TNT2 M64 is good for games from 96-97, maybe 98 but that would be pushing it. You are talking about a Voodoo 1 class hardware here and trying to run it at resolutions it was never meant for in a game from 2000..

İts 640 x 480 with 16 bit

Reply 34 of 37, by leileilol

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Also I believe your Deus Ex footage is actually in software rendering mode. I realize i'm looking at the 15bpp additive blending of the hud turning everything a little more green and the very fuzzy texturing

apsosig.png
long live PCem
FUCK "AI". It is a tool of fascism. We do not need it. We do not use it.

Reply 35 of 37, by rasz_pl

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~3500 is normal TNT2 m64 score. This card is only good for 640x480 with occasional 800x600 gaming.
Nothing wrong with your computer, its just build from low end (bottom of the barrel graphic card, cheap chipset mobo) parts.

https://github.com/raszpl/sigrok-disk FM/MFM/RLL decoder
https://github.com/raszpl/FIC-486-GAC-2-Cache-Module (AT&T Globalyst)
https://github.com/raszpl/386RC-16 ram board
https://github.com/raszpl/440BX Reference Design adapted to Kicad

Reply 36 of 37, by Ydee

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Deus Ex system requirements is 3D VGA with DX 7.0a - TNT2 is DX 6.0, so no surprise that results are so slow. What about slotket and some Coppermine CPU? I know, that VIA 693 is not rocket, but I had Zida mobo with VIA Apollo 691 back then and with Coppermine PIII that was a lot more fun than with Katmai, even though you can't expect miracles from the TNT2 M64.

Reply 37 of 37, by AlexZ

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GeForce 4 MX440 (128 bit) or GeForce FX5500 and PIII Katmai 600 would be good upgrade for this system. Better GPUs could use a much better CPU.

Pentium III 900E,ECS P6BXT-A+,384MB,GeForce FX 5600, Voodoo 2,Yamaha SM718
Turion 64 ML-37@2.4Ghz,Gigabyte GA-K8NE,2GB,GeForce GTX 275,Audigy 2ZS
Phenom II X4 955,Gigabyte GA-MA770-UD3,8GB,GeForce GTX 780
Vishera FX-8370,Asus 990FX,32GB,GeForce GTX 980 Ti