I can only assume that you're not using period correct driver.

The Serpent Rider wrote on 2020-06-30, 22:44:

I can only assume that you're not using period correct driver.

yeah, i'm running the latest driver. which version should i downgrade to?

Period correct one.

Well, I can't even find these "period correct" drivers since the earliest NVIDIA's letting me download is 275.33 from 2011 even though IIRC the card came out in 2006.

Is there any other sites I can go to to get old drivers? I'm looking on Oldapps right now and I see something about Forceware. Is that what I'm supposed to be getting?

edit: nevermind, found some older drivers, still hasn't fixed any of my problems 🙁

Set affinity to a single core

That didn't work either.

According to https://www.anandtech.com/show/2082/9 Half Life 2 gets 158.3fps at 1024x768 on an Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 (2.93GHz/4MB) with a 7900GS

According to https://www.anandtech.com/show/2045/14, at 1600x1200, with 2 x ATI Radeon X1900 XT CrossFire a Pentium 4 D820 gets 99.8fps versus a Core 2 Extreme X6800 getting 160.6fps .

Assuming (big assumption, may be totally inaccurate) that framerate scales roughly the same way with CPU speed on a 7900GS at 1024x768 as it does with 2 x ATI Radeon X1900 XT CrossFire at 1600x1200, expected frame rates should be around 98fps on your setup .

The first thing that comes to mind is whether that Pentium 4 D820 is thermal-throttling or not (that thing has a TDP of 95 watts!) .

I can't tell if its thermal throttling because CoreTemp tells me nothing. Is there any other way to know if I'm thermal throttling? I just put a fresh dab of paste on when I was swapping out the power supply.

You can try Speedfan and msi afterburner

ENunn wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:09:

I can't tell if its thermal throttling because CoreTemp tells me nothing. Is there any other way to know if I'm thermal throttling? I just put a fresh dab of paste on when I was swapping out the power supply.

2020063020090788.png

Hard to say, as this CPU apparently lacks the necessary exposed sensors for TAT or Coretemp to work . Do you have a CPU temp. value shown in the BIOS ? It is not guaranteed to be accurate, but it should give a ballpark idea of idle temperature . Also, what cooler are you using and what is the ambient temperature where you are running the computer ?

I remember reading that these CPUs (Pentium D family) had a tendency to throttle with stock coolers in certain situations, especially if ambient temperatures were warm enough .

EDIT: Is the heatsink part of the cooler burning to the touch when the CPU is under load ?

What cooler are you using with your cpu?

Well, I can't even find these "period correct" drivers since the earliest NVIDIA's letting me download is 275.33 from 2011 even though IIRC the card came out in 2006.

Choose GeForce FX.

Alternatively Guru3D has huge collection of archived per month drivers: https://www.guru3d.com/files-categoryar ... -bit).html

The Serpent Rider wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:26:

Well, I can't even find these "period correct" drivers since the earliest NVIDIA's letting me download is 275.33 from 2011 even though IIRC the card came out in 2006.

Choose GeForce FX.

Probably not the best option for Half-Life 2 . A 6600GT gets 50 some fps in Half-Life 2 at 1024x768 with a D820 and even the fastest Geforce FX definitely won't beat that . Additionally, if it is a CPU thermal issue, changing graphic cards won't help at all .

EDIT : Trying older drivers is a good idea, but if they don't fix the issue, I would look at the CPU's thermals .

I think he means choose the fx series for older drivers and not a fx era card.

chrismeyer6 wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:12:

You can try Speedfan and msi afterburner

Neither software shows CPU Temps.

darry wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:19:

Hard to say, as this CPU apparently lacks the necessary exposed sensors for TAT or Coretemp to work . Do you have a CPU temp. value shown in the BIOS ? It is not guaranteed to be accurate, but it should give a ballpark idea of idle temperature .

I don't think so, no. Going through the BIOS and nothing really shows up.

darry wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:19:

Also, what cooler are you using and what is the ambient temperature where you are running the computer ?

chrismeyer6 wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:22:

What cooler are you using with your cpu?

Stock Dell cooler. It is an XPS 400 after all, if I'm able to swap the cooler I don't know what will be compatible with the motherboard.

darry wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:19:

EDIT: Is the heatsink part of the cooler burning to the touch when the CPU is under load ?

Can't really touch the heatsink since its under a layer of a black plastic Dell branded™ box. I don't smell any burning either.

The Serpent Rider wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:26:

Choose GeForce FX.

Alternatively Guru3D has huge collection of archived drivers: https://www.guru3d.com/files-categoryar ... -bit).html

Got it, sadly it didn't really fix it

Neither software shows CPU Temps.

Everest/AIDA can show CPU thermals. But looks like Speedfan is showing 51C for CPU at idle (core).

chrismeyer6 wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:34:

I think he means choose the fx series for older drivers and not a fx era card.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Drivers from the FX series heyday definitely won't work with the much newer 7900GS .

The Serpent Rider wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:41:

Neither software shows CPU Temps.

Everest/AIDA can show CPU thermals. But looks like Speedfan is showing 51C for CPU at idle (core).

If that is accurate, it seems rather toasty . I don't know how that compares to the specified Intel Tcase of 64.1C (Case Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS).)
https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/p … 00-mhz-fsb.html

Can you load the CPU with something and recheck the temperature ?

EDIT: Also, if you run CPU-Z while loading the CPU, you may actually see it throttle (if the D820 reduces multiplier when throttling),

The Serpent Rider wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:41:

Neither software shows CPU Temps.

Everest/AIDA can show CPU thermals. But looks like Speedfan is showing 51C for CPU at idle (core).

Interesting. While running a game the core temp doesn't change at all.

darry wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:42:

I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Drivers from the FX series heyday definitely won't work with the much newer 7900GS .

He just means drivers that are compatible with the FX series, I was able to install 175.19 from 2008 and it seems to be working fine minus the issues I've been having.

darry wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:45:

If that is accurate, it seems rather toasty . I don't know how that compares to the specified Intel Tcase of 64.1C (Case Temper […]
Show full quote

If that is accurate, it seems rather toasty . I don't know how that compares to the specified Intel Tcase of 64.1C (Case Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS).)
https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/p … 00-mhz-fsb.html

Can you load the CPU with something and recheck the temperature ?

EDIT: Also, if you run CPU-Z while loading the CPU, you may actually see it throttle (if the D820 reduces multiplier when throttling),

What should I load it with? PRIME95? I do see fire icons besides the temps in SpeedFan so I doubt that's anything good.

darry wrote on 2020-07-01, 01:19:

Also, what cooler are you using and what is the ambient temperature where you are running the computer ?

Forgot to mention it's about 68-70f in my room.