A challenge for the tech heads

[Indignant]

I recently inheritted a computer. It is better in overall numbers than my old one, but on some games (like CoH) it runs horridly. Here are the specs:
MoBo: ASUS P4S533-X
Proc: Pentium 4 2.4 Ghz
Video: GeForce FX 5700LE 256MB
Audio: Onboard ESS 1969 and SoundMax Digital Audio
RAM: 1 stick PC2700 1GB non dual channel

For the video card, I'm running the newest Beta drivers from Nvidia. Currently running windows XP home with SP1 (when SP2 is loaded, it can't connect to the internt. This is a known issue with SP2). I have nothing going at start up. I can run EQ2 fine but for some reason CoH bogs down at the lowest video settings once I get in a fight with more than 3 people on screen. Any suggestions are welcome.

[BadAsh]

maybe go one driver revision back for the vid driver or also try updating your chipset driver from Asus's website and see if it runs better.

[Indignant]

Well, the bios are updated and the graphics card drivers are rolled back to non beta. The system still bogs out when there are alot of players and enemies on screen. Even worse, City of Heroes has a tendancy to crash after leaving a mission. I've run file verification function for CoH and it says it's fine. Think I'm going to uninstall and reinstall the game. I've run World of Warcraft on this machine with zero problems. Kind of stumped as to what the deal is on this.

[PJ]

this might sound dumb....


but....

run in safe mode, then use a virus scanner....you might have something acting stupid on your computer.

[XoR]

Another thing I would try is using performance monitor (type perfmon at run...). Throw a few additional counters (like some TCP) in there and let it analyze while you play CoH. You may want to look at the windows help file if you are unsure how to use this. CPU pegging is probably a given, being that whatever process or funky driver is causing the "chugging". Basically, what you want to determine is that during the chugging, see if it's the CoH process, or something else that takes up CPU time. If your CPU hits 90%+ on the CoH process when it gets the chuggies, then you're at least on the right page.

Another tool is Process Explorer from http://www.sysinternals.com. Free to download and it can have CPU graphs for each individual process, to check if there isn't anything else acting strange.

[I.D.O.]

MMmmmm Sysinternals/Winterals...... love their goodies..... been using their tools since '97!!!

[midnightservice]

same here IDO.

I dont say it is the vid card. I am here to say it is a combination of you vid card internet connection, hard drive right speed and your mother board bus speed. which your board listed above is really slow.

-Mid

[Indignant]

I finally figured it out. Seems the fan on the processor wasn't up to snuff. The bloddy thing was running at over 70 degrees C. So I pop in a new Heatsink and fan and get an extra PC slot fan just to cool things down and everything is running great. I feel stupid for not looking at this first.