Faster CPU+More RAM=Slower Computer?!?

  • Thread starter Thread starter SkyRocker
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SkyRocker

I recently upgraded my motherboard and CPU and added more RAM to my system.
I went from an Abit KT7A w/ 700 Duron and 256 Megs of RAM to a Biostar M7VIW
w/ 2000+ and 512 Megs DDR 2100 RAM. I did a fresh install of WIN 98 after
the upgrade and updated all of the drivers for the VIA chipset, video card
(ATI Rage FURY), etc. But the computer runs slower than it did before the
upgrade. Worst offender is Windows Internet Explorer. Some web pages load
VERY slowly and some lock the computer up entirely. If this were the only
problem I'd think it was just the browser, but other programs load slowly as
well, and the system sometimes locks up if I have more than 2-3 active
windows open. I've tried playing with the BIOS, but have reverted back to
the optimal defaults with just things that I don't need, like serial ports,
game ports turned off. I was expecting much better performance with double
the RAM and almost triple the CPU power but it seems like I've taken a step
backwards.

Any advice would be appreciated.

TIA
 
Obviously a Hardware config problem. Do you ever get the Blue screen of
death?

Your system should fly! You may want to install another more stable OS. The
latest via drivers may cause issues with win 98. There may even be a memorey
leak in an application you are running or you may even have the infamous
Chernobyl virus, whose payload is to run hundreds of untraceable instances
of applications in the background causing your PC to crash and operate
slowly.
 
SkyRocker said:
I recently upgraded my motherboard and CPU and added more RAM to my system.
I went from an Abit KT7A w/ 700 Duron and 256 Megs of RAM to a Biostar M7VIW
w/ 2000+ and 512 Megs DDR 2100 RAM. I did a fresh install of WIN 98 after
the upgrade and updated all of the drivers for the VIA chipset, video card
(ATI Rage FURY), etc. But the computer runs slower than it did before the
upgrade. Worst offender is Windows Internet Explorer. Some web pages load
VERY slowly and some lock the computer up entirely. If this were the only
problem I'd think it was just the browser, but other programs load slowly as
well, and the system sometimes locks up if I have more than 2-3 active
windows open. I've tried playing with the BIOS, but have reverted back to
the optimal defaults with just things that I don't need, like serial ports,
game ports turned off. I was expecting much better performance with double
the RAM and almost triple the CPU power but it seems like I've taken a step
backwards.

Any advice would be appreciated.

TIA
Click to expand...


Ditch Windoze 98
 
Right. I might add that he check to make sure DMA is enabled for the
harddrives and CD-ROM drives. Also he should do a defrag, and, as suggested
earlier, make sure a virus has not snuck by installing and running a virus
checker.

| On Wed, 9 Jul 2003 14:06:02 +0000 (UTC), "Pete"
|
| >
| >| >> I recently upgraded my motherboard and CPU and added more RAM to my
| >system.
| >> I went from an Abit KT7A w/ 700 Duron and 256 Megs of RAM to a Biostar
| >M7VIW
| >> w/ 2000+ and 512 Megs DDR 2100 RAM. I did a fresh install of WIN 98
after
| >> the upgrade and updated all of the drivers for the VIA chipset, video
card
| >> (ATI Rage FURY), etc. But the computer runs slower than it did before
the
| >> upgrade. Worst offender is Windows Internet Explorer. Some web pages
| >load
| >> VERY slowly and some lock the computer up entirely. If this were the
only
| >> problem I'd think it was just the browser, but other programs load
slowly
| >as
| >> well, and the system sometimes locks up if I have more than 2-3 active
| >> windows open. I've tried playing with the BIOS, but have reverted back
to
| >> the optimal defaults with just things that I don't need, like serial
| >ports,
| >> game ports turned off. I was expecting much better performance with
| >double
| >> the RAM and almost triple the CPU power but it seems like I've taken a
| >step
| >> backwards.
| >>
| >> Any advice would be appreciated.
| >>
| >> TIA
| >>
| >>
| >
| >
| >Ditch Windoze 98
|
| He has a problem, and that's not it. Installing a different OS might
| bypass the problem but 98SE should run fine.
|
| Install 98SE with only videocard, CD and hd. Don't have any CD-RW or
| additional video related card installed. Check a little how it works
| before you install the VIA drivers. Install them, and your
| videodrivers. Then go to Windows update and install every systempatch.
| Install your various periphelia one at a time, with all them reboots.
|
|
| ancra
 
check your harddrives. umda or even bad sectors can slow you down and make
things freeze up
 
I recently upgraded my motherboard and CPU and added more RAM to my system.
I went from an Abit KT7A w/ 700 Duron and 256 Megs of RAM to a Biostar M7VIW
w/ 2000+ and 512 Megs DDR 2100 RAM.
.
.
I was expecting much better performance with double
the RAM and almost triple the CPU power but it seems like I've taken a step
backwards.
Click to expand...


Obviously something very wrong.

Can you run a benchmark tool and confim what part of the system is
slowing you down?





-bobb
 
I've also seen this kind of behavior when MacAfee Antivirus is installed and
running.
 
Thanks for all the replies! Latest update: Broke down and go XP. $89 at
Circuit City. Took all day to install it (but that's another story...) nad
the system is running great! I think that 98 just couldn't handle the
faster processor and extra ram. Sounds crazy, but it's all better now.

Thanks for all of the suggestions and tips.
 
Hope you downloaded IE6 with the upd 1.
Also hope you downloaded the latest DX9.
I hope you do not have more than 512 Megs of RAM for win98SE. Too Much RAM
is bad for win98. It originally had a limit of 384 Megs. I run it on 512
Megs of Ram and it does fine.

Check to make sure you have also loaded the Chipset Drivers that came with
the motherboard, and all of the Ultra ATA 100/133 drivers for the hard
drive.

You should be using a 7200 rpm hard drive at least.

The speed at which you can view frames is limited by your Video Card. A
Sapphire 9000 or 9100 would probably work well with that motherboard if it
has an AGP port. I used a Sapphire 9000 on my sons Asus A7N8X Deluxe and it
did wonderfully.

Win98 works best with modems, but WinXP works extremely well with broadband.
 
luinzi said:
Obviously a Hardware config problem. Do you ever get the Blue screen of
death?

Your system should fly! You may want to install another more stable OS.
The latest via drivers may cause issues with win 98.
Click to expand...

The "latest via drivers" can bring any system to it's knees..
 
Bit O. Data wrote:

Win98 works best with modems, but WinXP works extremely well with
broadband.
Click to expand...

And this is because? Funny that 98SE works fine with a 100Mbs nic card but
can't handle a cable modem's bandwidth? Even a USB 1.0 port can easily deal
with that. Sounds like more M$ FUD. Next you'll explain how linux doesn't
work well with broadband either? :-)
 
Bit said:
Hope you downloaded IE6 with the upd 1.
Also hope you downloaded the latest DX9.
I hope you do not have more than 512 Megs of RAM for win98SE.
Click to expand...

Might help if you actually read the post. 512Mb of ram, no more.
Too Much RAM
is bad for win98. It originally had a limit of 384 Megs. I run it on 512
Megs of Ram and it does fine.

Check to make sure you have also loaded the Chipset Drivers that came with
the motherboard, and all of the Ultra ATA 100/133 drivers for the hard
drive.

You should be using a 7200 rpm hard drive at least.
Click to expand...


Same hard drive before and after. This point is irrelevant.
The speed at which you can view frames is limited by your Video Card. A
Sapphire 9000 or 9100 would probably work well with that motherboard if it
has an AGP port. I used a Sapphire 9000 on my sons Asus A7N8X Deluxe and it
did wonderfully.
Click to expand...

Same video card before and after. This point is irrelevant.
Win98 works best with modems, but WinXP works extremely well with broadband.
Click to expand...

LOL

That's horseshit


--

Are you registered as a bone marrow donor? You regenerate what you
donate. You are offered the chance to donate only if you match a person
on the recipient list. Call your local Red Cross and ask about
registering to be a bone marrow donor.

spam trap: replace shyah_right! with hotmail when replying
 
Thanks for all the replies! Latest update: Broke down and go XP. $89 at
Circuit City.
Click to expand...

XP is a good choice, not much to say about it. Welcome to the current.
;-)
I think that 98 just couldn't handle the
faster processor and extra ram.
Click to expand...

That's complete nonsens. There's patches for some cpu issues for old
9x. Also, 9x should be ok up to 512MB. About then, you need to limit
the size of the disccache in the win.ini file, but then you're ok for
loads of memory. GigaBytes no problem.

You had some install problem, period.
I have assumed that you had Win98SE, but how old is your install CD
really?

It's also important that one doesn't try any shortcuts, after change
of cpu/mobo. C:\ should be formatted and OS must be reinstalled from
scratch from an install CD. And no periphelia should be in the box
from the start, and it should be updated from MS.


ancra
 
I have the same board and Proc with 256mb of pc133. I am running xp
pro with very few problems except slow HD performance.
Click to expand...

If you're having both NTFS and FAT32 partitions, then that's probably
it. I noticed 100% perf increase when I got rid of an old FAT32
partition. I'm not saying NTFS is faster than FAT32, but the
combination seems to be a brake.


ancra
 
spodosaurus said:
Might help if you actually read the post. 512Mb of ram, no more.



Same hard drive before and after. This point is irrelevant.


Same video card before and after. This point is irrelevant.


LOL

That's horseshit
Click to expand...

Are your drives running in DMA mode?
Tried removing one stick of ram? Original Win 98 sometimes slowed down with
more than 384 MB.
 
If you read the original post, you would see that SkyRocker was using
Windows98, which doesn't support NTFS.

--
===

To reply, remove dead bodies from email address.

===
 
Ancra said:
XP is a good choice, not much to say about it. Welcome to the current.
;-)
Click to expand...

'Bout time...
That's complete nonsens. There's patches for some cpu issues for old
9x. Also, 9x should be ok up to 512MB. About then, you need to limit
the size of the disccache in the win.ini file, but then you're ok for
loads of memory. GigaBytes no problem.

You had some install problem, period.
Click to expand...

More than likely...
I have assumed that you had Win98SE, but how old is your install CD
really?
Click to expand...

Win98SE, purchased late '99-early 2000
It's also important that one doesn't try any shortcuts, after change
of cpu/mobo. C:\ should be formatted and OS must be reinstalled from
scratch from an install CD. And no periphelia should be in the box
from the start, and it should be updated from MS.
Click to expand...

C: was formatted, 98SE installed from scratch. New motherboard included
sound/LAN and I do have a cdrw installed.
 
Ancra wrote:

But isn't top posting eaier to follow?

Who are you resonding to?
...And if you read my post correctly, you would see that in this case
I wasn't responding to SkyRocker.
(- but I suppose that's how topposters read. ;-))


ancra
Click to expand...

Who knows what is being responded to from a top poster! :-)
 
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