New PC not performing in game

Okay, maybe you guys can give me some help here.

I just built a new machine, and from what people told me I SHOULD be able to run Crysis on High settings.

Well that is not the case, and I am not sure what to point my finger at.

Here are my specs, please look them over and give me a starting place.

AMD Phenom 9950 Quad-Core

8GB DDR2 8500 (Though I do not yet have 64bit OS, so really about 3GB)

Twin Geforce XFX 8800GTS 320MB XxX Series in SLI

Asus M3N-HT Deluxe w/ Mempipe Motherboard

300GB Western Digital HDD 7200rpm

28" 1080p HD Viewsonic Monitor

Here are my only thoughts. The monitor, at high resolution only seems to be capable of about 60Hz.

The hard drive, being large, seek times will be higher, and being 7200RMP will bring it down slightly as well.

Not having a 64bit OS will force me to limit my 64 bit RAM, and my quad core to 32bit.

Thanks for your time!

I found that the 8800GTS 320mb was a weak (not bad, but not too good) card running the latest games. The 320mb REALLY holds back the card. I did a step-up to a 8800GT 512mb and the performance increase was amazing in WiC and Crysis.SLi doesn't add the VRAM of the two cards so you'd still see terrible performance with highest textures and high resolutions, which is where SLi is supposed to shine.

I'd return those 8800GTS 320mb and get the G92 512mb version ASAP.

you seem pretty misinformed. Problems are the Amd processor, the old video card, non 64 bit os with all that ram is pointless, 100% pointless and dont let anyone tell you otherwise. Also your HD is very small in terms of size, but maybe its the new velociraptor? If so its the fastest HD on the market, and regardless a modern HD would not slow down your games.

Problems are processor, ram, and video card... that video card cannot do anything on high, oh and what res are you running hopefully you get a higher resolution than 1080p?

Ok just saw that you are running sli so i would think at a low resolution you could get high settings 1024 x 768 maybe? But would look like crap on that big monitor. Also most LCd monitors are meant to run at 60hz, if not all? Only recently have lcd tvs went to 120hz... but that has nothing to do with FPS or games

I found that the 8800GTS 320mb was a weak (not bad, but not too good) card running the latest games. The 320mb REALLY holds back the card. I did a step-up to a 8800GT 512mb and the performance increase was amazing in WiC and Crysis.SLi doesn't add the VRAM of the two cards so you'd still see terrible performance with highest textures and high resolutions, which is where SLi is supposed to shine.

I'd return those 8800GTS 320mb and get the G92 512mb version ASAP.

Swiftstrike5

Pretty much. The 8800GTS 320mb is a dated card.

I disagree with your opinion on the 9950. And so does MANY performance tests Vs Core 2 Extreme, but that is neither here nor there. My processor NEVER hit's 100%. I watch it steady durring these tests and games. My frames are held back. On high I am getting about 30 frames. The problem does not lie with the CPU. My ram also is not capped. I fill possibly 2 gigs during crysis, and I have 8 Gigs because when my new HD gets here I will be putting 64bit on it. I will prolly go XP, cuz I am not yet sold on Vista, which I have the 32bit version of it now.

My drivers are all up to date.

I was under the impression that SLI combined VRAM, but if that is not the case, you may very well be right.

I disagree with your opinion on the 9950. And so does MANY performance tests Vs Core 2 Extreme, but that is neither here nor there. My processor NEVER hit's 100%. I watch it steady durring these tests and games. My frames are held back. On high I am getting about 30 frames. The problem does not lie with the CPU. My ram also is not capped. I fill possibly 2 gigs during crysis, and I have 8 Gigs because when my new HD gets here I will be putting 64bit on it. I will prolly go XP, cuz I am not yet sold on Vista, which I have the 32bit version of it now.

My drivers are all up to date.

I was under the impression that SLI combined VRAM, but if that is not the case, you may very well be right.

JakeReindl

SLI limits you to the amount of RAM on a single card. Not sure why you thought it let you add them together, because it is the opposite. Your problem lies almost entirely with your GPU selection. The rest of what you mention does affect performance in games (other than the refresh rate of your monitor which is what almost ALL of us have, as all but very new Flat screen monitors are 60 Hz) but what you have shouldn't be holding you back at all in Crysis.

It's your GPU, nothing else. If you look at Crysis benchmarking on the very newest graphics cards you'll note that having a LOT of VRAM helps Crysis immensely. So this aspect of your card choice is probably having a huge impact. Whyever would you have chosen to go SLI and then not at least chosen the top of the line in 8800 cards to do it with. The price difference is so minimal on those old cards anyway.

I was under the impression that SLI combined VRAM, but if that is not the case, you may very well be right.

JakeReindl

From what I''ve read, it uses both cards VRAM, but both sets are filled with identical data for performance purposes. So you can't just add the two VRAM amounts together.

I run with the following setup:

Thermaltake Armor VA8000BWS
Antec 850W TruePower Quattro
Intel ATX E8500 CORE 2 DUO/3.16GHz
Western Digital 320G SATAII + WD 36.7G Raptor 10k
XFX N780 nForce 780i MCP SLI
DDR2 4G PC-6400 800Mhz ReaperX HPC OCZ
2x SLI XFX GeForce 8800GT XXX 512MB DDR3

and I've OC'd my processor to roughly 3.8GHZ and I'm on XP.

I get roughly 30fps on stock "High" settings in Crysis at 1680x1050. (22inch wide)

In my experience SLI does not increase Crysis's performance at all really so I don't think there is anything wrong with the frames that you are getting based on the PC you're running with.

If you want to get better performance in Crysis, use this mod :

http://www.incrysis.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=23117

I run with the following setup:

Thermaltake Armor VA8000BWS
Antec 850W TruePower Quattro
Intel ATX E8500 CORE 2 DUO/3.16GHz
Western Digital 320G SATAII + WD 36.7G Raptor 10k
XFX N780 nForce 780i MCP SLI
DDR2 4G PC-6400 800Mhz ReaperX HPC OCZ
2x SLI XFX GeForce 8800GT XXX 512MB DDR3

and I've OC'd my processor to roughly 3.8GHZ and I'm on XP.

I get roughly 30fps on stock "High" settings in Crysis at 1680x1050. (22inch wide)

In my experience SLI does not increase Crysis's performance at all really so I don't think there is anything wrong with the frames that you are getting based on the PC you're running with.

If you want to get better performance in Crysis, use this mod :

http://www.incrysis.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=23117

1nverted

I don't think it utilizes SLI. My 9800GTX (OC) gets 55 FPS on high settings at that resolution and my HD4850 gets around 40. Two 8800GTs should smoke these cards once SLI'd.

I don't know what to say my single 8800 GTS (320mb) has never suffered any problems with Crysis on Medium Settings >.> and don't say it's the rest of my system either cause it's worse XD

I don't have any probs with Medium settings, I stay steady at about 55-60 frames at medium.

I suppose I will have to see about selling off my twin 8800s.

Anyone wanna buy? lol

[QUOTE="Swiftstrike5"]

I found that the 8800GTS 320mb was a weak (not bad, but not too good) card running the latest games. The 320mb REALLY holds back the card. I did a step-up to a 8800GT 512mb and the performance increase was amazing in WiC and Crysis.SLi doesn't add the VRAM of the two cards so you'd still see terrible performance with highest textures and high resolutions, which is where SLi is supposed to shine.

I'd return those 8800GTS 320mb and get the G92 512mb version ASAP.

GodLovesDead

Pretty much. The 8800GTS 320mb is a dated card.

[QUOTE="GodLovesDead"][QUOTE="Swiftstrike5"]

I found that the 8800GTS 320mb was a weak (not bad, but not too good) card running the latest games. The 320mb REALLY holds back the card. I did a step-up to a 8800GT 512mb and the performance increase was amazing in WiC and Crysis.SLi doesn't add the VRAM of the two cards so you'd still see terrible performance with highest textures and high resolutions, which is where SLi is supposed to shine.

I'd return those 8800GTS 320mb and get the G92 512mb version ASAP.

secure_

Pretty much. The 8800GTS 320mb is a dated card.

Neither of those games are particularly demanding games though. It may be a great card, but despite this it's still dated.

Yeah I agree. The card is very fast, and I have not had any problems running most games at all. CoD4, BF2, etc.

They ran great before I even went SLI. But I have not seen any difference really at all in Crysis since SLI, so though it may be a really fast card, it is killing itself being a 320MB. I have to decide if it is worth selling and upgrading to a higher end card just for crysis. I can still play on Medium Settings.

[QUOTE="secure_"][QUOTE="GodLovesDead"][QUOTE="Swiftstrike5"]

I found that the 8800GTS 320mb was a weak (not bad, but not too good) card running the latest games. The 320mb REALLY holds back the card. I did a step-up to a 8800GT 512mb and the performance increase was amazing in WiC and Crysis.SLi doesn't add the VRAM of the two cards so you'd still see terrible performance with highest textures and high resolutions, which is where SLi is supposed to shine.

I'd return those 8800GTS 320mb and get the G92 512mb version ASAP.

GodLovesDead

Pretty much. The 8800GTS 320mb is a dated card.

Neither of those games are particularly demanding games though. It may be a great card, but despite this it's still dated.