Game Skips Real BAD - HELP!!

[Sladek]

I have the following setup:

AMD T-bird 1.33 Ghz
Thermalright SLK-800 + Tornado 80 mm Fan
Hercules GeForce 3 Regular
Abit KG7 Motherboard
512 Crucial DDr Ram PC2100
Western Digital 7200 60 Gig
Windows 2000

Every time I try to run Counter-strike, it skips ever like 5 to 7 seconds like an FPS spat. I've tried different detonators, different bios settings, and all sorts of things and still cannot stop it. What can I do to fix this?!?

[JBELL]

have you gotten new via drivers? for chipset

[Sladek]

yes, i just formatted and have the 4.37s

[stoopid]

Check IRQ assignments, maybe even disable ACPI and set the computer type to standard in device manager.

[Sladek]

It is already set to Standard PC. I did that when I first formatted.

[Neptune5k]

Okay, I've seen this happen with KG7 users in the past and it ususally boils down to a driver issue.

You have to realize that the KG7 is a hybrid board which utilizes an AMD northbridge and VIA Southbridge. Because of this, you can't just use the VIA 4-in-1 drivers. You have to install the AMD AGP driver pack, for the northbridge, and then you have to install the 4-in-1's excluding the AGP driver, for the southbridge.

Hope this helps.

[sysfailur]

Reinstall Half-life and CS. Also perhaps a nice defrag would help. I've had LOTS of problems w/ HL over the years, and a nice clean install always fixes it

[Sladek]

So Neptune:

I download the AMD AGP Driver from amd.com as well as that via 4.37s. Run the install for the AGP Driver, then run the 4in1s but uncheck the AGP Driver that is included with it?

Is this corrrect?

Also, do I need to format again to do this properly or can i just overwrite it?

Thanks

[Sladek]

Also, any recommendations on bios settings for my AGP?

Right now I am sure that I need AGP 4x.

But what about:
Video BIOS Shadow, AGP Fast Writes, AGP Aperature Size, AGP ISA Aliasing, AGP Always Compensate.

Not too sure about those settings. Which would give me the best performance?

[mdzcpa]

Originally posted by Sladek
I download the AMD AGP Driver from amd.com as well as that via 4.37s. Run the install for the AGP Driver, then run the 4in1s but uncheck the AGP Driver that is included with it?


Correct. You can download the WIN 2k AGP driver from HERE .


Also, do I need to format again to do this properly or can i just overwrite it?

Just unistall the current 4in1's first (by running the 4in1 install and choosing "uninstall"). Then install the AMD AGP and 4in1 again.

Hope you don't mind me steppin in to help

[mdzcpa]

Originally posted by Sladek
Also, any recommendations on bios settings for my AGP?

Right now I am sure that I need AGP 4x.

But what about:
Video BIOS Shadow, AGP Fast Writes, AGP Aperature Size, AGP ISA Aliasing, AGP Always Compensate.

Not too sure about those settings. Which would give me the best performance?

I like these settings:

video bios shadow disabled

Starting with AGP Secondary Lat Timer-
Secondary Lat Timer : 20h
Fast Writes : enabled
4X
Enabled
Disabled
Enabled
2
0

And some good mem settings:
Manual
16
8
8
2
6
2
1
2
2
2

And these AGP Driving Valuessettings under Advanced Chipset Features can help-
manual
D8
slow
slow
FF
Fast
Fast

Most of these settings are tried and true by various overclockers.

These will help

[Sladek]

Ok, well I uninstaleld the 4in1s then installing the AGP Driver followed by the 4.37s without the agp driver. I also did all of those bios tweaks, and after all that, it STILL does it. I even moved my computer out of the cubby it was in in my desk to give it some more air, but that obviously did not help. I am so frustrated. : (

[mdzcpa]

If it's only happening in CS, I'd try a fresh install of CS (as someone above suggested).

[Sladek]

I just formatted yesterday, and sometimes I can feel it in my IRC, so I don't think its only in CS.

[mdzcpa]

If you had a KG7 RAID I'd suspect a bad Highpoint driver/BIOS combination which can cause stuttering and skipping...but I guess it can't be that.

Are you running anything else in the backgound?
Using a video tweak proggy (NVMax, riva tuner, etc)?

[Sladek]

No, RivaTuner wouldnt work for me & I already ran CS with & without NVMax, and it still does it.

And whats wierd is now sometimes it skips, then other times it doesnt. REALLY wierd

[Neptune5k]

Originally posted by Sladek
So Neptune:

I download the AMD AGP Driver from amd.com as well as that via 4.37s. Run the install for the AGP Driver, then run the 4in1s but uncheck the AGP Driver that is included with it?

Is this corrrect?

Also, do I need to format again to do this properly or can i just overwrite it?

Thanks

You got it You shouldn't have to reformat, just run the VIA 4-in-1 install and use the Uninstall function. Then reinstall the drivers accordingly.

[septimus]

Are you running the Hercules drivers or are you running the nvidia reference drivers? I found that I got alot of stuttering, especially in neverwinter nights, with the ref drivers but it cleared away when I installed the hercules-made dets. go to www.hercules.com and have a look...

[Sladek]

Well, I tried the whole Hercules thing and that didnt work.

Someone told me I should remount my CPU to the socket. Could it be possible that I have too much thermal compund on there & that be messing something up? I just recently installed a fan so thats why im wondering.

[mdzcpa]

Doubtful but possible I suppose. What are your CPU temps?

[septimus]

Just curious, but what sort of activity do you see on your HDD just before, during, and after the freeze/stutter-ings of your games?

[Sladek]

CPU Temps are nothing out of the ordinary.

Like 35 deg. Celsius for CPU & System.

And no, I don't notice any HDD activicty when the skipping occurs, so I don't think its the HDD.

Another wierd thing that was when I was at this lan, it didn't do it, but when I get home, it does it.

[MrEman]

Ethernet controller problem? Josh, go try it in the game by hosting a game.. so that its a lan connection.. buy a gun.. and run around and shoot it and so forth .. see if it skips...

let me know

Jere

[septimus]

Well, I asked about the HDD activity since, pre-hercules drivers, in neverwinter nights the HDD would start to access and the HDD would go solid for a full 3 seconds or more and at this time the game does not respond.

Since you say that it works fine in another physical location (the LAN) I am thinking you might have some kind of power problem in your house... Is your computer on the same circuit as say a motor or heating element?

[Sladek]

Well, I created a LAN game, and it still did it.

I have my comp sharing on a surge protector with other :banana::banana::banana::banana:, like monitor, speakers, etc. Dunno if that could be the problem.