Where can I increase perfomance for my computer?

[Halo46]

Hi all,
I am way behind the power curve on technology. I built this rig back in '08. Have not done anything to it since. I would like to be able to increase the graphics level in game as much as possible. I understand the GeForce 8600 GTS video card can be used in an SLI configuration, will adding another card help or should I look at something new? I have a cheap monitor filling in at the moment as my last burned out, what would you guys recommend as a good replacement monitor? What about the OS, are there any advantages to upgrading from XP 32 Pro?  I hear people talking about overclocking, but do not understand much about it other than I believe it increases temps and shortens the life of the component, do the benefits outweigh the costs? Any other general recommendations are welcome as well. Thanks for any suggestions you can offer.

Intel BOXD975BX2KR LGA 775 Intel 975X ATX Motherboard
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     E8400  @ 3.00GHz  
NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS video card
SB X-Fi xtremegamer sound card
Ballistix Tracer 240 pin DIMM (with LEDs), DDR2 PC2 5300 memory module BL2KIT12864AL663 2 X 2 GBs
Windows XP PRO with SP2C OEM OS
Ultra X-Connect 500-Watt ATX Dual 80MM Fan Titanium-Black UV Clear Sides Modular Power Supply
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250310AS 250GB 700 RPM SATA 3.0 Gb/s Hard Drive



DxDiag just in case
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System Information
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Time of this report: 8/1/2012, 13:46:35
       Machine name: B-741A7767D27E4
   Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.120504-1619)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: INTEL_
       System Model: D975XBX2
               BIOS: Default System BIOS
          Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     E8400  @ 3.00GHz (2 CPUs)
             Memory: 2046MB RAM
          Page File: 809MB used, 3128MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
    DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
     DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.5512 32bit Unicode

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DxDiag Notes
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  DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
      Display Tab 1: No problems found.
        Sound Tab 1: The file ctaud2k.sys is not digitally signed, which means that it has not been tested by Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL).  You may be able to get a WHQL logo'd driver from the hardware manufacturer.
          Music Tab: No problems found.
          Input Tab: No problems found.
        Network Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
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DirectDraw:  0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectPlay:  0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow:  0/6 (retail)

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Display Devices
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        Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS
     Manufacturer: NVIDIA
        Chip type: GeForce 8600 GTS
         DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
       Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0400&SUBSYS_C7733842&REV_A1
   Display Memory: 512.0 MB
     Current Mode: 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
          Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
  Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
      Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
   Driver Version: 6.14.0011.5827 (English)
      DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
 Driver Date/Size: 5/11/2007 06:03:00, 5421312 bytes
      WHQL Logo'd: Yes
  WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
              VDD: n/a
         Mini VDD: nv4_mini.sys
    Mini VDD Date: 5/11/2007 06:03:00, 6738432 bytes
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        Vendor ID: 0x10DE
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         Registry: OK
     DDraw Status: Enabled
       D3D Status: Enabled
       AGP Status: Enabled
DDraw Test Result: Not run
 D3D7 Test Result: Not run
 D3D8 Test Result: Not run
 D3D9 Test Result: Not run

-------------
Sound Devices
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            Description: SB X-Fi Audio [1000]
 Default Sound Playback: Yes
 Default Voice Playback: Yes
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            WHQL Logo'd: No
          Date and Size: 5/5/2010 21:24:24, 526296 bytes
            Other Files:
        Driver Provider: Creative
         HW Accel Level: Standard
              Cap Flags: 0xF5F
    Min/Max Sample Rate: 1, 192000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 128, 128
 Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 128, 128
              HW Memory: 0
       Voice Management: No
 EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
   I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No
               Registry: OK
      Sound Test Result: Not run

---------------------
Sound Capture Devices
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            Description: SB X-Fi Audio [1000]
  Default Sound Capture: Yes
  Default Voice Capture: Yes
            Driver Name: ctaud2k.sys
         Driver Version: 6.00.0001.1375 (English)
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          Date and Size: 5/5/2010 21:24:24, 526296 bytes
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DirectMusic
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                  SB X-Fi Audio [1000], Software (Kernel Mode), Output, DLS, Internal
                  Microsoft MIDI Mapper [Emulated], Hardware (Not Kernel Mode), Output, No DLS, Internal
                  SB X-Fi Synth B [1000] [Emulated], Hardware (Not Kernel Mode), Output, No DLS, Internal
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                  Microsoft Synthesizer, Software (Not Kernel Mode), Output, DLS, Internal
        Registry: OK
     Test Result: Not run

-------------------
DirectInput Devices
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        FF Driver: n/a

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[The Fugitive]

Im no expert, but that rig is pretty much where I was a few months ago. Going with SLI doesn't seem to give you much of a jump in performance. A lot of times I've read 10-15% increase. Not much for another graphics carded added in. You could get a good video card and get better FRs.

Bumping up your memory is always a plus, and it looks like your board can go to 8 gig. Of course this means upgrading to Win7 to be able to utilize it.

You could add a few things and get by for now, but the CPU is going to be a bottle neck down the road. 

[guncrasher]

win7, new power supply , better memory and new video card and you should be good another couple of years.  or at least a new video card which most likely will need a better power supply.


semp

[Skuzzy]

Even if you SLI cards you are still stuck with 512MB of video RAM, which is going to be a bottleneck if you want to crank up the anti-aliasing along with bump mapping.  Real-time environment mapping will require a top end video card (and even it could struggle in a crowded arena).  It is very GPU intensive.

You will want a video card with a dedicated minimum of 1GB of high speed video RAM.

[Halo46]

Appreciate the input, will look into upgrading. <S>

[Pudgie]

Even if you SLI cards you are still stuck with 512MB of video RAM, which is going to be a bottleneck if you want to crank up the anti-aliasing along with bump mapping.  Real-time environment mapping will require a top end video card (and even it could struggle in a crowded arena).  It is very GPU intensive.

You will want a video card with a dedicated minimum of 1GB of high speed video RAM.

Roger that.

My EVGA GTX 670 FTW vid card (in stock setup) can handle the game at full graphical settings (AA, textures, bump mapping, etc) & RTEM up to 25% & maintain good FPS in the range of 50-59, at 50% RTEM she starts to struggle when the arena count gets above approx 20-25 players & lots of particles are firing (fire, smoke, clouds, etc) but any more RTEM past 50% will pretty much bring my 670 to her knees. I haven't tried all this w/ my card OC'd yet but it will take some serious muscle to handle the game at 100% RTEM. I never saw the vid card's mem usage go over 1.1 Gb so that wasn't an issue (2 Gb DDR5).

I do absolutely LOVE RTEM look on the planes!

 

[Halo46]

What is RTEM and what area of the card does it effect if not the cards RAM?


On a separate note, I have been looking at various cards and see the same nomenclatured cards being made by several different manufacturers, how do you know which ones make quality cads? I read in another thread about parts (ie. CPUs etc.) being designed as higher performance devices, but sold as a lower level item for not meeting the specs of their original design, this gets pretty confusing very quickly.

I was looking into the windows 7 upgrade and see windows 8 coming out??? Should I wait or will it be awhile until they work out the kinks? I do not really use my computer for much except my sons games and AH for myself. I write now and then and I will dabble with Gimp a little. I would like to eventually mess with possibly editing video and such, but nothing grand scale. Which of the versions are worth getting since I see the 7, but the 7 pro is not that much more money? What advantages are to be gained?

To show my ignorance some more I am curious that since SLI does not increase performance much what is it used for and why is it so prominent in video card promotions?

[Bizman]

What is RTEM and what area of the card does it effect if not the cards RAM?

Didn't know it either, but by reading a couple of comments before Pudgie's one I found this nugget of wisdom:

Real-time environment mapping will require a top end video card (and even it could struggle in a crowded arena).  It is very GPU intensive.

I was looking into the windows 7 upgrade and see windows 8 coming out??? Should I wait or will it be awhile until they work out the kinks? I do not really use my computer for much except my sons games and AH for myself. I write now and then and I will dabble with Gimp a little. I would like to eventually mess with possibly editing video and such, but nothing grand scale. Which of the versions are worth getting since I see the 7, but the 7 pro is not that much more money? What advantages are to be gained?

Look at the Windows comparison chart. On tab2 there's Feature Comparison which shows that most of the features available in Pro and Ultimate are mostly for IT professionals in large companies. Actually the Starter would be my choice for being the least bloated, but it's only available with some ready-builts. -On tab3 there's a comparison chart showing differences between XP, Vista and Win7.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Actually the Starter would be my choice for being the least bloated, but it's only available with some ready-builts. -On tab3 there's a comparison chart showing differences between XP, Vista and Win7.

Starter is very very limited. 32-bit only and memory limit 2Gb for example

[Chalenge]

To show my ignorance some more I am curious that since SLI does not increase performance much what is it used for and why is it so prominent in video card promotions?

SLI does increase performance greatly but not with the cards you have and I dont think your MB is optimized for it either. The cost is in higher power consumption and price (obviously). I suspect that the next generation of Nvidia will make "RTEM" a fairly common capability but you wont do it in 32-bit and you wont do it on a LGA 775.

SLI with Fermi to Kepler cards yields something a lot closer to true scalability over the 10-15% Fugitive quoted. That range is from the older 7950 days.

Pretty graphics are not what you need for a multiplayer combat flight sim anyway. If you can afford the system to make it happen then its gravy but otherwise you really dont need it.

EDIT: As of the 580 series SLI can scale two cards to about 150% while the 680 series consistently hit 180%. The 690 single card solution hits a little lower but the idea with that card is to offer either SLI in a single slot or QUAD SLI in two. Generally speaking it hits at about 5% lower than the 680 in SLI. If you want to run ultimate quality though nothing beats the 690 but is it worth the price?

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5805/nvidia-geforce-gtx-690-review-ultra-expensive-ultra-rare-ultra-fast/1

[Skuzzy]

Just a blurb about real-time environment mapping.

Basically, it requires 6 additional passes per frame to obtain the "environment map".  This is the view of the world from your current position in the game world.  Then the GPU takes that map and projects onto the surfaces of the objects as reflections.

I cannot think of any 3D graphic operation, which is more intense than real-time environment mapping.

[Denniss]

You have an Intel board and they may not support overlocking functions.
There's no real need to upgrade the OS unless you want to install a lot more memory as XP only supports up to ~3-2 GiB due to 32Bit limitations.
How much space ist left on your small HDD ?
-> you'd be surprised how much speed you may gain from a properly defragged HDD.
Ever tried to upgrade graphics drivers? 2007 is really old for those drivers.
I have some doubts about the PSU - seems to be released in 2004 and is way outdated compared to a todays 350-400W good brand PSU, especially regarding efficiency.

[Bizman]

+1 on Denniss...
My system is not much different than yours, Halo, the differences being RAM which I have full 4 GiB and GPU being a Radeon HD3870, which according to this site outperforms your 8600GTS. I'm still getting very playable FPS's, 40 to 60 with many sliders maxxed, shadows off.

[Halo46]

I understand the graphics are not a big deal towards playability, I just enjoy the view I see other people have. Currently there is 171 GB of free space on the HD Denniss.
The power supply was free, that's why I ended up with it. I have been putting off a new one mostly out of laziness. I will check out upgrading the bios on the card.  I really appreciate the input guys, I don't have much of a clue about this stuff. I suck as a player, but I enjoy the environment, camaraderie, and immersion, which the higher settings enhance, that's pretty much why I asked about it. Again thanks for your guys' generosity in sharing your technological intelligence with the community.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

-> you'd be surprised how much speed you may gain from a properly defragged HDD.

The power of plasebo

Defragging the drive will only give a marginal improvement to disk load times, that's all. The HDD will still be old and slow as the rest of the system. Only if you have an insanely trashed system that swaps all the time you'll notice any operational speed improvements and even then your problem should be solved by updating the hardware.