Big Problem - Win XP slows my computer down

[Buninho]

I there,
I have a big problem on my hands for about 2 months and haven't been able to solve it yet and I'm really getting out of ideas...

I was running Windows ME but it was crashing all the time.
Installed Windows XP, much more stabble, not a single crash, but I'm loosing many frames either in games or in the benchmark.
For example, in GP4 with WinME I had 31fps, with WinXP I've got 22fps, and in 3D Benchmark I had around 9500 with WinME and now I get only 7000. :(

Installed all the drivers that I used to installed with win ME (but the win XP version of the drivers of course), and still I can get even close of the performances I can get with win ME....
Tried many tweaks, the new 40.41 drivers and nothing... it remains the same... :cry:

Maybe any of you guys have any idea that hasn't passed on my mind yet.

Oh and "install win ME again" its not a option, just did that and I couldn't even write a setence in Word without my computer freeze.

By the way, I have a AMD XP2000+, 512RAM, Asus A7A266-E and a MSI Geforce4 Ti4400.

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can give me. :cheers:

[bigjackusa]

Have you loaded the motherboard drivers for xp (AGP, ide, etc.)? These should be available on Asus' site. Have you checked in device manager to see if DMA is enabled on your ide channels?

[Buninho]

Have you loaded the motherboard drivers for xp (AGP, ide, etc.)? These should be available on Asus' site. Have you checked in device manager to see if DMA is enabled on your ide channels?

Yep... I've the motherboard drivers for XP and DMA is enabled

[ReSpAwN DeMoN]

This is typical. You have to keep in mind that windows xp is a much more complex OS. This is also why people claim they lose about 200 points in 3dmark. Its because of that very reason.

[Buninho]

This is typical. You have to keep in mind that windows xp is a much more complex OS. This is also why people claim they lose about 200 points in 3dmark. Its because of that very reason.

Yes I know, but if it was only 200 points I wouldn't even bother with that, but its 2500 points and lot of frames in games, games like GTA3 and Mafia are not smooth when playing with WinXP.

I mean, I have 2 friends with AMD1000 and Intel1000 and my computer its running at the same performances has they are.

[ReSpAwN DeMoN]

What are your computer specs? I have a GTA3 and it runs fine. The settings that I'm running are 1024X768X32 which is usually what I run on almost every game. I have trailers turned off make sure you have those off unless you like them. I also have AA turned off when I run gta3 cause it does make it a bit choppy at time though not unplayable just not fine for me. Also when you say your friends are runnig amd1000 and intel1000 and you have the same performance as them. What exactly are you refering to? Pentium 3? Celeron? Athlon Classic Thunderbird Duron?

[Buninho]

AMD XP2000+, 512RAM, Asus A7A266-E and a MSI Geforce4 Ti4400

With winME GTA3 runs just smooth with everything on, including AA and on 1280x1024x32

The problem was that with ME it just keep crashing...
With XP doesn't crash, I don't get any annoying errors or blue screens but the computer is much more slower.

Thats why GTA3 its not smooth, because XP decreased the overall performance of my computer.
Its like if I was runing with a AMD1000 instead of a AMD2000.

And I've spent the last 2 months trying to figure out by myself why is this happening with XP but I just can't figure out...

[ReSpAwN DeMoN]

oh with hardware like that there is absolutly no excuse why those games run bad. You have hardware that would kill mine and I can run GTA3 fine. Could be a configuration issue? Did you format before loading winXP on?

[Buninho]

Yep, I did format before I install XP, then because it was slow, and did a format again and installed ME just to make sure it wasn't some hardware problem and things were running just fine.
But because the computer just kept crashing and did another format and installed XP again and everything was slower again...

[PersianImmortal]

First thing I have to ask is: have you followed my XP guide?

[Buninho]

First thing I have to ask is: have you followed my XP guide?

Gonna check it out as soon as I get home, thanks for the heads up on that man, hope this will solve my problem. :cheers:

[BCan]

Also a suggestion is to download a program that allows for a right click option of launching programs, espec. games at high CPU priority - that will help too

[Buninho]

Also a suggestion is to download a program that allows for a right click option of launching programs, espec. games at high CPU priority - that will help too

Whats the name of the program?

[BCan]

Can't remember, but I think I was using the X-Setup program to do it.

[Buninho]

First thing I have to ask is: have you followed my XP guide?

Just finnished following your XP guide, got the exact same results in benchmarking... :(
The only thing it got better was GP4 but it just improved 2 fps, it still remains much slower then when I was running ME. :cry:

Any more ideas anyone?