Max Payne 3DMark Requirement??

I have recently begun building a new Overclocked Duron machine.
It is an AMD Duron 800 (running at 1100 at 100fsb) on an Abit Kt7 Board (with WindowsME drivers only), with a 256 PC133 Cas 2 chip, a Geforce2 MX400 with Det 12.40 driver, a SoundBlaster Live Value, 8X DVD, and what I believe to be a weak link in the 6gig ata/66 5400rpm WD HD. A new game I have purchased: MAX PAYNE (which is phenomenal by the way) has a recommended sys req. of 3DMARK 2001 to total 2000 points or higher. Now I can get 3DMARK2000 to score 2700, but can not get the default benchmark in 2001 to exceed 850 points.
**Can anyone offer suggestions as to why the game requirements are so unattainable by my system, is there that much difference between a 5400 and a 7200 HD, or could the problem be that I allowed Windows to assign all sysboard drivers????? I am at a loss and frustrated as H!#@$ Thanx!

I posted in the other place as well, but in case you don't get those, I'll sum up what was basically said. Yah, those scores seem low. I've seen much poorer computers beat them. I don't believe that a 5400 RPM drive would make that much difference versus the 7200 RPM. My friend's 1ghz Compaq is getting higher scores than those, and I refuse to believe that Compaq would supply computers with 7200 RPM drives. In addition, my other friend's 750mhz Cybermax is getting higher than the Compaq. He knows for sure that he has a 5400 RPM drive. My best advice would be to make sure you have all the latest drivers installed properly. Also make sure your AGP port is operating at 4x if possible. Check in the BIOS and confirm it with 3DMark. Other than that, I don't know what else to recommend.

A quick side note, however. If you're getting 1000-ish. You can probably run the game pretty reliably on 640 x 480 with all the extras turned up.

OK!

thanks - I'll try those. I know for a fact that I am running AGP 4X already, and that I am using Nvidia's Detonator 12.40 driver for my Geforce2 MX400 though! The only thing that I have heard that caught my eye is to install the OEM drivers for my Abit KT7E sysboard instead of letting WinME install them????!!!!! Other than that I don't know.

Yeah, try installing the manufacturer drivers for your MB instead of letting WinMe install them. The manufacturer drivers will be better and more up to date. Also, make sure your DMA is enabled for your HD, it should help speed it up a tad. If it's an ATA66 HD thn make sure it's on a seperate channel than your CD-Rom. I'm pretty sure that hampers performance as well.
Those scores are way low. Have you tried OCing your vid card at all? If not you can try downloading a tweak utility of some kind and boost the memory speed on your card a little.
Good Luck and see if any of this helps. Let us know how it goes and we'll see if we can't help you more. =]

make sure you have a nice set of 4in1 drivers installed

i get 2489 in 2001
http://gamershq.madonion.com/compare2k1.shtml?1355954


i play 1024x768 32bit colour with all the sliding bar extreas on full.

Thanx Everyone!

Installing the 4in1s and OCing My gf2mx400 skyrocketed my 3DMark 2001 score from 850 to 2250 instantly - I got my card to run at core 220 and mem at 375 too!!! Thanx!!!

That's great man! Those scores are much better. Keep tweakin out your system and they'll keep going up. That looks like a real good OC on your vid card. Just be careful it doesn't get too hot. The memory should be fine but I'd watch the core, GF2 gpu's can OC real good but they'll start putting out alot of heat too.

So how does Max Payne look now? =]

Like it should - unbelievable!!! Action game of the year!! Hands down. Unless SOFII can hold a candle. But considering neither have MP capailities, it will be tough for SOF to pull it off I think! Can't wait to see it though!