Troubleshoot low video performance

I recently blew up my MSI Neo2 Platinum, not really, I just fried two of the ram slots, so I had to buy a new board. I was going to go with another agp board, since I was pretty happy with my 9800 pro flashed to XT. Well, it worked out so that I could get a video card for around $160 at no cost to me, so I decided to go ahead and get a pci express based card and got an x800 GT, since it was free, and a Lanparty UT NF4 ultra-d. Well, when I managed to get it all installed, the video performance is lower than before I upgraded (17,700 score in 3dmark 2001 with 9800, 15,500 with x800). I have made sure that all of the power plugs are installed, and the card doesn't have a separate power connector, so I don't think it is a power issue. I'm at school right now, but I'm trying to think of things to test when I get home. I do have it in pci-e slot 2, since I wasn't comfortable with how close the card was to touching the chipset fan. Maybe that would have something to do with it...I didn't think it would,but I have no experience with this board...any suggestions would be appreciated. Well, I better go before my professor canes me...I'm taking a test.

dont be afraid and put it in slot 1

I went ahead and stuck it in slot 1 and my 3dmark scores went up almost 2500 points in 2001 and about 600 points in 2003. Weird.

Well as far as I know, in your DFI board the first PCI-Express slot is a 16x slot where as the second one is a 2x slot...that could be whats giving you large differences in scores.

# 2 PCI Express x16 slots
# 1 PCI Express x1 slot
# 1 PCI Express x4 slot
# 2 PCI slots

That is what the DFI sight reports for the Ultra-d. This board design is the same as the sli-d, which has 2 16x slots.

I think I found out my problem reading this thread. Im having similar problems but I cant fit my x850xt graphics card in the first slot because it doesnt have clearance of the chipset fan... what should i do?

ColdFusion said:

# 2 PCI Express x16 slots
# 1 PCI Express x1 slot
# 1 PCI Express x4 slot
# 2 PCI slots

That is what the DFI sight reports for the Ultra-d. This board design is the same as the sli-d, which has 2 16x slots.

Click to expand...

Yes the X16 slots are the size of x16. On the sli board it is the same. The first works at 16 and the other at 2x. With the sli jumper moved they both work at 8X. If you board is modable to sli then all you have to do is move the jumper to get the bottom working on 8X and this should not hurt your scores/performance any. However I believe DFI fixed the ultra's to not be moddable at some point.

All of the boards that I have seen bought recently are still moddable. Are you sure that your video card won't fit over the chipset fan? I didn't think that it would either, but I tried anyway and spun the fan with my finger to make sure that it did not touch my card before plugging it in.

Oh and thanks for the insight into the slot issue JT. I knew that you had to mod the board to be able to use both slots at once, but I didn't know that one worked at 2x when not in sli mode.

It should fit over the chipset fan but look like it will not. The fan is the same height(roughly) as the plastic part of the PCIE slot.
Hope you get it straightened out.

should fit fine .. most likely right on top of the fan (touching it literally ) wont hurt itat all. and yes the pci-e slot #1 is full while the other is not..
alot of people have done this just because of the fan.. so dont worry your not the only one !!

good luck !!