P4 slow computer, no matter what OS!

[minoukat]

Hey guys, I'm having a real dilema here.

I'm fixing this P4 system that is litterally supposed to be FLYING. Some specs:

P4 3.2GHz 1MB cache
ASUS P4V8X-MX mobo
2GB RAM (donno the speed)
BFG 7300GT graphics card
320GB WD hard drive (IDE, but its brand new).
550W power supply.

This computer is SLOW. Booting takes little time, but when you're at the desktop everything is sluggish. Youtube videos are taking 80% of the processor, they're jaggedy and choppy. Forget multitasking cuz the computer won't allow it, it just halts for a few seconds until it starts crawling again.

To make sure it wasn't software related, I've formatted and installed Win2k, WinXP SP1 through SP3 (clean installs everytime), Windows 7 and Ubuntu. Format between each, installing all drivers and making sure everything is updated. NOTHING. No difference at all. I installed different driver versions to make sure, and still nill.

I tried swapping hardware: different video cards, different ram, different power supply. Hard drive is new so I didn't try it, and I don't own another P4 to test the CPU or mobo.

Getting short on ideas here. Every setting in the BIOS has been tried, and I've been researching info on the web for the past few days with no success. (Maybe I'm not looking for the right words).

I think the problem is with the mobo, as it keeps making this electrical high pitch noise that's really annoying. Temperatures are within spec (44*C on average) and there aren't any odd parts that would cheese this out.

Could a bad mobo produce crappy system performance? The system is stable otherwise, no crashes. It's just painfully slow. What could it be?

 

[jgv115]

Put a SSD in there. No more complaints.

 

[minoukat]

I'm complaining because this is not a hard drive problem since Youtube plays no part in hard drive, nor does dragging windows and seeing trails, or having menus fading very slowly and choppy. Basically, any visual effect is slow, any multitasking is slow, any multimedia app is slow.

 

[zzzzzzzzzz]

Check interconnects (cables and such) for defects, bad connections, etc.

Try updating/reconfiguring the BIOS.

Disable via BIOS integrated components and try booting operating system.

 

[kkpudge7]

Sounds like you've ruled out everything but the hard drive. Even though its new check it, hardware has been DOA before.

 

[joshhua5]

HAY that high pitch noice doesnt sound good go buy a cheapo 2nd hand mobo from ebay or somthing and see if it's better

i don't know but if it's possible it could be the power from a loose power thingy majigy and isnt supplying the cpu with enough volt causing it to slow down? i really have no idea but it's possible isn't it?

 

[bchur83]

It is most likely the Via chipset that is slowing you down. I have had many people that complain of their slow PCs in the P4 days, and all of them had Via chipsets. It seems that via just sux with the P4.

No matter what the specs were on them, nothing would speed them up other than going with a different mobo/chipset.

 

[minoukat]

It is most likely the Via chipset that is slowing you down. I have had many people that complain of their slow PCs in the P4 days, and all of them had Via chipsets. It seems that via just sux with the P4.

No matter what the specs were on them, nothing would speed them up other than going with a different mobo/chipset.

I'm beginning to think that also. I've read of other people with the EXACT SAME symptoms as this, and all had Via chipsets ....... Lemon chipset batch among them?

Once again, hard drive is fine; bootup is (semi-)quick, it's the multitasking that's complete garbage.

 

[Marshmallow64]

Get Avira antivirus and CCleaner, and Super Anti Spyware. If the computer was not that slow before it might be from a lot of adware and junk.

 

[mbentley]

well since the hard drive is now and the subject of the post says "no matter what os", i am pretty sure it would be safe to assume this is a clean install.

have you checked the event viewer to see if it is throwing any errors?

 

[minoukat]

Get Avira antivirus and CCleaner, and Super Anti Spyware. If the computer was not that slow before it might be from a lot of adware and junk.

Computer's been reformatted countless times, clean Windows and Linux installs.

 

[muddocktor]

Sounds to me like a hardware (Read sucky Via chipset) problem to me too. Since it's most probably that mobo, I would recommend they buy a new, cheapo board that uses an Intel chipset. Newegg has a socket 478 board listed that uses an Intel chipset, but it is a DDR2 board. You didn't say what type of ram that old Via junk board uses and it's been too long ago for me to remember what kind of ram those old Via P4 boards used. I'm guessing it's plain old DDR, but that's just a guess.

 

[madhatter256]

It is most likely the Via chipset that is slowing you down. I have had many people that complain of their slow PCs in the P4 days, and all of them had Via chipsets. It seems that via just sux with the P4.

No matter what the specs were on them, nothing would speed them up other than going with a different mobo/chipset.

I can vouch for that, too.

Via, in general, is slow. And with youtube videos using Flash10, you start to see how old your PC really is if it has VIA chipset.

 

[mbentley]

yeah but that system should easily be able to handle playing youtube videos without a being horrible slow unless something it wrong. using 80% of the processor when flash is being used isn't unheard of but it shouldn't be harsh and jagged.

 

[Bobnova]

Download CPUz, and check what speed the CPU is actually running at.
Then check the Memory tab of CPUz, and it will tell you what speed the memory is running at, as well as what type of memory it is.

 

[rk15000]

I would also suggest a new motherboard. That high-pitched noise could be a capacitor getting ready to pop.

Here are some good P4 mobos on the cheap:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010200280 1070509907&name=478

Hope that helps!

 

[rk15000]

I would also suggest a new motherboard. That high-pitched noise could be a capacitor getting ready to pop.

Here are some good P4 mobos on the cheap:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010200280 1070509907&name=478

Hope that helps!

EDIT: I noticed that the top mobo in that list DOES NOT have the VIA chipset, while the other one does...So I would get the top one

 

[killem2]

I'm going with hard drive. I run win 7 64 bit on an old 939 amd 2.0 ghz processor with 1 gig of ram. I can't throw the mother load at it but it can play older games from 2002-2005, and email/net/facebook ect and netflix.

 

[zzzzzzzzzz]

My use of VIA chipset has been mostly positive. VIA chipset often operate at low latencies. VIA chipsets have had the reputation of less throughput than competitors. It should be noted that a trade-off often exists between latency and throughput.

My use of VIA chipsets has been limited to Socket A (AMD) and Socket 754 (AMD).


Something important I forgot to mention before:

Check the Power capacitors for visible defects (bulges, leaks, etc.).

 

[zzzzzzzzzz]

Could a bad mobo produce crappy system performance?

Yes.