fx go5200... big problem with textures and framerate

[Tolden 0]

I've got a toshiba p20, pIV 3.00 (800 MHz bus), 512 DDR and fx go5200. When runnung 3dmark2001, some frames are dropped, the dragon dissapears on the dragotic hight quality test, and gives a very poor framerate. When playing games like Battlefield it ¡s almost impossible to fly a plane, it's smooth, but then, drop frames and suddenly you are on the ground. GTA III was not a better experience, slowing down suddenly... and the vehicles seem not to run, but walk, with "waves" of frames.

 

Just curious, I had run 3dmark2k3 on it... ok I can't compare with my desktop, but it is like to see a slideshow.

 

I have done a clean install without all that powermizer, energy savers and that things, but the picture was the same. Some friend of mine let me try his mobile computer, pIV 2400 with radeon 9000, I have test the same things on it, and it rocks, no dropped frames, smooth on games, and no lost textures.

 

The system runs smooth on desktop and it even beat my main computer in some tests, the flaw is only when running a 3D application.

 

I wonder if there is a bug on the fx go5200, and the way to fix it. If not, I will go on monday to the shop to change the beautifull 17" wide screen toshiba for an acer 15"-half the price-with ati 9000 graphic board...

[jmmijo 1]

So your Toshiba is also a notebook ?!?

 

Seems like you should get somewhat decent framerates but that dropped frames issue could be a problem with the virtual memory kicking in and swapping to the hard drive. Notebook/Laptop HD's are still either 4500 or 5400 RPM drives due to the power consumption. Not sure when they will have a 7200 RPM drive available that will give some added performance to the disk subsytem.

 

Take a look at the HD busy light when the frames drop and the games hit a wall and see if it's busy or not. This can be an issue with either notebooks or desktop machines.

 

Also make sure you have the latest nVidia ref drivers v44.03 installed. I have a 5600 in my gaming rig and it holds up pretty well

[Tolden 0]

the HD is 5400, I have set the drivers to "optimal", disable the vertical vsync, set a permanent 1,5 gb swap file, and even tested the 44.03 drv and 44.99 beta drivers (toshiba drivers are 44.22). The HD works fine, I was "ripping" a movie from my DV camera and it haves no drops, when working with non-3D apps it's amazing, and seeing DVD movies. There are only problems when runnig games or 3dmark, I have try to "overclock" the fx and with a little tweaking it is about 50% faster (it drains the battery but I am always near a power cord so no prob there). But even with overclocked board, it runs fast and smooth, but every few seconds it has a drop. My old toshiba has a drop because of the infrared driver but I simply disable it when playing games, but I have try to disable every useless service and every component but graphic board and still has drops.

 

I work on a computer shop so I have here lots of computers to test, from p2-400 to pIV 3.0 with a large variety of graphic boards, from voodoo to 9700pro, and even our "test machine", a pIII-450 with ati 8500 works better in 3D (I mean low framerates but with no drops, you have to see gtaII vice city running fine 1280x1024 on that machine...)

[jmmijo 1]

How about re-installing DX9 again, just to be sure

[Tolden 0]

I have found the response... there is NO response.

 

I have build a new computer, AMD XP 2600+, 512 DDR, fx5200 128 Mb DDR...

 

My god... it's even worst than the mobile computer. The same computer with a radeon 7500 rocks, we tested it, but when plug in a fx 5200, the system turns dumb. Textures dissapearing, frame rate drops... I think even the old voodoo3 can beat this kind of graphic boards. With radeon 7500 the counter strike runs 100-99.9 fps all the time, in the demo we played, but the fx5200 drops to 40 fps when a smoke grenade explodes in front of the camera.

 

I was waiting nvidia to make fx mobile graphic boards to buy a new mobile computer, but now I think I will buy an old radeon 9000 system. They are cheap, faster, and stable. I think I will not trust Nvidia anymore...

 

Is the fx go5600 any better...? Any one nows?

 

From my experience, if someone try to sell you a system with a fx 5200 (even fx 5200 ultra) run like hell and ask Cthulu to bury him...

[Copernicus 0]

An FX 5600 is great. My dad has an MSI FX 5600 128 MB card and it's great. The MSI package is nice, but it can be a bit more expensive than other FX 5600 cards like Albatron.

[jmmijo 1]

Interesting, I've built a few boxes using Aopen graphics cards based on the FX 5200 and I didn't notice any slow downs like you're describing.

 

I do know from personal experience that sometimes you can get a lemon of a piece of hardware, perhaps a replacement is in order

 

Also I have an FX 5600 in my gaming rig and it's doing just great

[ConQueso 0]

The power of the 5200 is apparent if you combine it with anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering. That is, relative to other cards, and if you actually use these two settings.

 

Ignoring the fact that the FX is a DX 9 part and the other two cards mentioned DX 8 or 7, in UT2003...

 

- without AA and AF, the 5200 Ultra is about on par with a GeForce4 MX 440

 

- with beefy AA and AF settings, the 5200 Ultra is about on par with a GeForce4 Ti4200

 

So if you prefer AA and AF, the 5200 isn't half bad. If you don't use these settings, well...

 

Also, keep in mind those are specs from the ultra not the standard version.

 

To put it simply, think of the GF FX 5200 as the GF FX MX, except that unlike the GF4MX, it doesn't take a step back in DX and has decent options. Raw power, it's an MX. Features, it's maybe a Ti. A strange card, really.

 

As for the "Go" version of it, I don't know if this is a modified chip or not. Perhaps as the card came with 44.22 drivers, this might indicate that the detonator drivers are immature when it comes to the goFX. Drivers might solve it, but don't count on it, especially with return policies lasting 2 weeks or less.

 

The FX 5600 has some more bells and whistles, and is more powerfull as well. It probably wouldn't disapoint. Unless it's a goFX driver issue.

 

For more detailed information (on the (non-Go) FX 5200/5600, try AnandTech's article.

 

Also keep in mind that Alienware and (i think) some other company are starting to release laptops with upgradable graphics cards. Who knows how well future support will go with whatever AGP style port they happen to use however.

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

the fx5200 card are crap - they are being compared to ti line cards..lol

 

get ride of them, and even worse iwould think in a laptop!!!

 

 

but yeah, i really have no feedback except that video card is a piece -oh - poooooooooooo!

[ConQueso 0]

Quote:

the fx5200 card are crap - they are being compared to ti line cards..lol

Well, with 4xAA and 8xAF, it is a notable comparison.

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

Quote:

Quote:

the fx5200 card are crap - they are being compared to ti line cards..lol

Well, with 4xAA and 8xAF, it is a notable comparison.

with that yes, but if u want to get into REAL godo aa and af, talk about ATi cards which almost always rape nvidia in those tests with aa and AF to max - usually beat out any nvidia card in the same class by a considerable amount.