Need some help please, lousy 3DMarks

[DavePars7]

Hi all, new to the forum, but could use some advice.

My current 3DMark03 scores are all around 6700-6900, I just built this machine and was truthfully expecting 10,000+ scores.

AMD athalon 64 3200+
Geforce 6800 GT bfg OC
MSI k8n Neo Platinum mobo
1 GB Pc2100 memory, samsung (3700 "in the mail")
80GB 7200 RPM maxtor HDD (want 74GB raptor asap)
phillips 4.1 dynamic edge sound card

New XP pro installation with service pack 2, all drivers are new as can be, and Im not overclocking at all yet. My question is would the bottlenecks (memory, hard drive speed) cause this kind of performance loss? I compared my scores to other systems with the same hardware and they got 10,000-12,000 scores. If I was only a thousand points off I wouldnt complain, but Im running half as fast as other systems with the same components.
Any and all help is appreciated.

thanks much,
dave parsons

 

[heatsinker]

You did install your motherboard's chipset drivers right?

 

[DavePars7]

Ayup, as I said, all drivers are up to date, the scores are bothering me.

-dave parsons

 

[MX2times]

that memory might very well be your bottleneck

 

[AMDXP]

Its the memory.

 

[DavePars7]

Ah thx, I was hoping to hear that....thing is THG benchmarks said the 266 mhz memory would only cause a 10% performance loss from the 400 mhz stuff, thats only another 700 or so points....so I'm still kinda worried. Guess I'll wait for the new memory to freak out again, hehe.

-dave parsons

 

[Thatonen00b]

Heck yeah its the memory, if all your drivers are in check like you say.

 

[bboynitrous]

If the ram runs at 2100, wtf is the 3200 clocked at, as it needs PC3200? Or maybe i'm wrong. Hmm. It might be the ram, but check to see if texture acceleration is off. It will drop your score by a good 20-40%. Check in the DXDiag in the start menu> run tab.

 

[heatsinker]

If the ram runs at 2100, wtf is the 3200 clocked at, as it needs PC3200? Or maybe i'm wrong. Hmm. It might be the ram, but check to see if texture acceleration is off. It will drop your score by a good 20-40%. Check in the DXDiag in the start menu> run tab.

The system is not running at a 1:1 ratio.

 

[Dissolution]

Well I am running an Athlon XP 2.1 with 1GB ram 6800 gt and getting 10144

 

[iNViSiGOD]

Thats whats holding me back ATM, crap RAM

 

[pigpen]

Ah thx, I was hoping to hear that....thing is THG benchmarks said the 266 mhz memory would only cause a 10% performance loss from the 400 mhz stuff, thats only another 700 or so points....so I'm still kinda worried. Guess I'll wait for the new memory to freak out again, hehe.

-dave parsons

I would agree that the 266mhz is a bottleneck in your system, but still........ something seems weird. This certainly sounds like an outdated drivers problem. I know you already said that you're sure that everything is updated, but maybe a reformat is in order.

 

[UltimateMan]

with as little as the CPU/FSB affects 3dmark03, i would be VERY surprised if slow memory would lower your score by 40%. Something else is definitely wrong.

when i jumped from PC2700 to PC3200 (333-400mhz) i only got about a 300 points increase in 3dmark03.

so definitely, the ram isn't your only problem.

and most times, the problem is either chipset drivers, or AA and AF is on, or vsync is on.