Leadtek-GF3Ti500, P4, RDRAM, WinXP---system
Variables include: cpu-default, cpu-OC, gf3-default, gf3-OC, nVidia drivers, popular versions.

Object: Trying to find optimum config for this setup.(Scores offered for info, not competitive purposes to other systems)

Feedback: Can anyone suggest/help config changes to improve overall stability & performance? (Sys used in high-end graphics/bio-medical imaging-2D&3D environment) (e.g. Should V-core setting be a set % of default value, or highest value sys can tolerate? Same idea for other parameters.)

Disclaimer: Performance level with 2d/3D software may not necessarily be related to the 3DMark Score number. (opinions vary)

Compared config scores:

8355-16bit-2280(nVidia drv ver)-Leadtek-GF3Ti500-251(graphic clock)/561(memory clock)-2200 Mhz(oc2000)-110(FSB)/1.95(V-core) http://gamershq.madonion.com/compare2k1.shtml?2031407

8194-32bit-2280-Leadtek-GF3Ti500-251/561-2200-110/1.95 http://gamershq.madonion.com/compare2k1.shtml?2031356

7939-16bit-2280-Leadtek-GF3Ti500-251/561-2000default-100/1.75 http://gamershq.madonion.com/compare2k1.shtml?1996121

7761-32bit-2280-Leadtek-GF3Ti500-251/561-2000default-100/1.75 http://gamershq.madonion.com/compare2k1.shtml?1997904

7732-16bit-2280-Leadtek-GF3-Ti500-240/500-2000efault http://gamershq.madonion.com/compare2k1.shtml?1982893

The following tests showed apparently 2280 drivers best:

7555-32bit-2280-Leadtek-GF3-Ti500-240/500default-2000default http://gamershq.madonion.com/compare2k1.shtml?1983136

7543-32bit-2181-Leadtek-GF3-Ti500-240/500default-2000default http://gamershq.madonion.com/compare2k1.shtml?1977596

7520-32bit-2250-Leadtek-GF3-Ti500-240/500default-2000default http://gamershq.madonion.com/compare2k1.shtml?1977406

7490-32bit-2188-Leadtek-GF3-Ti500-240/500default-2000default http://gamershq.madonion.com/compare2k1.shtml?1982660

7448-32bit-2183-Leadtek-GF3-Ti500-240/500default-2000default http://gamershq.madonion.com/compare2k1.shtml?1982324

Abit TH7-II, P4 1.5@1980 Mhz, GF3@ 240/530 Mhz, 512 MB PC800@ 532 Mhz Score: 8465
[http://gamershq.madonion.com/compare2k1.shtml?2005916]

Abit Th7-II, P4 1.7@2108 Mhz, GF3@ 240/530 Mhz, 512 MB PC800@496Mhz Score: 8546
[http://gamershq.madonion.com/compare2k1.shtml?1697865]

My P4 1.5 Ghz ownz your P4 2 Ghz

[ November 19, 2001: Message edited by: Lars ]

[ November 19, 2001: Message edited by: Lars ]

[ November 19, 2001: Message edited by: Lars ]

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quote:

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Originally posted by clee:
The max. speed I can get out of the Leadtek so far is 256/567. Quite frankly I think Ti500 is a marketing hype, the performance boost over the GF3 cannot compare to what they did to the GF2 Ultra over the GF2 last yr.I did manage to squeeze a bit out of the fsb , now up to 123 with vcore up another notch. Too bad the new BIOS still doesn't fix the divider problem. You can find all 12 European Swiftech dealers at http://www.swiftnets.com, but I guess you know already.

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Heh, yeah I pretty much mailed everybody on the list. My "local" dealer has ordered some, actually he allready had a while ago, but Swiftech claims his orders were "lost" somehow

Hey 256/567 is good But like you said, it's marketing hype. I also upgraded from a GTS to an Ultra last year, and that was a BIG improvement, especially at high resolutions. Initially the GF3 didn't offer much over my Ultra, but as Dx8 games came out the differences became more obvious. Also the environmentally mapped bump mapping on the GF3 is very good, and very efficient. The Ultra suffered greatly even with dot3 bumpmapping in CMR2. The GF3 really shines here, as well as in other games. But like you said the Ti500 doesn't hold ANY design changes, NO new features, just clocked a little higher. As my card happily does 240/530 Mhz I haven't even considered an upgrade. Rumors have it that the NV25 should have an all new way of implementing AA without a performance hit. I think I'll hold for a while. Right now I can play any game I own and max out everything up to 1600x1200x32 or whatever the game supports and still get great performance.

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Will the Northwood (0.13) 2.0 Ghz, e.g., with the larger cache, be about a 10% improvement over the 0.18-2ghz?

In my experimentation above, the P4 stock fan/hs is used. I put in only a card exhaust fan to dispel some heat, other than the regular fans. To OC this baby, is better cooling required?

The Leadtek card is very stable up to about 251/561, using Winfox. Is Coolbits better for ocing? Have you used both?

What settings are you using to OC RAMBUS 800 to 1066? Any special cooling needed here?

The Northwood will likely be around 10% faster at the same speed, but as I see it, the real advantage should be better overclocking ability with the 0.13 micron core. I hope to get close to 3 Ghz witha Swiftech cooler, but we'll have to see

Kool_Aid, what's your GF3 clocked at for that 3dmark2001 result? Mine's at 240/530 but my score is almost 1000 point higher with the cpu at 1995 vs. your 2006. I think it's safe to say that fsb/ram speed matter big time.

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How many FPS do you need?

With the games I play maxed out, I still get 60 FPS.

quote:

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Originally posted by clee:
Lars, did you run the benchmark in a freezer? your scores shock me and I'm using a Ti.

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LOL, I do live in Denmark, and it is rather cold this time of the year......

I tell you, it's the fsb that does it. Although you should be able to beat me with a few tweaks. I just tried to bench Quake2 the other day, just to see how well my system would do. Quake2, ver. 3.20 640x480x16 best texture quality full screen. Would you believe I got 415.1 fps At 1024x768x16 I still get ~370 fps. 1600x1200x16 is "way down" to 214.1 fps LOL. I can still remember my excitement over finally being able to play that game when I got my first voodoo2 card (on a P200mmx) at what 30 fps at 640?

Regarding the fsb, there are a few articles about it, one on Aceshardware, but there's IMO an even better one at extremetech, under the cpu section. For comparison their PC1066 gets 278 points in the 3dwinbench2000, I get 290, with my setup as I use it every day. I think the P4T-E has better/faster memory timing than the TH7-II as my cpu score is "only" 3.36 I don't use Quake 3, but I've dl'ed the demo (cer. 1.11) and Benching it without sound I get ~300 fps "fastest" and ~265 fps "normal". Pretty good for a 1.5 Ghz P4 me thinks

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Known, reported Bug to Abit Technical Engineers USA. Promise-Abit incompatability.

quote:

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Originally posted by GeekMaster:
Lars,
you don't use System StandBy do you, The Fastrack raid card prevents My TH7II-Raid system from resuming Sleep mode. If I take the Fastrack card out of the system, That's all, it will work just fine then.

Known, reported Bug to Abit Technical Engineers USA. Promise-Abit incompatability.

The GeekMaster

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No, I don't use system standby. Only monitor and hd standby, and that works fine. You see I do quite a bit of work at my computer, so when it's on it's usually busy doing something. To bad about the bug though, allthough I must say I'm most displeased with the Highpoint controller. Don't ever run HDTACH ver. 2.60 on a raid0 array on that controller. Yesterday it completely wrecked all my data (for the second time, as I wasn't sure what caused it the first time) on that drive, the raid0 array wasn't even recognised in the HP bios and I had to do the format thing after rebuilding the array. Good thing I've learned not to put anything of importance on the HP controller (or back it up if I do). I've seriously considered NOT using the HP controller at all, and get a Fasttrak TX4 instead of the Fasttrak100. I have WAY more confidence in Promise, plus their software is actually useable. Let us know how your new board works out.

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