Can't find my bottleneck

bsr35802bsr35802
edited January 2008 in Hardware
Hello,
With a fresh install of windows XP, my rig is coming up with 5200-6000 with 3dMark 06. Some of my friends who have cheaper parts are having much higher scores (around 9000-11000) and I can't seem to find my bottle neck. I also tried OCing it myself once.. only got it up to 3.03 ghz before the system hung. I run it on default settings now.

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4 ghz
Mobo: ASUS P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP
RAM:
1) CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) - Dual channel
2) Patriot Extreme Performance 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) - I bought this a while ago, thinking XP (32bit) can allow 4gb of ram. I have it in right now while my other 2 sticks are in dual channel.
Video card: ATI Radeon X1900XT 512MB PCI Express x16 CrossFire
Sound card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 4
Power Supply: Antec SmartPower 2.0 SP-500 ATX12V 500W 115/ 230 V
Heatsink: Thermalright SI-128
Case Fan: Thermaltake A1926 120mm
Case: LIAN LI PC-65 USB B2 (80mm fans x3)
Hard Drives: WD Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA (x2, OS installed on one of them), Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA

I use PC Probe to read some temps and i normally run 35 degrees celsius for my mobo on average.

Many thanks to anyone who takes the time to read this

Comments

  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    Make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Are the 3dMark settings the same on your runs as with the computers to which you compare yours?

    UPDATE: (fix vague question) Are you using the same 3dMark benching settings that the other guys are?
  • Your-Amish-DaddyYour-Amish-Daddy The heart of Texas
    edited January 2008
    Different brands of memory is your bottleneck.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    Your Amish Daddy wrote:
    Different brands of memory is your bottleneck.

    No it isn't.

    If I had to hazard a guess, they're manipulating their video card IQ and running the test, or they have better video cards.
  • lemonlimelemonlime Canada Member
    edited January 2008
    Thrax wrote:
    ..or they have better video cards.

    I agree with Thrax. What cards are your friends running? The X1900 series is fairly quick but it is previous-gen hardware. I don't think your 06' score is too far off from what I would expect.
  • bsr35802bsr35802
    edited January 2008
    My friend has an 8800gtx. they are the same 3dmark settings as well. I knew my video card isnt the best but it was pretty high end when i got it ~1 year ago. and with the OC - many people i know and others i've seen on the net have the same cpu, and similar set ups, that have managed to clock it much further than 3.0ghz stable. Granted, i probably didnt do it to perfection, but it didnt feel like it would go much higher if someone who was an expert at it did it. any ideas to what the problem might be?
  • RyderRyder Kalamazoo, Mi Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    The 8800GTX is about twice as powerful as the X1900XT. That explains a lot of it right there.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2008
    bsr35802 wrote:
    My friend has an 8800gtx. they are the same 3dmark settings as well. I knew my video card isnt the best but it was pretty high end when i got it ~1 year ago. and with the OC - many people i know and others i've seen on the net have the same cpu, and similar set ups, that have managed to clock it much further than 3.0ghz stable. Granted, i probably didnt do it to perfection, but it didnt feel like it would go much higher if someone who was an expert at it did it. any ideas to what the problem might be?

    Yeah, the 8800GTX is 2.2 of your cards in one. Sorry.
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