Frame Rate Issues

BIOS Questions that don't belong in the other forums. Read them!
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GrandRoyale
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Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:43 am

To start i'll just list my system specs so you guys have an idea of what im running here. Im pretty unsure of all the super-technical things but I could find them out if they're required.

Penitum 4 (2.4 gHz)
512mb Ram
32mb ATI Radeon 7500

Well, it's happenned again. Sometime last February or March I encountered a little problem with my Frame Rates in all graphical programs. Not just games, but movies, animations, flash programs and even MS Paint. This is what happens......I'll be playing a game for example, (my typical FPS being somewhere in the 30s or 40s), and it'll all of a sudden drop to 9 or 10 frames. It'll stutter, as if the computer is trying to load something, lag a bit, and make it seem as though its working a lot harder than it should be. Then in about 10 seconds, it'll shoot back up to the regular frame rate. It'll just repeat itself every minute or so getting worse the longer I play. This time around, there are no intervals inbetween of good framerates inbetween the bad ones. The game constantly plays at a meager 9 or 10 frames, and chugs along.
I sent my computer to Dell when it first hapenned a year ago, and got it back the next day with a little note that said they had modified or fixed my BIOS. Lo and behold, everything was back to normal, until it struck again right now. First, I want to know what they did to it and secondly, if there is a way I can go through this myself, and possibly fix the problem in whatever way they did. ANY help would be much appreaciated. I can give more details on the situation if someone responds and is willing to help me out. :?
KachiWachi
The New Guy
Posts: 1451
Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2002 10:32 pm
Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Need more info.

OS, SP, which model Dell, if you added any hardware to it over stock, etc...
GrandRoyale
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Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:43 am

Im running Windows XP Professional, its a Dell Inspiron 5100 Laptop. It is completely stock except for a fan which Dell installed at the same time i sent it in for the initial problem.

-512MB PC2100 DDR SDRAM, 2 memory slots of dual 265mb sticks.
-27GB IBM Travelstar 40GNX hard drive, something liek 5400 RPM.
-Sigmatel Stereo speakers
-no parellel ports, no serial ports, no infared ports, 2 usb ports
-lithium ion battery at 6450mAh
-Intel 845PE chipset
-533 MHz frontside bus speed i believe, and 512kb level 2 cache

Thats about all i can scavenge up right now....
KachiWachi
The New Guy
Posts: 1451
Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2002 10:32 pm
Location: Pennsylvania, USA

If you monitor the system performance, do you see a heavy CPU load when the slowdown occurs? Are you running a lot of "Tray" items, etc...??
GrandRoyale
New visitors - please read the rules.
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:43 am

No no, everything is clean. My tray items are the soundcontroller, wireless hookup and battery level indicator. There are about 6 processes in the backround, which have always been running since I first got the computer. The last time this happened, it had something to do with the BIOS. Any ideas on what the technicians at Dell could have done to it in order to make it run smoother?
KachiWachi
The New Guy
Posts: 1451
Joined: Fri Mar 29, 2002 10:32 pm
Location: Pennsylvania, USA

They either flashed it to a newer version, or changed some settings in the original one.

Not being familiar with your specific BIOS, I couldn't say what they might have done...
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