i wanted a computer that would perform fast on 3ds max and rendering in premier. my friend built a computer for me that cost £1650. it has a really good 256mb graphics card, 5.6ghz over 2 processors, 2 hard drives, each 150gb, 2gb of ram. so has pretty good spec. i have an old computer that had pretty basic spec and has loads of viruses. the 2 of these computers perform almost the same in 3ds max. why is this? could it be some of my parts don't match or something to do with drivers. if someone could help me sort this problem i would be soooooooooooooo grateful?
thanks

is the computer brand new or have you had it for a while?

it could be amotherboard issue, i.e you have 2gb of ram, the motherboard maynot beable to handle that amount, justa quick test: try right clicking on my computer> properties andunder "general" it shoud say "comuter" with a bit o info, see ithat matces your hardware (if ou havnt already done so0

i have had the computer about a month. i havnt used it at all though because i want to get it working properly first. i looked under computer in properties and everything matches ok. i just noticed when i loaded up the computer, it said something about cmos settings not being correct. it then said, press f1 to launch set up or f2 to restore default settings. i just pressed f2

Ah, that could be a problem. The "default settings" of the BIOS (i.e. the motherboard) are generally the most compatible settings for whatever other hardware you might choose to fit. But, being the most compatible, they are also normally close to the slowest settings. You could try pressing F1 to enter the BIOS setup screen and choose the Performance option though I couldn't guarantee that this would definitely be suitable for your components. The BIOS is one of those screens where you can only set it up optimally when you're sitting in front of it (and with a lot of experience of building PCs) - it's hard to advise over the Internet. Might be best to invite your friend round for a cup of tea and get him to look it over.

Other ideas just off the top of my head:

1. RAM running too slow;
2. Pagefile (virtual memory) too small;
3. Graphics card running too slow (maybe hardware acceleration settings are switched off);
4. Hard disk too fragmented (unlikely on a new system but you never know);
5. Other device or controller problems (right-click My Computer, go to Properties, then Hardware, then Device Manager and look for any entries with an exclamation mark symbol next to them).
6. Messed up Windows install or upgrade from an earlier operating system (again, unlikely, but it's worth asking your mate if he had trouble when installing Windows).

I'm presuming you're running Windows 2000 or XP? These are the only versions that will run all that hardware properly. If it's 2000, check that you've got service pack 4 by right-clicking My Computer and going to Properties (then check the version towards the top right corner of the General tab).

Let us know whether any of that helps

Incidentally, you only get that BIOS message when it has forgotten the settings and that's always as a result of a hardware problem. Make sure you don't get that message each time you boot. If you do, it points to a hardware configuration mistake or a faulty motherboard / BIOS / battery.

this time when i turned my computer on, the message didnt appear so i couldnt change the settings to performance. is there any other way or getting to those settings? i was told by someone else to download sisoft sandra and do a performance test to see what is wrong. here is the report attached. see what you think. would there be any chance of speaking to someone over the phone about this problem? if so email me with your no. or ask for mine over email.
thanks



Notice 224: SMBIOS/DMI information may be inaccurate.
Tip 2511: Some memory slots are free so the memory can
be easily upgraded.

CPU & BIOS Information


Notice 224: Processor 1 : SMBIOS/DMI information may be
inaccurate.
Notice 224: Processor 2 : SMBIOS/DMI information may be
inaccurate.
Warning 236: Processor 2 : Vcore higher than rated
maximum. Check Vcore setting!
Notice 224: System BIOS : SMBIOS/DMI information may be
inaccurate.
Tip 212: System BIOS : BIOS can be shadowed so check
whether it is.
Tip 211: System BIOS : BIOS is flash-able and socketed
so it can be upgraded when needed.

APM & ACPI Information


Notice 224: SMBIOS/DMI information may be inaccurate.

Video System Information

Tip 319: Video Adapter : Primary Display Driver
display : A refresh rate of at least 75Hz
is recommended. Increase it if possible.
Tip 319: Video Adapter : ASUS Extreme AX800 XT
Platinum Edition (\\.\DISPLAY1) @ \\.\
DISPLAY1 : A refresh rate of at least 75Hz is
recommended. Increase it if possible.

Drives Information


Warning: 1.44MB 3.5" A: : Cannot obtain drive
information; check that a disk is in the
drive and it is correctly formatted.
Tip 1821: Hard Disk C: : Label name drive.
Warning: CD-ROM/DVD D: : Cannot obtain drive
information; check that a disk is in the
drive and it is correctly formatted.
Tip 1821: Hard Disk E: : Label name drive.
Tip 1821: Removable Drive F: : Label name drive.


Windows Information

Tip 1300: Enter your company name or "Home" instead of
"Unknown".
Warning 1316: This copy of Windows contains Product
Activation Technology.
Warning 1322: Hardware DEP is not supported by your CPU.
Software DEP in use. Consider upgrading for
complete security.

WinSock & Security Information


Warning 502: Firewall Programs : Not all network adapters
are firewalled! Check firewall settings.
Warning 509: Anti-Virus Programs : Anti-virus on-demand
scanning is disabled! Check settings.

Services Information

Tip 2130: Error Reporting Service : Service may be
disabled on Home/Professional OS version.
Tip 2130: Help and Support : Service may be disabled on
Home/Professional OS version.
Tip 2130: IPSEC Services : Service may be disabled on
Home/Professional OS version.
Tip 2130: Remote Registry : Service may be disabled on
Home/Professional OS version.
Tip 2130: Secondary Logon : Service may be disabled on
Home/Professional OS version.
Tip 2130: Distributed Link Tracking Client : Service
may be disabled on Home/Professional OS
version.

ATA/ATAPI Information

Warning 3104: ATA Controller 1 : ATA device fixed :
Current mode not optimal. Check settings.
Warning 3104: ATA Controller 1 : ATA device fixed :
Current mode not optimal. Check settings.

This report basically says that your graphics system isn't set up properly and your hard disks aren't running as fast as they should. It also suggests that your processor(s) is/are overclocked and may not be running properly as a result and that other very low-level performance settings (SMBIOS/DMI) might not be set up properly.

All of this can have a negative effect. It points to either the system being set up very badly by your friend or, alternatively, it was originally set up OK and the BIOS has forgotten all of its settings and the default values that you've set it to use are no good.

I think you need to get your friend over to set up the BIOS and graphics settings properly. As I said before, these are areas where you really need to be sitting in front of the PC to get it all right (BIOS options vary greatly between different PCs so it's almost impossible to advise without actually seeing it).

unfortunately my friend lives far away as we have broke up from uni. i think that my friend probably didnt set it up correctly. would there be any chance of speaking with me on the phone if i am in front of the computer to try and set it up a bit better than it is? i dont mind giving out my phone no. if you would be willing to help me. if you are willing to do this could you please give me your email address so i dont publish my no. on the net or email me your no.
i would be really grateful if you could try and help

I'm afraid that trying to work through someone else's entire BIOS that you can't see really is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack .... with a blindfold on. If you can't get hold of your friend, you'd probably be best running it into a local repair shop. If you can't find one, you could use PC World as a last resort. Try your local Yellow Pages or classifieds in the local paper first though - if it's not convenient to take it to someone, then there's a lot of someones these days that will come to you instead