is there hope for a 6 year old computer?
By
99thFlame,
Posted on: 2009-06-28 18:08 in ALL ACCESS Gameplay Technical Issues Bugs
Without actually knowing what's in the system, just guessing by the age alone... yeah, it may be time to get a new one. The times, they have a changed re: 6 years of Co*...
August 31, 2012. A Day that will Live in Infamy. Or Information. Possibly Influence. Well, Inf, anyway. Thank you, Paragon Studios, for what you did, and the enjoyment and camaraderie you brought.
This is houtex, aka Mike, signing off the forums. G'night all. - 10/26/2012
Well... perhaps I was premature about that whole 'signing off' thing... - 11-9-2012
Well, without reposting those specs, there is absolutely no way anyone can answer that question for you. So, not sure what you were expecting.
If you do want our feedback again, then post the results of these two programs:
<ul type="square">[*]CoH Helper - it will show us basic computer settings and your CoH configuration.
[*]HijackThis - it will show us what's running on your computer concurrently with CoH. Click on "Do a system Scan and save a logfile." It will automatically open up Notepad and put the info there. Make sure Wordwrap is off in Notepad (Format > Wordwrap unchecked) before you cut and paste here.
[/list]
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---System information gathered by CoH Helper version 0.1.1.7---
DxDiag gathered at June 28, 2009 18:57 (-07:00)
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.090206-1234)
System Manufacturer: P4V80
System Model: P4VM800
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Central Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz
Memory: 2048MB
.Net Memory Report: 1435MB out of 2047MB available
Page File: 2388MB (579MB currently in use)
C Drive: (HDS728080PLAT20) 55526MB out of 76332MB (72%) free
E Drive: (ST3160815A) 130109MB out of 152625MB (85%) free
D Drive: (TOSHIBA ODD-DVD SD-R5272) zero-size drive
Windows directory location: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DirectX Diag version: 5.03.2600.5512 (32-bit version)
Display Notes: No problems found.
Sound Notes: No problems found.
No problems found.
Input Notes: No problems found.
Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
Monitor's Max Resolution: 1600,1200
Video Device Name: ATI Radeon 9550 / X1050 Series
Manufacturer / Chip: ATI Technologies Inc. / ATI Radeon Graphics Processor AGP (0x4153)
Video Memory: 256.0 MB
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6925
Driver Date: 2/25/2009 2:41:10 PM
Driver Language: English
Sound Device Description: C-Media Wave Device
Driver File: cmuda.sys
Driver Version: 5.12.0001.0050
Driver Date: 12/15/2005 2:57:46 PM
Sound Device Description: Modem #0 Line Playback (emulated)
Driver File:
Driver Version:
Driver Date: 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM
WMI Information
Motherboard Manufacturer:
Motherboard Model: (empty)
Motherboard Product: P4VM800
Motherboard Version: 1.00
BIOS Manufacturer: American Megatrends Inc.
BIOS Name: Default System BIOS
BIOS Version: A M I - 2000614
BIOS Release: 20060214000000.000000+000
Registry Information for Current User
Resolution: 1024x768
3D Resolution: 1024x768 (Not using renderscale)
Full Screen: Yes
Maximized: No
Screen Position: 0, 0
Refresh Rate: 60Hz
Vertical Sync Enabled: No
Physics Quality: High
Maximum Particles: 25050
Max Particle Fill? 10.000
Physics Card Enabled: No
Anti-aliasing: Unknown (0)
Anisotropic Filtering: None
Texture LOD Bias: Smooth
Water Effects: Low Quality
Bloom: 1.000 (turned off)
Depth of Field Enabled: No
Desaturation Effects (Sepia) Enabled: No
Shader Detail: High
World Texture Level: High
Character Texture Level: Very High
World Detail Level (Vis_Scale): 1.000
Entity Detail Level: 2.000
Shadows Enabled: Yes
Gamma Correction: 1.000
Geometry Buffers (VBOs) Enabled: No
Suppression of Extra Player FX Enabled: No
Suppression of FX When Camera Close Enabled: No
Close Suppression Range: 3.000
Show Advertisements: Yes
Audio Mode: Performance
3D Audio: No
FX Sound Volume: 0.093
Music Sound Volume: 0.000
Show Advanced Graphics Options: Yes
Overall Graphics Quality: 0.600
Reverse Mouse Buttons: No
Save Login Username: Yes
Transfer Rate: 151182 bytes/second
Current Game Version: 18.20090422.5T
Installation Directory: E:\City of Heroes\City of Heroes
Mod files in the Data directory
No modifications found
Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.2
Scan saved at 7:00:20 PM, on 6/28/2009
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v8.00 (8.00.6001.18702)
Boot mode: Normal
Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware\AAWService.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\RunDll32.exe
C:\Program Files\Gigaware\Gigaware keyboard driver\5.0\KbdAp32A.exe
C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\MOM.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
E:\Advanced SystemCare 3\AWC.exe
C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\ccc.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgemc.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgam.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgrsx.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgnsx.exe
C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgcsrvx.exe
C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware\AAWTray.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://safesearch.cyberdefender.com/smallsearch.html
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://us.rd.yahoo.com/customize/ie/.../www.yahoo.com
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.yahoo.com/
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://us.rd.yahoo.com/customize/ie/...ch/search.html
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL,(Default) = http://us.rd.yahoo.com/customize/ie/.../www.yahoo.com
R3 - URLSearchHook: (no name) - ~CFBFAE00-17A6-11D0-99CB-00C04FD64497} - (no file)
R3 - URLSearchHook: MyIdentityDefender - {A26503FE-B3B8-4910-A9DC-9CBD25C6B8D6} - C:\Documents and Settings\David\Local Settings\Application Data\CyberDefender\cdmyidd.dll
F2 - REG:system.ini: UserInit=C:\WINDOWS\system32\Userinit.exe
O2 - BHO: (no name) - {02478D38-C3F9-4efb-9B51-7695ECA05670} - (no file)
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHelperStub - {18DF081C-E8AD-4283-A596-FA578C2EBDC3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelperShim.dll
O2 - BHO: WormRadar.com IESiteBlocker.NavFilter - {3CA2F312-6F6E-4B53-A66E-4E65E497C8C0} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgssie.dll
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_01\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: MyIdentityDefender - {A26503FE-B3B8-4910-A9DC-9CBD25C6B8D6} - C:\Documents and Settings\David\Local Settings\Application Data\CyberDefender\cdmyidd.dll
O3 - Toolbar: MyIdentityDefender - {A26503FE-B3B8-4910-A9DC-9CBD25C6B8D6} - C:\Documents and Settings\David\Local Settings\Application Data\CyberDefender\cdmyidd.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Cmaudio] RunDll32 cmicnfg.cpl,CMICtrlWnd
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NeroCheck] C:\WINDOWS\System32\\NeroCheck.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LWBKEYBOARD] C:\Program Files\Gigaware\Gigaware keyboard driver\5.0\KbdAp32A.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [StartCCC] "C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\CLIStart.exe" MSRun
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [KernelFaultCheck] %systemroot%\system32\dumprep 0 -k
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe Reader Speed Launcher] "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\Reader_sl.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Systweak Memory Optimizer] memtuneup.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Advanced SystemCare 3] "E:\Advanced SystemCare 3\AWC.exe" /startup
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_01\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_01\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O16 - DPF: {30528230-99F7-4BB4-88D8-FA1D4F56A2AB} (Installation Support) - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common\Yinsthelper.dll
O16 - DPF: {ED28050F-D713-43BA-A376-DCC5C35407D5} (MsnMusicAx Class) - http://entimg.msn.com/client/msnmusax4507.cab
O18 - Protocol: linkscanner - {F274614C-63F8-47D5-A4D1-FBDDE494F8D1} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgpp.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: avgrsstarter - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\avgrsstx.dll
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - ATI Technologies Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: AVG8 E-mail Scanner (avg8emc) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgemc.exe
O23 - Service: AVG8 WatchDog (avg8wd) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe
O23 - Service: getPlus(R) Helper - NOS Microsystems Ltd. - C:\Program Files\NOS\bin\getPlus_HelperSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Kodak Camera Connection Software (KodakCCS) - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\KodakCCS.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: Lavasoft Ad-Aware Service - Lavasoft - C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware\AAWService.exe
--
End of file - 6271 bytes
For you Zombie Man This si what I am up against and curious if I should throw in the towel on this system.
I play on an inferior system. Athalon XP1900 with 1 GB of RAM.
You should be fine.
1. Get rid of from the start up registries: Kodak, Yahoo invasive programs, java helpers (update you java manually, now), all the ATI helpers (they don't need to be running), the keyboard helper (unless you really do use all it's media buttons on the fly constantly), messenger, ctmon (unless you're using alternate input devices), acrobat, the two entries with missing files. For info on understanding the HijackThis report: http://www.pchell.com/support/hijackthistutorial.shtml
2. ATI usually doesn't get along with water effects and bloom, I would shut them off.
3. Make sure your hard drive is defragged.
4. For fun, check with manufacturer's web site for updated motherboard chipset/CPU drivers.
Other than that, you should be able to play the game on a medium-high setting with no problems.
A new graphics card that will work with your motherboard and that your power unit can handle will have you running at high end graphics. And if you chose NVidia, you'll be able to use AA, bloom, Depth of Field, and water gfx without any problems.
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Well looking at the CoHHelper file the OP has a ASRock P4VM800 motherboard. The long and short of it is that it's a Socket 478, AGP motherboard using up to DDR-400 memory.
The OP has 2 GB so that's fine. The problem is limited to no upgradable parts for CPU and video.
For the video there is the HD 3650 AGP for around $60-70 and the HD 3850 AGP for around $90-120. The 3850 is over twice as fast as the 3650 but uses considerably more power and would likely require an upgrade to the PSU. Compared to what you have the HD3650 would be 2-3 times faster than the video card you currently have.
CPU is this most difficult piece to upgrade simply because they stopped making CPUs for this socket a very long time ago. You can find OEM (no heatsink included) from a number of online sources at Pricewatch. It should use a 800MHz FSB, 512MB of cache, obviously clocked faster than your current CPU and look for one with HT (hyperthreading). Note that the 512MB of cache will denote the cooler running, lower power Northwood verison of the P4 instead of the much hotter Prescott. If you are careful when you remove the old CPU's heatsink and clean it of the old thermal compound, all you will need to buy is a $6 tube of Arctic Silver 5 to reuse it on the new CPU. Sorry, this CPU socket was before the era of the Pentium D so the closest you can get to dual cores is a P4 with hyperthreading.
So we are looking at $150-200 to get maybe 50-100% better performance.
The alternative is replacing the motherboard/CPU/video/ram and maybe the power supply and hard drive and/or optical drive (because of the single IDE interface found on today's motherboards). Take my $600 from the link in my sig. The CPU/MB/Ram and SATA Optical drive would be around $250. You can get a reasonable modern 400-450 watt PSU for around $60-70 which would handle any of the sub $150 video cards on the market. The GTS 250 from my $600 build for example is roughly 10-15 times faster than what you currently have. From a CPU perspective (using the Pentium E6300), you would now have two CPUs, each over twice as fast as the P4 you have now. That's what about $450 would buy you, keeping the case and your hard drives.
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$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
[ QUOTE ]
1. Get rid of from the start up registries: Kodak, Yahoo invasive programs, java helpers (update you java manually, now), all the ATI helpers (they don't need to be running), the keyboard helper (unless you really do use all it's media buttons on the fly constantly), messenger, ctmon (unless you're using alternate input devices), acrobat, the two entries with missing files. For info on understanding the HijackThis report: http://www.pchell.com/support/hijackthistutorial.shtml
[/ QUOTE ]
Been trying to get rid of those files for years to no avail. Dont know what else I can do to get rid of em than one at a time delete them.
http://www.pchell.com/support/removemessenger.shtml
http://www.pchell.com/support/ctfmon.shtml
For others, go to the Start button > Run > msconfig
In the Startup tab, uncheck all the ones that should not be starting up.
Go to services tab, check Hide all microsoft services. uncheck all the ones that should not be starting up (let Lava Adware remain running).
Reboot.
After that, it's deleting them one by one from the registries through HijackThis. If they reinstall, search the web for how to disable them.
Hard Drive cleaning ====
1. Go to control panel and then Add/Remove Programs and get rid of any programs you don't need any more.
2. Go into Windows Explorer (not the Internet Explorer) and right click on your C: drive and chose Properties. Under the General Tab, you'll see a button for Disk Cleanup, run it and get rid of deleted (recycle bin) and temp files.
3. Under the General Tab, make sure Indexing is not selected. Unless you need to do quick searches of your documents on a regular basis, you don't need this. It may take a while to propagate the un-indexing to all the sub-folders.
4. Go to the Tools Tab and click on the defrag button. Run the defragger. It may take an hour or two to defrag. Make sure the computer doesn't power down during it (you'll find power options where you change the screen saver -- right click on desktop...).
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[ QUOTE ]
Every once in a while I use to post my systems specs and get opinions about making it run CoX better, now after a while I finally am at the point where is there really a hope to keep a old system to make it feel new again or close to make CoX run better or is all hope lost sell the blood to make money 
[/ QUOTE ]
I dunno - is there hope that after 6 years you will finally let that poor machine have the eternal rest it has earned, pull out your wallet, and open it?
Because its WAY past time for a new machine. ESPECIALLY if you play video games.
Wow.
For Great Justice!
Thanks Zombie Man it helped alot. Cimorea zone (example) was so laggy it was unbearable, now it is not as smooth but better than before. I owe ya a round man. My treat.
[ QUOTE ]
Every once in a while I use to post my systems specs and get opinions about making it run CoX better, now after a while I finally am at the point where is there really a hope to keep a old system to make it feel new again or close to make CoX run better or is all hope lost sell the blood to make money
[/ QUOTE ]
The bad news is that your system really pretty much is at the end of the road.
Now, that may or may not call for a new system on your part.
It all depends on your preferences.
End of the road performance may, in fact, be perfectly acceptable to you, especially if you don't do anything else computing intensive and your current level of performance is tolerable.
The good news is that for literally a fraction of what your 6 year old system cost you back in the day, you can assemble a rig that quite simply runs rings around your current rig.
Moore's Law.
It's not at all always a bad thing 
Earlier in the thread, FatherXmas posted some very cogent points.
Check out his $600 rig linked in his signature.
That machine would flat out destroy your current system.
ill tell you right now that even though your problem is some what fixed in order to run the game better you may have to put money into buying a new central processing unit( i advised buying a duo or quad core) and a new graphics card I prefer Nvidia but ATI is also great for a smaller price range, but as an extra precaution i would advise bumping up your RAM. I know it seems like a lot but if you look around some of the things on here are pretty cheap the most expensive thing on the list will be a new video card but I hope that you will have some luck in upgrading if not then I would advise making a new computer but it seems like yours is fine as long as you upgrade it. By any chance could you also post what kind of power supply you have for this computer. I also speak about upgrading your computer because unless you have a windows xp installation disc or want windows vista you cant get windows xp anymore, so yeah dont always think that you will have to buy a new computer for more when you could make one or upgrade your old one
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Every once in a while I use to post my systems specs and get opinions about making it run CoX better, now after a while I finally am at the point where is there really a hope to keep a old system to make it feel new again or close to make CoX run better or is all hope lost sell the blood to make money
[/ QUOTE ]
I dunno - is there hope that after 6 years you will finally let that poor machine have the eternal rest it has earned, pull out your wallet, and open it?
Because its WAY past time for a new machine. ESPECIALLY if you play video games.
Wow.
[/ QUOTE ]
Some people don't have the money to splurge on a new rig. Give this guy a break, will ya? He's just trying to get some more life out of his pc. Nothing wrong with that at all.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Every once in a while I use to post my systems specs and get opinions about making it run CoX better, now after a while I finally am at the point where is there really a hope to keep a old system to make it feel new again or close to make CoX run better or is all hope lost sell the blood to make money
[/ QUOTE ]
I dunno - is there hope that after 6 years you will finally let that poor machine have the eternal rest it has earned, pull out your wallet, and open it?
Because its WAY past time for a new machine. ESPECIALLY if you play video games.
Wow.
[/ QUOTE ]
Some people don't have the money to splurge on a new rig. Give this guy a break, will ya? He's just trying to get some more life out of his pc. Nothing wrong with that at all.
[/ QUOTE ]
Lacking money doesn't mean that your get what you want if it is utterly unrealistic.
You have to have more than just need, you have to have reality too.
For Great Justice!
I recommend the newer ATI card.
The 3850 is wonderful, but requires about 30 amps on the 12V rail. Check your power supply if it can support it. if it cant, you might need a new power supply.
This one update (I also have an agp bus) greatly increased the quality of the graphic and reduced lag.
50 Tanks: Invul/ss, Fire/ice/fire, Ice/em, Stone/fire
WP/Stone, dark/dark, shld/mace
50 Other: WS, SS/dark/sc brute, BS/Regen/WM scrpr, fire/fire/force blaster, rad/kin corr, mind/rad ctrl, ill/storm cntrl
[ QUOTE ]
Thanks Zombie Man it helped alot. Cimorea zone (example) was so laggy it was unbearable, now it is not as smooth but better than before. I owe ya a round man. My treat.
[/ QUOTE ]
And this is why I often yell at the folks who frequent this forum who claim that a duo core is the minimum to run the game. You have a decent GPU, 2 Gig of RAM, and a Pentium 4. If you make sure the computer isn't running anything else in the background, you can play on med-high settings at a fairly good FPS. And you can continue that way for years to come.
It's only if you want high GFX at high FPS that you'll need to upgrade the computer.
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Every once in a while I use to post my systems specs and get opinions about making it run CoX better, now after a while I finally am at the point where is there really a hope to keep a old system to make it feel new again or close to make CoX run better or is all hope lost sell the blood to make money