What caused my PC performance to slow down?

[Konda]

Usually, the articles I found for improving PC performance are written for scrubs who use windows (empty recycle bin, clear browser data, defragment disk, update drivers, etc). My PC's performance has slown down in both Windows and Linux operating systems. I can clearly see it. The maps and mods in Zandronum that used to be run smoothly are now lagging.

I think my problem is more hardware related, but I don't know what it could be. I suspect it is because my hard disk doesn't have that much free space left, but I am not sure if it's only that, because I don't know how much impact that really has on my PC performance.

• Processor: AMD Phenom 8600 Triple-Core (2.3GHz)
• Hard disk: Western Digital Blue WD3200AAKS (320GB, 7200 RPM, 16MB Cache, SATA 3.0Gb/s, Storage usage: http://oi60.tinypic.com/bdkrqr.jpg
• RAM: 3GB
• Graphics card: AMD Radeon HD 6770 (850 MHz, 1GB memory, 1200MHz memory clock)

I used to play Zandronum in full-screen at 1280x1024 resolution, but now I got a new monitor (1920x1080) and I'm playing Zandronum in windowed mode at 1600x900. The new resolution I play Zan at is about 1.1 times bigger than the old one (I compared based on number of pixels) so I don't think that has much effect.

So, has something gone wrong with my hardware? How do I even check that? Any ideas for what could have caused this?

Btw, the performances in both OpenGL and Software are very similar in Zandronum. Also, I bought this PC in 2008, and replaced the old graphics card with the current in 2011.

[FascistCat]

You should at least upgrade your RAM. For Windows, using 3 GB will force the PC to use the page file (use the HDD a lot and that slows your PC down noticeably). Specially, with each update, RAM usage seems to increase, at least for me. If you have 3 GB then you have different capacity sticks installed, try to get same capacity sticks.

Also, I don't think that new resolution could affect enourmously your game. Maybe with the new features it has now, Zandronum draws more CPU time. Have you tried using an older version for comparison?

[ibm5155]

Try to play zandronum in a flash driver or an external hdd, if the lag pass then ofc it's the hdd (and by that, saving pwads on flash drive too)
Idk about the processor, but the ram is enough for zandronum

[Ænima]

Defrag time?

[RADNSMASH101]

Windowed mode will offer less performance. For zandronum at that resolution, a 6770 should be enough; I would clean your computer out(dustwise) Defrag as AEnima said, and 3GB ram should be enough for zandronum also. Make sure youve got the latest drivers for your video card too - AMD just released a driver package bout a week ago

[Konda]

Hey, thanks for the support guys.

You should at least upgrade your RAM. For Windows, using 3 GB will force the PC to use the page file (use the HDD a lot and that slows your PC down noticeably). Specially, with each update, RAM usage seems to increase, at least for me. If you have 3 GB then you have different capacity sticks installed, try to get same capacity sticks.

Also, I don't think that new resolution could affect enourmously your game. Maybe with the new features it has now, Zandronum draws more CPU time. Have you tried using an older version for comparison?

I'll definitely get around upgrading my PC one day. For now 3GB of ram will do well on linux. I rarely use windows, only for windows-only programs like gzdoombuilder. Also, I haven't tried an older version for comparison. I'm skeptical about that having a big influence in performance as my entire system is running slower than it used to, it's not just limited to zan.

Try to play zandronum in a flash driver or an external hdd, if the lag pass then ofc it's the hdd (and by that, saving pwads on flash drive too)
Idk about the processor, but the ram is enough for zandronum

I guess that'd work if I had an external HDD with a USB 3.0 connector, but all I have is some usb sticks and you know just how much slower they are in comparison to HDD. I think I would see a difference only if I moved the entire OS to an external HDD, as everything seems to have slown down.

Defrag time?

I checked the partition reserved for windows, it's not fragmented. The file system I use on linux works a little bit differently, it minimizes fragmentation. But I checked just in case, and yeah, one of the file systems has 0.6% of non-contiguous (fragmented) files, while the other has 3.1%.

Windowed mode will offer less performance. For zandronum at that resolution, a 6770 should be enough; I would clean your computer out(dustwise) Defrag as AEnima said, and 3GB ram should be enough for zandronum also. Make sure youve got the latest drivers for your video card too - AMD just released a driver package bout a week ago

I've cleaned the dust recently, and even changed the thermal paste between the processor and the cooler. Heat is not really a problem. I regularly upgrade my linux system, which includes graphics drivers as soon as they're out in the repository.

Now I'm more tempted to believe that my hard disk is the cause of this. Now then, can the way my HDD is partitioned have influence on performance?

That "OS ISO INSTALL" partition is the partition I created in order to boot into the windows 8 installer since I didn't have any external bootable storage with enough capacity :V. I created it by shrinking the windows partition (where windows 7 was located at the time) and using the unallocated space created next to the windows partition after shrinking.

[Tiger]

I think my problem is more hardware related, but I don't know what it could be. I suspect it is because my hard disk doesn't have that much free space left, but I am not sure if it's only that, because I don't know how much impact that really has on my PC performance.

• Processor: AMD Phenom 8600 Triple-Core (2.3GHz)
• Hard disk: Western Digital Blue WD3200AAKS (320GB, 7200 RPM, 16MB Cache, SATA 3.0Gb/s, Storage usage: http://oi60.tinypic.com/bdkrqr.jpg
• RAM: 3GB
• Graphics card: AMD Radeon HD 6770 (850 MHz, 1GB memory, 1200MHz memory clock)

Tried looking at the S.M.A.R.T diagnostics for the HDD and any other secondary storage devices?

EDIT:
Windows 8 does have a nice bug with services shitting itself and causes the entire system to run poorly. However, if this happens in both Linux and Windows, than this comment is moot.

[ibm5155]

Well, I used to play zandronum in an usb sticks, it worked fine, and trust me, my hdd was even slower than my usb 2.0 stick (notebook hdd sux I know).
my notebook hdd is kinda fast in sequential data, it can reach like 70mb/s, but on a normal case, it's going to only reach 1mb/s (or even less).

I would sugest to get some tool to check the hdd performance,idk any for Linux but for Windows I would use hdd tune.

And, did you installed Linux first or Windows? I heard that there's some performance problem on cases where Windows is installed by first.

[Tiger]

Well, I used to play zandronum in an usb sticks, it worked fine, and trust me, my hdd was even slower than my usb 2.0 stick (notebook hdd sux I know).

Of course an HDD is going to perform slower against SDD or equivalent.... You are comparing a device that has massive latency for seek/read that is dependent on the motor speed to rotate the platters and finding the data somewhere in the sectors. SDD seeking is far different and much faster.

my notebook hdd is kinda fast in sequential data, it can reach like 70mb/s, but on a normal case, it's going to only reach 1mb/s (or even less).

Either you have a slow drive or its fragmented -- not omitting HDD complications

[Tiger]

Any updates on this?

[Konda]

Any updates on this?

Updates are gonna be postponed until I get a new power supply... Good thing I reacted as soon as I sensed the strange smell. The damage inside the power supply wasn't severe, I guess my MLG reaction time prevented it from messing up other hardware . I think the cooler inside the power supply stopped working which caused it to overheat and start melting. It's been extra noisy for about 2 months. rip.

Still gotta try the usb stick thing, though I should see if I can get my hands on an external HDD with usb 3.0.
EDIT: I just checked, I don't even have a usb 3.0 port on my PC. :allears:

[Tiger]

Updates are gonna be postponed until I get a new power supply... Good thing I reacted as soon as I sensed the strange smell.

That would explain a lot; though you'll need to make sure the rest of the hardware isn't damaged because of the PSU.

I guess my MLG reaction

What is 'MLG' again? 'Mein Leben Gott' or 'My Little Goat'?

Still gotta try the usb stick thing, though I should see if I can get my hands on an external HDD with usb 3.0.
EDIT: I just checked, I don't even have a usb 3.0 port on my PC. :allears:

Why bother? Despite that the I/O routes to the south bridge, you are adding more to the bottleneck by using a slower interface. Unless that's the new in thing, where slow - really is fast? SATA, configured correctly with a well maintained and fast HDD (or SDD), will out-perform any interface that is slow. Unless you managed to smelter in a path way for a USB interface directly to the North Bridge so you can use a EEPROM storage device? A 5400RPM HDD can perform just fine for performance, and 7200RPM is the best for performance when power means little in terms of battery performance. In short, this 'work around' that IBM5155 is imposing, is utter shit.

[Ænima]

MLG = major league gaming

And yes, USB for anything other than external storage is far inferior to an actual drive with SATA.

Also nice barbecue Konda LOL

[Tiger]

MLG = major league gaming

How is a gaming LAN party part of this? I still don't get it...

[Catastrophe]

MLG = major league gaming

How is a gaming LAN party part of this? I still don't get it...

meme

[ScarFOx]

MLG = major league gaming

How is a gaming LAN party part of this? I still don't get it...

meme

LEL

[RADNSMASH101]

psu blew up? sounds like a coolmax

[Konda]

Updates are gonna be postponed until I get a new power supply... Good thing I reacted as soon as I sensed the strange smell.

That would explain a lot; [...]

Do you mean that the power supply had a performance effect on my PC?

I guess my MLG reaction

What is 'MLG' again? 'Mein Leben Gott' or 'My Little Goat'?

Long story short - it implies mad skills but is not taken seriously. It's a joke.

[Tiger]

Updates are gonna be postponed until I get a new power supply... Good thing I reacted as soon as I sensed the strange smell.

That would explain a lot; [...]

Do you mean that the power supply had a performance effect on my PC?

It can have a huge impact, even ultimately damage the hardware if the PSU is faulty.

[Konda]

I guess any major misbehavior of the psu would result into an instant system shutdown. I was actually playing zandronum at the time the psu started grilling itself. Everything was running ok, before I went for on/off switch. I checked the damage the psu received, only a small area of the circuit board changed color and I found one component of the circuit that was cracked open a little bit. The entire circuit in the psu is probably still connected the way it should be.

Though sometimes when I turned off the lights in my room or somebody rang the door bell, my PC would instantly power off. I thought something was up with the electric installation but it could have been just my power supply since It only happened sometimes.

I'll be sure to run some diagnostic programs once I replace the power supply. There's no strange smell or any visible damage on any of the other hardware.