digitaltoast

Honorable Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2009
Messages
3
I'd just like to check whether I've got everything right here - it's been a long time since I built a PC!
Here are the key elements:

ASUS ATI RADEON HD 4350 512MB DDR2 TV-OUT/DUAL DVI/HDMI
AMD PHENOM II X4 QUAD CORE 940 BLACK EDITION 3.0GHZ SOCKET AM2
BIOSTAR TA790GX 128M AMD 790GX (SOCKET AM2+) PCI-EXPRESS DDR2
BUFFALO FIRESTIX HEAT 4GB (2X2GB) DDR2 PC2-8500C5 1066MHZ DUAL
SAMSUNG SPIN POINT F1 SATAII 1TB 32MB CACHE HARD DRIVE <8.9MS

This was all specced up by someone who knows what they're doing, and here's the result of the Windows Experience Index thingy:

ProcessorAMD Phenom(tm) II X4 940 7.3
Memory (RAM)4.00 GB 7.4
GraphicsATI Radeon HD 4350 4.1
Gaming graphics 1919 MB Total available graphics memory 5.3
Primary hard disk804GB Free (834GB Total) 5.9

I've turned on the Biostar automatic V8 tuning engine and that didn't make any difference to the processor rating or anything, but I found that by turning OFF the onboard BIOS sideport graphics thing (which I wasn't plugged into anyway), the graphics went from 3.7 to 4.1

I was expecting something higher than that for graphics but it seems to look OK, but my main concern is that hard drive figure, and also the SLOOOW usb port.
My 6 year old PC was quicker copying to/from an external hard drive! It's been an hour copying a 93Gb folder FROM the external HD to this new PC and it's not even halfway through :(

Anyway, here's what I've done so far - I would be grateful if someone could look over it and see if I've missed something. I'm going to be doing a lot of video editing using h.264 source footage, and although it's not too bad now, I'd like to ensure I'm squeezing every drop from the CPU.

For graphics card, I first tried downloading driver for EAH4350 which only had Vista, from
Link Removed

Then downloaded Windows 7 latest Catalyst from
Link Removed

For AMD processor
Link Removed
nothing relevant there.

From Biostar, I got the opportunity to try "driveragent" (but turned it down as it looked a bit commercial) but instead downloaded various driver files from
Link Removed due to 404 Error

Not that much luck - the SATA driver said "device not find".
The 116Mb "Chipset setup" download is actually
AMDCPUsetup from gives "This operating system is not supported by the AMD processor driver"

So basically, most items in Hardware Manager have Microsoft drivers from about 2006.

Here's more info:
________________________________
Manufacturer BIOSTAR Group
Mode lTA790GX 128M
Total amount of system memory 4.00 GB RAM
System type 32-bit operating system
Number of processor cores 4
64-bit capable Yes
________________________________
Display adapter typeATI Radeon HD 4350
Total available graphics memory1919 MB
Dedicated graphics memory512 MB
Dedicated system memory0 MB
Shared system memory1407 MB
Display adapter driver version8.612.0.0
Primary monitor resolution1680x1050
DirectX versionDirectX 10
________________________________


Primary Adapter
Graphics Card Manufacturer Powered by ATI
Graphics Chipset ATI Radeon HD 4350
Device ID 954F
Vendor 1002

Graphics Bus Capability PCI Express 2.0
Maximum Bus Setting PCI Express 2.0 x8

BIOS Version 011.020.000.008
BIOS Part Number 113-AB78701-104
BIOS Date 2009/04/12

Memory Size 1919 MB
Memory Type HyperMemory

Core Clock in MHz 600 MHz
Memory Clock in MHz 400 MHz
 


Solution
It looks like you've provided a detailed overview of your PC setup and the issues you're facing, especially with the slow performance of the hard drive and USB ports. Let's break down the key elements of your PC configuration and address the concerns you've outlined:

PC Configuration:​

Here are the main components of your PC:
  • Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition 3.0GHz
  • Motherboard: Biostar TA790GX 128M AMD 790GX (Socket AM2+)
  • Graphics Card: ASUS ATI Radeon HD 4350 512MB DDR2
  • RAM: 4GB DDR2 (2x2GB)
  • Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F1 SATAII 1TB 32MB Cache

Windows Experience Index Scores:​

  • Processor: 7.3
  • RAM: 7.4
  • Graphics: 4.1...
It looks like you've provided a detailed overview of your PC setup and the issues you're facing, especially with the slow performance of the hard drive and USB ports. Let's break down the key elements of your PC configuration and address the concerns you've outlined:

PC Configuration:​

Here are the main components of your PC:
  • Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition 3.0GHz
  • Motherboard: Biostar TA790GX 128M AMD 790GX (Socket AM2+)
  • Graphics Card: ASUS ATI Radeon HD 4350 512MB DDR2
  • RAM: 4GB DDR2 (2x2GB)
  • Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F1 SATAII 1TB 32MB Cache

Windows Experience Index Scores:​

  • Processor: 7.3
  • RAM: 7.4
  • Graphics: 4.1 (increased from 3.7 by disabling onboard graphics)
  • Gaming Graphics: 5.3
  • Hard Disk: 5.9

Concerns:​

  1. Slow External Drive Performance: You mentioned slow speeds when transferring data to/from an external hard drive, taking hours for a 93GB folder.
  2. Graphics Performance: The graphics score at 4.1 might seem lower than expected.

    Actions Taken:​

    • Updated graphics card drivers with Windows 7 Catalyst.
    • Attempted downloads for the AMD processor and Biostar drivers, encountering issues with compatibility and driver installations.

    Recommendations:​

    []External Drive Speed:
    • Check the USB port status and drivers for any issues.
    • Consider testing the external drive on another system to rule out drive-specific issues.
    • Ensure the USB port and external drive are functioning at their maximum speeds.
    [
    ]Graphics Performance:
    • The ATI Radeon HD 4350 is not a high-performance card, so expectations should be moderate.
    • Ensure the latest drivers are installed and compatibility with video editing software.
    []Driver Updates:
    • Try to find compatible drivers for the SATA controller and chipset to improve overall system performance.
    [
    ]System Optimization:
    • Ensure Windows is updated.
    • Check for unnecessary background processes that might be impacting performance.
    []Video Editing:
    • Consider upgrading components for faster video editing performance, especially for H.264 codec.
    [
    ]Upgrade Path:
    • Given the age of the components, consider upgrading to newer hardware for improved performance.
For better assistance with driver compatibility and optimization, you may want to reach out to Biostar and AMD support for specific guidance on driver installations for your hardware configuration.
 


Solution
Back
Top