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Posted by Freewheeling on 08/23/06 16:16
Hi folks. I've got some problems watching video and DVDs on my system
and I'm wondering what I need to do to get watchable performance? I
like to use the system to watch DVDs because of the high resolution of
the digital screen, and because I have the computer set up so I can see
the screen when I do my indoor rowing. What had originally been some
minor problems have lately become severe... though I'm not sure why.
The video was never stunning, but it used to at least be watchable.
I'll describe the problems below, but first here's how my system is
composed:
System parameters:
Motherboard: ASUS A7M266
Processor: AMD Athlon 1400 MHz
RAM: 2GB
Video Card: ASUS AGP-V7100 DVI SDRAM v44.03 (GeForce2 MX Chipset - no
memory)
Sound Device: CM18738/C3DX PCI Audio Device (this is the onboard audio)
DVD Player: Toshiba DVD-ROM SD-M1502
Monitor: Samsung Syncmaster 205BW (Digital 1024 x 768)
(Note: Video, audio, USB, and wireless card all use IRQ 9. I have
replaced all of the fans on the inside as well as the heatsink and the
power supply, within the last year. Processor runs at about 47C. )
Symptoms: When listening to sound alone it tends to periodically
"stutter". This appeared to get worse after I installed the Belkin N1
wireless card. Video, especially when using DVD (and to some extent in
general) is irritatingly jerky. The jerkiness when watching a DVD movie
on the Toshiba isn't just mild, but can make some movies nearly
impossible to watch. And the jerkiness corresponds to sound
interruptions that make it all but impossible to hear what's being said.
I use Cyberlink PowerDVD software to watch DVDs. Whether I use
Version 4 or Version 7 doesn't seem to make any difference to
performance. As soon as the DVD starts to run and there's something on
the screen besides a still image, I notice that the hard drive is
accessed continuously, and the access seems directly related to the
sound and video faltering.
I normally run in 32-bit color mode, but switching to 16 doesn't smooth
anything out. Just as jerky and stuttery either way.
Question: Short of buying a completely new system, which changes would
tend to produce adequate video/DVD performance? New sound and/or video
card? Video memory? New DVD Player? Some adjustment to things
assigned to IRQ9? Is there some way I can use that 2GB RAM to
substitute for the hard drive access? Any other ideas?
BTW, is it possible to upgrade the processor in this system, and would
that help?
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