Update on computer mini-network server

[Santilli]

OK:

Went out and bought a cool little switch that allows you to change computers, but use the same mouse, keyboard and monitor, and there is little, or not noticeable, video distortion.

Have had a DVD player laying around for about a year, and it blue screened the last time I used it with my faster box.

Decided to test it in the slow box, and, using an old ISA Creative Blaster 16 card, I got it up, playing star wars, no problems.

Only problem is it uses 100% of the cpu, 450 mhz P3, and I think the visual quality, while excellent, is stressed, since it's only a TNT 16 mb card as well.

So, I decided I'm moving the 2940 into the 450 box, connecting the external raid array, and when I boot it, I can back up to the Raid box, with no drives raided. Single drive storage.

Backups will be over network, and the drives are already designated.

Now, I'm going to see if we can get DVD's to play on the better computer...
GS

 

[blakerwry]

you're not stressing the video card.. 2D is all about the CPU...

 

[Santilli]

I kind of thought so. At 100% constantly,that does seem stressful.

Getting weird sound now on star wars on the other machine...

Have to restart and check the mobo settings...

s

 

[Santilli]

Well, it seems I've been promised again. The only ide channel avaliable sucks. It crashes everytime I try and update the drivers.

I'm going to see if it's something to do with the VIA updates for the motherboard, but I really just think it's a bad chip on the mobo.

For some reason I thought this was supposed to be the Promise Raid channel on the board, I have to pull the specs and have a look.

Back soon.

Meanwhile I reduced the cpu usage by making the ide controller on the mobo run in ultra dma mode. This has lowered the cpu usage to about 75% vs. a constant 100%. I guess it was running in pio.

s

 

[Mercutio]

ISA = bad in this case. PIO mode or no, if there's lots of data passing from ISA to southbridge to northbridge to memory controller, it's generating many, many extra interrupts per second. Data rates off a DVD aren't THAT high to begin with.

A 450MHz machine really isn't fast enough for realtime software DVD decoding, particularly if all you've got is a four-year-old graphics card. Your problem now is that you're basically asking the CPU to perform a task it's only barely capable of. You're not going to get smooth fullscreen playback until you either get a 750MHz CPU or an MPEG decoder chip (Hollywood+) under that thing.

 

[Santilli]

Hmmm. Mercutio, it's using 75% of the cpu, and I just finished watching
Star Wars attack of the Clones.

The graphics quality is pretty incredible.

If you think the ISA is a bad idea, I could install a Creative Blaster pci based card.

It's just that compatibility wise, I've found the older mobos see to work better with ISA slot sound cards.

The Dell, on a BX chipset mobo, works fine with an ISA sound card, but all the new ones I've tried haven't worked. A couple Phillips, a Creative Live, with Deathware, etc.

It came with a DVD player, and a Turtle Beach card, and that's the only sound card I've tried that worked, other then the ISA card that's in there now.

I'm going to watch another movie, and get back to you...

s

 

[blakerwry]

Merc, I think it depends on the software player.. some willl play OK on a fast PII or slow PIII. Of course, the video card has to atleast support overlay... motion compensation and stuff like that would be nice as well, but not necessary.

I agree that a PCI sound card is probably the best way to lower CPU usage here.

 

[Santilli]

Hmmm.

The picture is pretty good. In fact it's brilliant and clear. Do you really think it would be noticeable to upgrade the video Card?

It's a Dell version of a TNT with 16mb of ram. Is there anything wrong with running at 75% CPU?

I'm using MGI Soft DVD Max by the way.

I could install the other card...

s

 

[Santilli]

Better question would be how much lower would the cpu usage be, and would it really make any difference?

I don't seem to get any choppiness at all.

GS

 

[Santilli]

Quick networking question. Seems like whenever I do a large file backup from Lisa's remote computer to another computer, it takes up all the bandwidth, and makes access to the internet, through the router, impossible. The cure is shuting down the computers, and the router, and hub, waiting a few minutes, and then rebooting, and everything works.

Any idea WHY this happens?

g
s

 

[Santilli]

Nvidia drivers lowered the cpu usage by about 10-15%, from 75% to around high 50's, to high 60's.

GS

 

[Santilli]

Well, thought I had a pci sound card laying around. Turned out to be a
Soundblaster awe64. One in the machine was a SB 32 PNP.

Sound quality is excellent, uses a bit more cpu. Both ISA cards.

While not the best sound card I've got, it sounds really good playing music.

Fun setup.

gs