High end PC with low FPS???

[Garack]

PR is VERY CPU demanding, from upgrading Q6600@3.2 to i2500k@4.5 i got 10-30 Frames more, depends on the environment.

My GTX470 at very high is idle in every situation

So get more CPU Power then a Athlon 2.

[Th3Exiled]

Originally Posted by killonsight95

Well my graphics card requires 450+ watts and i only have 300 so i'd say it just slows it down, it's like when you halve the power into an old style lightbulb and the light dims.

... And what graphics card could you possibly have that needs 450+ Watts of power? A radeon 6970 only uses a little over 200W at max.

Originally Posted by whatshisname55

Windows counts video RAM along with system RAM. 32 bit limits the system to ~3GB RAM total, it uses system RAM first and will exclude video RAM if system RAM meets the limit.
Therefore, the graphics card has to use some of the system RAM which is limited to ~3GB, and as you said, will run slower as a result.

I suggest switching to 64 bit OS before trying any other solutions mentioned because it is the most likely problem, but even if it isn't having 64 bit will still help you in the future, like Penguin said.

Wrong. 32bit operating systems are able to allocate 4GiB of memory (with some exceptions). From this memory it has to map caches, VRam and ram. System ram is the last that is mapped and the maximum allowed is 4GiB minus the sum of all the other memory devices that do not fall under storage (graphics card is really the only non-negligible contributing device).
There is really no reason to install 32bit windows at this point in time when you have a 64bit copy lying around. It is unlikely to fix the OP's problem though.

@OP

Since I'm too lazy to type this again, have a look at this quote below and see if this is your problem.

Originally Posted by Th3Exiled

...
One problem that I had when I first started playing PR again with my 6950 2GiB was that the anti-aliasing mode in CCC was set to quality. This setting should be set to performance.
To change this setting open "CCC" (Catalyst Control Center; right click on your desktop, it should be the first item in the drop down list), click on the "gaming" tab on the left and select the "3d application settings" sub-tab. From their scroll down the main screen until you see "anti-aliasing mode" and make sure the slider is set to the left side. Here's a picture to help you.


....
Exiled.

Exiled.

[AquaticPenguin]

Originally Posted by torenico

I also have AVG, what did you do? Did you added pr.exe or bf2.exe to some exceptions lists?

I tried turning it off to see if it was the cause of the problems, then I installed Microsoft Security Essential instead because I couldn't be bothered to faff around with the thing.

Originally Posted by whatshisname55

Windows counts video RAM along with system RAM. 32 bit limits the system to ~3GB RAM total, it uses system RAM first and will exclude video RAM if system RAM meets the limit.

Sorry but that doesn't sound very realistic to me. Video memory is on the graphics card and completely independent from the main memory, it is handled by the GPU not the CPU. The CPU gives instructions and state changes to the GPU which does the processing and outputs to screen. It is the GPU which handles it's own memory and address space. Some GPUs do use main memory either out of cheapness or because they only have a small frame-buffer.

Meshes and textures will be stored in the GPUs memory, but for each object in the scene the CPU has to call the API telling it where and how to draw the mesh. A few thousands separate API calls will be taxing on a single core, especially as it also has to handle physics(to an extent), network traffic, I/O and Animation/Skinning(may be done on the GPU) among other things.

Newer games/engines probably handle objects better and newer versions of OpenGL/DirectX require less taxing work from the CPU by using the instructions given by the CPU more effectively.

Originally Posted by killonsight95

Well my graphics card requires 450+ watts and i only have 300 so i'd say it just slows it down, it's like when you halve the power into an old style lightbulb and the light dims.

I would have thought that wouldn't work since light bulbs are simple analog devices and chips are digital and require stable voltages and power input. However I don't know much about electronics.

Then again, Watts aren't everything with power supplies. Higher quality ones are more efficient and much more stable, and Amps are also important. Also 450+ Watts is probably the recommended watts for the whole system, based on peak requirements not on idle or normal usage.

Probably made some mistakes in this so pick away.

[SmoothIsFast6]

It's the way bf2 handles rendering, that's what i've concluded to

unless we rewrite the engine or build a new one, we are in fact stuck with this dinosaur

and another thing u could just buy a 4 thousand dollar PC and run it at 120 fps!

[[R-COM]rushn]

Originally Posted by xWEESERx

I pretty much custom built my PC around the graphics card. So I made sure there was enough power, and I had the right motherboard etc. (That's why the other guy has the same MOBO and similar card)

also you dont need to make double posts there is an edit function

[whatshisname55]

I am confused now. I have heard my explanation of the 32 bit memory limits from multiple sources, however it is now being contradicted.
I'll have to do some research on the matter to find out exactly how it works. I'll get back to you when I solve this mystery.

[Mines_Skyline]

it is not the motherboard. buy the 64 bit equivalent of your operating system and you will see 4 gb. trust me.

[AquaticPenguin]

Originally Posted by whatshisname55

I am confused now. I have heard my explanation of the 32 bit memory limits from multiple sources, however it is now being contradicted.
I'll have to do some research on the matter to find out exactly how it works. I'll get back to you when I solve this mystery.

Please educate me when you find out, I've inevitably got it wrong too :P

[Cassius]

try to disable xfire, it slowed me down somewhat bad too.

[xWEESERx]

Originally Posted by whatshisname55

So your Windows version is 32 bit?
If that's the case, then that's most likely the problem. Because you can only use ~3GB of RAM the graphics card cannot make use of it's video RAM, which would definitely slow it down.

Success. Installed Windows 7 64 bit and now shes workin like a charm.