Slowdown that wasn't there before

[Napuc]

So, recently I decided to give the fan in my pc and my gpu a good cleaning since I haven't done that yet. After cleaning out so much dust, I expected my computer to run a whole lot better because the cpu should be more cooled and my gpu would run better. So, I go to play Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix, and the game does not run like it did before. I now get about 30-45 fps. I tried messing with the video settings and such, but that didn't do anything at all. I was getting around 60 fps except for some parts of the game before I cleaned it and it pisses me off now that it doesn't. especially when I was planning on some speed running. Any ideas? I don't expect the game to run perfectly since my stuff's a bit outdated, but yeah.

Windows XP SP3
Pentium Dual Core E5200 2.5GHz
3 Gb RAM
ATI Radeon HD 4600 Series 1gb memory

[DaTankAC]

Check your BIOS and make sure that Intel's Speedstep (similar to AMD's Cool n' Quiet) didn't re-enable itself.

[Yash the gamer]

2.5 ghz is slow. Mess with ee and vu speedhacks . Try with the value 2 on both. Or with 0.

[Nobbs66]

2.5 ghz is slow. Mess with ee and vu speedhacks . Try with the value 2 on both. Or with 0.

You obviously have never KH2. As the game goes on it can be more demanding especially at The World That Never Was or some places in Hollow Bastion. Your cpu may be throttling because when you may have somehow loosened the cpu heatsink. Other than that I don't have a clue.

[refraction]

Check your temperatures with coretemp, make sure they arent going to high.

you can download it from here: http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/ (click "more downloads" then choose 32bit or 64bit depending on what windows you have, normal one comes with horrid installer)

[Blyss Sarania]

You obviously have never KH2. As the game goes on it can be more demanding especially at The World That Never Was or some places in Hollow Bastion. Your cpu may be throttling because when you may have somehow loosened the cpu heatsink. Other than that I don't have a clue.

Yeah, it's possible he wobbled something loose, or maybe he rerouted cables and changed the airflow.

Run CPU-Z and watch your CPU speed while you play.
Also run CoreTemp and watch the heat.

And also as Nobbs said, it could be that it's just a more demanding part of the game.

[tsunami2311]

Make sure Intel speed set is not enabled, make sure you on Max performance mode for the GPU, Dont know what AMD calls there version of that or if that card even has such a setting.

Though Even I would that that cpu is pushing it for PCSX2 specially if you using vsync. You could try defaulting PCSX2 and starting with the default settings. You have say nothing to what version of PCSX2 you using, I recommend using SVN build as if you using 1.0.0 there settings in the SVN that may help you like MTVU hack though I dont think that would help your cpu.

The fact you where work right before mean you either knocked something lose, or didnt put back right when you where cleaning. or you have new problem

[Napuc]

Check your temperatures with coretemp, make sure they arent going to high.

you can download it from here: http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/ (click "more downloads" then choose 32bit or 64bit depending on what windows you have, normal one comes with horrid installer)

How high would be too high? right now I'm getting about 140 degrees F on both of my cores just doing nothing, and about 210 degrees during the 1000 Heartless Maw at about 50ish fps and the second Axel fight in the game at 30 fps only when the floor is on fire, with out it, it's about 50ish. (Will link videos if you don't know what those are if you haven't played it)

I'm not sure what the temperatures were at before I cleaned, but I can imagine that they were higher because of the ton of dust on the fans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWVUEzLm50g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJFz9Nh4mkc

[Nobbs66]

212F is 100C so that's a really hot cpu. You most likely messed up the contact between your cpu and the heatsink.

[smartstrike]

better clean up your PC w/ a strong dry blower,if you try manage to pull-out the CPU heatsink and the video card to blew the dust away.
unless your video card is fanless you don't need to.