super lag... please advise me

my game is so choppy, playing is near impossible and it gives me a headache... here are my specs:

OS: xp pro (5.1, build 2600)
manu: via tech.
model: p4x400-8235
bios: phoenix - awardBios v6.00pg
processor: intel pentium 4 cpu 2.40ghz, ~2.4ghz
memory: 256mb ram
dx: dx 9.0c

grfx card: nvidia geforce2 mx/mx 400
memory 64mb
driver: nv4_disp.dll

I know that geforce2 is "not supported." Is that why I'm getting so much lag? I've got the graphics set to the absolute minimum and they actually still look pretty sweet, but everything is so choppy.

Could this have to do with other running programs like virusguards, internet windows, etc.?

Also, as a side question (a side question since this part won't come into play for at least another month or so) what should I upgrade for better playability? I don't want to spend the cash to upgrade something if it isn't needed? (card I know, card memory? RAM? change driver?)

any help is greatly appreciated and thanks in advance. : )

The Geforce and the 256mb ram, try upgrading to 512 or a gig.

Reasons why you have lag:

1) 256 meg ram is the minimum. When you use minimum specs, you'll get minimum results.
2) 64 meg of video card but you will probably see sizable gains increasing RAM. Increasing the card to 128 meg plus 512 RAM will help run smooth as silk
3) Connection type and speed. Cable although the over fastest in terms of potential is a shared line meaning that you maybe fighting with a bunch of other folks for bandwidth. DSL is slower as far as DL speeds and such but its a dedicated line so at time that could be faster than cable (although I live in Nashville TN which is a decent size city and a bunch of folks are on cable and my speeds are fast as can be).

4) Potential issue to lag is what all you have running at the same time you are playing the game. If you have a bunch of apps and processes running, you have things fighting over system's resources. I'd turn off everything non-essential app that happens to be running. Also routine maintenance on the machine (disk cleaner and disk defragmenter) can help on an older blooted system.

RAM increase should be your first move followed by increasing the video card and chances are you will need to upgrade both. The RAM is a guarantee though as I have tried running this on a machine with 256 and it ran like poop.

Get another 256MB RAM for it to be playable, or if you wanna like, play Guild Wars, have maybe MSN, some Music, and the internet open, with no lag or jumpyness, get a 512MB RAM for that extra 256MB, so you'll have 756MB RAM.

Also, get a better Graphics Card, ATI Radeon 9250 from www.ebuyer.com for £40, cheap, and it works perfectly well and good, it's what I use.

Lag is coming from your ram, 100% sure.

For about $40 you can get 512 MB of Corsair Value Select RAM and for another $150 you can get a very nice 6600GT as well. A $200 upgrade that would be night and day compared to your current rig.

wow!!! thanks so much gang! With only a 200$ quest, perhaps I can actually hold off on playing till the weekend when I have these myserious items. (I had read something like 400 for 6600GT???)

It's about $300 for a 6800 GT.

6600 GT's

Corsair Value Select RAM

Yeh, but then he has to make sure the RAM is the right fit for his motherboard.

And as for a Graphics Card, I recommend getting either 1 of these:

Hightech ATI Radeon 9250 128MB
£20 / $45 (What I use and the GW runs perfectly fine, so the 9250 if you got a more lower budget)

Or you could get ONE of the best ATI Radeons,

Connect3D ATI Radeon 9800 PRO 128MB
£90 / $163

For your RAM, get the Corsair RAM that Golgotha provided a link for you with, but MAKE sure its the right fit (e.g 184-pin etc), right AGP slots and such.