What can make a 2.4GHz run like a 486?

The answer would be XP SP2!
Seriously, I just got a new cheapo hp computer from wal-mart, right? And even though I've used every trick I know of (turn off all effects, use the 'classic' windows style instead of the playskool style) the version of XP home runs like shit on it.

A great example of this is when shutting down GTA 3, the computer routinely slows to a crawl, and whatever windows I have open are painfully, slowly re-drawn.

It will take in the neighborhoood of fifteen to twenty seconds for everything to re-draw itself.

I've tried replacing the video card (with an nvidia one), installing windows 2000 isn't an option...so has anyone else had to deal with speed issues on windows? Any suggestions ("omfgbbq run linux!!!1one" isn't on the table, neither is *BSD) on what I can do to make my 2.9GHz respond like a machine which is >99mhz?

>>21
Where did you saw "omg you don't have teh sauce for XP!!!111" here? WindowsXP is very good if you restrain yourself to games and Office stuff. If you want to get seriously involved in CS, you have to see outside of the Microsoft world and Minix is a very good way to entertain yourself.

The ONLY solution to >>1 is to either buy another more powerful computer or get a game console. If you want more and XP is not what you need anymore, get another OS (for x86 here).