Why has my SL become so slow?????

My computer:

3.4 gHz dual-core Pentium 4
2 gB RAM
nvidia 8500 GT 5212mb RAM
Windows XP Pro SP3

Today I'm averaging 3 FPS on this machine which about the same as my 600mhz P3 with a 64mb nvidia MX400 gets. Surely something's wrong, but what?

Yes, I rolled back to the 175 drivers and rebooted my router.

I get the impression you've been using that computer and had better performance before. Have you tried a system restore? Have you done anything with your computer that might have unexpected ill effects such as perhaps installing SP3? What are your graphics prefernces in SL set at?

Have you cleared cache? Is your internet connection alright or maybe delivering wonky performance? If you are on wireless, anything that might intercept the data stream?

Is it just SL that has become slow for you or is the computer in general running slow. Check to see what all is running in the background - something new may be starting up that is using resources.

Have had much better performance in the past. Clear cache frequently..... sometimes daily.. usually every couple of days. Didn't have any other major programs running at the time. My normal practice is to assign SL to one core so that i can run Cubase on the other core if and when I do shows.

Generally i run grafix preferences with just about everything enabled and 256 metre draw distance and normally manage 15+ fps which is fine for me but lately it's gone south in a big way.

I don't know if it's connected to the recent forced client "upgrade", but over the last week or so I've been seeing all sorts of weird glitches as well, including the following:
- poor fps
- failed teleports
- difficult sim crossings, sometimes leading to disconnection from SL
- erratic script behaviour in avatars (scripts working in one prim foot, and identical scripts in the other foot not working)
- prim body parts refusing to detach without a relog

It's been very irritating. SL was running so smoothly for me before all this started happening a week or so ago, and now I'm feeling as though I've been transported back to the Bad Old Days of SL wonkiness. *sigh*

Have you tried both the regular viewer and the release candidate? Checked the issue tracker? Is the low FPS seen everywhere in SL? You haven't stuck 255 tortured toruses on every attachment point, or something similar but more likely?

There's something very wrong with the 178 Nvidia drivers. They really glued SL to the floor.

Did you mean that you rolled back to the 175 drivers and the problem persisted? Did you uninstall current drivers before installing new drivers, or better yet, uninstall current driver, run a driver cleaner, then install new driver?

I try to stay away from the RC viewer. I have enough problems as it is ^^. I've got the usual collection of attached body parts that you'd expect for an avatar of my sort and nothing particular about me changed when my framerate locked up. The only thing I can put it down to is the Nvidia 178 drivers. I uninstalled them and I'm pretty much back to normal. I heard people with 9000 series grafix cards were having major issues with the 178 drivers. Maybe it's something related to that? I really can't tell as I'm not exactly a techy type.

Sharcel, I just uninstalled and reinstalled the earlier version driver. I simply didn't have time to do all the relevant registry and system clearout as I had to start a live music show 30 minutes after I started this thread. It was major panic stations on this side of the screen! I'll stay with the safety of the 175 drivers for the time being.

You're right, it is slow - and I have done nothing to my computer except treat it nicely.