3Dmark05 score dropped +1000 points??

I ran 3Dmark05 the other day and it dropped just over 1000 points, clueless? I haven't run 3Dmark05 in six months, as I understand it 3Dmark05 doesn't use your CPU, just your videocard drivers and the card right? I have run scan disc, defragment my drive once a month, ran spyware ect... I also have updated my bios & chipset drivers, I can't think of anything more to try! I've been told that after a year of adding and removing software its a good idea to burn your drive and start over by uninstalling Windows XP Home E and doing a fresh install, is that true or false? I do have a Dell Dimension 8400 and am not sure that it would be as successful as just having a custom rig with a retail version of Windows XP. Also when I click on control panel it opens then it blinks twice like it has the heck-ups, and when I try to download anything it says Vscrip/netmoles not properly installed, what the heck is net moles?? PC specs P4 3Ghz 630, 2GB DDR2 533Mhz ram, BFG 7800GTXOC 256MB, Neo 480watt PSU, no overclocking! Specs have not change except for adding 1GB ram, have tried removing new ram then running 3Dmark05 same.I REALLY NEED SOME HELP HERE PLEASE!

A clean install of window will raise your score. Even though it is mostly 3drendering if your CPU is busy doing other crap it will bottle neck you system. Look in your processes list in task manager and make sure there is not a bunch of crap you dont need running ie an ipod service, quicktime, etc.

But most importantly if you only notice a difference when running 3dmark and not when you are playing game then forget about it. It will be a head ache to reinstall your intire system if that is your main rig.

If you're satisfied how your system performs, then why do you care about benchmarks? They're synthethic (sp?).

Yes my gaming performance is what it should be, my first game installed was Doom 3 and I went back to play it and my performance was the same as it was when I got my computer. In the mean time I will not believe any benchmarking scores again! There are not an indication of real world performance, gain of salt added to all benching scores! Also I have 24-26 processes but CPU usage is 0-1% percent constant, even with little or no load on the CPU do the processes affect performance in other places when playing games? By the way I am running ipod & quicktime, do those eat memory or something? Start-up icons are diabled also.

anything that is in memory can use cpu time. 3dmark and games do get affected by cpu. if u close all that stuff u have running in the backround your score may go back up to where it used to be.
i like benchmarks cos they are good for comparing systems/parts.