x800 xl and BF2 problems

[ahh!]

Hello,

I have quite a many few problems with BF2 and preformance (whats new with that game?...). First I will list meh specs:

450w PSU
Celeron 2.93GHz Socket 775
Intel D101Ggc Board
2x512mb PC3200 RAM
HIS x800 XL PCI-E/256-bit 256mb RAM - Catalyst 5.1 Drivers
Audigy 2 Value Sound Card
160, 120 GB Western Digital EIDE HDD's
Windows XP Home

ok... my problem:

I can't play BF2 worth a s***. Under settings of Medium everything, minus no dynamic shadows, lighting, AA, and low texture filtering, AND @ 800x600@75Hz, I get horrible FPS in populated areas. Now, when I play a map with eight people, I get FPS like I would expect: smooth as hell everywhere, and no problems. But when I hit 64-player maps where more than half of all players are concentrated in one location, and I am there, FPS drops to <10.

Does that make any sense at all? Before, I owned a 6600GT AGP XFX card, and I ran the SAME settings and received a little better preformance. But not much, still same problems in the populated areas.

Now, I have tried FOUR different versions of the Catalyst drivers: the very new ones, the one right before that, the one that came with my card (5.6 or something) and the 5.1, and NONE of them improve preformance in any way.

I can play CoD2, DoD:S, HL2, SWAT 4, and numerous other graphically demanding games on max settings and receive averages of 50-70 FPS. I have messaged EA twice (but why would EA want to help me?) with no luck as to a possible fix. So if anybody has the slightest of clue as to why my game hates me, I'd appreciate it if you posted.

Thanks