Thanks drfish, you are quite right to say what you have!
- and I agree with you! .......
BUT!
I have covered this ground on a number of occasion in the past, the problem is that I have reached the limit with my present system, any further upgrade of CPU, will obviously mean a new and larger MB (my current one is a baby AT in a mini tower), so that also means new memory, etc etc. ....... in fact almost new everything!
I have amassed over recent years, an excellent monitor, ample memory for my uses (448), an excellent video card, a quiet CD-ROM reader/writer/re-writer, a virtually silent DVD-ROM/player, two large HDDs, + USB cards etc etc, - the box is stuffed to bursting! - So the only way forward is a fresh start. .......
now for the second BUT!
My present system is more than adequate for my photographic/web-site needs,
(my main uses for a computer! - apart from this forum site of course! 
) - I haven't played games seriously since Jet Set Willy,
(I have nothing against those that do! - I just have other things to do with my life! 
) .............. So that leaves us with the current/future version of MA2 not running as well as 1.1wide!
If that's the way it has to be, - so be it!
..........
but thanks for your concern! 
(Should I REALLY be buying a new, more powerful computer, so I can run a screensaver?)
Also, I find it hard to understand how the FX could have made things so much better than the Geforce4... What exactly changed???
How can I explain in words the subtle differences of being slightly, - better, clearer, sharper, crisper, slicker, brighter smoother, nicer. ........ The change was just so much more noticeable than all the previous (4?) changes! - and that surprised me!
Thanks Tiny,
You've hit the nail on the head there!
- BTW, the change in the Koi pond is what impressed me the most at that time! - On the Koi Pond thread I reported:-
This new version 1.0rc11 is a VAST improvement on my system! - I don't know how much of this is due to my new video card, (from, GeForce4 MX440 64mb, to G-Force FX 5200 Ultra 128mb, - both with 52.16 drivers), but the improvement is astonishing! - Has anyone else noticed a big difference with this new version? - If not, then it must be due to the G-Force FX 5200 Ultra.
The general consensus was that it was the card!
ps, ..... OS = Dual booted Windows 2000 Pro/Windows 98SE