Poor Performance

[Astroluna]

I feel like I should be getting better performance from my pc.

athlon 64 x2 5000+ 2.6 @ 3.0 Stable
1gb ddr2 1066 but i apparently need a am2+ for the max speed currently @ ddr2 436
xfx 9800 GT @ 725/1080 with great temps
500gb 7200 WD sata hdd
480watt budget psu

i built this computer on a super budget ( sold all my 70 wow accounts and sold pre-wotlk pre order a while back; $650 in all before an eighth. Huge upgrade from a 1.8ghz compaq w/ 9600 agp. )

so im not expecting "wow" but i'm disappointed in the performance:

plays warhammer smooth on descent settings but super pc lag sometime.
plays cod 4 @ 1280x1024 pretty good w/ everything maxed out but again big spikes in pc lag.

recently scored 96XX something in a 3D mark 06.

did i get what i paid for?

 

[angry hampster]

Why on earth would you build a new computer with only 1GB of RAM? Put at least 1 more in it. Put 3 more in it if you're on Vista 64 bit,

 

[Denithor]

What do you mean by "pc lag" -- do you mean lag during online games or noticeable slowdowns during normal tasks? If during online play could it be your connection?

Your RAM is quite low at 1GB -- up it to at least 2GB if on XP and 4GB if running Vista64.

Otherwise slowdowns are often related to your hard drive in some manner (that's typically the slowest part in any system). Make sure you're running in DMA mode.

 

[angry hampster]

Also, it's probably not affecting your performance, but ditch the "budget" psu. Never skimp on a PSU or you risk killing components down the road.

 

[Astroluna]

just ordered 2gb.

psu seems to be servering well and hasnt failed yet.

 

[betasub]

Originally posted by: Astroluna
psu seems to be servering well and hasnt failed yet.

Haha. When it fails you will be complaining about more than just "pc lag" (whatever that is).

 

[Denithor]

Originally posted by: betasub

Originally posted by: Astroluna
psu seems to be servering well and hasnt failed yet.

Haha. When it fails you will be complaining about more than just "pc lag" (whatever that is).

+1

I've seen several cases of a PS going out and taking other system components with them (motherboard is common, RAM or GPU also sometimes). I usually tell people if it's time to upgrade a system they should spend a few more dollars and get a new PS also. As a benefit, powersupplies keep getting more efficient so even if your model is only a few years old you can see some fairly significant reductions in power consumption by upgrading.

 

[poiZin]

Yea man, it was definitely your ram situation.. Never throw just 1 gig into a system like that. Horrible bottleneck there. 3 gb will do much better. Also, if you have Vista (this goes for everyone) Right click My Computer, Click Properties, There you will find the Windows Experience Index. Run that and it will tell you where you system is lacking, giving you an idea of what is slowing you down. And the PSU that you bought on budget.. I also have witnessed a PSU die and take out other hardware (GPU), not fun. Just go to newegg.com and read reviews before you buy. You can still get an affordable PSU for a good price. Be resourceful.

Good Luck!

 

[Astroluna]

will the dual channel 2gb i ordered work with my existing 1gb stick?

i dont use vista 64 (xp64).

what kinda of performance gains should i see?

 

[BlueAcolyte]

It should be pretty big when you play games. Also, it will work, but in single channel (3GB still beats 1GB by a long shot)

 

[Astroluna]

would you suggest use the 3gb single channel, or sell the 1gb stick, and get another 2gb and run dual dual channel?

 

[cusideabelincoln]

Yes, it will run in dual channel. Of course I think how dual channel is handled varies depending on the motherboard, although it may not since the memory controller is located on the processor itself. Anyway, looking at an Asus AMD 780g board, it states that dual channel will work with memory of different sizes, but with this exception:

You may install varying memory sizes in channel A and Channel B [note: Dual channel on this particular board means one stick in a Channel A slot and one stick in a Channel B slot]. The system maps the total size of the lower-sized channel for the dual-channel configuration. Any excess memory from the higher-sized channel will be mapped for single channel operation

So basically in your case, you will have a total of 2GB of RAM in dual channel mode, and 1GB of RAM running in single channel mode. The 1GB stick and half of the 2GB stick will be in dual channel, and the leftover RAM will work as single channel.

 

[toyota]

Originally posted by: cusideabelincoln
Yes, it will run in dual channel. Of course I think how dual channel is handled varies depending on the motherboard, although it may not since the memory controller is located on the processor itself. Anyway, looking at an Asus AMD 780g board, it states that dual channel will work with memory of different sizes, but with this exception:

You may install varying memory sizes in channel A and Channel B [note: Dual channel on this particular board means one stick in a Channel A slot and one stick in a Channel B slot]. The system maps the total size of the lower-sized channel for the dual-channel configuration. Any excess memory from the higher-sized channel will be mapped for single channel operation

So basically in your case, you will have a total of 2GB of RAM in dual channel mode, and 1GB of RAM running in single channel mode. The 1GB stick and half of the 2GB stick will be in dual channel, and the leftover RAM will work as single channel.

are you sure because that doesnt even make sense. running 3 sticks should not result in dual channel for 2 sticks and single channel for the other stick.

 

[habbakuk87]

@cusideabelincoln:"The 1GB stick and half of the 2GB stick will be in dual channel, and the leftover RAM will work as single channel."
That is wrong,if there are three sticks two work in Dual channel and the third in single channel.If there are two DIMM's then they either are in dual channel or not.