When's a good time to upgrade your CPU?

[mr_wizard]

Obviously, when a game is slow at loading you can upgrade your RAM and HD speed and that would greatly increase that performance, but what about CPU wise? What are the clues in gaming that you would need to upgrade?

Basically, I have a 6800GT 256MB, Athlon 64 3400+, and 1GB of Corsair XMS, but I get some serious choppiness at the beginning of BF2, but after it's worked out it runs smooth. I think that would be RAM.

And F.E.A.R is pretty much always choppy even when I turn down the graphics and reso (from maximum), so it can't be my video card. I think that would be my CPU.

Also, in Black and White 2 or even Age of Empires 2 after awhile of playing will become choppy, due to RAM filling up right?

Thanks.

 

[trigger_sad]

Hmm, well BF2 and F.E.A.R. will definitely benefit from 2GB of Ram. I dunno age of empires or black and white. I know at my work we have a AMD X2 3800+ with an x800 and 1GB of ram and its choppy at the beginning. So i'm quite confident it's the Ram causing this. F.E.A.R. in general taxes all kinds of Hardware, even 7800GTXs... but you should be just fine with your 6800GT, but from all the people i know that had RAM issues in FEAR it was only when they entered a new area, it would chop, then be fine, i dunno why its choppy all the time.

 

[Trotter]

Actually, you shouldn't be bottlenecking at all with your setup.

Have you eliminated any and all background applications that are running? How about adware/spyware? Virii? To me, it sounds more like something(s) are slowing you down, but not your hardware... unless your PSU is being pushed to its limits.

 

[mr_wizard]

Yeah I tried turning everything off in the background and I just got through scanning with 4 different virus programs so it's not that. BUT, my power supply is 420ww, it's Thermaltake and a very good PSU for that matter, high quality transitors, etc... here's the link http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817153006

 

[Trotter]

Go here and follow the list:
http://techist.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=534983#post534983

Yes, it is basic, but it covers most everything.

 

[Apokalipse]

try installing new video card drivers

 

[mr_wizard]

lol trotter thanks, I've definitly have done the basics. I don't know why I didn't think of not enough power from my psu but im almost sure that would be it. im gonna add up my hardware wattage and see how that goes. looks like they released new gpu drivers for my card a coupel days ago too.

 

[Apokalipse]

http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=1223
Forceware 81.85 drivers