Tom's Hardware > Forum > Homebuilt Systems > General Homebuilt > Computer running TERRIBLY!

Computer running TERRIBLY!

Forum Homebuilt Systems : General Homebuilt - Computer running TERRIBLY!

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!

Ask the community Add a reply

Bottom Search this thread

I recently built a new computer. Specs:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ overclocked to 2.84ghz
1GB DDR2 800mhz RAM
Radeon HD3850 512MB CAT 8.5 drivers
PC Chips A33G mobo (I know. Cheap.)
Windows XP SP3

Games run like crap. Terribly. UT3, Titan Quest, and Company of Heroes all chug terribly at the lowest settings. I installed the AMD dual core optimizer and the AMD driver for XP. The mobo has the latest BIOS. All MOBO drivers for XP are installed. What could it be?

Add a reply

go over your bios settings again. check ram timings, cpu speed, check if both cores are running. 1gb is low for an xp gaming pc i would add another gig. monitor ram usage and see if you need more in games. i bet its mostly your ram

Reply to cal8949

when i had xp sp2 on my machine i know i used more then 1 gig of ram in most games

Message edited by cal8949 on 07-17-2008 at 04:14:50 AM

Reply to cal8949

A standard amount of ram for XP machines has long been 2 gig of ram. Using only 1 gig will force it to use virtual ram on the hard drive a lot, thus slowing the game considerably. So up the ram to 2 gig and see how the computer does.

------------------------------ Evil lurks in the databanks as it lurked in the streets of yesteryear. But it was never the streets that were evil.

Over 50. Seen it, done it, can't remember it, but I miss it.
Reply to Sailer

get something to monitor cpu and gpu temps. if these things overheat they will slowdown to avoid burning up.

Reply to PsyKhiqZero

MORE RAM DEFINATLY, I would add another gig and your good to go with just about ever game out right now, but in the near future games will be more munchy so maybe consider getting 3gigs, becuase the game CRYSIS eats up around 900mb of ram when I play it and If i had a gig it wouldn't be enough cuase the actually operating system takes up like 300-400mb of ram so yeah get more RAM

Reply to blackhawk1928

Personally I think 4 GB is minimum for running XP, 8 GB for Vista

1GB is really killing your computers performance, you will see massive performance gains for the $60 or so it will cost for a 2GB stick

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to smalltime0

smalltime0 wrote :

Personally I think 4 GB is minimum for running XP, 8 GB for Vista

What are u planning on running on ur vista box with 8gb of ram a SQL server? lol

but yeah the min has to be 2gb as other posters has said with 1gb u will be using your hdd for virtual memory

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to fowang

fowang wrote :

What are u planning on running on ur vista box with 8gb of ram a SQL server? lol

Small missile systems need RAM.

nah, lol I saw a 4GB kit of Ballistix Tracer 800 MHz for pretty cheap and bought it.

Reply to smalltime0

Ask the community Add a reply

Tom's Hardware > Forum > Homebuilt Systems > General Homebuilt > Computer running TERRIBLY!

Go to:

Help |
Forum rules

There are 661 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Page generated in 0.598 seconds

Please mind

You are about to answer a thread that has been inactive for more than 6 months.
If you still wish to proceed, please ensure that your posting is original and does not duplicate or overlap any prior responses to this thread.

Add a reply Cancel

Focus On

Computer running TERRIBLY!

Forum Homebuilt Systems : General Homebuilt - Computer running TERRIBLY!

Please mind