Is my processor the cause of really low fps in online games?

[Awaken96]

Hello, I don't know much things about processors etc. but I'm a gamer and I want to investigate what makes my computer too slow to run smoothly some online multiplayer games such as Guild Wars 2,Heroes of Newerth, Counter Strike:Source e.t.c.

I have an Intel Pentium 4 CPU 2.80 GHz , 2.25 GB of RAM and an ASUS AH4650 graphics card.
My computer is quite old , I don't really expect much things but what is really the issue here? What sort of upgrades do I have to make in order to improve gaming performance?

Thanks a lot

 

[ulysses35]

Your pc is rather old, and the minimum spec for Guild wars is listed as follows :-

•Windows® XP Service Pack 2 or better
•Intel® Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz, Core i3 OR AMD Athlon 64 X2, or better
•2 GB RAM
•NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800, ATI X1800, Intel HD 3000, or better (256 MB of video RAM and shader model 3.0 or better)
•25 GB available HDD space
•Broadband Internet connection
•Keyboard and mouse

While a lot of different problems could cause slow frame rates etc, the most obvious one in your case is the CPU. The old prentium 4's are slow and only single core based on the old netburst architecture.

I doubt there is going to be an easy or cheap way to upgrade your PC, but several companies will sell you a CPU / mobo / RAM bundle for a reasonable price. This would at least improve your gaming experience

 

[FinneousPJ]

Honestly you should upgrade the whole system.

 

[Onus]

^Nice beginning.
To continue, we'll need more information. What is your budget, if any, for upgrades? What parts do you already have? Specifically, what brand and model (not just wattage) is your PSU?
Assuming you have a budget for upgrades, you will need just about everything, specifically including mobo, CPU, RAM, and graphics card. With a new mobo, you will almost definitely require a new Windows license, unless you bought a retail copy of it.
Your hard drive may be re-usable, however if it's that old, it may be nearing the end of its useful life, and/or be much slower than a modern drive. Your case is probably re-usable, and your optical drive will be if it's SATA rather than IDE (although a few mobos still have IDE connectors, they're becoming less common all the time).
The article last week about GW2 performance will probably be an interesting read, although it was based on the beta. If it is PCIE (rather than AGP), your HD4650 should be able to play on low settings; I'm sure you'll want better, but that would be a start if your initial budget isn't enough for a decent graphics card.

 

[gamerk316]

CPU doesn't even meet the minimum requirements for GW2; shocked the game even starts.

But yeah, system is way past obsolete at this stage.

 

[jaideep1337]

Yup its time to change that pentium 4 and get a atleast a quad core. Maybe a phenom ii 955/965 and a 6850?

 

[Onus]

A new gaming build should not be AMD. Reviews and benchmarks consistently show now that there is no longer any price point where Intel does not outperform AMD; sad but true. At the extreme budget end, you can usually bring an overclockable AMD CPU to parity with a locked Intel CPU, but only at the expense of a lot more power and heat.
Beyond this point though, we'll really need a budget in order to provide relevant suggestions.

 

[Awaken96]

Would prefer an Intel core i5

 

[Awaken96]

I'm not willing to spend a lot of money in order to upgrade the whole system . I'm probably going to quit intense gaming anyway in a few years due to studies e.t.c. If by upgrading the processor I see a major improvement i'd stick to it but anyway thanks a lot for the whole info. Will keep it in mind

 

[Awaken96]

That's what I believe too ,thanks, just wanted to confirm or hear other suggestions

 

[Onus]

You cannot upgrade your CPU without buying a new mobo and RAM, and most likely another Windows license. Since you need a new mobo anyway, getting an Intel setup makes a lot more sense than the AMD. Disclaimer: I've built a lot more AMD than Intel systems over the last few years, mostly due to limited budgets. With the release of the SB Pentiums, however, and even some H61 boards with USB3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s, I don't foresee building another unless and until AMD really steps up their game.

 

[Awaken96]

Alright then I wasn't aware of that. Would an Intel Core i5 2500k/3570 would be ideal for gaming? and if yes which mobo(decent price and quality) would you recommend?
With a budget of 300euros( just for a mobo and a cpu).
And about RAM how much would I need to add?