Computer Performance Going Downhill

[folkloricjungle]

Hello all!

I've been having some problems with my home-built PC. Here are the specs:

AMD Phenom II X4 955 @ 3.2Ghz
4 GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD 5770
Corsair 650 W
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

For quite a long time (this computer's around 4 years old), I had no problems playing games such as APB: Reloaded, ARMA 2, etc. However, I've noticed recently APB gives me constant 1 second lag spikes, ARMA 2 lags no matter what graphic setting I'm at, and Combat Arms gives me a strange graphical glitch. My computer just hasn't been giving me the performance it used to on the same games I used to play. Is there anyway I can remedy this?

So far, I've defrag'ed the hard drive, ran CCleaner, Avast Virus scan and Malwarebytes full scan, all were clean and did nothing to help the issue.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[sicknasty19]

APB runs VERY easily on computers, the lag you get on that game is server based. I do enjoy that game but having low CPU and GPU usage when playing just shows me its not on my end

 

[Hazzacanary]

Has your power supply deteriorated? Can you test it in any way?

 

[smorizio]

tru going into msconfig and turn off a lot of the programs there. you only need your anti virus running at start up.

 

[folkloricjungle]

I'm not sure how to test my PSU...any ideas?

I went to MSConfig and disabled all the start-ups that I didn't need. Anything else?

My computer's pretty messy inside..would it be possible that could influence the performance?

 

[xomm]

I'm not sure how to test my PSU...any ideas?

I went to MSConfig and disabled all the start-ups that I didn't need. Anything else?

My computer's pretty messy inside..would it be possible that could influence the performance?

A good dusting wouldn't hurt, especially if there is a considerable amount of dust in your heatsinks and fans.

 

[smeezekitty]

Check CPU and GPU temps
Make sure no background process is eating CPU
Check network speed

 

[folkloricjungle]

I'm almost certain it's not network lag...it's definitely video lag

 

[smeezekitty]

Windows disk access times tend to increase in Windows with aging as the disk gets fragmented and the registry gets cluttered. This effect can be minimized by defragmenting and using a GOOD registry cleaner (not scam crap).

That said, it will not affect framerate so that is not your problem.

How is your RAM usage?

 

[folkloricjungle]

How can I monitor my RAM usage?

 

[smeezekitty]

How can I monitor my RAM usage?

Task manager in Windows.

 

[folkloricjungle]

Task manager in Windows.

I only have a few browser windows open right now, and it's using 1.98 of my 4 Gigs of Ram...is that normal? It's around 49%

 

[smeezekitty]

Depends. I am using Firefox 1 one window but 83 tabs.

I am using 1.74 of 3.5GB or ~50%

Web browsers usually use alot of memory now days.

 

[folkloricjungle]

So I suppose the RAM isn't the problem?

 

[smeezekitty]

Doubtful. I would avoid running a web browser while gaming with only 4 GB ram though.

I always shut down firefox when gaming because my relatively low end system.

 

[folkloricjungle]

Hm. Okay so not RAM, what else could it be?

 

[Hazzacanary]

I'm not sure how to test my PSU...any ideas?

I have two suggestions:

1) Borrow a friend's reliable PSU, and see if there's any performance difference
2) If that's not possible, get a multimeter and test the voltage/current coming out from the power supply, and check it's within specs.

 

[smorizio]

also run ccleaner...then a good defrag and malware bytes and a good anti virus sweep...also check the amount of space left on your main hard drive if it close to full windows cant make a swap file. also run memtest86.to test your ram for any errors...hd tune read your smart info on your hard drive...see if the hard drive having any issues. with the pc itself check that the cpu andf gpu fan are moving fine and not slow. a lot of time dust will kill or slow these fans down..if they slow down then your cpu/gpu is making extra heat..more heat they have to slow down to stay withing there thermal limits.

 

[smeezekitty]

2) If that's not possible, get a multimeter and test the voltage/current coming out from the power supply, and check it's within specs.

Do not test the current output of the PSU unless you like big bangs. Only test the voltage.

 

[TenPc]

The PC Health in the bios will give you indications of voltages and temps of your PC.

It could be that the video card is past its "use by date" meaning that it's been used heavily for the past few years, they don't last forever and hevy usage could affect the memory chips on the video card. Consider using a lower setting in the game to that of your desktop, refer game requirements.

Also, make sure that your primary hdd (partition) has a minimum of 25% free space.

Usually, I blame the PSU for being too low but it could just be wear and tear on the video card. 650 watts is acceptable but you should consider 750 watts plus in the future. Don't have your external hdd attached during game play nor any other device like flash memory or phone for recharging.

Always shut down the PC when not in use for more than 4 hours. Avoid having other apps in background while playing PC games. Ensure plenty of fans in the case provide adequate circulation. Don't have the PC case boxed into tight confines, you need tspace around it for heat to dissipate from the exhaust of the PSU.