Ironman5000 Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 (edited) OK I just want to make one thing clear first of all - when it comes to processors and video cards and memory usage I am still a noob so bear with me :tongue: So far I have been able to play games like Oblivion, Fallout games, and eventually Skyrim (with performance boosting tools) to a pretty decent fps but Skyrim is beginning to lag and I have bought a few more games - Darksiders (first one) which kinda gets a fps drop in busy parts, and Red Faction Armageddon which is laughably slow to the point of it being unplayable. Can anybody give me some tips to boost my performance, preferably without 3rd party software if possible? - I have already switched the visual effect for best performance through the control panel,- Updated my drivers- Changed in game resolution to the lower setting for my monitor, skyrim is 1360x768 and other games around the same- Lowered all in-game graphics setting like AA and shadow quality etc. I have looked at a site that suggests increasing virtual memory but I think it may be set as high as it's supposed to be... Installed Physical Memory (RAM)6.00 GBTotal Physical Memory 5.74 GBAvailable Physical Memory 3.72 GBTotal Virtual Memory 11.5 GBAvailable Virtual Memory 9.02 GBPage File Space 5.74 GB And these are my processor and video card specs... Processor - AMD Athlon II X4 645 Processor, 3100 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)Adapter Description (video card) - ATI Radeon HD 4250 If anyone wants to help me out I can give more info if I missed anything out, just FYI I can't afford another video card at this point (I have been told mine isn't great) I just need some tips to optimise what I have as much as possible. Edited December 10, 2012 by Ironman5000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NemesisTheWarlock Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 (edited) Like the new piccie btw, very festive :biggrin: Totally sympathise with the issue, it's a complete pain! Just had to get a new card myself as the twin HD4890's I was using just couldn't cope anymore. You've done well to keep yours going I'd say. I know this may not be hugely helpful as you say you can't afford a new card, but you can pick up a pretty good card very cheaply on an auction site for example, especially at this time of year. It might be a bit of a hassle, but it could be worth your while. Just had a look and dabs seem to have a lot of offers on, but you could pick up a half decent graphics upgrade for about 30-40 quid try here Also had a thought, what operating system are you using and how much RAM do you have and spec (DDR, 2, 3 etc.)? Edited December 10, 2012 by NemesisTheWarlock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironman5000 Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share Posted December 10, 2012 That's not too expensive I will keep my on this site for when I can get the cash together, thanks :thumbsup: I am a bit hesitant to install a new card anyway as I have never even opened a computer before nevermind installing new devices, I can just see me doing something wrong and breaking everything! Can you install nvidia cards to machines that came with ati? I could still do with some general tips for optimization in the meantime, I have been told on several occasions that a program called Game Booster is good for this issue but I tried once a while ago and it had pretty much no effect...to me it looked more like malware :ermm: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik005 Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 The problem is that you have no graphics card. You are using the graphics chip on the motherboard which is not meant for gaming, just for basic windows stuff. There is nothing you can do with software, most programs that improve gaming performance clean up the memory which you have plenty of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NemesisTheWarlock Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Yeah, totally understand your hesitance, I'm much the same way myself. Having said that, I have ended up managing to successfully build two machines, it is a fairly straightforward process and there are video tips online that are very useful.As for the replacement cards, yeah, you can switch to Nvidia from Radeon, you just need to change your software and drivers.It can be a bit tricky trying to get rid of the ATI drivers, but I can give you some tips on how to do it if you end up going down that route.Not so sure about the software solutions I'm afraid, I'm not so sure of the potential solutions that might exist and it would be potentially risky as you said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironman5000 Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share Posted December 10, 2012 The problem is that you have no graphics card. You are using the graphics chip on the motherboard which is not meant for gaming, just for basic windows stuff. ...oh. Well yes I think I have done very well up until now! :laugh: So I am ok the just install a new graphics card without removing this? As for the replacement cards, yeah, you can switch to Nvidia from Radeon, you just need to change your software and drivers.It can be a bit tricky trying to get rid of the ATI drivers, but I can give you some tips on how to do it if you end up going down that route.Not so sure about the software solutions I'm afraid, I'm not so sure of the potential solutions that might exist and it would be potentially risky as you said. OK well thanks anyway, looks my only route is to get the video card then. I think I will stick with radeon I don't want to mess about too much, maybe I can swing it as christmas present :tongue: Thanks for responses guys +1 to you :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironman5000 Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share Posted December 10, 2012 So I am ok the just install a new graphics card without removing this? I just realized that sounds stupid, I don't know if there is just one socket for the card or if mine is built in some other way...like I say I am a noob at this kind of thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NemesisTheWarlock Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 No worries, you're very welcome.If you want some hints and tips when you do get round to it, just get in touch. My new Nvidia card's just arrived, so I'll be fairly fresh on the installation procedure for a new card.Be aware that there are some known issues with some ATI cards and Skyrim, but they're definitely the route to take if you're on a budget. I just realized that sounds stupid, I don't know if there is just one socket for the card or if mine is built in some other way...like I say I am a noob at this kind of thing.Not a stupid question at all, there are multiple options, but I suspect that you have a PCI Express x16 slot on your motherboard for expansion, whereas the video card will be built in. The best way to check is to look up the specs for your motherboard either in the manual that came with it, or online. Best of luck and I hope it goes well for you :biggrin: Nemesis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironman5000 Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share Posted December 10, 2012 Be aware that there are some known issues with some ATI cards and Skyrim Your not kidding, with what i'm working with at the moment I need an enb patch just to get magic effects to show and to stop this stupid outside flickering shadow. I'll send you a PM if I run into a wall, thanks again :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NemesisTheWarlock Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Ok, no probs :smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now