What do I need to Legitimately boost gaming performance

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Ronsoak

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#151080 13-Aug-2014 14:09

Recently built a gaming rig and went conservative with my specs (budget)

Intel Pentium G3220 Dual Core 3Ghz
EVGA 750 SC
8GB Ram (1x 4GB, 2x 2GB)
60GB SSD (for OS)
1TB Seagate Blue HDD (For storage)

Now my old computer used to be a first gen i5 quad core with 8GB ram , 500gb HDD and a fracking huge GPU.
Now when I built my new rig I saw a drop in performance in games. Mainly my FF14 MMO

I had two theories. Either it was my old GPU which was really good but doesnt play well with new tech (BSOD with Haswel chips) because it had a stupid amount of shading units, even more than my 750 SC, OR the fact I dropped from a Quad to a dual.

Now recently I switched my OS onto my 1TB HDD so I could put the games on my SSD ( yes I know that causes slower OS loading) to see if that would give me a boost and it didn't give me a notable bost not even in loading screens so my only theory left was the Quad Core chip.

BUt recently I have been reading a lot about CPU's ,especially the recent interview with Intel who said that it was up to the developers to make games work on quad cores, so before I go drop ~$300 on an Intel i5 can someone please let me know whether it is a worthwhile investment or give me an indication as to what is a worthwhile investment to increase gaming performance, More Ram? Better SSD? Better CPU? Better GPU?

Any help would be much appreciated.

xpd

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#1107680 13-Aug-2014 14:40

Probably find the CPU is bottle necking the GPU.... Im picking a decent CPU (i5/i7) will help - but dont hold me to that, Im still on a Core 2 Duo box with a 9800GTX, so havent had the fun of trying out new vs old components :)

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gzt

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#1107683 13-Aug-2014 14:36

What exactly was your previous GPU?

What kind of and nature of performance drop are you seeing? Is slowness in areas with many players the issue? or something different?

In any case I would guess cpu is the main issue there. Btw, number of cores is not the only difference between the series.

But that memory configuration is not optimal either. You need matching units to get the benefit of dual channel so before anything else buy another 4GB stick of the same spec (or buy new two matching sticks and get rid of the old one). Definitely do that one and look again before any other conclusions. Yes it really makes a big difference.

tehgerbil

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#1107702 13-Aug-2014 14:59

Game architecture these days spell doom for dual cores. Hell, dual cores have been superseded for years now.

In a nutshell:
Dual Core 4ghz < Quad core 3ghz

Sell your Pentium, get an i5. Enjoy.

Athlonite

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#1107749 13-Aug-2014 15:50

Your dual core is fine for video and internet and email but when it comes to gaming it's a bit long in the tooth unless you only planing on playing old games my advice get rid of it and replace it with an i5 you'll be alot happier

Ronsoak

202 posts

Master Geek

#1107757 13-Aug-2014 16:13

Thats good to know that I was on the right path with the Quad Core CPU initially.

And yea I really should get some standardized ram.

Cheers for your help team.

Inphinity

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#1107762 13-Aug-2014 16:21

Honestly, you need a better CPU & GPU. Both are entry level options, and far from ideal for any sort of strenuous gaming. The GTX750 is on par with, say, a GTX460 in many practical areas, which was mid range 3 generations ago, while the Pentium G3220 is about equivalent to the first-gen Clarkdale i5 650.

Honestly, if you're after good performance gaming, look at say an i5 4690 and a GTX760 or better.

hio77

'That VDSL Cat'
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#1107772 13-Aug-2014 16:40

thats quite a drop in CPU... certainly looking at a bottleneck there...

GTX750 isnt very high up there iver. but the CPU is a bigger holdback..

and a 60GB ssd, what a PITA that would be to manage.

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Lias

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#1107985 13-Aug-2014 21:57

Always get an i5 or an i7 for gaming.
And if your on a budget, AMD is almost always a better option for GPU

I'm a geek, a gamer, a dad and an IT Professional. I have a full rack home lab, size 15 feet, an epic beard and Asperger's. I'm a bit of a Cypherpunk, who believes information wants to be free and the Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.

Ronsoak

202 posts

Master Geek

#1111886 20-Aug-2014 11:15

Thought I'd give you all the update.

Took your advice and rebuilt my rig with new parts.

-Intel i5 4630
-120GB SSD for the OS
-60GB SSD for the main games I play
-1TB HDD for the rest of my games and Media
-kept the 1GB EVGA Nvidia 750 SC
-4x 4GB new DDR3 Ram
-New mATX case
-4 cooling fans.

Runs smoothly now, my FF14 loading times have halfed, loading times on my strat games (Banished, Sins) are basically non-existent. Can play several games (LoL / FF14 / Tropico / Deux Ex HR) on Max settings.

Cheers for the advice, I know I don't have a super computer and if I had more $$ I could get more powerful parts but I am very happy with my new set up.

Lias

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#1112250 20-Aug-2014 17:14

The most important thing is your now part of the PC Gaming Master Race :-)