Good computer, but low framerate

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Karma243

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I bought this dell a while ago, maybe a year. Here's the computer spec's.

Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2,40GHz 2.40GHZ
3.00GB of RAM
32-bit Operating System Windows Vista
NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+
Not 100% sure about the make or model , but its around 110 wattz for sure.

The only problem is that when I run certain game's like Age of Conan or GTA 5 I can't even run GTA 5 on lowest, I can't run olbivian elder scrolls on lowest.
The best I can run is CSS and Age of Conan on low , and running Age of conan on low gives me 12 frames per second at best. I'm sure you can see why this is fusterating , These problems shouldn't be evident with my computer , yet they are.

I think it may have to do with my power supply, I had to replace it because the old one couldn't handle my graphics card :D and I'm not sure how well the new one is holding out. It'saof it , its a gold box we put in the back that has a fan, thats all we replaced, expect the Graphics gard didnt fit so the tech guy rewired the entire computer and made some changes to the wires so could someone please looking possible problem's and I'm in canada , BC. and I can spend up to 200 bucks on fix's if needed. Thanks.
 
Hi Karma,
I think first you need to identify your psu if you think that's the issue. I think 110w is inaccurate, I haven't seen a 110w PSU since 1993, and I don't think your computer would boot with a 110w psu. look for a tag on the side of your psu that looks something like this (see attached) and tell us what the watt and amp rating is ( amp rating will be listed under the 12v+ column)
 

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I agree with red my system is a (gts 250,2gb ram,duo core amd 2.8) and mine uses a 600watt psu. yours should be fairly similar.
 
Alright I found the power supply unit's box and the one I am currently using 550W dual fan Power supply. Does anyone know why I get such bad FPS? :(
 
There's more to a good computer than a mainstream video card and 3GB of RAM... you need a healthy system with an uncluttered hard drive and registry for games to run well. When was the last time you defragged the system or updated the drivers? Are your games patched; and how much RAM are background applications using? Also, a heavy Anti-Virus suite can cause terrible performance, especially in Vista. If you are using Norton, you might as well use the system as a paperweight or download something else.
 
I am using Windows Live OneCare, I will run a defrag now, how do I update all my drivers and how do I find out what ones need to be updated. How do I figure out how much RAM the background applications, although my guess would be minimal since I stopped alot of things from starting up in the first place and close down everything I can find.
 
You should update drivers for your video card regularly, as each release addresses a series of problems or improves stability/performance. You can go to www.nvidia.com and look for the latest"Display Driver" that correspond to your video card. You can run Windows' Task Manager application to monitor background activity and keep tabs on system resources.

Also, a good buddy of mine recently ran into a similar problem. He has decent hardware and a healthy system but every time he went to run a game he would encounter lousy performance. It turned out that his CPU was overheating.
 
just a hunch, but in addition to what EXCellR8 said about anti-virus, you might go into task manager and see how many processes you have running while you are trying to game, if you have 70+ or so, that will slow things down.
 
I have good/bad news. :) The Nvidia thing just finished downloading, the first error to come up is "Your NVIDIA graphics card is not receiving sufficient power. As a result, the graphics card has lowered its performance to a level that allows continued safe operation. to remedy the problem, ensure that your Nvidia graphics card has a supplimental power connetor attached"
Any ideas on what to buy , or do?
 
Your PSU is not providing sufficient power granted you have the power connectors attached properly. You need to figure out your power supply's +12v rail amperage rating. The 9800GTX is a moderately power-hungry adapter; your power supply just can't give it enough juice. You will need to by a more powerful unit or replace the video card with something less demanding. Basically, the card is not performing at its full potential because it's not getting the power it needs to do so.
 
Just to double check the power connectors attached properly , would you mind exlpaining how to check. How should I go about finding my Amperage rating. and Downgrading my video card is not an option , would anyone mind telling me a type of PSU that would suit my graphics card? Maybe a link to a store that has it even if possible. thanks.
 
I think the 9800GTX has LEDs that let you know if the power connectors are attached properly. If the card has two sockets for 6-pin PCI-e power, than you need two 6-pin connections from the power supply. The combined amperage rating should be on the power supply's box/manual or the sticker attached to the unit itself. If your unit has multiple +12v rails, you need to combine them to get your rating. Graphics cards need a certain amount of amps to run properly, and just because you meet the wattage req you may not meet the amperage req. You may have an "el cheapo" power supply too...

I would recommend using a PSU in the 650w-750 range for that card. Corsair, PC Power & Cooling, OCZ and Thermaltake all make good units. Enermax and Antec also make a few great power supplies. You will need to match the form factor of your case ATX, mATX etc.. as well so keep that in mind when shopping. Good luck.

Here is a short list of places to shop for a new PSU:

www.newegg.com
www.tigerdirect.com
www.zipzoomfly.com
 
Thanks alot. I would really like to be told what PSU to buy , can anyone link a PSU that will work well with a NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+? Thanks.
 
Would anyone mind explaining the requirments my graphics card needs , and explaining the "rails" and case ATX, mATX and the different 6 pins, and 8 pins, and PCI-e power, and 12v+. Just explain all the details so that I can walk into a store confident on what I need to look for.
 
Hi Karma,
i will take a shot at what i think your asking, here is a site that gives you info (including basic power requirements) for your card. http://www.bfgtech.com/bfgr98512gtxoce.aspx.
The pcie slot supplies some of the power to your card (up to 75 watts) and the balance is supplied by the connectors of your power supply. a voltage 'rail" is a single voltage supplied by the psu. in this case the graphic card power comes from the 12v+ rail (s). power supplies for personal computers also have 5.0v+.3.3v+ (which is a regulated 5.0v) which supply dedicated voltage to other components. some low end graphic cards can derive all the power they need from the Pcie slot itself . Your graphic card requires two 6-pin power connectors ( others may require one 6-pin, one 6-pin and one 8-pin, or two 8-pin connectors) the only difference between a 6-pin and an 8-pin is that the 8-pin has two additional grounds. your cards requires 26 amp ,or better, power supply for the whole system (the card uses about 9 amps itself) that rating is found on your power supply tag listed under the 12v+ 'rails'.
does that help?
 
It helps somewhat, I just need like a quote of whatever my future PSU would need to power my computer and graphics card to run a game on high with decent framerate. Kind of like a "I have this and I need this". I just want to be sure that the power supply I buy this time is going to work. :) I understand the "pin" thing now, they are the heads on the wires that are attached together that go to specific places to power my computer. and the store people have linked arent helpful because i cant order online, just where would be a good shop to find it. but I do understand what i'm looking for, I'm in canada BC if that helps.
 
That made me laugh. XD Future shop, best buy, circuit city. Radio shack. Thats all I can think of. The PSU I currently have is 550Watts so it should be higher then that. I think I'm going to check that everything is plugged in properly , if one of the power cords for my graphics card wasnt in right that would make a huge difference wouldn't it. I know what to look for the most part, anything specific on my graphics card I should know about before I do so?
 
if your keeping the 9800gtx only that it calls for a 500w psu and your going to need 2-6pin connectors( a 6-pin and a 6+2 will work also) you can get a bigger psu if you want , however a quality 500-550w should work just fine. best buy sells Antec in store and is a great product (stay away from the 'Basiq' models though.....you still have circuit city's there? :) lol holler if i can help
 
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