Graphics and Case Upgrade

NiallFH

Serephucus wrote: »

How are you getting 40%? Is this 40% total? Because that would mean it's maxing out one core, and the other 15% is background processes.

No idea, I'm taking the 40% from along the bottom line of Task Manager, I had some virus trouble recently and usually get AVG popping up saying it blocked something or Spyware terminator saying it blocked something so there could still be something still kicking about on the comp.

Serephucus

Ok, you're in the wrong tab. Go to Performance across the top, and you'll get a usage graph per core. Best off just taking a screenshot of that right after a busy section and posting it here.

NiallFH

I went to a busy area and stood there for about 2 minutes to let it settle, I had wow maximized (windows mode) with the task manager on top, heres the screenshot:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/6/cpurb.png/

ShadowHearth

NiallFH wrote: »

I went to a busy area and stood there for about 2 minutes to let it settle, I had wow maximized (windows mode) with the task manager on top, heres the screenshot:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/6/cpurb.png/

and was the GPU usage 99%?

i still cant believe we actually checking all this....

Serephucus

Hmm... How are you with overclocking?

Edit: Yeah, GPU usage first actually.

Edit edit: @Shadow: Why not? I'd figure if you're going to spend €200 on an upgrade, you'd want to spend five minutes finding out if you need it first.

ShadowHearth

Serephucus wrote: »

Hmm... How are you with overclocking?

Edit: Yeah, GPU usage first actually.

Edit edit: @Shadow: Why not? I'd figure if you're going to spend €200 on an upgrade, you'd want to spend five minutes finding out if you need it first.

well, i gave real world example. i was there, did that, i tried it and sorted it! its a GPU problem!!!

Serephucus

Or it could have been a driver problem with your NVIDIA card at the time, or maybe the game got a patch or something. That's even assuming your old spec performed the same as his, which it doesn't, so he should check anyway.

It's probably a GPU problem, but I personally wouldn't run and spend €250 or whatever on a new card without being sure that I needed one first.

NiallFH

Ok, I opened up MSI Afterburner and went back to the same area I was in before, let it run for about a minute or two and took this screenshot (I dont see any option in it to run a test or anything)

Also I've never overclocked but I reckon I could learn, hadn't built a PC before this one either lol.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/17/gput.png/

The odd CPU usage is probably down to viruses, having trouble shifting them, working on it currently if I manage it I will re test the CPU

ShadowHearth

NiallFH wrote: »

Ok, I opened up MSI Afterburner and went back to the same area I was in before, let it run for about a minute or two and took this screenshot (I dont see any option in it to run a test or anything)

Also I've never overclocked but I reckon I could learn, hadn't built a PC before this one either lol.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/17/gput.png/

The odd CPU usage is probably down to viruses, having trouble shifting them, working on it currently if I manage it I will re test the CPU

that does not make much sense. you got very bad FPS in games, but it does not max out CPU and GPU. i am prety sure my gtx 680 is 99% on usage while in wow...

Serephucus

Yeah, you're CPU-limited. That, or you have v-sync enabled or something weird.

The CPU usage isn't viruses... they're either removed or they're not. They don't use your CPU all the time trying to be removed.


You don't have v-sync enabled, do you?

Tea_Bag

its what I suspected. wow is a really badly coded game, and is single threaded at the same time. I think it's time to OC the CPU. its easy enough. is it on the stock cooler?

and clean up that PC first man. are you comfortable with a clean windows install?

ShadowHearth

Serephucus wrote: »

Yeah, you're CPU-limited. That, or you have v-sync enabled or something weird.

The CPU usage isn't viruses... they're either removed or they're not. They don't use your CPU all the time trying to be removed.


You don't have v-sync enabled, do you?

funny enough i am in SW bank myself now. my cpu usage on 50% and gpu on 50%, but Frame rate is at 30fps ( vsync on ).

wow can be brutal at times.

Serephucus

TURN V-SYNC OFF!

With v-sync on, in a place where you would have got 59FPS, you'll get 30. In a place where you would get 29FPS, you'll get 15.

FlyingIrishMan

Serephucus wrote: »

TURN V-SYNC OFF!

With v-sync on, in a place where you would have got 59FPS, you'll get 30. In a place where you would get 29FPS, you'll get 15.

Is that with all games or just WoW?

Serephucus

All games.

The whole thing with v-sync is that your framerate has to be (x)2 for it to work, so 120/60/30/15. That's why it's only ever recommended with games that will easily pass this, and why NVIDIA has introduced adaptive v-sync*.

*For anyone interested, the new beta drivers (301.24 or something) enable adaptive v-sync for 8-series cards or later.

NiallFH

ShadowHearth wrote: »

that does not make much sense. you got very bad FPS in games, but it does not max out CPU and GPU. i am prety sure my gtx 680 is 99% on usage while in wow...

Found it weird myself that it doesn't seem to be pushing the GPU at all

Serephucus wrote: »

Yeah, you're CPU-limited. That, or you have v-sync enabled or something weird.

V-Sync is disabled

Tea_Bag wrote: »

its what I suspected. wow is a really badly coded game, and is single threaded at the same time. I think it's time to OC the CPU. its easy enough. is it on the stock cooler?

and clean up that PC first man. are you comfortable with a clean windows install?

So basically, as wow only uses the one core and my comps on 40%, the 25% is wow maxing a core and the 15% is other programs?

It is on a stock cooler, isn't it a bit risky OC'ing though?

It's not really an option because I don't have my windows CD key, I tried a few programs to get it but they didn't work

ShadowHearth wrote: »

funny enough i am in SW bank myself now. my cpu usage on 50% and gpu on 50%, but Frame rate is at 30fps ( vsync on ).

wow can be brutal at times.

Death on Outland where there's 20 odd thousand Alliance lol

ShadowHearth

NiallFH wrote: »

Found it weird myself that it doesn't seem to be pushing the GPU at all



V-Sync is disabled



So basically, as wow only uses the one core and my comps on 40%, the 25% is wow maxing a core and the 15% is other programs?

It is on a stock cooler, isn't it a bit risky OC'ing though?

It's not really an option because I don't have my windows CD key, I tried a few programs to get it but they didn't work



Death on Outland where there's 20 odd thousand Alliance lol

i remember the opening of outland. omfg! there were like thousands of people. it was like 0.0001 fps

Serephucus

You can overclock a bit on the stock cooler probably. I'm not familiar with AMD systems, so I'm not sure what you can get out of it. The stock cooler is fine for your purposes - testing to see if you are in fact CPU limited, to be certain. If it turns out you are, you can look into a better cooler, or a new CPU or something.

Have a look on Overclock.net. They've got a specific overclocking section for AMD chips.

ShadowHearth

I would still suggest spending that money on 6870 and better cooler for ocing.

Gpu will be more beneficial, and it will do difference. I did helped me a lot.

It's hard to tell how badly CPU is bottlenecked as even my system is not pushed to the limit and I am getting on 30 fps at SW bank. And we are talking about 2500k 4.2ghz with gtx 680 here. It's wow being shiet, not CPU.

NiallFH

Serephucus wrote: »

You can overclock a bit on the stock cooler probably. I'm not familiar with AMD systems, so I'm not sure what you can get out of it. The stock cooler is fine for your purposes - testing to see if you are in fact CPU limited, to be certain. If it turns out you are, you can look into a better cooler, or a new CPU or something.

Have a look on Overclock.net. They've got a specific overclocking section for AMD chips.

Going to look into that, think I will just order a new cooler before I start, but will need the new case first, not a lot of room in mine for a bigger/better cooler.

ShadowHearth wrote: »

I would still suggest spending that money on 6870 and better cooler for ocing.

Gpu will be more beneficial, and it will do difference. I did helped me a lot.

It's hard to tell how badly CPU is bottlenecked as even my system is not pushed to the limit and I am getting on 30 fps at SW bank. And we are talking about 2500k 4.2ghz with gtx 680 here. It's wow being shiet, not CPU.

Going to get the CPU OC'd then I will get the new GPU.

Need to fix my comp first though, think the windows re install is going to have to happen -.-

Cheers for all the help guys, been much appreciated

Tea_Bag

tbh, there isn't much reason to upgrade the CPU. you're playing the one game that's going to benefit from a 4.6Ghz 2500K, but for everything else, the 955 is still a very decent chip. I had one but had to upgrade because it was a bottleneck with crossfire. to jump on to the Intel wagon will set you back allot of money, you're better off investing in a decent €40 cooler and getting a good OC, then upgrading the GPU if you play other games besides wow.

what's the rest of your rig specs? what psu specifically?

NiallFH

Yeah, I think that's what I'm going to do, I'm trying to find a good cooler and a good OC guide at the minute, watched a few but they're all suggesting different things. Needa get a full tower case too, never going to fit a big cooler in mine lol.

The PSU is this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005851O16/ref=oh_o05_s00_i00_details

Tea_Bag

sorry I forgot you had it mentioned in you're op. find out the model of your motherboard and Google 'Asus xxx 955 overclocking guide' should lead you in the right direction.

what case do you have?

uncle_sam_ie

NiallFH wrote: »

Yeah, I think that's what I'm going to do, I'm trying to find a good cooler and a good OC guide at the minute, watched a few but they're all suggesting different things. Needa get a full tower case too, never going to fit a big cooler in mine lol.

The PSU is this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005851O16/ref=oh_o05_s00_i00_details

This is what I used to overclock my Phenom. It's a good way to test out what your CPU can do. http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloads/amd-overdrive/pages/overview.aspx

NiallFH

Tea_Bag wrote: »

sorry I forgot you had it mentioned in you're op. find out the model of your motherboard and Google 'Asus xxx 955 overclocking guide' should lead you in the right direction.

what case do you have?

I still have the box from it at home so should be able to find it out easy enough.

Its this one but different colour, theres a funnel type thing in the middle of the side panel and my current cooler very nearly touches it so anything bigger wouldnt fit, I want a full tower anyway.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/EVO-LABS-Gaming-Desktop-Computer/dp/B007BMQJRS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1334659798&sr=8-5

uncle_sam_ie wrote: »

This is what I used to overclock my Phenom. It's a good way to test out what your CPU can do. http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloads/amd-overdrive/pages/overview.aspx

I was looking at that and it seemed really easy to use so once I can get the new cooler/case I think I will try it, do you know what cooler you used and what did you manager to clock to?

Serephucus

You're supposed to pull the air duct out if you're using an after-market cooler. You should just be able to unscrew it or something.

uncle_sam_ie

With he Phenom 9950 BE I go it up to 3.3 GHz with the AMD overdrive. Once I knew what it could do I overclocked it using the Bios. I went for the NH-D14, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKHRPJfZ5Y8&feature=related

NiallFH

Serephucus wrote: »

You're supposed to pull the air duct out if you're using an after-market cooler. You should just be able to unscrew it or something.

Yea I reckon I could easily take it off, but I have a black monitor, black/red keyboard and black mouse with a silver case, so I'm going to change it anyway and I hate working inside it so want a full tower.

uncle_sam_ie wrote: »

With he Phenom 9950 BE I go it up to 3.3 GHz with the AMD overdrive. Once I knew what it could do I overclocked it using the Bios. I went for the NH-D14, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKHRPJfZ5Y8&feature=related

Damn, that thing is bloody huge lol

uncle_sam_ie

NiallFH wrote: »

Damn, that thing is bloody huge lol

This is what it looks like in my rig.

NiallFH

uncle_sam_ie wrote: »

This is what it looks like in my rig.

Because I don't have a full tower yet mine is a hell of a lot more cramped. Still trying to find somewhere decent to order the case from.

Since I have never over clocked before I dont intend to push this to its limits, I'd be happy to get it to 3.8 GHz, that cooler would be a bit over kill for that would it not?