Annoying low fps

[kenney]

Hi everyone, ok i ran into this problem i just dont understand. I am trying to play Ghost Recon Advance Warfighter on my laptop... First i visited systemrequirementslab.com to see if i can handle the game, it showed i passed the recomended for the game, but when i try to play i get fps to my opinion id say 2-5. I dont think my problem is insufficient ram becuz when i minimize the game i have about 300mb free ram.

My specs

Dell vostro 1000
cpu: AMD Athlon 64 x2 tk-55@1.80ghz (performance rated@2.70ghz)
gpu:ATI RADEON XPRESS 1150@400MHZ.
Memory:1gb ram
os:windows 7 ultimate 64 bit.

My pc is low end but can handle some good stuff.eg left 4 dead@medium and high setting as well as left 4 dead 2 and i am pleased with the performance although my pc dont even meet minimum requirements.

[tsujp]

Hey kenney,

Keep in mind that when people list the minimum requirements they mean just that; the minimum required. I have found that this often translates to:

The minimum requirements to open the game and navigate the menu at a reasonable FPS.

So I wouldn't expect any level of decent FPS if your machine meets the minimum requirements, barely.

However, you say that your laptop can handle L4D and LRD2 on medium and high settings. Source is a very efficient engine from my experiences and is a lot more refined than something that would be in TC:GRAW.

You can try checking if your machine is over heating a few ways.

1. Does it get very loud during gameplay?

2. Does it feel very hot during gameplay?

3. Download AIDA64 and check your temperatures, if they are above 30-45-ish Celsius you have a problem with temperature which may impact your performance.

Good luck and I look forward to your reply,

tsujp

[kenney]

My core temeratures are usually 35-44 and goes to 45-60 celcius when i move a window around very fast and my hard drive is 45-51 celcius. Maybe windows 7 is taking to much out of my pc, im going back to xp and see if the problem is still there. By the way how does ram speed help in gaming or other stuff?

[ReviverSoft]

Hi there,

Core temps. of 35-55 from idle-load is pretty normal. Over 60 isn't for an AMD CPU.

However, you say that your laptop can handle L4D and LRD2 on medium and high settings. Source is a very efficient engine from my experiences and is a lot more refined than something that would be in TC:GRAW.

Very true. Another good example is Half-Life which works really well on a WIDE range of system configurations.

By the way how does ram speed help in gaming or other stuff?

If by RAM speed, you're referring to the Mhz rating of the RAM, you are not going to see a any real world difference between 667Mhz and 800Mhz.

Although, it does help to have more memory installed on your system. Maybe you could add another 1GB of RAM to the laptop?

Coming back to the gaming performance, it comes down to your current specs. which is indeed low end. Perhaps you could try lowering the graphic settings within the games you intend to play.

[kenney]

i also tried playing the ghost recon on lowest settings but i still get ultimate lag. I even lowerd settings in catalyste control centre. Could this game need a patch or something?

[RockmasteR]

the problem you got here is your video card
the ATI Readon 1150 is integrated in your motherboard and won't play games very well
Ghost Recon just hates integrated cards and you will suffer low fps
Left 4 Dead is not a demanding game and should work on your laptop

also just to be sure try the AMD Dual Core optimizer from here:

Technical Download Details

[kenney]

Yeah, i realised my graphic card was a bumer, but i just thought it would be able to run the game since systemrequirementslab showed i have the recomended hardware and software to play the game. (Advice to laptop buyers, dont get this laptop :), its just my thought do what you want. Another thing is i found out it is possible to over clock the radeon xpress 1150 with systools software. What do you guys think... Should i go for it? I just need to know if its gonna work.

[RockmasteR]

overclocking a laptop's video card is a very bad idea
it will go very hot very quickly and the idea that you can't change it if it fails is scary, also if it fails, the whole laptop fails

[kenney]

Ok thanks guys, well im going to uninstall systools right away.

[kenney]

I know this thread is already dead but i just want to say that the radeon xpress 1150 can be overclocked.....alot of people say that it can't but i did it. however its only temporary...on reboot it goes back to normal....

[McNinja]

It's a game of stability, longevity, and results. Can the card handle stress for a long time and does the graphics preform at a rate that's worth it? I'd use msi afterburner or EVGA Precision so it stays overclocked.

The performance on 11xx series integrated motherboard chip is only worth it if it stays alive. Usually someone relying on a chip like has a cheaper case so heat is most likely an issue especially during summer months. It's been overclocked once in a while but I doubt it's been stress tested.

[kenney]

Honestly I'd say the overclock isn't really worth it.....performance increase is very thin....besides..i only did it because a lot of people say you can't....but it actually does last long periods...that's as long as i don't go near 500mhz.

[ChronoGeek]

performance gain vs the heat you will generate. My advice do not do it. Use your laptop as a laptop. If you want to game consider building even a budget desktop There are some fantastic builders guides here at TSF. Have a look!

TSF Hardware Team's Recommended New Builds - 2012

[McNinja]

Originally Posted by ChronoGeek

performance gain vs the heat you will generate. My advice do not do it. Use your laptop as a laptop. If you want to game consider building even a budget desktop There are some fantastic builders guides here at TSF. Have a look!

TSF Hardware Team's Recommended New Builds - 2012

I just wanted to say its not a laptop, its a integrated desktop motherboard chip.

[kenney]

Originally Posted by McNinja

I just wanted to say its not a laptop, its a integrated desktop motherboard chip.

huh?

[McNinja]

My bad.