Hey guys, Last summer I put together my own computer and I'm going to upgrade one of its parts this coming spring. Here are my specs: AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Processor (2.2Ghz) NVidia GeForce 7800 GTX (256 MB) 2048 MB of RAM I experience low frame rates when I try to play games like Elder Scrolls: Oblivion on high settings. Which component do you think is slowing me down the most? Options: * New processor (maybe dual core?) * New video card * Buy another 7800 GTX and run SLI mode * Add more RAM My first instinct is that I need a better processor. What do you guys think?

Moved to the Hardware forum.

I think NVIDIA has a tool that shows you your GPU usage. If it's pinned get another 7800 & SLI it. (Although a single 8800GTX is better than 2 7800GTXs in SLI).

I'd guess, howver, that it's probably the CPU that's bottlenecking you. However to upgrade (if you want topend) you'll want to switch over to Intel & the Core2 line which also means a motherboard & RAM upgrade.

If you are suffering from load times then get a couple Raptor drives in a RAID0 array.

I'm not sure. There are lots of tools around to monitor your system performance and tell you which component is your bottleneck in a given game.

-me

Thanks for the replies!

I'm running at 1280 x 1024 resolution, which isn't too high.

Getting a faster processor will also help out my render times in 3ds max, so I think I'm gonna go with that.

The X2 6000+ looks like an INCREDIBLE deal. Why are AMD prices so low right now? Would it be bad to wait 1-3 months and then buy a newer processor? The socket type says AM2. What does that mean?

Also, how much do you think my 3500+ will sell for?

You need to have Socket AM2 on your motherboard to get a Socket AM2 processor. The socket is the physical connector between CPU and Motherboard; both your CPU and your MoBo have to have the same kind of socket.

Before you buy a new Socket AM2 chip, make sure you have a Socket AM2 motherboard. One way to tell is to look at what kind of ram you have: if it's DDR2, you have Socket AM2; if it's DDR, you have an older socket. You can also find out the socket type directly, of course.

I think Oblivion's problem is probably GPU; that game uses way too many polygons to draw things. A single character is 10000-20000 polygons, no matter how far away! I can play the game fine at lower settings, but any increase in graphics settings kills my framerate. I have a slower CPU than you (1.86 GHz Pentium M), so your CPU should be fine for Oblivion, too.

Try lowering the settings (especially draw difference) and see how much of a difference it makes. If you see a huge difference, your problem is probably GPU.

Of course, upgrading to a better CPU should be a cheap way to help with other stuff; I'm not advising against it. The CPU is the overall slow point in your system, so it's a good idea to upgrade it. I'm just saying you'll probably need a better graphics card/SLI if you want better framerates in Oblivion.

Also, a used Athlon 64 3500+ probably won't sell for very much. Too see how much, look at current e-bay listings.

On the Asus website it says that my mobo "Supports AMD Socket 939 Athlon 64FX/Athlon 64 X2/Athlon 64 ", so I should be all set.

Thanks for the help nagromo. I guess it probably is my GPU in Oblivion, but I think getting a new CPU would boost my performance in a wider range of programs outside of just gaming (especially rendering in 3ds Max, which I do a lot).

Thanks again for the tips!

I could do two things:

* Take a loan from my parents and buy a processor now.
* Wait until my first paycheck comes from my summer job in about three months.

What do you think is better: buying now (with the AMD prices being so low) or wait a few months and buy a newer processor?

Oh damn. I thought AM2 included 939's, my mistake. So I guess I need a new mobo too.

In that case, should I stay on AMD or go Intel?