Needing help with my PC!

[GlacialFlowers]

Hey, so I have a gifted PC, and I've been wanting some help on knowing what to replace. I'm an amateur when it comes to PCs, I honestly know almost nothing and could really use someone's knowledge!

My game typically runs at 30 fps, and can drop to 20, making it difficult for me to play.

These are my specs:

RAM: 16GB
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4570 CPU @ 3.20GHz 3.20GHz
Type: 64-bit system
OS: Windows 7

Here's more on my PC: https://imgur.com/vKAPf1P

[Kelani]

it looks like you're running the game on the graphics card supplied with the motherboard. I'd buy an external graphics card myself, but I'm no computer expert, it's just something I'd do. Your ram seems fine, although judging from the picture it's only using around 4GB so I'm presuming you're running windows in 32bit? If you're able to, I would upgrade to 64bit as that will allow you the full 16GB of RAM. With that two things combined, it should speed up your game somewhat!

I'm sure someone else with much more knowledge would be able to help you more than I can. Good luck and I hope you get everything sorted the way you want to soon

[Krotoan]

A graphics card will be the single biggest improvement of performance. Your processor and RAM are fine. Changing your HD's to SSD's if they aren't already will assist in loading times but won't really matter for actual gameplay.

[Saidosha]

Replacing the CPU usually means replacing the motherboard, which can then further cascade into compatibility issues with the type of RAM you have or slots for other hardware. In the end, it's not really something I would encourage a newbie try without supervision.

Anyway, knowing what OS it is running on (Windows 7, 8, 10, etc.) is also an important factor, particularly relative to 32/64-bit. 16gb of RAM is more than likely overkill if you don't do video/streaming or HD art work, with the most likely culprit of bottlenecking being your video card, as mentioned, with perhaps a nod to picking up an SSD to port your OS to and run more vital programs from. Again, though, this requires finding out what slots your motherboard supports (Stuff like PCI, PCI-E, SATA, RAID, etc.) so you get the right parts or don't have to further haggle with adapters if it's even possible to. Further advancements may also mandate a more powerful power supply or PSU and potentially additional cooling so it doesn't all overheat.

If said PC is actually a laptop, then pretty much forget anything we said and know you're more than likely stuck with what you got.

[Krotoan]

If said PC is actually a laptop, then pretty much forget anything we said and know you're more than likely stuck with what you got.

I did not even think of this possibility. Good point. Laptop upgrade options are usually limited to SSDs and more RAM. Both of which have negligible returns for your framerate.

[GlacialFlowers]

I did not even think of this possibility. Good point. Laptop upgrade options are usually limited to SSDs and more RAM. Both of which have negligible returns for your framerate.

I'm actually using a PC, not a laptop, but I appreciate the info.

[GlacialFlowers]

Super helpful, and yeah, since I don't know what I'm doing, I'm nervous to mess around with my PC. Probably a stupid question, but my GPU has to be compatible with my motherboard right? I've only just started learning about PCs so I know very little.

Thanks!

[GlacialFlowers]

Replacing the CPU usually means replacing the motherboard, which can then further cascade into compatibility issues with the type of RAM you have or slots for other hardware. In the end, it's not really something I would encourage a newbie try without supervision.

Anyway, knowing what OS it is running on (Windows 7, 8, 10, etc.) is also an important factor, particularly relative to 32/64-bit. 16gb of RAM is more than likely overkill if you don't do video/streaming or HD art work, with the most likely culprit of bottlenecking being your video card, as mentioned, with perhaps a nod to picking up an SSD to port your OS to and run more vital programs from. Again, though, this requires finding out what slots your motherboard supports (Stuff like PCI, PCI-E, SATA, RAID, etc.) so you get the right parts or don't have to further haggle with adapters if it's even possible to. Further advancements may also mandate a more powerful power supply or PSU and potentially additional cooling so it doesn't all overheat.

If said PC is actually a laptop, then pretty much forget anything we said and know you're more than likely stuck with what you got.

Super helpful, and yeah, since I don't know what I'm doing, I'm nervous to mess around with my PC. Probably a stupid question, but my GPU has to be compatible with my motherboard right? I've only just started learning about PCs so I know very little.

Thanks!

[Krotoan]

Super helpful, and yeah, since I don't know what I'm doing, I'm nervous to mess around with my PC. Probably a stupid question, but my GPU has to be compatible with my motherboard right? I've only just started learning about PCs so I know very little.

Thanks!

Yes, check what kind of expansion slots are on it and also what kind of power supply is in your computer. If you have a prebuilt computer and can post the model # it would be easily searchable for other specs you may have omitted.

[Saidosha]

Your graphics card will likely want a PCI or PCI-E slot, with the latter being the more advanced and better option. They're also distinctly visually different, so if your board has a mix, you'll be able to tell. The case the PC came in may also have detachable shields in front of these slots, which is usually easily handled with a screwdriver and just popping them out so the connection slots can poke through the back.

If you are just using an on-board chip and do add a completely new card, that will be a guaranteed power supply increase relative to the power of the card in question. There are some sites out there that'll let you punch in your parts configuration and estimate the needed power, so google that later if you're running on something like a 250 or 300W PSU, because it's more than likely going to be insufficient. Aside from the card slot, you'll also need a specific connector to hook it up to the PSU. These will widely vary and some cards are kind enough to come with adapters, but you'll see stuff like 3 or 4 pin, stuff that looks more like a plastic USB port with 2 pins, and so on.

Frankly, changing the PSU can also seem pretty scary due to all the connections you'll need and the possibility you may have to drill new holes into your case to secure it or cut a slot out for the breaker. After a point, if this starts looking like a project beyond just getting a new card, I'd look up a local PC guy and let them handle the process.