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Thread: Questions about RAM

  1. #1
    ♘Top Hat Zebra's Avatar Praepositus
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    Default Questions about RAM

    The title was a trick, I actually have questions about everything ever.

    But let's start with RAM. My PC was built a little while back, probably 2008 or so. I have an Intel core i7 960 CPU, which from what I understand is still okay. In task manager, rarely does anything ever use more than 20% of my CPU. My GPU is an nvidia MSI GTX 650, and I absolutely hate it. I don't think it is a factory overclocked card, but I have to keep it constantly underclocked by about 150MHz, or else I will get constant driver errors resulting in my monitor briefly losing signal, games CTDing, and bluescreens. I've been trying to fix this issue for months now, and the underclocking, out of all the bajillions of different solutions people have, seems to be the only one that works for me. So, as a side note, I would love a good card in the $200-$250 range.

    For RAM though, I only have 3 GBs of some kind of Corsair RAM. I've only ever had 3GB, and I presume this has been limiting my system a lot. I don't think I have a very good system, just a passable mid-range one, but the odd thing is that I can mostly run whatever I want on medium to high settings, and I don't understand why. I can play Total War Rome II with very minimal stuttering, with most everything but shadows on medium or high settings. I can play Far Cry 4 and AssCreed Unity with most everything on low, and this is the first "Generation" of games that I have had real problems with. I got Dragon Age Inquisition, assuming I could play it on low since I could play Far Cry 4 and ACU, but I absolutely cannot. Frame rate is all over the place, jumping from 50FPS down to 8FPS, and everything in between. But I digress.

    I suppose my main question is, how terrible is my system? If I get more RAM, which I am planning to, will current generation games run well on my machine? Or is my CPU and/or GPU a bottleneck for good performance?
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  2. #2
    General Retreat's Avatar Policeman Pleb
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    Default Re: Questions about RAM

    The reason you'll likely have never run into problems with games and RAM before is because the games you were paying were written to accommodate x32 bit architecture. In practical terms x32 can only make use of around 3GB of RAM anyway so more is wasted.

    Newer, or at least more efficient, games are usually written in x64 bit which allows your system to potentially make use of much, much more RAM. Consequently they're usually programmed to perform better with more than 3GB.

    Basically, check to see if you're using a x64 bit operating system, pack in some more RAM and see if anyone else here has good advice on a functional graphics card.

    EDIT: Just as a few examples, Skyrim and Rome II are primarily designed to run x32, which is why 3GB is fine. Skyrim can have a small patch applied to let it utilise any extra RAM though, which makes it run a hell of a lot better.
    Last edited by General Retreat; December 15, 2014 at 12:43 PM.
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  3. #3

    Default Re: Questions about RAM

    windows 8.1 and 4gb ram minimum. dont think you can overclock that cpu much so your fps is always going to be limited.

    i'd rebuild if it were me (you should install 64 bit os and min 4gb ram anyways). you need around 4ghz and something akin to a 970 ideally....that will run 90% of games at around 60fps constant if u arent @ a big res like 1440p.

    ofc if 970 2 expensive then something less is ok.

    p.s even @1920x1200 and total wars and a 970 i struggle with fps. as i keep saying though its the engine as well. even if i stuck in another and upped to 5ghz cpu I still think it would have fps issues. just the way it goes. other games like farcry4 and dragon age are pretty much butter smooth.

    even those have some quirks.
    Last edited by Totalheadache; December 16, 2014 at 05:04 AM.

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