best way to improve pc performance?

[crazycup]

Ok guys, I want to increase the gaming capability of my PC.

currently i've got a AMD 64 3800+ (2.4 ghz)
2GB DDR Ram 400mhz (i think!) (both slots taken up)
256mb Nvidia Graphics Card

whats the best way to improve my performance??? dont really want to spend a ton of money either!

thanks

 

[RichRSi]

It should aready be fairly quick.

You could clean the hard drive up a bit and get rid of any crap you don't want on there.
Close any programs you have running automaticly that you don't need to.

 

[Brown.]

What operating system do you run ??? if your vista endtask dwm.exe and sidebar. if you have them and run basic settings for themes.

 

[Scottydog]

It should aready be fairly quick.

You could clean the hard drive up a bit and get rid of any crap you don't want on there.
Close any programs you have running automaticly that you don't need to.

+1

I recommend trying CCleaner, it removes all the crap from the HDD like temp files etc and gives your registry a once over too!

http://www.ccleaner.com/

Disk cleanup/defragmentation will help too :approve: & delete the entire contents of C:/Windows/Prefetch

+ if you go Start>Run>msconfig you can choose which programs do/don't startup with ur PC which should speed up things a bit

 

[Longy]

what graphics card you got?

 

[Maxx]

overclock it

 

[crazycup]

It should aready be fairly quick.

You could clean the hard drive up a bit and get rid of any crap you don't want on there.
Close any programs you have running automaticly that you don't need to.

+1

I recommend trying CCleaner, it removes all the crap from the HDD like temp files etc and gives your registry a once over too!

http://www.ccleaner.com/

Disk cleanup/defragmentation will help too :approve: & delete the entire contents of C:/Windows/Prefetch

+ if you go Start>Run>msconfig you can choose which programs do/don't startup with ur PC which should speed up things a bit

i'll give that CClearner a shot. The reason I want to improve is for Flight Simulator 2004, i have a load of add on's and in the dense aiports my fps can drop to about 15!!

Apart from a 512mb graphics card i can't really think of any other way to improve it.

It's not even running Vista!

 

[Final Maxim]

uninstall anything you dont use

stop things booting up that you dont use (in msconfig)

run cccleaner

defrag

 

[crazycup]

what graphics card you got?

Point of view 7600GS 256MB

 

[David]

maybe more ram but it'll pretty much be a g card bottleneck i rekon

 

[ViolentJ]

You can pick up 8800's (that's an Nvidia graphics card) cheap now and should help a lot.

 

[Longy]

what graphics card you got?

Point of view 7600GS 256MB

Get yourself a 8800gt 512mb - and your system should be good to play all the latest games high quality.

 

[Ian_182]

I just used the cc cleaner thing.

Pretty good.I didnt realise i had so much rubbish luying around

 

[Scottydog]

My old PC was similar spec to yours and it would run Flight Simulator 2004 and Flight Simulator X fine, but I replaced the graphics card with a 512 card and it made a big difference!

maybe a reinstall, removing some of the add-ons and changing the display settings on the game would help.

 

[crazycup]

My old PC was similar spec to yours and it would run Flight Simulator 2004 and Flight Simulator X fine, but I replaced the graphics card with a 512 card and it made a big difference!

maybe a reinstall, removing some of the add-ons and changing the display settings on the game would help.

It runs FS2004 fine without add-ons. I added ultimate terrain europe and that had a bit of an effect but soon as i added 737 Pilot in Command it brought the system to its knees!!!!!! 12-15 fps on Virtual Cockpit!

 

[gobblegobble]

Start - Run - Msconfig

Go to the startup folder and remove (untick) all the shite that doesn't need to be run on start up and ok it!

When you close it, select exit without restart for now

Right click my computer, properties, advanced, "perfomance settings", advanced, change Set both your initial and maximum about 500k more then what is already there e.g if it was:

Initial size (MB): 1500
Maximum size (MB) 3000

Then change them both to 2000 and click "set" and ok it.

If you're not so fussed about fancy graphics and so on, in the visual effects part of the Performance options you can change it to run for best performance instead of best appearance.

Go in your add/remove programs from control panel and remove all that dodgy crap you have installed and never use.

Start - all prog - Accesories - system tools - disk cleanup,

Remove the crap you have in there (minus the hibernation files)

then finally go to start - all prog - accessories - system tools and this time defrag and set that off!

Once it's finished all that reboot your machine and it should run better for you!

Also when you reboot, tick the box that comes up and ok it. It runs the first time after a reboot when you change anything in Msconfig.

Hope that sorts you lad!

 

[Mike_182]

Saw an advert for a 512Mb 9600GSO for £85 including VAT earlier. Whilst I've not had chance to play with it and it's no GX2, it's not likely to be a bad piece of kit and will certainly show a 7600 which way is up...

 

[crazycup]

Start - Run - Msconfig

Go to the startup folder and remove (untick) all the s**te that doesn't need to be run on start up and ok it!

When you close it, select exit without restart for now

Right click my computer, properties, advanced, "perfomance settings", advanced, change Set both your initial and maximum about 500k more then what is already there e.g if it was:

Initial size (MB): 1500
Maximum size (MB) 3000

Then change them both to 2000 and click "set" and ok it.

If you're not so fussed about fancy graphics and so on, in the visual effects part of the Performance options you can change it to run for best performance instead of best appearance.

Go in your add/remove programs from control panel and remove all that dodgy crap you have installed and never use.

Start - all prog - Accesories - system tools - disk cleanup,

Remove the crap you have in there (minus the hibernation files)

then finally go to start - all prog - accessories - system tools and this time defrag and set that off!

Once it's finished all that reboot your machine and it should run better for you!

Also when you reboot, tick the box that comes up and ok it. It runs the first time after a reboot when you change anything in Msconfig.

Hope that sorts you lad!

cheers fella, i've done most of that but will give the other stuff a try!!