Bottle neck in this system?

Hi, got a hp compaq dx 2250 micro tower which has the specs of:
AMD x2 5000 (2.6)
2gb ddr2 ram
Intergrated graphics (i think!).

Now it seems that this computer is very laggy and im thinking of ways to upgrade it on the cheap. Its te families pc(i got my own) so its not really for gaming but any difference is great cause sims3 MIGHT be played on it as my sister loves them :P.

Now i thought about it and im guessing the ram and cpu are the bottlenecks as its on vista(might get it on windows 7 later). Im guessing the socket would be am2+? .

I think an extra 2gb of ram would help alot so ill look into that later today but anything else i should look into? Budget is LOW just so you know so graphics card im unsure about, if it gets upgraded then i think id get the 4670 as its cheap and good.

More RAM is always a quick cheap upgrade. Also, older budget systems had a tendency to use 5,400rpm disks, that could be another possibility since 7,200rpm disks weren't as cheap in the day as they are now. Dropping in a modern 7,200rpm disk would do wonders.

Fresh install of Windows, coupled with a complete scan of the system for viruses, malware etc. You'd be amazed at the number of systems that get upgraded because in fact, they're full of junk files.

Also, give up on any hope of playing a modern game, without a dedicated graphics card, most games won't even start, let alone run in a playable condition. Trouble with that is installing graphics card usually means a new PSU, even if your motherboard has the requisite slot free, as most pre-built systems skimp on them to save money as they're not "sticker items" (e.g. they add nothing to the percieved value)

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Originally Posted by Lucio

Fresh install of Windows, coupled with a complete scan of the system for viruses, malware etc. You'd be amazed at the number of systems that get upgraded because in fact, they're full of junk files.

Also, give up on any hope of playing a modern game, without a dedicated graphics card, most games won't even start, let alone run in a playable condition. Trouble with that is installing graphics card usually means a new PSU, even if your motherboard has the requisite slot free, as most pre-built systems skimp on them to save money as they're not "sticker items" (e.g. they add nothing to the percieved value)

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I agree entirely!! Excellent advice!! An X2 5000+ and 2gb of RAM would be enough to run XP or Vista quite well IMHO.

It could be that the integrated graphics is not up to the task of running Aero. Try disabling Aero to see if the computer is lagging still. A graphics card update maybe needed if the PSU can support it. An 8400GS or HD4350 should be enough for Aero and not consume much power - they are not that great for gaming though!

There's no reason for that PC to be slow running XP. Vista could be a little dodgy when busy due to the 2GB of RAM, but it shouldn't be that bad. Clean up the HDD and see what happens. Games, though, agreed, they will be pathetic without a decent GPU.

Actually, The Sims is one of those games that specifically target IGPs, since that's the majority of their market. Hardcore gamers with beastly graphics cards who fap over Crysis aren't their target market at all.

If it's laggy in general - browsing etc then something is definitely wrong with your system.
I've an X2 5000 and 2GB of RAM and vista was fine when I was using it (on the Windows 7 RC now), though I had a graphics card.

Thoughts:

1. If your graphics is integrated it might well be reserving your RAM so there's less for the system to use, which could be the source of the lag depending how much it's using. Vista should be fine for general use with 1.5GB of ram + available - I've an Acer with 1GB, and slowed to a stop until I replaced the integrated graphics- much smoother with the whole 1GB available, but could always use more.

2. If you want to upgrade the Processor, bear in mind that it's a socket AM2. If you get an AM2+ processor, like the phenoms, you might run into trouble or require a bios update - I'd check with the manufacturer's website first before making a purchase of anything too exotic. Specifically you might not be able to run AM2+ CPUs on that motherboard. So well worth checking, otherwise you can goto a 6000+ I think (also note that once you get past the 5200+ the TDP goes up, so expect more heat)

3. Check your power options, it's a long shot, but if you've got it on the lowest power preset, your CPU is throttled to 1GHz per core, and is noticably slower.

So if it's lagging for general use, I'd recommend some general spring cleaning, virusscan/defrags/malware scans as Lucio suggested.
If its for anything game-or 3D related, i'd look at a budget upgrade, like the 4670 you suggested, it should breeze through anything with the right comprimise in settings and doesn't need an PCI-E connector.

More RAM never hurts, but make sure you've space/etc, My dell came with 4x512 sticks, which was disappointing, because i'd be chucking out some RAM to upgrade. Also note that if you get a graphic's card, you're freeing up more RAM for the system anyway.

You won't see the sims 3 running on an IGP I assure you.

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Originally Posted by sammorris

You won't see the sims 3 running on an IGP I assure you.

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No? http://www.thesims3.com/game/systemreq

I'm not saying that a discrete GPU wont help. But it will still run. Especially IGPs based on an nVidia or ATi core.

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Originally Posted by aidanjt

No? http://www.thesims3.com/game/systemreq

I'm not saying that a discrete GPU wont help. But it will still run. Especially IGPs based on an nVidia or ATi core.

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But probably not on the one the system in question has :)

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Originally Posted by nvening

But probably not on the one the system in question has :)

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Yeah, if it's an SiS or VIA IGP then it's obviously going to be utter pants.

Have you ever played a game using the minimum requirements on the box?

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Originally Posted by sammorris

Have you ever played a game using the minimum requirements on the box?

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I have a friend who swears blind he ran NeverWinter Nights 2 on a laptop with GeForce 6200 integrated graphics. I think he turned everything down and ran it at 800x600 though ;) In fact, I'm pretty sure I did the same with Temple of Elemental Evil when I first got it as well - although I played at 1024x768 but with all the quality settings at minimum.

But it's definitely possible if you're sensible about resolution and image quality - it won't look the way the developers intend but it'd still be playable - particularly with a game like SIMs where framerates aren't quite to critical to gameplay...

True, strategy games can be run at abysmal frame rates. I know because I watched my friend's laptop with dedicated graphics (X1400 Mobility) run Supreme Commander at about 5-6fps.

That'd just be Sup Com murdering his Processor and Ram though, Graphics made no difference on my system, Low -> High lost about 1-2fps. It just chewed through my CPU instead. I can see how a laptop would crack under that sort of pressure. It's all good until you go online and the whole game slows to a crawl to accommmodate one guy.

Not really, he had a 2Ghz Core Duo Mobile with 2GB of RAM, at the time I had an X2 4200+ also with 2GB and got a lot better performance. SupCom was still graphics demanding, but the CPU limitations hid it from a lot of systems, especially with AI. Agreed, the game didn't catch on at our LAN parties for a long time after it was released one all the Single core A64 and X800/6800 generation PCs had been retired :P