Performance drops during gaming!

[ozmanb]

I have a PC with specs
Core i3 2100
P8H61 mle
Asus R9 270
4gb Corsair Vengeance

Now the problem is, any game I play my performance dips by a substantial 10-15fps, sometimes more. Namely battlefield 3. I get over 60 at places and then dips to say 35 to 45 and then back up. Is my CPU bottlenecking? More ram will make it better? Upgrading ram will be a cheaper option for me as compared to processor, but what do you guys recommend?

 

[3DVagabond]

What game settings are you using? You could try reducing res and see if you still drop to 35-45 fps in the same spots. If so, then you are CPU limited. If not, then you are GPU limited.

 

[nwo]

Your rig should be capable of decent fps in BF3. However, if your fps is inconsistent during dynamic gameplay, then it could be a CPU bottleneck. If your fps is inconsistent during static gameplay (standing in one place) then it might be an overheating issue.

What is your RAM usage during gaming? 4GB is pretty low for gaming, so upgrading your RAM to 8GB could help you attain smooth fps.

 

[ozmanb]

Ram usage goes to 3.2 of 3.9 usable memory during gaming. And my resolution is pretty low, 1440 x 900!

 

[nwo]

Yep, I'd say get more RAM. Your HDD/SSD is probably being cached during gameplay which can cause massive choppinness. Even if you have the fastest SSD for virtual memory, it is still significantly slower than RAM.

 

[2is]

For starters, you need more RAM, even low end budget retail computers come with 6GB now. That CPU while not a bad one, is cutting it close for a game like BF3. This thread should probably be moved since the GPU is the one area you probably don't have a problem in.