[SOLVED] Do I upgrade the PC or remove the graphics card?

[uv_festival]

Hey guys,

I have a PC with the specs as follows:

Intel i5-4460 (4th gen) @ 3.20 GHz
12 GB of RAM
1 TB of HDD Disk Drive
RX480 with 8 GB VRAM (no OC)

However, in everyday operation, my PC is very slow and experiences many crashes in games and lags in applications almost always.

I was wondering if changing the HDD with a SSD would make this PC better to use and a viable gaming option. I only intend to game at 1080p/60 FPS.
Can you please tell me what is making the PC slow, if it is the aging CPU or the fact that it has a HDD?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Gam3r01]

What power supply do you have?
None of those specs are big red flags for causing issues.
The 12GB of RAM might be a problem, what exact setup do you have?

If you dont have an SSD, adding one is always a good move.

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

Something is wrong for sure. You shouldn't be crashing.

What PSU do you have?

Have you checked CPU and GPU temps?

 

[uv_festival]

I have a

Corsair CX550M 550W 80 Plus Bronze PSU.

My GPU/CPU temps also have never seem to be overheating. Is there a way I can test and confirm that?

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

Install MSI Afterburner and use the on-screen display to monitor CPU and GPU temps and usage. This will tell you more about what may be going on.

 

[boju]

Asking again in case you missed the question, what is your 12GB made of? How many sticks and where are they placed?

Memory slots are as follows:
Cpu ---> | | | |
A1 A2 B1 B2

3x sticks should be in A1, A2 and B2. A2 and B2 in dual channel, A1 in single channel.

----

What's your motherboard and does it have video ports as well? Where is your video cable connected, assuming a tower case, up top or halfway down the case rear?

 

[geofelt]

For everyday use, a SSD is a wonderful upgrade.
If you buy a Samsung ssd large enough to hold the used contents of your HDD, the migration process is simple using the Samsung ssd migration aid.

To some extent, a slow HDD can show up as performance issues, but will not be the cause of crashes.
First, be sure you have updated your graphics driver to currency.
Look also for game patches for the failing games.

Consider the possibility of a component failure.
PSU and graphics card would be the first parts to look at.
Possibly ram.

Try testing each with a known good substitute.

You can test your ram using memtest86.
It boots from a USB stick and does not use windows.
You should be able to complete a full pass with NO errors.

 

[uv_festival]

Asking again in case you missed the question, what is your 12GB made of? How many sticks and where are they placed?

Memory slots are as follows:
Cpu ---> | | | |
A1 A2 B1 B2

3x sticks should be in A1, A2 and B2. A2 and B2 in dual channel, A1 in single channel.

----

What's your motherboard and does it have video ports as well? Where is your video cable connected, assuming a tower case, up top or halfway down the case rear?

Sorry I did not notice the question before.

Actually I have a pre-made build from DELL to which i added the RX480 and the PSU.

I am not sure about the memory/motherboard components as I have not looked at it. Do you still think I should take a look?

 

[uv_festival]

For everyday use, a SSD is a wonderful upgrade.
If you buy a Samsung ssd large enough to hold the used contents of your HDD, the migration process is simple using the Samsung ssd migration aid.

To some extent, a slow HDD can show up as performance issues, but will not be the cause of crashes.
First, be sure you have updated your graphics driver to currency.
Look also for game patches for the failing games.

Consider the possibility of a component failure.
PSU and graphics card would be the first parts to look at.
Possibly ram.

Try testing each with a known good substitute.

You can test your ram using memtest86.
It boots from a USB stick and does not use windows.
You should be able to complete a full pass with NO errors.

Got it thank you!

I will check the memory through memtest but I have feeling as you mentioned it might be due to not updated drivers of video card.