Games are choppy, sluggish, and unresponsive

[Corey Senko]

So, I've got a Dell. I purchased it online with specs that I selected for function and pricing, from what they had available, mainly to serve as an entertainment system. I've attempted to install several games, including The Witcher and Witcher 2, STALKER Shadows of Chernobyl, the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Now, before I buy or download a game, I have a habit of checking out systemrequirementslab.com to see if I meet even the minimum. The website claims I do, for every single one of these. According to the website, my set up is thus:

AMD Athlon II X4 640 Processor (quad core)
2.8 GHz speed
5.6 GB RAM
Windows 7 Home Premium Edition with Service Pack 1 (build 7601), 64-bit
ATI Radeon HD 4200 video card with:
3 GB Video RAM
4.1 Pixel Shader
4.1 Vertex Shader

I'm beginning to get frustrated with the whole rig, because no matter what I do with the games, it's almost entirely unplayable, with the FPS, at best, reaching 5 frames. Any suggestions?

 

[rolli59]

Your graphics card is the culprit. You need to upgrade. What is the model of your Dell?

 

[Corey Senko]

Your graphics card is the culprit. You need to upgrade. What is the model of your Dell?

It's an Inspiron 570.

 

[Zero_]

Yep, it's the graphics card.

Slap in a HD7750 in there. Should fit nicely without requiring a PSU upgrade.

Can be found as low as $85.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=hd7750&linkCode=as2&tag=banforbucga08-20

Avoid the DDR3 2GB versions. Those little Decepticons are a lot slower.

 

[rolli59]

You are in luck the unit has PCIe X16 slot and a 300watt PSU so you can install a HD7750 card and it should run problem free. The integrated HD4200 is not meant for gaming .

 

[Corey Senko]

Thanks for the help, guys. I'll see about upgrading asap.