Help with bottlenecks?

[Dakshin]

Hi, I just built a computer and installed Windows 7, which seems to be getting slower every day. I think it might be a bottleneck, so these are the parts I chose:

MSI 760GM-P21 Motherboard
Adata 2GB RAM
Cooler Master 350 W PSU
WD Caviar 160 GB Hard Drive
AMD Sempron 145 Processor 2.7 Ghz

Well, there you are: Can anybody please tell me if there is a bottleneck, and what to replace?

PS.: My motherboard has the option to unlock the processor to an Athlon X2, any advice on whether I should do it or not?

 

[8bitpwnage]

Hi, I just built a computer and installed Windows 7, which seems to be getting slower every day. I think it might be a bottleneck, so these are the parts I chose:

MSI 760GM-P21 Motherboard
Adata 2GB RAM
Cooler Master 350 W PSU
WD Caviar 160 GB Hard Drive
AMD Sempron 145 Processor 2.7 Ghz

Well, there you are: Can anybody please tell me if there is a bottleneck, and what to replace?

PS.: My motherboard has the option to unlock the processor to an Athlon X2, any advice on whether I should do it or not?

Athlon X2 should be good.That Sempron is a slow single core.

 

[damric]

Unlock the CPU for sure will help, but the main concerns are

1) 2GB of RAM is not enough for Windows 7. It's going to run out a lot and slow down horridly as it accesses the HDD.
2) Single channel RAM. Get another 2GB stick so your CPU can breathe a bit.

 

[Dakshin]

Thanks a lot guys,so the only problem is with the RAM, right?

And about unlocking the 2nd core, I remember reading somewhere that AMD loks ccores because of defects, and unlocking it could make the PC run slower. Is this true?

 

[damric]

They lock cores for various reasons:

1) The disabled core could be totally defective.

2) The CPU failed to stay within TDP with all cores active.

3) CPU failed to make frequency requirement when all cores active.

My Sempron 130 unlocked, but it didn't overclock very far, maybe about 3.5GHz. I've seen some go well over 4GHz.

It's definitely worth trying to unlock, but be aware that if the second core is totally defective, then it may cause the system to hang or fail to boot. Just Clear CMOS is this happens.

If the core does unlock, you will need to test it for stability just like overclocking.

 

[Dakshin]

Thank you and how exactly do I test it for stability?
Sorry I'm new to this.

 

[damric]

There are various programs with stability tests. I'll list a few:

- AMD Overdrive (run this test overnight)
- Prime95 (run this test overnight)
- Intel Burn Test AVX, 10-20 passes
- MSI Kombustor CPU burner (run overnight)
- AIDA

 

[Dakshin]

Thanks a lot!