Question My core 2 quad is under preforming.

[dominicartherweaver]

On fortnight with low settings and resolution, my CPU bottlenecks so much fps is varying from 100 to 1. At first I thought it was my 550 ti yet on msi after burner it never goes above 30-40% load. I have 3gb of ram and I overclock to 2.8 ghz and still have same terrible performance. Should I upgrade to 4gigs of ddr2 ram, get a better motherboard for more ram or abandon the system. Or could it be a simple upgrade like driver.

 

[SchizTech]

I'm sure you realize this system is quite old. I wouldn't expect an outdated driver to cause this issue, to this extent. Before we go further, what budget do you have for possible upgrades?

 

[bmacsys]

On fortnight with low settings and resolution, my CPU bottlenecks so much fps is varying from 100 to 1. At first I thought it was my 550 ti yet on msi after burner it never goes above 30-40% load. I have 3gb of ram and I overclock to 2.8 ghz and still have same terrible performance. Should I upgrade to 4gigs of ddr2 ram, get a better motherboard for more ram or abandon the system. Or could it be a simple upgrade like driver.

The system requirements even at the recommended minimum are well ahead of your rig.

As per the official Epic site, these are the minimum requirements for the game.

• Operating System: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit or Mac OSX Sierra
• Processor Core: i3 2.4 Ghz
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Video Card: Intel HD 4000

Fortnite System Requirements: Recommended Requirements
Minimum requirements are all well and good if you’re a casual Fortnite player, but if you aim to be on the receiving end of a few wins from time to time, and to keep up with the best of the best, you’re going to need to match up with the following Fortnite recommended requirements on PC:

• Operating System: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit
• Processor Core: i5 2.8 Ghz
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Video Card: Nvidia GTX 660 or AMD Radeon HD 7870 equivalent DX11 GPU
• Video Memory: 2 GB VRAM

Read more at https://www.gamerevolution.com/guid...ts-can-my-pc-run-fortnite#Pl1XfL61oWhkdZgV.99

 

[dominicartherweaver]

I'm sure you realize this system is quite old. I wouldn't expect an outdated driver to cause this issue, to this extent. Before we go further, what budget do you have for possible upgrades?

I'm not sure 100 maybe.

 

[dominicartherweaver]

The system requirements even at the recommended minimum are well ahead of your rig.

As per the official Epic site, these are the minimum requirements for the game.

• Operating System: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit or Mac OSX Sierra
• Processor Core: i3 2.4 Ghz
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Video Card: Intel HD 4000

Fortnite System Requirements: Recommended Requirements
Minimum requirements are all well and good if you’re a casual Fortnite player, but if you aim to be on the receiving end of a few wins from time to time, and to keep up with the best of the best, you’re going to need to match up with the following Fortnite recommended requirements on PC:

• Operating System: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit
• Processor Core: i5 2.8 Ghz
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Video Card: Nvidia GTX 660 or AMD Radeon HD 7870 equivalent DX11 GPU
• Video Memory: 2 GB VRAM

Read more at https://www.gamerevolution.com/guid...ts-can-my-pc-run-fortnite#Pl1XfL61oWhkdZgV.99

I know this and a dual core i3 isn't as good as quad core clocked at near 3 ghz, plus many youtubers have had a lot better and more stable performance on games like fornite.

 

[AncientIllusions]

Honestly 100$ isn't enough, if you can spare 300 - 500$ I can recommend some good parts.

 

[snipester90]

Are you actually talking about the first Intel Core 2 Quad? Those cpu's are pretty old...

 

[dominicartherweaver]

Are you actually talking about the first Intel Core 2 Quad? Those cpu's are pretty old...

Sorry I never new you were an expert

 

[dominicartherweaver]

Honestly 100$ isn't enough, if you can spare 300 - 500$ I can recommend some good parts.

yeah 300-500 is a new pc, and I don't need to upgrade it as I have a 2200g system, but I don't want it to go to waste

 

[sizzling]

A few thing here. YouTube is not a reliable source of information, it is full of fakes and misinformation.

To say your cpu is better than an i3 is also not accurate. You cannot compare clockspeed like that, you would have to give us the exact i3 you are comparing too.

You are well below the recommended cpu and RAM. Not having enough RAM can have a impact on cpu load as the system will be caching to the HDD instead storing data in RAM. However unless you can pickup 8gb RAM for nearly no cost I would not recommend spending any money on your current system, you are better off saving more and investing in a modern platform.

 

[ElectrO_90]

Basically, what people are saying is a modern phone is more powerful than the aged core 2 system.
I know how you feel, I have a few old CPU/mobo's at my house and it seems such a shame for them to go to waste, but maybe they will be worth money in 50 years.
Since you are using a program to monitor the cpu/gpu, what about the temps on your cpu, are they too high? Could it be simply buying a better CPU cooler would help?

 

[snipester90]

Sorry I never new you were an expert

That's a terrible attitude to be having towards a forum of people trying to give you advice on how to proceed. Mine was a reality check, considering you said your core 2 Quad is better than an I3, which is a false statement. You aren't going to run any recent games on your system and that's the reality of things, it's time to get a new system.

 

[dominicartherweaver]

Basically, what people are saying is a modern phone is more powerful than the aged core 2 system.
I know how you feel, I have a few old CPU/mobo's at my house and it seems such a shame for them to go to waste, but maybe they will be worth money in 50 years.
Since you are using a program to monitor the cpu/gpu, what about the temps on your cpu, are they too high? Could it be simply buying a better CPU cooler would help?

Cheers but no the cpu is never above 70.

 

[dominicartherweaver]

A few thing here. YouTube is not a reliable source of information, it is full of fakes and misinformation.

To say your cpu is better than an i3 is also not accurate. You cannot compare clockspeed like that, you would have to give us the exact i3 you are comparing too.

You are well below the recommended cpu and RAM. Not having enough RAM can have a impact on cpu load as the system will be caching to the HDD instead storing data in RAM. However unless you can pickup 8gb RAM for nearly no cost I would not recommend spending any money on your current system, you are better off saving more and investing in a modern platform.

Thanks but a early generation i3 clocked at 2.4 ghz isn't as good as a Q6600 at near 3 ghz

 

[snipester90]

Thanks but a early generation i3 clocked at 2.4 ghz isn't as good as a Q6600 at near 3 ghz

A first Gen core 2 Quad? I think you're being rather obtuse and we're done here

 

[ElectrO_90]

Cheers but no the cpu is never above 70.

Then I think you have found your problem. The max temp should be not higher than 70 so you are hitting the limits.
According to Intel its thermal max is 71'C
Unless I am misreading it

Package Specifications

• Sockets Supported LGA775
• TCASE B3=62.2°C; G0=71°C

 

[InvalidError]

3GB of RAM isn't enough to get much done with any level of comfort. The massive fps variations are likely due to tons of swapping from having very little RAM to work with, which can be made even worse by any little thing open in the background including system services. The fastest CPU in the world does you no good if it is spending a huge chunk of its time waiting for the HDD/SSD.

 

[dominicartherweaver]

3GB of RAM isn't enough to get much done with any level of comfort. The massive fps variations are likely due to tons of swapping from having very little RAM to work with, which can be made even worse by any little thing open in the background including system services. The fastest CPU in the world does you no good if it is spending a huge chunk of its time waiting for the HDD/SSD.

so should I get a 30$ ddr3 cable motherboard for higher and faster ram capacity.

 

[dominicartherweaver]

Then I think you have found your problem. The max temp should be not higher than 70 so you are hitting the limits.
According to Intel its thermal max is 71'C
Unless I am misreading it

Package Specifications

• Sockets Supported LGA775
• TCASE B3=62.2°C; G0=71°C

probably not, I once pushed the chip to 90C before turning it of as I was unaware of the dry thermal paste and my performance didn't get any better after that. And I said it NEVER goes above 70 and most of the time not above 63/64.

 

[sizzling]

Thanks but a early generation i3 clocked at 2.4 ghz isn't as good as a Q6600 at near 3 ghz

Which i3 are talking about? Here i3-560 matches total cpu performance and dominates at single core performance which often has a big impact on gaming https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/Intel-i3-560-vs-Intel-Core2-Quad-Q6600/740vs1038

 

[sizzling]

Looked up the lowest i3 1st gen and it still has better single core performance but does loose out overall. https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/Intel-Core2-Quad-Q6600-vs-Intel-i3-530/1038vs737

 

[justin.m.beauvais]

If you have pushed your CPU to 90C you may have actually damaged it. The Q6600 was not designed to run that hot.

Also, the i3 2100 is faster than the Q6600 at equivalent clock speeds. Now, that is a Sandy Bridge CPU and that was Intel's last major performance jump. The Q6600 would be a little ahead of an i3 530 at the same clocks... but, EVERY i3 released since the 2100 is faster than that CPU (excluding mobile).

Your CPU is overheating. Dial back the clocks and see if you get improvement, or get a better cooler on it. A stock Q6600 is capable of running Fortnite, but an overheating CPU is going to tank performance and stability. If you need an upgrade look to see what the max CPU your motherboard can handle is, then chuck the motherboard, CPU, and RAM out the window because $300 will more than double your performance with something like a Ryzen 3 2200G (assuming you reuse the power supply, case, and storage). If you really can't, then don't chuck it out the window and see what the fastest Core 2 Quad you can throw in there is. You may or may not be able to find it cheaply... retro CPUs are like that for some reason. Be flexible. If the fastest isn't cheap, drop down a tier and look at the next model down.

Now, I mentioned the Ryzen 3 2200G, but even the Athlon 200GE is a 90%-ish improvement over a stock Q6600. The 2200G would be a 176% improvement in processor capability, and an 8% improvement in video performance with the integrated Vega 8 graphics. At that point you may as well just run the GTX 550 Ti though and get 4 GB of DDR4 to save some money.

So, I priced out a low cost system, assuming you can't reuse your power supply and case, but that you can use your storage and video card.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Athlon 200GE 3.2 GHz Dual-Core Processor ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial - 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($41.53 @ Newegg)
Case: Apex - SK-386 ATX Mid Tower Case w/300 W Power Supply ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $220.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-20 14:34 EST-0500

If you can get your hands on more money you can upgrade to the 2200G for $50-ish more, and got a LOT more performance.

 

[dominicartherweaver]

If you have pushed your CPU to 90C you may have actually damaged it. The Q6600 was not designed to run that hot.

Also, the i3 2100 is faster than the Q6600 at equivalent clock speeds. Now, that is a Sandy Bridge CPU and that was Intel's last major performance jump. The Q6600 would be a little ahead of an i3 530 at the same clocks... but, EVERY i3 released since the 2100 is faster than that CPU (excluding mobile).

Your CPU is overheating. Dial back the clocks and see if you get improvement, or get a better cooler on it. A stock Q6600 is capable of running Fortnite, but an overheating CPU is going to tank performance and stability. If you need an upgrade look to see what the max CPU your motherboard can handle is, then chuck the motherboard, CPU, and RAM out the window because $300 will more than double your performance with something like a Ryzen 3 2200G (assuming you reuse the power supply, case, and storage). If you really can't, then don't chuck it out the window and see what the fastest Core 2 Quad you can throw in there is. You may or may not be able to find it cheaply... retro CPUs are like that for some reason. Be flexible. If the fastest isn't cheap, drop down a tier and look at the next model down.

Now, I mentioned the Ryzen 3 2200G, but even the Athlon 200GE is a 90%-ish improvement over a stock Q6600. The 2200G would be a 176% improvement in processor capability, and an 8% improvement in video performance with the integrated Vega 8 graphics. At that point you may as well just run the GTX 550 Ti though and get 4 GB of DDR4 to save some money.

So, I priced out a low cost system, assuming you can't reuse your power supply and case, but that you can use your storage.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Athlon 200GE 3.2 GHz Dual-Core Processor ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial - 4 GB (1 x 4 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($41.53 @ Newegg)
Case: Apex - SK-386 ATX Mid Tower Case w/300 W Power Supply ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $220.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-20 14:34 EST-0500

If you can get your hands on more money you can upgrade to the 2200G for $50-ish more, and got a LOT more performance.

I would get cheaper motherboard, and psu and storage isn't in price in which case would add up to 300 which is equivalent price to my 2200g system with 8gb of ram.

 

[InvalidError]

At that point you may as well just run the GTX 550 Ti though and get 4 GB of DDR4 to save some money.

In this day and age, I'd have an EXTREMELY hard time recommending any less than 8GB for a new system even for my mother who does little more than go on Facebook and play games in gameroom. In fact, just came back from having her new laptop (Acer 315-41 with a Ryzen 2500U and 8GB RAM) replaced due to a defective key.

EDIT: as if on cue:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mpXtmcvqYs
, 4GB sucks if you want to get anything beyond absolutely trivial done.

 

[Groveling_Wyrm]

On fortnight with low settings and resolution, my CPU bottlenecks so much fps is varying from 100 to 1. At first I thought it was my 550 ti yet on msi after burner it never goes above 30-40% load. I have 3gb of ram and I overclock to 2.8 ghz and still have same terrible performance. Should I upgrade to 4gigs of ddr2 ram, get a better motherboard for more ram or abandon the system. Or could it be a simple upgrade like driver.

You are using a 10 year old computer to play a modern game. Overclocking a Q6600 only will give you a little help. Having only 3GB of RAM in today's world is sorely outdated as you were recently told in this thread.

Your system is woefully inadequate, and finding parts for it is getting harder and harder. You would be best to abandon that system and get an upgrade for all your components.