Very low FPS on a good gaming PC

[Alederangle]

I have a pretty good gaming PC however when I try and play games like GTA 5 I get very low FPS( normally somewhere around 1-17FPS. Is there a way I can speed up my games. Am I doing something wrong?
Please explain your answers.
Thanks
PS. don't yell at me for having an alienware. PLEASE



System Specs

Speccy Sheet


Summary
Operating System
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1
CPU
Intel Core i7 4790 @ 3.60GHz 137 °F
Haswell 22nm Technology
RAM
16.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 799MHz (11-11-11-28)
Motherboard
Alienware 0PGRP5 (SOCKET 0) 148 °F
Graphics
DELL S2415H (1920x1080@59Hz)
Intel HD Graphics 4600 (Dell)
ATI AMD Radeon R9 200 Series (ATI)
Storage
931GB Western Digital WDC WD10EZEX-75M2NA0 SCSI Disk Device (SATA) 105 °F
Optical Drives
HL-DT-ST DVD+-RW GS40N SCSI CdRom Device
Audio
Realtek High Definition Audio

 

[popatim]

Have you set added the game to the launch manager so it uses the R9 instead of the integrated gpu?

 

[James Mason]

Well, finding out the actual model of your GPU might help: http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/HowtoidentifythemodelofanATIgraphicscard.aspx
It's also possible the game is running off your integrated graphics instead of your GPU.

 

[Alederangle]

Have you set added the game to the launch manager so it uses the R9 instead of the integrated gpu?

Popatim
I was on the phone with Alienware recently
They said it automatically switches. I however have no clue how to do it manually so I left it be

 

[Alederangle]

Well, finding out the actual model of your GPU might help: http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/HowtoidentifythemodelofanATIgraphicscard.aspx
It's also possible the game is running off your integrated graphics instead of your GPU.

Also James mason I'm a little bit confused by what you mean by "actual model of the gpu" I thought it was an and radeon r9 200

 

[MrFluffyTech]

was late to respond o-o

 

[Alederangle]

was late to respond o-o

I'm confused. Did you change your answer?

 

[Alederangle]

Also I think the problem might be that I am I am using the integrated graphics card but I have no clue how to change that

 

[MrFluffyTech]

Also I think the problem might be that I am I am using the integrated graphics card but I have no clue how to change that

Yes sorry. It would have been switching GPU's instead of Integrated

 

[Alederangle]

Also I think the problem might be that I am I am using the integrated graphics card but I have no clue how to change that

Yes sorry. It would have been switching GPU's instead of Integrated

So do you know how to manually switch which card I'm using

 

[Alederangle]

Also I think the problem might be that I am I am using the integrated graphics card but I have no clue how to change that

Yes sorry. It would have been switching GPU's instead of Integrated

So do you know how to manually switch which card I'm using

 

[James Mason]

Well, finding out the actual model of your GPU might help: http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/HowtoidentifythemodelofanATIgraphicscard.aspx
It's also possible the game is running off your integrated graphics instead of your GPU.

Also James mason I'm a little bit confused by what you mean by "actual model of the gpu" I thought it was an and radeon r9 200

If you read the link, it would tell you what to do. an R9 200 is not a specific graphics card, it's a series of graphics cards, r9 260,r9 260x, r9 270, r9 270x, r9 280, ect. There are pretty big differences between them so knowing which GPU you actually have can explain your low performance.

You can try going into Device Manager (start > search) and disabling your Intel HD Graphics under the Display Adapters, (right click > disable) and then trying to start GTAV, so it has to use your GPU.

 

[Storm-cooled72]

Also I think the problem might be that I am I am using the integrated graphics card but I have no clue how to change that

Yes sorry. It would have been switching GPU's instead of Integrated

So do you know how to manually switch which card I'm using

We need to know what card you have. The r9 200 series is just a series. in that series, there are r9 270, 280, 285 (no x version), and 290, and "x" versions of all of those. Download CPU-Z (HERE: http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html), and go to the GPU tab. That will tell you what your card is.

 

[Alederangle]

Well, finding out the actual model of your GPU might help: http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/HowtoidentifythemodelofanATIgraphicscard.aspx
It's also possible the game is running off your integrated graphics instead of your GPU.

Also James mason I'm a little bit confused by what you mean by "actual model of the gpu" I thought it was an and radeon r9 200

If you read the link, it would tell you what to do. an R9 200 is not a specific graphics card, it's a series of graphics cards, r9 260,r9 260x, r9 270, r9 270x, r9 280, ect. There are pretty big differences between them so knowing which GPU you actually have can explain your low performance.

You can try going into Device Manager (start > search) and disabling your Intel HD Graphics under the Display Adapters, (right click > disable) and then trying to start GTAV, so it has to use your GPU.

OK If I understand what you are saying I have a AMD Radeon™ R9 270 with 2GB GDDR5. Also when I am able to later today I will try disabling the integrated one (Intel HD Graphics 4600).

 

[Alederangle]

Also I think the problem might be that I am I am using the integrated graphics card but I have no clue how to change that

Yes sorry. It would have been switching GPU's instead of Integrated

So do you know how to manually switch which card I'm using

We need to know what card you have. The r9 200 series is just a series. in that series, there are r9 270, 280, 285 (no x version), and 290, and "x" versions of all of those. Download CPU-Z (HERE: http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html), and go to the GPU tab. That will tell you what your card is.

OK I think I've figured out that I have a AMD Radeon™ R9 270 with 2GB GDDR5 and an Intel HD Graphics 4600

 

[Storm-cooled72]

What settings was gta v on?

 

[Alederangle]

What settings was gta v on?

lowest settings possible without using safemode

 

[Storm-cooled72]

That is a little weird. Have you tried updating drivers?

 

[Alederangle]

That is a little weird. Have you tried updating drivers?

Yep.
I also tryed disabling my integrated card but it screwed up my computer because it didn't have direct 3d making it very difficult to play games on it

 

[king3pj]

That is a little weird. Have you tried updating drivers?

Yep.
I also tryed disabling my integrated card but it screwed up my computer because it didn't have direct 3d making it very difficult to play games on it

If your GPU has the latest drivers your computer should have no problem running without the Intel Integrated Graphics turned on.

I'm not sure if this actually matters but do you have your monitor plugged into one of your motherboard's on board display ports? Make sure your monitor is connected to one of the GPU's display ports instead.

 

[Alederangle]

That is a little weird. Have you tried updating drivers?

Yep.
I also tryed disabling my integrated card but it screwed up my computer because it didn't have direct 3d making it very difficult to play games on it

If your GPU has the latest drivers your computer should have no problem running without the Intel Integrated Graphics turned on.

I'm not sure if this actually matters but do you have your monitor plugged into one of your motherboard's on board display ports? Make sure your monitor is connected to one of the GPU's display ports instead.

I have it pluged into the HDMI port. Number 2. Here a diagram http://www.manualslib.com/manual/506603/Dell-Alienware-X51.html?page=6#manual

 

[James Mason]

That is a little weird. Have you tried updating drivers?

Yep.
I also tryed disabling my integrated card but it screwed up my computer because it didn't have direct 3d making it very difficult to play games on it

If your GPU has the latest drivers your computer should have no problem running without the Intel Integrated Graphics turned on.

I'm not sure if this actually matters but do you have your monitor plugged into one of your motherboard's on board display ports? Make sure your monitor is connected to one of the GPU's display ports instead.

I have it pluged into the HDMI port. Number 2. Here a diagram http://www.manualslib.com/manual/506603/Dell-Alienware-X51.html?page=6#manual

Yeah, #2 is your motherboard, and your CPU/integrated graphics, that's why you get bad FPS, you're not using your GPU at all because it's not hooked up to the display output. THe GPU is the thing on the bottom right of that diagram.

 

[Storm-cooled72]

There is a mini hdmi that you need an adapter for, or a dvi to hdmi adapter. That is, unless you use your monitors dvi.

Here is a link for the Mini HDMI to HDMI: http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters%C2%AE-Plated-Female-Adapter/dp/B004PW1XRS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1431722346&sr=1-1&keywords=mini+hdmi+to+hdmi

Here is a link to the adapter for DVI to HDMI: http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-HDMI-DVI-Adapter-Cable/dp/B001TH7T2U/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1431722251&sr=1-1&keywords=dvi+to+hdmi

And here is a link to a DVI cable: http://www.amazon.com/DVI-LCD-Monitor-Cable-Foot/dp/B0041BT21M/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1431722279&sr=1-1&keywords=dvi+cable

 

[king3pj]

There is a mini hdmi that you need an adapter for, or a dvi to hdmi adapter. That is, unless you use your monitors dvi.

Here is a link for the Mini HDMI to HDMI: http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters%C2%AE-Plated-Female-Adapter/dp/B004PW1XRS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1431722346&sr=1-1&keywords=mini+hdmi+to+hdmi

Here is a link to the adapter for DVI to HDMI: http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-HDMI-DVI-Adapter-Cable/dp/B001TH7T2U/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1431722251&sr=1-1&keywords=dvi+to+hdmi

And here is a link to a DVI cable: http://www.amazon.com/DVI-LCD-Monitor-Cable-Foot/dp/B0041BT21M/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1431722279&sr=1-1&keywords=dvi+cable

Does the r9 270 really not have a standard HDMI port? I thought that was standard practice on GPUs these days.

 

[Alederangle]

Ok I have solved the problem.
It ends up that I had it plug into the wrong port. There was a small spot that was covered by a black cover. This was the HDMI port that I should have had it pluged into. I now get the correct V-sync of 60 FPS. Thank you everyone for your time