Will Upgrading RAM help me get good FPS with old CPU?

[roshansbd08]

I have an old laptop Dell Inspiron 3521 with 4 GB DDR3 RAM(3.87GB usable), Intel Core i5-3317 CPU @ 1.70 GHz 2 cores, AMD Radeon 8730M HD 2GB GPU, 1 TB HardDisk. I play games like Grand Theft Auto V, Watch_Dogs, Far Cry 3,4, NFS Rivals, etc. They sometimes run in 30FPS, and sometimes up and down of 30. So, I was wondering if only upgrading RAM to 8 GB, by leaving CPU to its old speed work fine or not..
Please let me know as soon as possible....

 

[RememberThe5th]

It should, just get matching pair or kit.
The perfomance issue that you're getting is cause the ram is 90% usage and hits pagefile (ram being written to HDD/SSD).
And that cpu is still good btw.
But thing that worries me is the GPU im quite unsure, download gpuz and post screenshot.

https://youtu.be/qz7E9oqkyD0 Benchmark?

Just to add http://eu.crucial.com/eur/en/compatible-upgrade-for/Dell/inspiron-15-(3521)

 

[SkyBill40]

8GB of RAM is pretty much the standard anymore which fits perfectly into the mantra of: "It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."

 

[InvalidError]

8GB of RAM is pretty much the standard anymore which fits perfectly into the mantra of: "It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."

Even if your software isn't explicitly eating all the RAM, most excess RAM gets consumed by the OS file system cache which helps reduce load times after the initial launch.

Personally, I much prefer having 16GB of RAM and an HDD than 8GB of RAM and an SSD because even an SSD is still no match for zero swapping and reloading from RAM cache for responsiveness - after the initial loading, of course.

(BTW, I actually have 32GB of RAM in my PC since even 16GB wasn't enough to achieve zero-swapping for what I was doing back when I put together my current PC and 16GB only cost $80-90 at the time. ~$190 for 32GB was a no-brainer decision for me since I've spent over $400 on RAM in all of my previous PCs. I simply hate swapping/alt-tabbing lag.)

 

[Rogue Leader]

8gb may improve framerates somewhat but don't expect a miracle. Its still a low wattage laptop CPU. If you're in the 30's now you MIGHT touch 40 in some titles.

 

[SkyBill40]

8GB of RAM is pretty much the standard anymore which fits perfectly into the mantra of: "It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."

Even if your software isn't explicitly eating all the RAM, most excess RAM gets consumed by the OS file system cache which helps reduce load times after the initial launch.

Personally, I much prefer having 16GB of RAM and an HDD than 8GB of RAM and an SSD because even an SSD is still no match for zero swapping and reloading from RAM cache for responsiveness - after the initial loading, of course.

(BTW, I actually have 32GB of RAM in my PC since even 16GB wasn't enough to achieve zero-swapping for what I was doing back when I put together my current PC and 16GB only cost $80-90 at the time. ~$190 for 32GB was a no-brainer decision for me since I've spent over $400 on RAM in all of my previous PCs. I simply hate swapping/alt-tabbing lag.)

Oh, I agree. I have 16GB on my current system and wouldn't even consider building a new rig with less than that. My next will either have 16 or 32. I'm just holding off a bit longer for prices to come down and stabilize somewhat.

 

[roshansbd08]

It should, just get matching pair or kit.
The perfomance issue that you're getting is cause the ram is 90% usage and hits pagefile (ram being written to HDD/SSD).
And that cpu is still good btw.
But thing that worries me is the GPU im quite unsure, download gpuz and post screenshot.

https://youtu.be/qz7E9oqkyD0 Benchmark?

Just to add http://eu.crucial.com/eur/en/compatible-upgrade-for/Dell/inspiron-15-(3521)

 

[roshansbd08]

Here is a screenshot of my GPU, http://gpuz.techpowerup.com/18/06/30/kjy.png and here is my CPU, https://ibb.co/dy9oxJ
I hope these help you help me

 

[InvalidError]

Well, the Radeon 8700M isn't going to do miracles in modern games. Mobile GPUs are usually cut-down versions of their similar number desktop part and the HD7700 is roughly on par with the modern GT1030. Since yours is a mobile variant and uses DDR3, it should be slower than the DDR4 variant of the GT1030... take GDDR5 GT1030 scores, divide by two.

More system RAM should improve your minimum and average frame rates but won't help with the low maximum you likely have. For significantly better gaming, you are going to need a new laptop. I'm hoping more laptop manufacturers adopt AMD's Raven Ridge (Ryzen-Vega) APUs in the near future. Most models currently available are a bit on the pricey side, often exceeding the cost of Intel-based laptops with discrete GPU.

 

[roshansbd08]

Well, the Radeon 8700M isn't going to do miracles in modern games. Mobile GPUs are usually cut-down versions of their similar number desktop part and the HD7700 is roughly on par with the modern GT1030. Since yours is a mobile variant and uses DDR3, it should be slower than the DDR4 variant of the GT1030... take GDDR5 GT1030 scores, divide by two.

More system RAM should improve your minimum and average frame rates but won't help with the low maximum you likely have. For significantly better gaming, you are going to need a new laptop. I'm hoping more laptop manufacturers adopt AMD's Raven Ridge (Ryzen-Vega) APUs in the near future. Most models currently available are a bit on the pricey side, often exceeding the cost of Intel-based laptops with discrete GPU.

Thanks man. I will now soon upgrade my laptop. BTW, I upgraded RAM to 6 GB (Added 2GB DDR3 RAM).

 

[digitalgriffin]

I have an old laptop Dell Inspiron 3521 with 4 GB DDR3 RAM(3.87GB usable), Intel Core i5-3317 CPU @ 1.70 GHz 2 cores, AMD Radeon 8730M HD 2GB GPU, 1 TB HardDisk. I play games like Grand Theft Auto V, Watch_Dogs, Far Cry 3,4, NFS Rivals, etc. They sometimes run in 30FPS, and sometimes up and down of 30. So, I was wondering if only upgrading RAM to 8 GB, by leaving CPU to its old speed work fine or not..
Please let me know as soon as possible....

If you are running the 64 Bit version of windows, it will help all around. 8GB really is the minimum for reliable performance under windows 7, 8, and 10. If you are running 32Bit windows 7, then 4GB is your max config size.

For a gaming machine 16GB is considered standard faire. But your machine is so old that would be throwing good money away.

It will grant you a small boost in performance, but the biggest improvement will be consistency. (Less stutters because of memory swap outs.)

 

[roshansbd08]

If you are running the 64 Bit version of windows, it will help all around. 8GB really is the minimum for reliable performance under windows 7, 8, and 10. If you are running 32Bit windows 7, then 4GB is your max config size.

For a gaming machine 16GB is considered standard faire. But your machine is so old that would be throwing good money away.

Yup. That's why I won't waste money upgrading it. I will rather buy a new one. Actually, this is a 2 years old thread if you noticed. But, I was seeking help with my new thread. Do you have any idea about it?

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