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keep getting time outs because of small ram & GHz

• dan554 97 Posts

  Fri, Dec 31 2010 5:11 AM

  hi ive got a pentium4 cpu1.70GHz,768mb of ram.windows xp pro on it.Ive been getting high cpu & memory usage alerts from norton when ive been playing a online golf game,ive also been having problems  playing the game because my cpu & ram arent big enough. my question is whats the best way to boost it without new parts safely?

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Fri, Dec 31 2010 1:03 PM

  With that little amount of memory you're not going to get good results no matter what you do. Sorry.

• piztaker 5,743 Posts

  Fri, Dec 31 2010 9:00 PM

  I'd dump Norton too, takes up far to much room on an underpowered PC. Give AVG a go.

• Richard4168 4,309 Posts

  Fri, Dec 31 2010 10:28 PM

  Dan, I'm with Piz. Drop the Norton and check with your ISP and see if they carry a free Anti-virus program which usually comes with three license keys.

  Like the other fellas said, there's not much you can do to upgrade the power of your machine. You can try Game booster, Firefox, and optimizing your PC with a Googled program, and/or:

  You can upgrade your RAM to 2GB

  Your XP pro is OK

  Look into upgrading your GPU (video card)

  You need to upgrade your CPU to a 2.4 GHz at minimum

  Your best bet Dan is to invest in a new PC if the time is right.

   

  Happy new year!

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Sat, Jan 1 2011 7:35 AM

  Richard4168:

  You need to upgrade your CPU to a 2.4 GHz at minimum

  No he doesn't. Increase the RAM to at least 1 GB and 90% of the problem goes away. It's a lot cheaper.

  AVG has free virus protection. I've used it for over 4 years and not 1 single virus got through.   http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage

• Soulcatcher 1,970 Posts

  Sat, Jan 1 2011 7:58 AM

  First off, is it a laptop or desktop?

  If it is a laptop about all you can do is upgrade your ram. This is a good option and easy to do.

  If it is a desktop, you can look into overclocking the processor.

  A warning though.

  You must pay close attention to the extra heat generated by over clocking. You will have to upgrade your heatsink. You also must upgrade your existing fans and add additional fans to ensure proper air flow.

  It really depends on your level of computer knowledge and confidence of tinkering with the hardware.

  Do not do anything until you have researched it thoroughly and know all the risks involved.

  Happy hitting.

• dan554 97 Posts

  Sun, Jan 2 2011 2:25 AM

  Thanks guys for the help, ill try putting more ram on & go from there.