Optimize or overclock?

[Joes_Morgue]

Hello everybody, I'm Joe, and last July/August I built a SWEET machine that isn't so sweet.

I started with an 3.6Ghz AMD FX-8150
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UBNLFK/ref=oh_details_o04_s01_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Added an Asus Motherboard M5A88-M
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0053YM6QY/ref=oh_details_o04_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Added 16 gigs of Corsair 1866 RAM
http://www.corsair.com/en/vengeance-16gb-quad-channel-ddr3-memory-kit-cmz16gx3m4x1866c9.html

Then I topped it off with an 850 Watt PS
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00596NFOI/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm using a 19" lcd widescreen, connected to the VGA port because I cannot use the DVI due to my TV is connected over the HDMI. I also have a DL BR burner, but that is just details as far as this.

My daughter is trying to play a browser game right now, and it's choppy!

I'm wondering of I can just OC the GPU, maybe OC the CPU some while I'm at it, or if I can just tweak it out, but I have yet to find a solution for it

 

[Joni]

I would backup the files and clean install windows. Maybe get a +-100€/$ GPU later just for better connectivity.

 

[bassnut]

Hello Joe welcome to the forums ....

You don't mention what kind of GPU you have in your system. Are you just using the onboard graphics chip?

As for trying to OC your chip I would not expect to big if any OC on this motherboard as it does not have any cooling for the VRM's on this particular motherboard. These FX CPU's draw allot of power and heat one of the first places you will find problems will be throttling from heat in your VRM's.

For OCing your GPU I'll let someone else answer that.

 

[Joes_Morgue]

OK. I had an SSD as a boot drive, that is getting replaced [I hope, ran into a headache] and because of that, I had to do a fresh install. The issue was there on both [all] installs [I think 3 installs to date]

The onboard graphics are good enough for us. The most intensive game anybody in the house plays is W.O.W., or Bloons Tower Defense 5 [the higher rounds can REALLY load up a core]

The fact that I can pipe the sound over the HDMI with the video and the video player software recognizes it as a SEPARATE sound source, as the computer sounds remain on the PCs speakers without the movie.

VRMs?

 

[bassnut]

Take a look at the pic ..... the parts circled in red.

 

[Joes_Morgue]

OK, I now know what the VRMs are, but I still don't know what they are for?

Do they compete with the CPU for who can make the most heat?

Do they make cooling systems [air? liquid?] for them?

When I first built this, I had it running at 4.13Ghz [motherboard OC] then I found out I had a bad SIMM, replaced that, now letting the MoBo OC it causes a BSOD within a few minutes.

 

[RGone]

Looks like there is a thread jacking going on here.
RGone...

 

[DustyWolfe]

Do they compete with the CPU for who can make the most heat?

heh ive heard less accurate descriptions.... they provide power to your cpu

 

[Joes_Morgue]

heh ive heard less accurate descriptions.... they provide power to your cpu

OK, I don't need 9 Ghz [Which I heard my CPU can do]

Right now, I'd be happy at around 4.

This machine has slight hesitations, enough to annoy! If I overclock, the hesitations will be for the same number of cycles, but less noticeable.

If somebody here has enough brains to help me fix that [I SHOULD, but don't] I won't have to OC at all. But, OC'ing would be acceptable then too.

 

[RGone]

What are you doing? Running a Linux game in browser with the onboard 4250 video?

 

[Joes_Morgue]

The hesitations are not exclusive to games!

Mostly, I play BTD5. The last 2 days, my daughters have been playing WebKinz. My son and 1 daughter also play BTD5.

My wife uses it for surfing the web, mostly forums, and some word processing with MS Office.

Occasionally, I run a virtual quad-core XP Pro system, but I have mainly got it setup and properly running. [Took a week to get the second mouse to work right]

The VM runs on the second screen, and the second screen is used less than once a week [on average]

 

[RGone]

The hesitations are not exclusive to games! = But ALL the hesitation is internet related?

See you really have not told us a thing that pinpoints the actual problem. Just random bits about the system and how it is using KVM and sometimes you play some game. And I asked if your daughter was playing a game in Linux in an open browser and you don't answer that but go off to some other place.

So you think an overclock will help; so here is an overclocking guide for FX processors. Now overclock your cpu and see if that fixes whatever your issue actually is.

Bulldozer Overclocking Guide

 

[Joes_Morgue]

Sorry. The hesitations are exclusive to EVERYTHING! We can be typing, in a forum, address bar, or in MS Word, and it will pause then will catch up after a few seconds.

It's not KVM, it's two kbs, mouse, and keyboards, all directly connected to the computer at the same time. [Without XP running, both kbs or mice can be used in any window at any time, the VM allows me to give one exclusive access to a single OS, so the focus can appear to be on two separate windows at the same time. It acts like each screen is a fully separate computer] The problem was the same when I had 1 keyboard/mouse on it.

As far as playing a game in Linux. I'm not positive about your question, but I have not installed any *nix OS on it, [even as a VM] so I told you about the games that are most commonly used because many of you probably have kids, and the games are common.

I've read guides like that, and don't follow them, so I went directly to the forum. I want to overclock slowly, and learn what the hell I'm doing so I don't fry what I got!

 

[Johan45]

Are these cordless mice/keyboards? Sounds like bad reception

 

[Joes_Morgue]

I doubt it is a reception issue, because there is never a loss of characters when we type.

 

[Johan45]

I know that my HTPC did the same thing when I had the receiver plugged into the back of the PC. Moved it to the top front where it's visible and it stopped jumping like that. Never a loss of characters just pauses and the mouse was jerky.

 

[Joes_Morgue]

Really? Going to move it right now... A test will take a few days to be sure

 

[Johan45]

Ya and it's free just your time

 

[Joes_Morgue]

It appears to be the issue. The problem is, I don't like having that on the front of the computer, as I only have 2 USBs there [on top of that, I think they are USB1]

I think I have an extention cable around here somewhere...

 

[Johan45]

Could you plug in a hub then put it somewhere more in the open. That would free up your front USB.