Solved Horrible performance on Battlefield 3 - not sure why.

Caesar

New Member
Messages
5
So, as the thread title says, Battlefield 3 runs pretty awful on my PC. So bad that it seriously effects my gameplay, and puts me off playing altogether many times.
As a little background info, these are my computer specs:

Nvidia GTX560SE
4GB DDR2 RAM
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ 3.2 dual core
Win8 32 bit
ASUSTek M3A32-MVP Deluxe (Mobo)

So, with this setup, I get around 15-low 20s fps on Battlefield 3. It very rarely reaches 30 at all, and most of the time hovers around 20. Every graphical setting is the lowest it can go. I run at 1920x1080.
I know that my CPU is my weak point but upgrading is not a viable option right now unfortunately. That said, I really don't think the game should run that terribly, surely I should be able to run it on at least the lowest settings smoothly? My graphics drivers are up to date. My Mobo hasn't been updated since I got it (2008 I think), as I'm not confident enough to do it comfortably, but I'm open to it if anyone thinks it'd make a big difference.

Does anyone have any ideas how I could boost performance? I just don't get it, I love playing Total War games and I can play Shogun 2 (the newest Total War) with everything on Ultra and it runs perfectly. All of my other games work great too, although BF3 and Shogun 2 are probably the most demanding ones I play. I'm not kidding myself, I know my setup is not top of the range, but I just want to ideally play BF3 on medium settings or around there with smooth gameplay.

If you need any more information please ask, and thank you for reading.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
that AMD is pretty low-end. you really need to upgrade that. you could drop in a phenom II for dirt cheap. 1920x1080 for BF3? you really need the horses for that. why didn't you go for Windows 8 64-bit? you have 4 GB of RAM and a 64-bit processor.

resolution is a function of CPU. so if you can't get a better CPU, drop the resolution. also turn off some of the special effects.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
Newegg has the AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX for $95 and free shipping. This is a stud processor for an old motherboard. It's the black edition which means you can overclock it because the clock multiplier is unlocked. If you decide to overclock it, make sure you get a third-party heatsink/fan that's powerful enough to cool it down because the stock HSF is too weak.

It's AM3 but remember that you can use AM3 processors with most AM2+ motherboards as well as some AM2 boards. Check your MB website for whether the BIOS supports them.

Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX

that's pretty much the only upgrade you NEED. your GPU is fine. your RAM is decent. you'll have a lot of fun if you upgrade your CPU. I had an overclocked 6000+ way back when. fun memories.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
Thanks for the reply :)

Originally I thought I was getting the 64 bit version of Win8 when I bought it, but because I upgraded from a Vista 32 bit I couldn't change architectures. As far as I know, I can still do it once I get myself a DVD copy of Win8 64 and just use my code, so I am planning to do it by next week.

I've tried lowering resolution down but it doesn't make any noticeable difference at all. At most, fps increases by 1 or 2. I'll have another look at special effects, maybe I do have some turned on.

You're right. I guess I was hoping for a magic cure to boost performance without spending any money but it looks like I'll just have to bite the bullet and upgrade. That CPU looks great. The only problem is I am living in the UK so Newegg doesn't deliver to me unfortunately, but I've found the same one on some sites over here for fairly cheap prices too. The only game I really want to future proof for at the moment is Total War: Rome 2 and I'm sure that'll be good enough to play it smoothly enough.

I still can't get over how much it effects BF3 though. No other game I play has anywhere near the same performance issues.

Thanks again for the help. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
that CPU will be a huge step up and will last you a long time. it's really nice.

an SSD is huge for overall enjoyment of a system but it doesn't help much with gaming. that's CPU and GPU.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
Cheers, I know basically nothing about buying CPUs so it's great to get advice from someone who knows what they are talking about!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
just make sure before you buy it that you check the manufacturer website about whether your BIOS for your motherboard supports the CPU. in any case, you should upgrade to the latest BIOS for that motherboard.

good luck! :D
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
oh, one more thing. to help out with framerate, did you disable vsync? it's especially important with LCDs with have bad refresh rates. many LCDs only do 60 Hz at 1920x1080.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
So, as the thread title says, Battlefield 3 runs pretty awful on my PC. So bad that it seriously effects my gameplay, and puts me off playing altogether many times.
As a little background info, these are my computer specs:

Nvidia GTX560SE
4GB DDR2 RAM
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ 3.2 dual core
Win8 32 bit
ASUSTek M3A32-MVP Deluxe (Mobo)

So, with this setup, I get around 15-low 20s fps on Battlefield 3. It very rarely reaches 30 at all, and most of the time hovers around 20. Every graphical setting is the lowest it can go. I run at 1920x1080.
I know that my CPU is my weak point but upgrading is not a viable option right now unfortunately. That said, I really don't think the game should run that terribly, surely I should be able to run it on at least the lowest settings smoothly? My graphics drivers are up to date. My Mobo hasn't been updated since I got it (2008 I think), as I'm not confident enough to do it comfortably, but I'm open to it if anyone thinks it'd make a big difference.

Does anyone have any ideas how I could boost performance? I just don't get it, I love playing Total War games and I can play Shogun 2 (the newest Total War) with everything on Ultra and it runs perfectly. All of my other games work great too, although BF3 and Shogun 2 are probably the most demanding ones I play. I'm not kidding myself, I know my setup is not top of the range, but I just want to ideally play BF3 on medium settings or around there with smooth gameplay.

If you need any more information please ask, and thank you for reading.

I could run BF3 with a 2600k @4500MHz + Gigabyte GTX570-OC-2GB + 8GB-DDR3-1600MHz @1920x1080 only on auto-settings (mix out of high + ultra) @60fps with VSync on.

Now with my 3770k @4200MHz + Gigabyte GTX670-OC-2GB + 16GB-DDR3-2133MHz @1920x1080 I get 75-100fps on ultra-settings and VSync turned off.

BF3 is very demanding, especially on your CPU if you play in multi-player with a large amount of people.

If you want to drive a 120Hz-Screen @ min. 120fps (1920x1080), then you have even to go for SLI, as even a Gigabyte GTX690 + a 2500k @4800MHz has not enough power for it.

Core clock 810MHz, 1620MHz Shader clock, 4008MHz memory, and 336 Cuda cores on GTX 560
Core clock 776MHz, 1552MHz Shader clock, 3828MHz memory, and 288 Cuda cores on GTX 560 SE

GTX 560ti > GTX 560 > GTX 560se

:)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows-10-Pro-Build-11099.rs1-x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770k @4800MHz
    Motherboard
    Asus P8Z77-V
    Memory
    G.Skill 16G(4*4G) DDR3-2400 Quad Channel [TDX] F3-2400C10Q-16GTX
    Graphics Card(s)
    2x Gigabyte GTX980-Ti-OC-STRIX-6GB in 2-Way-SLI (1408MHz | Boost: 1544MHz | Memory-Clock: 8000MHz)
    Sound Card
    OnBoard Realtek® ALC892 8-Channel High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus VE278Q 27" Wide Led Black Full HD 2ms | Dell S2409W 24" 5ms
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    - Intel 520S 240GB/SATA3/R 550MBs,W 520MBs/25nm/3.5"Kit/5yr
    - Samsung 840 EVO SATA3 500GB
    - Seagate Barracuda SATA3 1TB 7200RPM 64mb Cache
    - Seagate Barracuda SATA3 1TB 7200RPM 64mb Cache
    - Seagate Constellation SATA3 3TB 7200RPM 64mb Cache
    -
    PSU
    Corsair AX1200i
    Case
    Thermaltake Level-10 GT LCS
    Cooling
    EK H3O HFX 240mm Liquid Cooling Kit + 2x EK-480-Rads + GPU-Blocks + Gelid Extreme
    Keyboard
    Roccat Isku | Logitech G13 | XBox 360 Controller wired | Logitech Dual Action GamePad
    Mouse
    Roccat Pure Military Dessert Strike | Shogun Bros. Ballista MK-1 | Cyborg R.A.T. 7 Infection
    Internet Speed
    ADSL2+ ~15MBit/s DL | ~1MBit/s UL
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    - Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick
    - Plantronics GameCom Commander Headset
    - Logitech X-210 Speakers
    - Roccat Taito Mid-Size 5mm
    - PC-Master-Race MousePad (yellow)
nice system! I could use an upgrade myself.

yeah, I think he's on a budget. some of your suggestions are a little pricey. :p
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
nice system! I could use an upgrade myself.

yeah, I think he's on a budget. some of your suggestions are a little pricey. :p

Thanks. :)

I only wanted to show him that there is nothing wrong with his machine, beside that it's a bit weak for BF3.

;)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows-10-Pro-Build-11099.rs1-x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770k @4800MHz
    Motherboard
    Asus P8Z77-V
    Memory
    G.Skill 16G(4*4G) DDR3-2400 Quad Channel [TDX] F3-2400C10Q-16GTX
    Graphics Card(s)
    2x Gigabyte GTX980-Ti-OC-STRIX-6GB in 2-Way-SLI (1408MHz | Boost: 1544MHz | Memory-Clock: 8000MHz)
    Sound Card
    OnBoard Realtek® ALC892 8-Channel High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus VE278Q 27" Wide Led Black Full HD 2ms | Dell S2409W 24" 5ms
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    - Intel 520S 240GB/SATA3/R 550MBs,W 520MBs/25nm/3.5"Kit/5yr
    - Samsung 840 EVO SATA3 500GB
    - Seagate Barracuda SATA3 1TB 7200RPM 64mb Cache
    - Seagate Barracuda SATA3 1TB 7200RPM 64mb Cache
    - Seagate Constellation SATA3 3TB 7200RPM 64mb Cache
    -
    PSU
    Corsair AX1200i
    Case
    Thermaltake Level-10 GT LCS
    Cooling
    EK H3O HFX 240mm Liquid Cooling Kit + 2x EK-480-Rads + GPU-Blocks + Gelid Extreme
    Keyboard
    Roccat Isku | Logitech G13 | XBox 360 Controller wired | Logitech Dual Action GamePad
    Mouse
    Roccat Pure Military Dessert Strike | Shogun Bros. Ballista MK-1 | Cyborg R.A.T. 7 Infection
    Internet Speed
    ADSL2+ ~15MBit/s DL | ~1MBit/s UL
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    - Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick
    - Plantronics GameCom Commander Headset
    - Logitech X-210 Speakers
    - Roccat Taito Mid-Size 5mm
    - PC-Master-Race MousePad (yellow)
Hey guys, sorry for disappearing, I didn't see that there were more posts! Anyway, I just got my new CPU installed yesterday. I updated the BIOS on my motherboard (as my current version wasn't compatible with my new CPU) and everything went smoothly (I was slightly nervous about flashing the BIOS). I went with the AMD one that dirtyvu suggested. The Phenom II x4 965 black edition. It works perfectly so far, and gave BF3 a HUGE boost!! I now run BF3 at high settings quite smoothly and after tweaking some settings, it works perfectly. Thanks a million guys for your help (especially dirtyvu). Much appreciated for someone like me who doesn't know much about CPUs!!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
great to hear it worked out for you! a lot of ways to seriously improve a gaming experience without having to drop serious money.

That Phenom II will last you a long time and will serve you well.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
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