Are you experiencing the expected performance from your PC?
Are you experiencing the expected performance from your PC?
Hey everyone, I have a question and hope someone can assist me.
At first, my system was considered outdated, which is understandable. Let me explain what it looks like now.
I have a Ryzen 3 1200 with 3.1 GHz, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and a GTX1060 with 3GB of VRAM. While I know this configuration shouldn’t handle modern games well, the main issue is the same one I’ve been facing. Most games run smoothly at a decent FPS, but when action occurs—like turning my head quickly—I experience stuttering, choppiness, lag, or freezing. In some cases, even just looking around causes it to feel like a slideshow.
For example, with Cyberpunk 2077, I can usually get around 45 FPS until I start exploring, after which it becomes sluggish. Kingdom Come also had decent FPS but started lagging whenever something happened. It’s from 2018, so I expected it to be playable back then. Changing settings doesn’t help much, which is odd. I see the same problem whether I’m playing at high or low settings.
I used to have 8GB RAM for a long time, but after facing similar issues with Ready or Not and the Tekken 8 demo, I upgraded to 16GB. I thought maybe the RAM was limiting performance, but it didn’t make a difference. Even with Kingdom Come, I’m not sure how I managed to complete the game a few years ago—it seems to be running much worse now, lol.
I notice some people on YouTube have the same hardware but are playing their games well. Anyone have any ideas or advice? I’m not able to afford a new PC right now.
I found myself somewhat puzzled about the 1200 model working with RAM at 3200 MHz. The first generation Ryzen were known for preferring speeds around 2133 or 2400. Without more details about your system, it's difficult to pinpoint what might be off or whether your expectations are realistic. The 1060 3GB card would likely struggle significantly today due to insufficient VRAM. Even without that point in mind, a low-end setup could easily achieve around 60 FPS. The R3 1200 is essentially comparable to a 4690, but it would be overkill for tasks like 720/1080p rendering. Running at higher resolutions or settings would put unnecessary strain on the CPU. In such a scenario, it's wise to check if background apps or processes are consuming too many resources. Ensure your storage has ample free space. Assuming you're using an SSD, lowering resolution and quality settings could help, along with checking your monitor's capabilities—especially if it supports VSync for smoother performance. Also, consider whether upgrading to a more powerful motherboard or graphics card might be beneficial, depending on your power supply.
YT influencers and similar figures usually get paid for showcasing products favorably. It's tough to compare unless you're certain you're using identical items under the same conditions, and so forth....
Keep in mind this advice with a small pinch of caution. Restart your computer and let it idle for about five minutes without any interaction. If you're using a frame counter like Afterburner, switch it off; otherwise, leave it as it is during gameplay.
Visit https://www.userbenchmark.com/ and perform the test. Share the link once you've completed it.
Some initial points to consider right away.
Lower the number of background applications or disable them. The 21% is quite high. Look under 'Startup' to see if anything auto-launches and consider pausing it. In the task bar or system tray, check for any unnecessary items you can close. If you're using Windows 10, open 'Background Apps' and turn off those you don’t need or delete them entirely from the system. Make sure your browser isn’t configured to run in the background.
Secondly, it seems your XMP profile isn’t enabled. As I previously discussed, it’s unlikely a first-generation Ryzen will actually reach 3200 MHz, but it might be possible to improve it gradually—starting from around 2666 or higher. Right now you’re at 21xx. A useful step would be to download CPU-Z and inspect the JEDEC/XMP settings listed there. You can then manually adjust them based on what your RAM reports. This may help your BIOS settings function properly.
For the drive test, none of your disks passed the evaluation. This could point to a more serious problem than I can easily resolve. The benchmark site suggests it might be related to cabling issues. Check your motherboard manufacturer’s website to confirm you have the correct SATA drivers installed. Also, visit the AMD site for the latest chipset driver updates.
Be cautious when updating BIOS settings. Read the instructions thoroughly, as many manufacturers phase out support for first-generation chips to accommodate newer BIOS versions (for example, moving to 5xxx series).
And it's clear you're not operating at 3200 MHz. It's running at 2133, which should be adjusted in the BIOS if possible, since an R3 1200 might struggle with that speed. Graphics card performance is acceptable, staying within a few percent of expected. During testing, make sure T-V-Sync is turned off to allow the GPU to generate the maximum frames. Everything else appears to be fine.