Thread: Why does GTA IV Lag on my cpu?

I have an AMD X2 3800+ 2.0GHz, and i just upgraded to a radeon HD 4850 1gb, i play at 1440x900 on a 19" monitor. It lags alot even with EVERYTHING on lowest settings. Someone told me that GTA 4 is a cpu game. So im pretty sure my cpu is bottlenecking my brand new 4850 card. Im upgrading my computer with a new motherboard, an AMD Phenom II X3 2.8GHz proc., and im going to migrate the video card over and do crossfire 4850s later on. Anyone think my cpu is the main problem with GTA 4 lagging?

By the way, i ran a benchmark on GTA 4, and my cpu usage was at 98%, and my Graphics card was only being used 25%. So maybe the huge step in upgrading from my crappy amd dual core to a new phenom II 2.8GHz X3 will help alot with the gameplay.

Yes it’s because of cpu even the extreme end cpus have difficult time running GTA4 (they don’t lag but fps is really low). That upgrade will really help u a lot not only in GTA4 but also in many other games.

If your CPU is at 98% and Video Card at 25%, you have a situation that is, indeed, the definition of a CPU bottleneck. You will notice a HUGE improvement with the new rig.

For running GTAIV, I saw the biggest performance increase from OCing the CPU. Upgrading from my 4870 512mb to 4870x2 was far less impressive than hitting 3.35ghz on the CPU (up from 2.6) with the single 4870. If you are getting the 720BE than it may be worth it to try OC it a little and see how that improves the performance (since the BE are OC-for-dummies chips).

See i know alot about computers, but when it comes to overclocking, im sitting there scratching my head, and then when i saw how easy it is to overclock the 720BEs and also, how to unlock the 4th core (i know to do with high caution), i knew i needed one. It’s not that expensive. Plus i plan on just overclocking the 720 from 2.8-3.2GHz. If that motherboard will let me do so. And i agree about the performance increase, i went from an ATI X1300 256mb DDR2 to a 4850 1gb, and i can actually play my games, but i cant wait too long, i get my paycheck, and some amount is going to the amd Phenom II, Gigabyte motherboard, and a 730W PSU.

Your motherboard should accomodate your needs easily. Although it must always be said that every chip and motherboard is different, apparently 3.2ghz is a fairly easy OC for the 720BE, as it should only require increasing the multiplier. Others have claimed keeping voltage stock as high as 3.4 on stock HSF, something I couldn't achieve with stability on my 710 (though everyday use is undervolted @3.0ghz).

I wish I had spent a bit extra on a SB750 motherboard for possibly unlocking the 4th core, but that was in its infancy when I built this rig, and I was on a budget.

Check to see is a Phenom II 940 is on your motherboard’s support list, flash you’re BIOS and you'll be able to install a quad core no problem. (GTA IV loves quad cores).