It certainly seems to be what he was referring to, which we all know is prevalent on a lot of systems across the board, so it's almost certainly a software issue.
What I don't care for is the fact that his CPU maxes out, but the video card is practically idling. A disparity like that says hardware issue to me.
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I gotta say, flashing the BIOS is about the worst advice I can think of for someone who just wants to know about CPU options.
Flashing BIOS is for fixing major hard locking system ending issues, not for tweaking performance. Even with the new hand holding flashing utilities and failsafe BIOS backup/restore things and all that, you are still talking about a procedure that can render a system completely unusable. it is NOT to be taken on lightly, and not to be done for any reason other than fixing a major issue that is known or at least suspected to be fixed by a BIOS flash.
All it takes is a brown out, AC coming on at the wrong time, the cat accidentally steps on your power strip, etc. Too damn risky to do just for the hope that you might gain half a FPS.
OTOH, slapping an i7 in there would instantly and very noticeably increase performance, especially minimum FPS numbers.
And a bolt of lightning has a chance of hitting the earth and running
up a grounding wire to fry hardware right through your surge protection. And it doesn't even have to be raining. (Lost a router to that...) Life is quite unpredictable at the best of times. Fear profits people nothing.
On the same token, I myself stressed the importance of taking time to research the process, read up, and ensure that the correct BIOS version was being used. I don't need to reference anything; everything I am saying is based on decades of first-hand experience. I could waste time and search the net for 5 articles that claim you should never flash your BIOS, and 5 other articles that claim your should flash it at least every 6 months. I have put together my own PCs since the late 1980's. I've personally watched the evolution of both hardware and software. I've made countless mistakes, even managing to completely kill two systems along the way, and I've learned from each and every experience. I've also listened to a million different opinions about what you MUST do and what should NEVER happen. Not interested. I know exactly what can and cannot be done and what the risks and benefits are. I know exactly what effect BIOS has on a system and when BIOS could potentially be a problem. And no one is required to take my word for it. You can go out and take the word of any other nameless host of a supposed technical website at face value. Be my guest. Never heard of SEO? Do you know how many pieces of bad advice I've found on
tomshardware.com? Have any idea of how many manufacturer-suggested tweaks from Nvidia or ATI have completely...not worked...at all? The internet is a source of
free information, not
qualified information.
The process of flashing BIOS is certainly
not limited to known issues or the release of new hardware -- like any coded language, improvements are made constantly and affect many functions of a PC. Most people with significant performance issues don't even realize that the problem is often their components not communicating between each other efficiently, and the only way to rectify it is by updating the ROM.
Like any situation, you should not be updating or upgrading
anything -- drivers, front-ends, OS, or firmware -- unless you are encountering a problem. The key to stability is: "If it ain't broke..." But to encounter a problem such as above (which is solid evidence of a CPU being pushed to a wild extreme while all other system components are plugging along normally) it's foolish not to address the most obvious potential source -- basic input/output regulation.
If the problem exists only with games making large amounts of procedural calls to the CPU (TW3 and GTA5, in this case), but almost all other processes for other software is a non-issue, the pattern is already developing. The two software titles are creating almost
exactly the same irregularity with
exactly the same process despite their engines being independent. The CPU is not maintaining a steady input/output performance in
only this specific situation. There is no guarantee that the flash will fix it, but there is a
very reasonable possibility that it will, in this case.
Either way, the computer will not suffer from upgrading to a recent, manufacturer-specific BIOS. The process is nowhere near as scary as many make it out to be. It's dangerous, yes. So is spraying a wasps' nest, stacking expensive china on the top shelf, or driving on an expressway at 70 mph in 2-4 tons of moving steel. Check your meters first if you're living in an area that suffers from power outages, don't do it during a lightning storm, and lock the cat in the bedroom first. If we're gonna get on with life, eventually we've gotta make the jump.
(Oh...and definitely don't do any significant work on a powered PC while someone is running a vacuum in the next room. That's...how system casualty no. 1 occurred. It became a $1,500 end table in our dorm room.)