Will a CPU upgrade help reduce or stop input lag in Gaming when Vsync for example is activated or in high Resolution?

[idata]

Ok, I am finding that certain games recently are suffering from input lag and poor framrates, this seems to be easily solved when I do one or all of the following:

Lower the resolution (this seems to be the main cause over everything where FPS and mouse lag are concerned)

Turn off Vsync (seems to effect mouse lag only)

Turn off Antialiasing (a little of both but not to much of a big deal)

Now lowering the resolution is a definate no no as I have a flat panel LCD and anything less than Native1650x1080 looks horrendous!

Turning off Vsync is something I really don't want to do either as screen tear seems all to apparant in nearly all games.

Also Antialiasing, I would prefer to keep on as I hate seeing pixely edges.

So what I need to know is how to resolve these issues?

My GPU is resonably good and is not an issue I feel:

NVidia Geforce 9500GT 1gb,

• Bus interface: PCI Express 2.0 Support
• Memory: 1024MB
• Memory Interface: 128 bit
• NVIDIA® unified architecture with GigaThread™ technology
• Full Microsoft® DirectX® 10 Shader Model 4.0 support
• 16x Anti-aliasing technology
• 128-bit floating point high dynamic-range (HDR) lighting
• NVIDIA® Quantum Effects™ physics processing technology
• Dual-link DVI output support 2560x1600 resolution display
• NVIDIA® PureVideo™ HD technology
• NVIDIA® SLI technology
• OpenGL® 3.2 support
• NVIDIA ForceWare® Unified Driver Architecture (UDA)
• Certified for Microsoft® Windows Vista™
• NVIDIA® Lumenex™ Engine
• Dual 400MHz RAMDACs
• Discrete, Programmable Video Processor
• Hardware Decode Acceleration
• High-Quality Scaling
• Inverse Telecine (3:2 & 2:2 Pulldown Correction)
• Bad Edit Correction
• Noise Reduction
• Edge Enhancement
• Dual-link HDCP capable

Ram is also not an Issue as I am running 4gb 800Mhz DDR2.

The only thing I can seem to put it down to is my Processor which is a Celeron Dual Core 1.6Mhz which isn't great. I have heard that having a good GPU and a poor CPU (or even vice versa) can create a bottlekneck effect where performance is squeezed as one is left waiting for the other. Could this be the problem I am getting?

I just need some clarification on this before upgrading my CPU.

If I upgrade to something like a P4 Dual Core 3GHz will it end these issues? I don't want to splash out the cash only to find nothing has changed!

The worst thing seems to be resolution, if I run games at something like 1024x768 everything is fast and smooth but the picture is awfull thanks to my monitor being a flat panel. If a better CPU above all will help run native resolution with out lag then job done.

Any help greatly appreciated.

[idata]

Hi,

To be honest you could do with replaceing both CPU and GPU. However you feel about your GPU,it really isn't all that great specially if you want AA specially in teh newer games.

Personally i would change the GPU first, then the CPU.

Also you have really already answered your own question, but not with the answer you would like : "The worst thing seems to be resolution, if I run games at something like 1024x768 everything is fast and smooth but the picture is awfull thanks to my monitor being a flat panel. If a better CPU above all will help run native resolution with out lag then job done." That means that your main probolem is with the GPU. Yes your CPU is weak but changing it would not do too much to improve the situation

[idata]

Hmmm yeah I guess if a better CPU will not reduce lag in higher res then the answer would be a better GPU, one that can run 1650x1080 without lagging.

It just annoys me that the main problem being my monitor letting me down, if I had a CRT I could run lower res and keep a quality picture!

I cant use any scaling options in the NVidia control panel as the monitor is VGA only and not DVI, I'd quit happily put up with black bars top and bottom.

Atleast you have answered my question even if as you say not the answer I was hoping for, upgrading the CPU I want to do soon anyway but not the GPU also or even a new monitor for the sake of a DVI cable!

Regards, Rich.