How much would a new processor improve a computers performance?

I would post my PC's specs but I'm not actually on it ATM.

I just know my processor is a Intel Core 2 or something
I only have 2GB RAM
Not really sure what my Graphics card is however. :/

My PC seems to think my graphics card is ok however since it's given it a rating of 6.3? If that means anything however.

Anyway, I don't really play many games that are that demanding on it's resources, the main games I play is Diablo 3, WoW, Minecraft and LoL. LoL plays perfectly fine but at 45fps. WoW is the same. Minecraft is good but has a few frame drops here and there and can drop to 18fps in the nether. Diablo is good too but when I'm online it can lag quite bad.

From what I've heard a good processor can improve a PC's performance on an old computer more than a good graphics card or more memory. And therefore I was going to buy an Intel I5-…3570K or something? I can't actually remember that either. -.-

So from the lack of information given is it possible to give an accurate answer to what is mostly in need of an upgrade?

Guest

Sorry, but graphics cards are what really make a difference in games. But to be fair, to get more frames, you will need to upgrade everything, otherwise they will bottleneck each other. So I would recommend: Upgrading your RAM to at least 4GB, getting a new motherboard, because an I5 3570k require one anyway so not really any different, but for the AM3+ Socket, so that means you can get the AMD FX 4300:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/...009O7YU3S/
I would finally recommend upgrading your graphics card, the two companies to check out are NVidia, because the frame rate for Minecraft is MUCH greater on NVidia GPUs.
Here are a few you might be interested in:
Bear in mind the sweet spot for "Bang for buck" lies on the GTX 650ti-660
GT 610: (Can be completely silent dependant on the bought type) (Runs Minecraft on Max settings at 60fps most of the time.
Each model up will most likely gain about an extra 25-35 fps on averadge.
GT 610, GT 620, GT 630, GT 640, GT 650, GT 750, GT 750ti (would not recommend going much higher due to the games you play.) (Bear in mind the higher you go, the more future proof your GPU will also be)
Sorry for the long reply, also any other replies also agreeing with the "CPUs improve fps the most" are incorrect, any other replies are also valid.
Thanks,
Tom.
(I understand my reply means you would have to essentially build a whole new system, but the old parts would bottleneck each other. (Sorry.

BlueBeach

Generally speaking, the processor is the fastest part of the computer, followed by memory, then the hard drive, then external ports. The point of having lots of memory is so that the computer rarely has to fetch data or instructions all the way from the hard drive. I would double your memory, and *consider* investing in an SSD or hybred drive to improve drive access speed. After memory, I would scrutinize the Graphics card. If it's at least a 1GB card, it is probably adequate. Lastly, I might consider upgrading the processor. Look at a quad-core processor with generous L2 cache (built-in super-speed memory on the processor).

Guest

Graphics is most impotant to play image demanding games.

Processor is basically if you need to process more the one application at a time.so if you plan on playing Diablo3 and have ocrosoft word, aswell as Internet explorer, and Photoshop open at once… Then you need a good processor… Other then that Upgrading your Graphics card is the best solution to running your games at a higher fps!

NATASHA A

For gaming, the video card is critical, more important than anything else. That said, your 2Gb of ram is a bit low as well, that will cause system paging, which slows down the entire syste. However, once a game is loaded, the video card is the prime determination as to how well any game plays.

Adrian

Your stuck getting a newer CPU like an i3 etc. New motherboard, ram, graphics, power supply. Completely new tower basically. Focus on more ram and an SSD would give you more power.

Kenneth