If everything else is at minimum, the game will run at minimum settings.
Andrew's explanation is accurate and the other posts make a good point with the video card.
Here is a routine you can do to get the absolute most from any PC system. Upgrade your hardware as much as possible and then do this to optimize your system:
0. Correct disk errors by running CheckDisk:
a. Start> Computer >select C Drive>Right Click C Drive>select "Properties">"Tools" > click "Check Now"> Select both boxes and click "Start".
b. This can take a long time, so let it complete (may take all night or longer. Be patient.)
1. Remove Malware from your PC (If there are no Anti-Virus or Anti-Malware programs, get good programs, AVG is a decent free Anti-Virus program and Malware Bytes is a good Anti-Malware program - see links below. Install Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware programs so you end up with one AV and one Anti-Malware).
a. Scan the whole system with the Anti-Virus & handle whatever found;
b. Scan the whole system with the Anti-Spyware & handle whatever found;
Make sure you scan the WHOLE PC.
2. Clean the Registry.
a. Check to see if there is a registry cleaner already on the system;
b. if none, get CCleaner (see links below)
c. Run the Registry cleaner till it finds and corrects all errors.
d. You can run the file cleaner to get rid of obsolete files (just check the files it selects to confirm you want to delete them).
e. Under "Tools", go to "Start Up" and look over the programs that launch at start up. You'll see a lot of programs that simply do not need to launch when you boot up your PC. Disable these and leave only the essential ones (if not sure, note down the program name and then try to open it up via Start-> All Programs. If not essential, disable them)
Note: Be careful with Registry Cleaners as there are many around and new ones come up all the time and some reportedly cause more damage than they help. Use a time-tested reliable one. CCleaner is one of the originals and is reliable, just leave it at default settings till you know what it will remove with each additional setting.
3. Now defragment the drive with a good third party program that will defrag your drive and keep it defragmented.
Fragmentation is basically broken-up pieces of files and free space randomly scattered all over your disk. The disk has to work a lot harder to save files in pieces and then to find them again and this really slows your computer down. It also wears out your disk, as the more the disk is used, the faster it wears out.
Basic defragmenting finds all the pieces of a file and puts them together. Windows has a basic built-in defrag tool, but it can be slow and you cannot use the PC while it is running (some users complain that it did not completely defrag their disks despite running all night).
a. Below is a Top 10 Reviews side-by-side comparison of the best defrag programs around:
b. Select a program and install a free trial. The better defrag programs are automatic. The gold medal winner in the above review can defrag while you use the PC and it will also prevent fragmentation (see the review). You can get a free trial of the gold medalist at the link below.
c. Defragment your disk drives.
Once this all is done, your PC will be in much better shape and should perform as best as it is capable of.
Good luck and let me know how this works out for you.
Bill R TechSpec
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