New GPU, lower FPS

Here is my current setup:
AMD Phenom II 965 black
8GB RAM
Fortron 550W
Motherboard unknown
I previously used an HD 4870, but I swapped it out for an XFX R9 270.
After installing the 14.12 Omega drivers, the only noticeable change is that I can finally run DirectX 9 titles, though my FPS in older games has actually dropped.
What is the solution here?
Thanks

Which older games were you seeing those FPS drops in?

Battlefield 4, NBA 2K14

When you were installing those new drivers, did you go for a clean install? I mean, did you wipe out all the traces of the old ones before running the new version?

Personally, whenever I need to scrub old graphics drivers off my system, I just use DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller).
http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/...-download.html

Not yet. I'm going to give it a shot; if it works, the first round of beers is on me.

The exact same situation

So, just to be clear: you wiped the old drivers, installed the latest ones, and now your FPS is actually dropping in older titles?

As a long shot, try installing a fresh dx 9 package

You should also keep an eye on your temperatures—specifically the CPU and GPU. It’s possible something is overheating and causing thermal throttling. I’d recommend downloading OCCT; it has built-in stress tests for both the CPU and GPU, plus solid monitoring for temps and clock speeds (at least for the CPU). Ideally, your CPU shouldn't be climbing past 62°C, and for the GPU, hitting around 80°C during a stress test isn't too bad.

The graph shows roughly 80, while the CPU is running up to 70

Does your clock speed drop when you're under load (if it's not overclocked at 3400MHz, does it dip lower)?
Generally speaking, a CPU like yours requires an aftermarket cooler. It might not be the direct cause of your specific issue, but using a stock cooler on a 125W chip is asking for trouble—you really need at least this
.
Keep in mind that temperatures are also influenced by your case airflow and the ambient temperature of the room. Your GPU looks fine considering it's running a stress test; in actual gaming, you probably won't even see it hit 70C.

I’ve added an aftermarket cooler, and while the temps look fine on paper, the system is still acting up. I suspect a clean OS reinstall would fix everything, but honestly, I just don't have the energy for such a massive undertaking right now.

Have you tried installing DirectX 9 yet?
Look, if your CPU is hitting 70°C even with an aftermarket cooler, something is definitely off. It’s like trying to run a marathon in heavy boots—it just doesn't work. Either it’s high time for a fresh application of thermal paste, or that cooler you're using is underperforming, basically acting like a basic stock cooler

What are the odds your CPU is just way too weak for that GPU?

Price for this CPU:
AMD Phenom II 965 black
Max operating temp stays between 55°C - 62°C

Everyone keeps saying BF4 is a massive CPU hog, and honestly, they aren't wrong—sometimes a faster processor does way more for your frame rates than a beefier GPU. You really need to check which motherboard you're running. If you've got an older board, there's a chance you're dealing with one of those models that "allowed" support for newer AMD AM2+ and AM3 chips like the Athlon II or Phenom II by using a modified AM2 socket without actually changing the board's architecture. Basically, you can shove a newer CPU into it, but it ends up communicating with the rest of the system at the speed of the old bus. It doesn't slow down the CPU itself, but it creates a bottleneck in communication, which kills your overall performance. That’s exactly why AMD put out warnings for these specific boards:

"(Note) If you install AMD AM2+ CPU on AM2 motherbord, the system bus speed will downgrade from HyperTransport 3.0(5200MHz) to HT1.0(2000 MT/s) spec; however, the frequency of AM2+ CPU will not be impacted. Please refer "CPU Support List" for more information."

Take a look at your board; right near the CPU socket, you should see HyperTransport 3.0 printed in big, bold letters. If you see that, then I'm just rambling for nothing 😬 but if you don't find it, that's probably your problem 99% of the time.

He mentioned he used this CPU paired with a weaker GPU before, and apparently, he was getting higher fps in older titles. That’s definitely odd. As for BF4, he'll likely get better results by running it with Mantle instead of DirectX 9.

Like I touched on earlier—it’s entirely possible his CPU is hitting a critical temperature threshold, causing it to throttle. Once it starts underclocking to protect itself, performance just tanks. Given how old this CPU is, if he hasn't swapped out the thermal paste in years, it might be time for a fresh application or even a new cooler altogether.

Wait, which Fortron model are we talking about and how old is it? Honestly, a modern build might actually pull a tiny bit more power (maybe 10-20W) than the old one during a heavy load, so in some wild, unlikely scenario it might even force the CPU to underclock... 🤷

I find it hard to believe that power draw is the culprit here. His R9 270 is pulling roughly 120-130W under full load, whereas if I recall correctly, his old Radeon HD 4870 used to pull closer to 150W.

I was actually considering underclocking the CPU to address the thermal throttling issue.

Opinions are all over the place on this one. Some sources claim the R9 270 pulls less power than the Radeon HD 4870, while others say it actually hits 10-20W higher during peak loads. Honestly, the only thing we can be sure of is that the stuff hitting our local US retail shelves isn't always top-tier quality, so you never know what kind of luck you'll get with specific cards. That’s why I was asking which Fortron unit you're running and how old it is. My point was mostly theoretical—to get the real story, you'd need to measure both the PSU and the GPU directly. In my 30+ years messing around with hardware, I've learned that anything can happen...

Let's put it this way:
My Fortron unit is about two years old, just like everything else in this rig. The CPU cooler is performing fine, and I personally reapply thermal paste to both the GPU and the processor every three or four weeks. There isn't a single speck of dust in this case; as I mentioned before, I don't even own a vacuum cleaner. I am constantly monitoring the system. The motherboard specifies HyperTransport 3.0. If there is anything else you need to know, feel free to ask.
I think I'll just wipe my C: drive and call it a day.

Gregory Hayes87 said:GPU is hitting 80, CPU is around 70...

I’ve got an AMD Phenom II 965 Black Edition clocked at 3.4GHz with a liquid cooler... and my temps have never even touched 55 degrees... running the exact same browser tabs...

There's no need to keep swapping thermal paste at your current rate. Once you apply decent paste, it holds up for two years easy...