I have a PC that I got from someone else who built their PC and it is finally starting to show its age. Sometimes when I open applications, the frame rate drops.
I think it is using one of these currently, from 2014. https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/900-series/
I know that gfx cards have to be compatible with your Power Supply, and your PCI-E slot, but not sure what else I should know??
I would like to get something very compatible with Linux, Firefox, and Wayland, with lots of hardware codecs. Intel ARC?
How do you learn all this stuff?
Thanks, that would probably attract attention lol. I was looking at System Monitor when the stuttering happens and I didn’t see a big CPU spike, but I am at a loss.
# System Details Report (Copied from Ubuntu System Information) --- ## Report details - **Date generated:** 2026-02-05 12:03:11 ## Hardware Information: - **Hardware Model:** Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. Z77X-UD3H - **Memory:** 16.0 GiB - **Processor:** Intel® Core™ i7-3770K × 8 - **Graphics:** Intel® HD Graphics 4000 (IVB GT2) - **Graphics 1:** NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 - **Disk Capacity:** 128.0 GB ## Software Information: - **Firmware Version:** F20e - **OS Name:** Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS - **OS Build:** (null) - **OS Type:** 64-bit - **GNOME Version:** 46 - **Windowing System:** X11 - **Kernel Version:** Linux 6.14.0-37-genericEDIT:
3rd gen i7 platform will be your major bottleneck.
If the prices for ram weren’t insane right now I’d suggest a whole new build depending on what games you’re hoping to play.
Don’t go with ARC as it’s not compatible with that motherboard. You need resizable bar support and ideally an x8 pcie gen4 lane or better.
Since you’re rocking Linux I would suggest sticking to AMD graphics.
What PSU are you using and games/software would you like to run better?
The 980 is pretty good for most purposes outside of modern games.
I’d suggest a new SSD and redoing the thermal paste on the cpu. Clean up the dust too.
Thanks, I didn’t know that x8 pcie was a thing now… also resizable bar support – something else to research.
I cleaned up the dust and I haven’t noticed those “jerky cursor” problems for a bit, so hopefully that was it. It wasn’t even that much dust, so we’ll see how long 'til the system does it again. I am not trying to play any specific games, just trying to use the OS, file picker, etc., without lag.
The PSU is a Corsair TX750
I would like a linux desktop that “just works” ™ when I upgrade, but doesn’t have to play heavy games or pull heavy workloads. I thought a steam machine might be a decent choice for that, but hopefully this desktop has a few more years left in it.
Are you using the nvidia drivers and have your monitor connected to the gpu?
The 980 should be more than capable of a fully functional desktop experience, so after cleaning the dust it may have just been a heating issue.
I am using the nvidia proprietary drivers, and had to use
prime-selectto set them to default. I am guessing it was just a heating issue! It looks like I should add dusting it out to the regular preventative maintenance schedule. I am hoping to not have to mess with the thermal paste.I have two monitors set up – one is connected to the discrete gpu, the other is connected to the integrated gpu. They are both using DVI to HDMI cables.
It’s not always the utilization percentage that tells the whole story.
You’re a bit out of luck as far as upgrades go for that platform, but if you have 1 stick of RAM and get another one you’ll feel a difference.
All 4 slots are taken by DIMMs (is that the right term) unfortunately. 4 Memory Sticks.
Can you think of a way to identify what could be causing the system to thrash (? is that the right term)?
I did clean the dust out, and I haven’t noticed any problems since then. It wasn’t really that much dust. But maybe that was it!
Windows Update. If the thing was off for a while, expect windows update to cripple it until it’s satisfied.
Slow boot drive. If it’s an older SSD it might be kicking the bucket soon. Also, if your boot drive is over 90% usage you’ll definitely feel it.
RAM issues. Download RAMMon (free RAM checking tool) and let us know what you see
Thermals. If your CPU hits 90+ degrees then it’ll have to throttle down to save itself. Cleaning the dust helps a lot with that because dust is an insulator and traps heat in.
The drive is very full and old, so upgrading storage has got to be a priority.
Not sure how to measure thermals, but I will look for a way. There should be a CPU temp sensor at least.
I can test the ram with memtest86 which is already installed and post the results.
I don’t think it is Windows Update ;)