Dual-Core processor problems

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So I just got Spore, and it rocks, but there's one problem. The game's min specs specify a 2.0 GHz processor, and my 1.5 year old lap-top has a dual core processor rated at ~1.6 GHz. The game runs, but slow and buggy and it tends to freeze; plus, when I have my Task Manager up looking at performance while Spore is going, I notice that one processor is maxed out and the other is doing almost nothing. My question it twofold:

1.) Is it possible to get Spore to use both processors. From my limited knowledge of the conceptual basis behind the Spore programming, it seems like it would be a perfect candidate for parallel processing, but I'm not sure. I also seem to think that would require particular programming in that direction and I don't know if Spore was designed with that in mind.

2.) If the above isn't possible, how easy and costly would it be to upgrade to a 2.0 GHz processor or higher? Is it even possible on a lap-top? For reference, I'm using an HP Pavilion dv9000, and I'm also on a very tight budget. Is this a hopeless cause?

 

I second BTA's comment on the videocard.

As for your question, yes, it is possible to upgrade your laptop's CPU....but it takes a lot of work to disassemble the laptop enough to get to the CPU. If you're up for it, I recomend looking on a laptop-parts website to see what the fastest CPU your laptop can support... If you can, try buying the faster CPU directly from HP if you can.

 

The thing is, while graphics are slow, they aren't the real problem. The problem comes whenever it's loading anything. These loadings tend to cause lock-ups which I can only un-lock with Ctrl-Alt-Dlt (oddly, I can then hit cancel and it usually works), CTDs, or all-out freezes that require a hard reboot of my computer. Would that be because of a video-card problem? I admit I'm not too tech savy when it comes to electronics.

The other thing is that I can't change the video card on this thing.

 

To be honest, I'd be surprised if it was either of them.

Having a too slow CPU or GPU should at worst lead to things being slow and unenjoyable. I wouldnt expect crashes. What kind of GPU do you have? Buggy hardware or possible memory corruption would be my guess.

Your 1.6Ghz dual core CPU will be plenty powerful enough.

 

Well, other heavy games have been slow, and Sider Solitaire occasionally freezes the computer, but other than that I haven't had any problems in the past. I would think hardware would have been causing problems all along (plus, again, I probably can't do much about it).

If corrupted memory is the problem, how could I fix that? Also, is there any advice about utilizing both processors? As I said, one gets maxed out while the other hardly moves.

 

If an application isn't programed in a way to take advantage of more than one core, then there's nothing you can do about it.

 

My video card (GPU, right?) is an NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150. I just updated the driver and, while it did make gameplay smoother, there's still the lock-up and freeze problems.

I regularly defrag my computer and I just tried disk cleanup.

 

Got it working! Thanks for all the help, guys. Yes, BT, the problem was the video card or, more specifically, the driver. Apparently Spore takes issue with just about all NVidia laptop drivers, but NVidia desktop card drivers (i.e. the supported ones) can run a laptop card without too much trouble. Of course, EA Help didn't help anyone on this, not even the people who were having trouble with 'supported' cards (this doesn't bode well for DA), but the community figured it out.

 

Those noble unpaid paladins. A big statue at every gamedeveloper's lawn is in order. Whit a brass plaque: for those who get our beta's to work.