Sapphire 68501GB not performing like it should. Help

So I have a concern about my new Sapphire 6850 1GB.

Backround:
I have WoW set on Ultra setting with 8x Multisampling @ 1280x1024 resolution in Windowed mode. I have my card hooked up to a 19" screen and a 22" screen via dual DVI output. WoW is being played on the 19" screen while I web surf/etc on the 22" screen.

Setup:
E6300 Core 2 Duo @ 1.8GHz stock
4gig DDR 2 Ram
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate

Problem
I bought the new video card expecting to run the above settings at 30+fps. I know WoW is more of CPU dependent game however I hoping the GPU would alleviate some of the load. I have GPU Observer by Orbm2k as a widget to monitor the fan RPM and GPU load and also the stock catalyst control center.
I noticed that the GPU is NOT constantly under load. It would jump from 0% to xx%(range varies from 30-100%) then jumps back down the 0% it would make the erratic jump once every 20 seconds or so and stay under load for 5 seconds.
GPU Temp: is constantly around 57 Degree C.
CPU load: 75-90%
CPU Temp: 54 Degree C

All of the above information are under load at the WoW settings mentioned.

a. My question is why is my wow running at 10-25 FPS? Did I attached my monitors incorrectly or setup the multidisplay incorrectly? I have the latest driver.

b. Is my system just too old to run at Ultra?

Do the changes in load occur when you click out of WoW?
I have never really played WoW, I know they've updated their graphics at least once, but they are not hugely advanced still anyway. Could be your C2D at 1.8GHz is holding it all back. Can you OC that?
Just throwing some ideas out there, I'm sure a more advanced individual or a WoW player will come along..

I stopped reading further when I got to your CPU.
E6300 at 1.8GHZ is a huge bottleneck for that card.

daku7 is right..

second reason you are having performance issues is that when using dual displays and a game running in window mode + browser. any time you open something that uses hardware acceleration it will automatically clock the card down to the hardware acceleration clocks instead of keeping the card at 3D clocks.

you can try using afterburner and try to change the 2D clocks so it stays in 3D clocks but i've never used the program so i can't help you with that.

dakU7 said:

I stopped reading further when I got to your CPU.
E6300 at 1.8GHZ is a huge bottleneck for that card.

Click to expand...

Yep. You're playing at a fairly low resolution and the CPU comes into play much more at lower res. Time for an upgrade.

Thank you, I'm glad to hear that the video card was not the issue in the system. I have upgraded to an i5 2500 with a GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD3-B3 .

the problem is the bottle neck with the cpu.

turn your shadow texture setting from ultra to high. that is the most CPU intensive setting. you will get almost double the FPS from changing that setting. if high doesnt do it turn it right now. also step down the mutli sampling a bit, to like 2x or 4x.

ultra in general is too high of a setting for that CPU, but id try the shadow settings first then adjust the others from there. ive played wow on shitty laptops with integrated video, its a game that can run on anything. you just cant run full everything on an aging CPU.

as said, old CPU, your new i5 should be much better..

when does it arrive?