Completely new build for WoW only

[Erghast]

Hey, this is the first time I have ever attempted to build a PC rather than buy a pre-built.

I have a case that has been sitting around for a while: Coolermaster HAF X

The rest is a mystery to me as every guide and walk through has their own spin on the best options and I am looking for a machine specifically for playing WoW and maybe Diablo 3.

I was hoping to get away with an I3 processor and around 16gb of ram to save money on the processor, ram is cheap.

The machine needs to play wow smoothly at a resolution of around 1900x1200, I would like to save cash where possible and leave the build open to further enhancements.

I realise a lot of people ask these sort of questions so I appreciate any help I can get.

[Artorius]

An i3 or Pentium is fine for wow. Then you can choose between using the iGPU and wait for the new cards or buying a gtx 950 / r9 380

[Lathais]

An i3 or Pentium is fine for wow. Then you can choose between using the iGPU and wait for the new cards or boying a gtx 950 / r9 380

At that level, with WoW being a consideration, the 950 is the better choice IMO.

[Deleted]

I was hoping to get away with an I3 processor and around 16gb of ram to save money on the processor, ram is cheap.

That's not how it works. WoW is almost entirely CPU dependant aslong as it's paired with an above mediocore card, and as for RAM you only need 8gb if you're solely building for it WoW, you will never even use the other 8gb.

I would suggest a 128GB SSD though for Windows and WoW since it speeds up loading times immensely.

[Lathais]

That's not how it works. WoW is almost entirely CPU dependant aslong as it's paired with an above mediocore card, and as for RAM you only need 8gb if you're solely building for it WoW, you will never even use the other 8gb.

I would suggest a 128GB SSD though for Windows and WoW since it speeds up loading times immensely.

While WoW is entirely CPU dependent, it does not care about additional cores that much. What it really cares about is IPC(Instructions per Cycle). There is not really a difference in IPC between the Pentium/i3/i5/i7 in the same generation. Main difference is Pentium=Dual Core, i3=Dual Core with HT, i5=Quad Core, i7=Quad Core with HT. The cores themselves though are basically the same and have the same IPC. As long as you are not doing a ton of multi-tasking, they will all perform pretty similarly in WoW, though in games that can make use of additional cores, like say Witcher 3, you will get less stuttering.