Is this worth the money?

[hbear1]

Ok so i been trying to find a CHEAP desktop that can run wow 25man raids at minimum details. I hated to raid on my warrior with low fps cuz i couldnt turn right run smoothly to places.

this for 610$
Processor ( [=== Quad Core ===] Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q8200 (4x 2.33GHz/4MB L2 Cache/1333FS )
Motherboard ( ASUS P5KPL-CM -- Intel G31 Chipset w/6-channels, Gb LAN, S-ATA 3Gb/s, USB 2.0, Single PCI-E MB )
Memory ( 4 GB [2 GB X2] DDR2-800 PC6400 Memory Module - Corsair-Value or Major Brand )
Video Card ( NVIDIA GeForce 9800GT - 1GB - Single Card )
Case Lighting ( None )
Power Supply ( 650 Watt -- Casegears ECO-Element 80 Plus Certificated High Efficiency Power Supply - SLI Ready )
Processor Cooling ( [Free Upgrade] INTEL Certified Liquid CPU Cooling System kit )
Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by ATI or NVIDIA )
Primary Hard Drive ( 500 GB HARD DRIVE -- 16M Cache, 7200 RPM, 3.0Gb/s - Single Drive )

im not good at picking out comp but i try to find a cheap one...
I was hoping under 500 lol

like is it good for the price?

[Caradinist]

It all looks more than sufficient enough to run 25 mans in minimum. So long as you dont run shadows, you could probably ultra detail everything else and it will still run fine.

[hbear1]

It all looks more than sufficient enough to run 25 mans in minimum. So long as you dont run shadows, you could probably ultra detail everything else and it will still run fine.

yeah i just founded out turning down shadow helps a lot... i love shadows makes everything looks so much cooler.

[Crimsonak]

It all looks more than sufficient enough to run 25 mans in minimum. So long as you dont run shadows, you could probably ultra detail everything else and it will still run fine.

I have that exact setup with less RAM and it runs everything in ultra with custom console commands for extra density and better character amabience and such and I never ever drop below 40fps.
A machine like that is somewhat overkill for 25man on minimum specs unless you're running like 6 million addons.

4 years ago I had a PC with a 256MB RADEON card and 1GB of RAM, and it ran wow slightly above minimum.
Granted additions have been made since in BC and in LK towards graphics and whats needed.
Not to the degree where you would need a 9800GT (Which is over £100 worth of card) to run something in minimum.

[hbear1]

Also one other question

Hard Drive wise.

320GB 7200 RPM vs 500GB 7200 RPM

does it realy matter for gaming?

cuz saving 9 bucks is alot for me lol ^_^ slowly goes down

[DruidFTW]

Also one other question

Hard Drive wise.

320GB 7200 RPM vs 500GB 7200 RPM

does it realy matter for gaming?

cuz saving 9 bucks is alot for me lol ^_^ slowly goes down

10-20 gb per game, not counting and movie downloads, you can fill up 500 gb pretty dam quick

[hbear1]

well i wont be playing other game much

Maybe these game only

Diablo2
Warcraft 3 FT
WoW

and i dont download movies on my comp anymore i just stream through icefilms.info realy good website if no one knows.

but like you think i need the 500 more than 320?

[Crimsonak]

Also one other question

Hard Drive wise.

320GB 7200 RPM vs 500GB 7200 RPM

does it realy matter for gaming?

cuz saving 9 bucks is alot for me lol ^_^ slowly goes down

You have to be doing some pretty disk intensive applications for it to be noticable about your revolution speed.
Gaming in WoW terms you'd be fine with a 7200rpm drive, since thats standard
(Edit: just noticed both the rpm's you listed are the same anyway. so nvm that XD I blame my eyesight)
I would go for the 500, by the time you fill that if you did, you would easily be able to afford an external or so if you needed the data on it.

[Imperfect]

hbear1:

May I ask where you're shopping for a computer? Maybe I can advise some parts. Where abouts do you live?

[hbear1]

virginia

im on ibuypower and the item is Weekly Special-A
i changed a few things like the the intel core to a quad intel core but the 8200

also if i do get this im gonna get window 7 for 30 dollars since im a student

[Chronok]

It depends how much money you are willing to spend, but if you're working to a tight budget and you only want a smooth framerate for a 25man raid regardless of graphical settings, focus your money on a good cpu and at least 3gb of ram (preferably 4) and don't worry too much about the rest.

WoW is very CPU-intensive, and a leap from an ati radeon 1900pro (256mb) to an Ati Radeon 4970 (1GB) made an insignificant amount of difference in fps compared to a simple 800mhz CPU overclock for my system:
Intel Quad Q6600
Intel P46 budget motherboard (keep meaning to replace it when I actually have money)
Ati Radeon 4970(1GB)
4GB PC2-6400
500gb 7200rpm HDD

Between now and approx 2.5 years ago, this cost me approx £750 odd to build from parts, which (taking into consideration that things in the UK are too fucking expensive compare to the US, even with the exchange rate) would probably cost about $800.
To give you a platform from which to gauge, this system can play wow at 1680x1080 resolution (windowed, no borders) while another screen is running at 1440x900 (this is important as dualscreens puts extra pressure on gfx output and ram) at highest graphics, (but with AA at 2x) at approx 50-60fps most places, and around 20-30fps in dalaran.
Intense 25man raids (with /console spelleffectlevel set to about 150) probably hit about 15fps at lowest.

If you dont care about graphics, you can probably save some money on the graphics card or maybe some ram (windows 7 doesnt use as much as vista did, so its safe to drop down to 3gb). If you do care about graphics and want the best you can afford, aim for above my system (a better mobo would be a start xD) but check to make sure you have a PSU(power supply unit) that not only has enough wattage to power the components, but a suitable charge on the 12v rails (anything less than 20A will cause crashes and system instability).

I realise that some of this may be a bit daunting (you don't seem too techie =P) but its very much worth checking out before you buy, even if you get a techie mate to help you out.

[Vindicated]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883229124

best deal i've found to date - i believe better than the one you're looking at for less - free windows 7

you're welcome

/thread

[hbear1]

which graphic card is better

NVIDIA GeForce 9800GT or the NVIDIA GeForce GT 220

i really hate low graphics and yeah it 30 dollars less actualy 60 dollars less forgot to include the window 7 i get for 30

[chaud]

Both of those are non optimal choices, right now you want a 4870 or 4890.

[hbear1]

Both of those are non optimal choices, right now you want a 4870 or 4890.

i heard ATI cards have weird fps problems i heard alot complaints that why i didnt choose anyone clarify this.

[Dedweight]

The system you chose should be more than fine for WoW, the graphics card is a somewhat older model but that's what happens when you buy with a strict budget.

Also one other question

Hard Drive wise.

320GB 7200 RPM vs 500GB 7200 RPM

does it realy matter for gaming?

cuz saving 9 bucks is alot for me lol ^_^ slowly goes down

As others mentioned it really depends on what else you do with the system, if all you do is play WoW and some basic schoolwork(essays and the like) a 320 GB drive would be fine, for video storage or other large files something in the range of 750GB or more would be preferred. You should be fine with the smaller drive and if you find you need more storage you can find some fairly inexpensive drives[Newegg.com has 1TB(1000GB) starting at around $80].

Both of those are non optimal choices, right now you want a 4870 or 4890.

Since the OP seems to be somewhat hardware illiterate I'd just like to mention these two suggestions are ATI Raedeon cards(should be obvious but it's worth specifying).