PC Search Help

[shokter]

Until recently I thought I would need to purchase a laptop to replace my current one, but as circumstances have changed I am now able to save money and hopefully get better performance by getting a desktop. I know little of these things so I need some help if anyone has a spare moment.

I hope be able to run Cata on at least medium settings. My chief concerns are to be able to have view distance up and projected textures on...and get playable FPS in larger BGs and WG/Tol Barad, and raids (on my current craptop enemies in wg often don't even load in to my screen before I am dead if I'm in a highly contested area of the map aka sunken ring). I've begun looking and have question about specs...

PROCESSOR & GRAPHICS CARD AMD Phenom™ II X6 1035T + ATI Radeon HD 5450 1GB
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64Bit
MEMORY 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz- 2 DIMMs
HARD DRIVE 1TB - 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache

Would something like this cut the mustard? Is there anything else I should focus on in my search?

Cheers

[Cilraaz]

In that build, you're looking at a weak GPU and a CPU with poor gaming performance. "Downgrade" your CPU to something like a Phenom II x4 965 and upgrade your GPU. Also, if you plan to overclock at all, you will want faster RAM (1600MHz or better).

[shokter]

Thanks for the reply. I am fairly ignorant when it comes to computers. Just to make sure I understand correctly...you recommend I look for a slightly less powerful processor and a better video card?
As for overclocking...I'd say probably not (i had to look it up to see what it was...just to give you an idea of what level of computer knowledge I'm coming from). Is this something I should definitely look into? If I'm not overclocking would ~1300 MHz be acceptable or would I be well served to go a bit higher?

It's slightly difficult since Cata sys req. have not been released, and even when they do they are subject to change, but I'm basically looking for a push in the right direction in order to get a machine that can run WoW reasonably well. I am not a hardcore gamer by any means...but it would be nice to have more playable FPS in high population BGs and raids.

[Dethh]

The 6 core processor you have listed is actually slower than the 4 core for gaming purposes. It's also more expensive so you can take the money you save here and get a better video card.

[shokter]

The 6 core processor you have listed is actually slower than the 4 core for gaming purposes. It's also more expensive so you can take the money you save here and get a better video card.

Hrm. I must admit here that my general tech ignorance is basically locking me into a manufacturer that sells pre-built machines. Dell, for example, allows some customization in purchasing but for some reason does not offer a build with a lesser processor than the one listed (they do however offer better vid cards...next step up being the ATI Radeon HD 5670). Does anyone have feedback for a computer nublet such as myself as where to go to get the best bang for my buck within the constraints of a pre-built computer manufacturer?

[RoboHippo]

CPU: WoW requires relatively little CPU power, so I wouldn't be overly concerned with that (a Core 2 Duo or Athlon II x2 will run it admirably). I'd recommend any of the following:
For AMD:
-Phenom II x4, as mentioned by Cilraaz. Go for the Black Edition, if you'd like some longevity.
For Intel:
-A high-end i3 processor
-Any i5 processor

RAM: 4GB (be sure it's DDR3) is great. You can always add more, but you likely won't need it.

GPU: Honestly, for WoW, the graphics card you listed seems perfectly adequate. The 5000 series is their top-tier consumer line at the moment, and a #450 usually means "pretty decent". Something in the 5600's would be preferable, however. My desktop has a 5870, and I know for a fact that it would run WoW at max settings twice, with no lag.

Hard Drive: Obviously, size is a non-issue. The speed on the one you listed is quite good. Look for specs similar to that.

If the system you listed is a total bargain, and you're not overly concerned about epic level settings, I'd say go for it. I have a Thuban (same tier as the 1035t) CPU as well, and it has yet to let me down.

[shokter]

Thanks everyone for the help. I've been looking around a bit more and trying to find some value deals...
1 thing i found included an AMD Athlon(TM) X4 635 quad-core processor [2.9GHz, 2MB L2, up to 4000MHz bus] and 1.5GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 230 [DVI, HDMI, VGA] graphics card...are these decent options for me would you say?

[vesseblah]

CPU: WoW requires relatively little CPU power, so I wouldn't be overly concerned with that (a Core 2 Duo or Athlon II x2 will run it admirably).

Ignore the bad advice given above.

You can do questing and five-mans on any $400 supermarket computer, but if you want the game to not lag while aoe'ing away in 25-man raids, raw CPU power is the most important thing for WoW. Computer with AthlonII x2 and your Radeon 5870 card will hit you with wonderful 10-15fps, while PhenomII 965 & Radeon 4750 card can do 30-40fps.

6-core Phenoms suck for WoW and gaming because of the lower clock frequency, number of cores does not help at all. x6 1055 runs at 2.8GHz vs x4 965's 3.4GHz straight out of the box. 22% faster raw clock speed in 965 model means 22% more speed for WoW, and the 965 even costs $100 less. Multiple cores are good for desktop use up until 3-4, but anything more (like 6 for example) is wasted unless the primary use of that computer is something math heavy that will use all cores on regular basis.

---------- Post added 2010-09-12 at 10:37 AM ----------

1 thing i found included an AMD Athlon(TM) X4 635 quad-core processor [2.9GHz, 2MB L2, up to 4000MHz bus] and 1.5GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 230 [DVI, HDMI, VGA] graphics card...are these decent options for me would you say?

Compared to the original setup, drop Phenom x6 1055 and switch it to x4 955 instead. Then up the graphics card from radeon 5450 to 5670. These changes should keep the pricetag almost exactly the same within the difference of a sixpack. You'll gain more speed for WoW and all other games as well compared to your original list and the list I quoted above here.

---------- Post added 2010-09-12 at 10:38 AM ----------

AthlonII sucks badly for gaming because of the missing L3 cache. The biggest slowdown in current processors happen because they need to look for something from memory. More cache means less lookups to slow system memory, which means more speed.

[Dethh]

Try looking here http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

[shokter]

Try looking here http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

Thanks this is exactly the type of site I needed. I played around with some of the cheaper options and this is one prospective build I came up with:

* CPU: AMD Phenom™II X4 965 Black Edition Quad-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology
* HDD: 1TB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Hard Drive)
* MEMORY: 4GB (2GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory Module (Corsair or Major Brand)
* MOTHERBOARD: Asus M4A78LT-M LE AM3 DDR3 AMD 760G/SB710 Chipset DDR3 mATX w/ Integrated ATI Radeon 3000, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB2.0, SATA-II RAID, 1 Gen2 PCIe, 1 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI
* SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
* VIDEO: ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB GDDR5 16X PCIe Video Card (Major Brand Powered by ATI)

Does anything here glaringly stand out as a poor choice? Am I missing any essentials?

Also I am wondering about all the various cooling options and extra fans and what not. Is this something I should concern myself with for a PC like this?

[Deleted]

You could get a X4 955 instead of a 965 and overclock it to 3.4GHz so it's exactly the same. If you don't plan to, this setup looks good.

[Cilraaz]

CPU: WoW requires relatively little CPU power, so I wouldn't be overly concerned with that (a Core 2 Duo or Athlon II x2 will run it admirably).

You have only a few posts. All have been filled with mis-information. Your thoughts on CPU requirements in WoW are blatantly incorrect. WoW is a CPU hog. Crappy CPUs like a Core 2 Duo or Athlon II will not run WoW well in a 25-man raid scenario. Period.

Stop spreading mis-information.