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Beef7
join:2012-05-16
027054

Beef7

Member

Re: Will MoP require a more powerful machine to play it?

thanks for all the feedback guys! lots to think about!

I know for Tera CPU > GPU

What about for WoW?

Krisnatharok
PC Builder, Gamer
Premium Member
join:2009-02-11
Earth Orbit

1 edit

Krisnatharok

Premium Member

said by Beef7:

thanks for all the feedback guys! lots to think about!

I know for Tera CPU > GPU

What about for WoW?

That's an oversimplification. I can't add much beyond it, but think of it this way:

There is a CPU threshold, below which a better GPU will not help you at all, but any relatively recent (in the past 2-3 years) quad-core CPU at 3 GHz or higher should meet that threshold, beyond which you won't see a faster CPU help any, but will see the benefit of a better GPU.

That said, on the other extreme, there is also a GPU threshold, below which a beefier CPU won't help. That's probably below the Nvidia _40 or Radeon _770's.

In that sense

CPU>GPU where CPU < 3.0 GHz x 4 cores & GPU =/> GTX _40 or Radeon _770
 

However, this is just me spit-balling based on the relative power of GPUs and CPUs.

That said, it's better to make sure your CPU meets the minimum specs and dump everything into your GPU. Said another way:

Assuming your GPU and CPU meet minimum specs, your stat weights are:
GPU beyond GTX _40/Radeon _770 > SSD > CPU beyond 3.0 GHz quad core > more than 8GB ram > HDD 7200rpm.
 

Anyone care to disagree or refine?

Edit: DSLR doesn't like pseudo code.

Beef7
join:2012-05-16
027054

Beef7

Member

I don't have time to build/research my own system. Since it would be my first time. and can't risk things not working after time/money put into it

Can you recommend a site for getting a beast/good-deal pre-built system? (my first thoughts are dell, newegg and tigerdirect)

Goldheart
join:2002-06-09
Las Cruces, NM

Goldheart to cymraeg

Member

to cymraeg
said by cymraeg:

is Win 8 less demanding than 7, as far as drive space and what not ?

I believe it uses a bit more drive space but is roughly 15% better performing than Windows 7 or so I have heard.
cymraeg
Thread Killer
Premium Member
join:2011-06-07
Dodge, NE

cymraeg

Premium Member

hmmmmm i only have like 30g left on that partition, might move some stuff to the other side and make some room, thanks Gold

Suniojii
join:2009-10-31
Lakeside, CA

Suniojii to Beef7

Member

to Beef7
said by Beef7:

I don't have time to build/research my own system. Since it would be my first time. and can't risk things not working after time/money put into it

Can you recommend a site for getting a beast/good-deal pre-built system? (my first thoughts are dell, newegg and tigerdirect)

I've used Ibuypower twice now. I have never had a problem with customer service and their systems are pretty reasonably priced.

JB9
Stay Gold
Premium Member
join:2009-05-14

JB9 to cymraeg

Premium Member

to cymraeg
said by cymraeg:

hmmmmm i only have like 30g left on that partition, might move some stuff to the other side and make some room, thanks Gold

Windows 8 is garbage, it really is made for tablets. If you want to monkey around with it, throw it on a VM. Making a separate partition for it is not the brightest idea.

Beef7
join:2012-05-16
027054

Beef7

Member

Can WoW run on Ubuntu?

Ubuntu + Open office FTW

Nick D
Premium Member
join:2010-02-04
Orange, CA

Nick D

Premium Member

WoW traditionally works very well with Wine. I played that way in Wrath for a bit.

That being said, it's not officially supported, and people running Diablo III in Wine just got a fairly blanket ban.

So, take your chances.

EDIT: Slashdot article: »games.slashdot.org/story ··· -servers

EDIT AGAIN: and reading comments in the article, this could just be FUD and hackers/botters for RMAH making excuses?

Whatever. WoW and Wine do work fairly well, and its got some well documented setup instructions online. Have at it.

Krisnatharok
PC Builder, Gamer
Premium Member
join:2009-02-11
Earth Orbit

Krisnatharok to Beef7

Premium Member

to Beef7
said by Beef7:

I don't have time to build/research my own system. Since it would be my first time. and can't risk things not working after time/money put into it

Can you recommend a site for getting a beast/good-deal pre-built system? (my first thoughts are dell, newegg and tigerdirect)

I'll second iBuypower, but for desktop you can't go wrong by building. Component manufacturer forums are more helpful and warranties on individual components are usually longer.

shinjuru

join:2000-10-29
West Coast

shinjuru to Beef7

to Beef7
Apparently, the specs were originally posted on Reddit before being reposted by MMO Champion.
said by MMO Champion :

Minimum Requirements

•Dual core CPU, up from a single core at 1.4 Ghz. It looks like it may mention a Intel Pentium D rather than Intel Pentium 4.
•2GB RAM (or 1GB for Windows XP), up from 1GB RAM.
•The X1800 Pro (2005) is now the minimum required GPU, up from the 9500 (2002), which may no longer be supported.
•The GeForce FX 5000 series (2003) also has been dropped from the minimum requirements, replaced by the 6800 (2004).
•The minimum hard drive space is still 25GB.
•The minimum resolution is 1024x768.

Recommended Specifications

•4GB RAM, up from 2GB.
•64bit Windows 7, up from 64bit Windows Vista/7.
•Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2, up from the Intel Pentium D.
•Nvidia 8800GT, up from the 8600.
•AMD 4830 512MB, up from the 2600.


Venom14
join:2011-10-21
Augusta, GA

Venom14 to Beef7

Member

to Beef7
said by Beef7:

I don't have time to build/research my own system. Since it would be my first time. and can't risk things not working after time/money put into it

Can you recommend a site for getting a beast/good-deal pre-built system? (my first thoughts are dell, newegg and tigerdirect)

i dont mean to come off as condescending, so if I do, I'm sorry. I built my first system in iraq, with the help of google, and PC Gamer (You could add youtube to that list) just to spite some geeks that said I couldn't/shouldn't do it. Last months issue was an awesome "Do this to build and set up your PC to be awesome at playing games." It really was a step by step walk through with pics of putting together your comp.

The time issue is something different. I don't know what your usual play time is like, but I'd venture so far as to say you play for at least 1 hour or more straight. It would take about that long if everything goes smoothly to get the hardware assembled, and through the initial install of the OS. Any updates would take longer.

I remember grounding myself to the chassis every 20 seconds, and being terrified to plug the power supply to the wall. Hoping there were no explosions when I turned on the main power to the box, then holding my breath when I actually powered on the system. It felt like forever for the BIOS to run the POST... /sigh memories. In the end it ran like a champ, and out performed every "gaming laptop" my friends had at the time. And because it was a PC, I could clean it out easier than the laptops (I didn't need to buy a new machine at the end of the deployment).

TL:DR Dont be scared. Just take your time and don't force anything. The PC building experience is, in and of itself, a very rewarding one. What's better than pwning some noobs on a machine you built with your own two hands?

drew
Radiant
Premium Member
join:2002-07-10
Port Orchard, WA

drew

Premium Member

I'll say that as a guy whose built PCs for the last fifteen years... it's rewarding but a giant PITA when parts are DOA, there's some nonsense problem with RAM CAS timings between that board, cpu and ram combo and the only fix is to down-clock the ram or whatever.

Krisnatharok
PC Builder, Gamer
Premium Member
join:2009-02-11
Earth Orbit

Krisnatharok to Venom14

Premium Member

to Venom14
Maximum PC is the best magazine I've encountered for learning about the hardware aspect of building computers. Other mainstream magazines like PC World no longer perform independent critical reviews and sound more like a product's selling points instead of actual critique.

Goldheart
join:2002-06-09
Las Cruces, NM

Goldheart to drew

Member

to drew
said by drew:

I'll say that as a guy whose built PCs for the last fifteen years... it's rewarding but a giant PITA when parts are DOA, there's some nonsense problem with RAM CAS timings between that board, cpu and ram combo and the only fix is to down-clock the ram or whatever.

Youngster!

drew
Radiant
Premium Member
join:2002-07-10
Port Orchard, WA

drew

Premium Member

Sorry, I didn't want to start talking about setting up autoexec.bat and config.sys since that's not relevant any longer. Plug-and-play has made BYO computer significantly easier.

DarkLogix
Texan and Proud
Premium Member
join:2008-10-23
Baytown, TX

DarkLogix to Venom14

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to Venom14
BTW as far as not plugging in the powersupply to wall power goes

Personally if the PS has a hardware switch on it I flip that off then connect the cord (so that earth ground and ground are linked) but only after the PS is connected to the mobo.

Beef7
join:2012-05-16
027054

1 edit

Beef7

Member

This is the system I am looking at:

Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz, 6MB Cache
8GB DDR3 SDRAM
1TB SATA hd
24x DVD-RW
10/100Mbps Ethernet
NVIDIA GTX 550Ti Graphics 1 GB
Windows 7
600W power supply
Normal fan cooling

For $800, prebuilt

any feedback would be appreciated.

Is an i7 worth it in the long run or no? (meaning will Titan ever use 8 threads?)

Goldheart
join:2002-06-09
Las Cruces, NM

Goldheart

Member

said by Beef7:

This is the system I am looking at:

Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz, 6MB Cache
8GB DDR3 SDRAM
1TB SATA hd
24x DVD-RW
10/100Mbps Ethernet
NVIDIA GTX 550Ti Graphics 1 GB
Windows 7
600W power supply
Normal fan cooling

For $800, prebuilt

any feedback would be appreciated.

Is an i7 worth it in the long run or no? (meaning will Titan ever use 8 threads?)

With the possible exception of the video card that system should be plenty of power for WoW and Titan. Will be fine for WoW.

As far as gaming goes there is little noticeable difference between an i5 and an i7 at the same clock speed. On CPU limited games you might see a few fps difference.

Beef7
join:2012-05-16
027054

Beef7

Member

Found another 2 systems for consideration:

#1 - prebuilt, medium tower, i5-2500K, AMD HD 6850, $720

#2 - prebuilt, small tower, i5-2380P, NVIDIA GTX 560, $720

everything else between the 2 is equal, both include windows 7 64 bit home

which system is the better deal?

Goldheart
join:2002-06-09
Las Cruces, NM

Goldheart

Member

said by Beef7:

Found another 2 systems for consideration:

#1 - prebuilt, medium tower, i5-2500K, AMD HD 6850, $720

#2 - prebuilt, small tower, i5-2380P, NVIDIA GTX 560, $720

everything else between the 2 is equal, both include windows 7 64 bit home

which system is the better deal?

i5-2500K is the better processor. GTX 560 is the better video card. Tough choice. I'd say go with the better video card.
cymraeg
Thread Killer
Premium Member
join:2011-06-07
Dodge, NE

cymraeg

Premium Member

for 720 bucks couldnt you build one as good if not better than that?

wopatoolie
@sbcglobal.net

wopatoolie to Beef7

Anon

to Beef7
no, i play the beta on the same piece of sh*t i play live with, nothings going to change. but with all the changes from cata to mop, you might want to see what its like on ptr before you even decide to buy mop. other than the new pandaren area, i think the changes are garbage. ill continue to let blizz take my money til my ap is up, but after that my continuing to play this is completely up in the air, im not impressed in the slightest w the next expansion.

Phantasee
join:2009-08-27
Hammond, LA

Phantasee to Beef7

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to Beef7
I am not sure if Beta is any indication since it's beta. But the weakest rig in my house is as follows and runs MoP Beta well.

Phenom X2 @ 3Ghz
3gb DDr2
Nvidia GTS 250 1Gb DDR3
OCZ 600w PSU
Windows 7 32-bit
7200 rpm junk
1680x1050 res

about medium settings. Some on high. Shadows on fair. Good clip plane.

McBrain
BRB Face Melting
join:2010-05-06
Marietta, GA

2 edits

McBrain

Member

I'm about to PCS to Okinawa, and figure I could use some of the moving allowances and per diem to upgrade my rig (I'm looking at clearing $5k after paying 3 months of the mortgage before leaving). I'm going to basically completely rebuild it, salvaging a couple things from the old one; DVD drive, hard disk, and case.

Problem is, I have limited knowledge in this field. I am confident that I can build the rig, but not confident in my ability to pick the most compatible components if that makes any sense. Anyway this is what I've been looking at:

Video Card:
»www.newegg.com/Product/P ··· 14130699

Power Supply:
»www.newegg.com/Product/P ··· 17703036

CPU:
»www.newegg.com/Product/P ··· 19115072

Motherboard:
»www.newegg.com/Product/P ··· 3128541R

Ram:
»www.newegg.com/Product/P ··· 20231428

Fan:
»www.newegg.com/Product/P ··· 35103065

SSD:
»www.newegg.com/Product/P ··· 20226236

$815 in total. I plan on transferring my OS to the SSD. I have all of the other ancillary components I need; mouse, keyboard, monitor, etc.

Here is what I use currently:
»www.newegg.com/Product/P ··· 83229159
Bought in January 2010.

I'll be putting this rig together in the next couple of months.
Thoughts? Advice? Suggestions?
McBrain

McBrain to Beef7

Member

to Beef7
Oh yeah, I forgot to ask if anything else besides hard drive, DVD drive and case could be salvaged from my current rig. Justifying $800 to the wife will be tough for something that's "not even a whole computer" in her eyes. With that said, salvaging parts that don't effect performance too much would be my preferred way to save. I don't particularly want to downgrade performance, but if someone can point out parts that have better synergy and will equal or exceed what I have above for a similar price, of course I'm down with that.

Beef7
join:2012-05-16
027054

Beef7

Member

I'm not sure if this is common knowledge but I figured this out yesterday:

Current Dell Inspiron's come with 300W PSU

Current Dell XPS's come with 450W PSU

I was even contemplating buying a $600 i5 inspiron and swapping out the vodeo card... but I pretty much knew the PSU would be too small, but it was worth a shot!
Beef7

Beef7

Member

XPS's top out at HD 7770 GPU, which is pretty much garbage

I'm sure dell does it to push people into Alienware which is higher priced garbage... and the low end alienware is low profile garbage
Beef7

Beef7 to Venom14

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I just wish I knew someone IRL that could guide me through the process in person, so I don't fry everything and screw up bios or whatever, I'm scared I would blow $800 like a mad scientist in an experiment

the more and more I research this stuff, the more I realize that building your own is the way to go

it seems that the biggest thing that brings down the value of building your own rig, is buying the OS

that seems to close the gap between cost effectiveness of buying prebuilt vs. home made

Goldheart
join:2002-06-09
Las Cruces, NM

Goldheart to Beef7

Member

to Beef7
I've built thousands of machines over the years so feel free to ask any questions about system building.