Graphics cards for World of Warcraft.

[jsc]

Friend of mine is a WoW junky. I am helping him build a new computer. He is planning on going with the i7 unless I can talk him into waiting for the i5's. Not the problem.

His old computer is a Pentium (D?) running at 3.00 GHz with a 512 MB G92 8800GTS. With video details on like medium high, when he goes someplace with lots of activity, his frame rates drop to like 1 - 2 fps.

Which works better with WoW, nVidia or ATI?

 

[obsidian86]

wow likes nvidia more with 5-10% over compareble ati cards

 

[JofaMang]

My 4870 512mb ate that game up with no problem (stock speed cpu at the time too, x3@2.6) with slight choppiness at only the most intensive regions of the game. That card is pretty cheap now, and will be a huge upgrade from an 8800gt. Just my 2 cents.

 

[overshocks]

wow likes nvidia more with 5-10% over compareble ati cards

source?

ati cards are cheaper and performs same/better than nvidia cards right now in general
get 4870 512mb or the 1gb version, i suggest 1gb version, more futureproof i guess.

 

[jsc]

You let him use that video card with that cpu and you call yourself a friend!!!

Not my fault. He had the computer when he showed up here. Check my location.

Whoops. It used to be in "More Information". Anyway, he's a new (relatively) company hire here in Saudi Arabia.

 

[jennyh]

Nvidia's do run the game a little bit better, at least before the last Catalyst they did.

My 4870 runs the game perfectly at 60fps on full settings however (actually my 4770 does, I tried without xfire), everywhere except Dalaran.

 

[dirtmountain]

Here's 2 different Graphic card benchmarks and a CPU benchmark for WoW WotLK.
GPU benchies.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/mainstream-cards-mmorpg_14.html#sect0

http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,689378/WoW-Wrath-of-the-Lich-King-Benchmarks-with-Ati-and-Nvidia-graphics-cards/Practice/

CPU benchies. (including 2 - i5 CPUs)
http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,693737/WoW-Wrath-of-the-Lich-King-CPU-benchmarks-with-Phenom-II-and-Core-i5/Practice/

WoW WotlK is optimized for duo core processors by default. You can change those settings to optimize tri-core, quad-core or quad with HT. Here's the WoW forum link with numerous blue posts about how to do it. It starts out slow back in 2007, but quickly becomes current with i7 CPUs.

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=1778017311&ST=US-2827325-LXWTbKxu4bk0WfXlatDdUhFvjhwnNYFhfHk&rhtml=true

 

[jsc]

He decided on an i7, GA-X58 motherboard, and a 4870. If he thinks he needs it, he will get another 4870 later.

dirtmountain, thanks especially for the processor link.