AMD Phenom II X2 555 BE computer build

[Guest]

So, seeing as the only game that I play is WoW (as of now) I decided that the dual core AMD Phenom II X2 555 BE is my best option, seeing as it only costs 100 dollars, and a newer, better chip will fit into the same Motherboard if i ever upgrade.

My question is, what type of motherboard would best allow me to overclock this chip (I read you can get it up to 3.9GHz) and also be SLI or CROSSFIRE capable, although dual PCI X16, while it would be nice, isn't necessary, dual PCI X8 is just fine unless the price difference in the mobo isn't very big (20-40 bucks).

This is the first comp i'll ever build and I'm not sure which brands of motherboards are best, or what exaclty is needed to make them capable of what I specified.

Also, as a side note, i've read that Nvidia cards actually perform better than ATI cards in WoW, but is there any known truth to this beyond 3-5 fps? And is 4gb of ram enough for WoW? considering the use of Add-ons can increase the load would it be better to just spend a little more at hit 6 or even 8gbs? Or rather than doubling the ram would i get a better performance increase by buying a SSD for roughly the same price, and just have WoW information and Windows installed on it, with everything else on the normal HD?

 

[batuchka]

For an even spread of games both not very and fully multi core optimised our very own forums have concluded as such:

So i would slot in a juicy Rana 440 for $76 and not worry about CF/SLI and depending on resolution/budget hit any of these cards

HD 4850
GTX 460
HD 5850

 

[Guest]

Thanks for bringing that processor to my attention, consider me switched. And SLI and Crossifre support isn't necessary at this point, just a nice bonus for future upgrades so i won't have to change out the motherboard.

And i'm going to stick with just 4gigs of ram at this point, and leave the option to grab a SSD if performance isn't where i want it.

 

[asteldian]

The SSD will help with load times but it won't be of real benefit for actual gaming performance.

Good choice on the RANA x3 440, it's a great chip

 

[Guest]

One thing i forgot to consider was the power supply. How many watts do i need for non-sli video cards and how much if i do use sli or crossfire?

 

[Guest]

Best answer selected by osburnjb.