Decent World of Warcraft PC

processor-pro

Distinguished
Mar 12, 2011
72
0
18,660
Hello, :hello:

I need to build a computer for 500 hundred dollars that will play world of Warcraft good. This is for my cousin but I am building it for him. I have a 1700 dollar build so I know very little about budget pc's I don't want a computer that will barely make the cut but I don't want an overkill either.

Me, and him barely play any graphic intense games. We play mainly WoW, AoE, and minor RPG's. But he is barely pulling 30 fps with his current laptop. I came up with a build, and was wondering if he could turn the graphics on medium with it, and still get a solid 40-50 fps in WoW! Help me out here give me any feed back or estimates on FPS! :(


CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM3 $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103903
(I'm pretty sure WoW can Only use 2 cores, and it has a decent clock speed so it should be fast enough right?)

Motherboard: MSI AM3 AMD 770 USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard $90 ($80 with mail in rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130310
(It has the core un-locker, and was hoping to get this up to a triple, or even 4 core if possible)

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 ($50)
(we are going to be running XP so 4 gigabytes is going to be the max supported memory anyway)

GPU:XFX HD Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 ($115)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150448
(Anything more than this is an overkill for WoW isn't it?)

PSU:XFX Core Edition PRO450W SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply $55(45 with mail in rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207012

Case:NZXT Apollo Black SECC Steel Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ($90)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146025
(although it is expensive it is so attractive I want it!)

Optical: LG Dvd 24x burner ($20)

I went with an After market cooler cause people say the stock ones are crap so this is the one I have for my PC, and keeps it at Idle 32C for an I7 that's Impressive

XIGMATEK Intel Core i7 compatible Dark Knight $45 ($25 with mail in rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029

I have an old 5400rpm Hard drive with windows XP home that we are using for, an OS, and Storage 320 gigs

Now I know there are few things that can be changed like the case but for the most part i'm thinking it's a decent build for the money. For $520 you can't go wrong right? Any Suggestions on the specs?




 

jerreddredd

Distinguished
Mar 22, 2010
1,477
0
19,660
do you live near a micro center or a Fry's electronics?

if you aren't so attached to that case (I do like NZXT cases) here is a deal for you:

you should get a new HD and no trust the slower (older) one you have so I included it. also the HD 5770 is only only a little more $ and is a much better GPU. the combo has a much better CPU in it than you were looking at. for just a little more. you might even be able to unlock the additional processor cores in it and end up with an x4 at an x2 price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.611154
Antec One Hundred :$49.99
GIGABYTE GA-870A-UD3 :$104.99
Antec EA-500D Green :$59.99
AMD HDZ555WFGMBOX :$89.99
G.SKILL F3-10666CL9D-4GBNQ :$44.99
Combined Total:$349.95
Combo Discounts:-$31.96
Combo Price: $317.99

ADD GPU
SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100283VX-2L Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support ...
Item #: N82E16814102898
-$5.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$134.99
$129.99
Add HD
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822152181
$49.99
Add CD/DVD
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
Item #: N82E16827135204
$18.99
---------
$516.96 and a $20 mail-in rebate

I'll work on a solution that involves the NZXT case.....
 

imaurer269

Distinguished
Sep 16, 2010
392
0
18,860
The Athlon II X2's don't unlock need a Athlon II X3 or a Phenom II X2 or X3 for a chance to unlock cores. I would recommend something like this if u want that case and want to stay under $500:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146025 NZXT Apollo Black $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103886 AMD Athlon II X3 450 $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102873 SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5770 $140
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157176 ASRock M3A770DE AM3 AMD 770 ATX $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231396 G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) $40
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181 SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 500GB $50
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371023 Antec Basiq 430W $45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118039 Sony Optiarc Black $20

Total $525 plus shipping $13 for $538 but use promo codes: EMCKGHA25 EMCKGHA66 EMCKGHA92 and SAP57DS and you are at 497.71 shipped plus $35 in MIR. :)
 

jerreddredd

Distinguished
Mar 22, 2010
1,477
0
19,660
here is the Apollo build:

NZXT Apollo Black SECC Steel Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811146025
$89.99

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
Item #: N82E16827135204
$18.99

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822136073
-$10.00 Instant
$49.99
$39.99

GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813128451
-$5.00 Instant
$78.99
$73.99

SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100283VX-2L Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support ...
Item #: N82E16814102898
-$5.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$134.99
$129.99

CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 CMPSU-430CX 430W ATX12V Active PFC Power Supply
Item #: N82E16817139017
-$10.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$49.99
$39.99

Mushkin Enhanced Essentials 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
Item #: N82E16820146748
$39.99

AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto 3.2GHz Socket AM3 80W C3 Revision HDZ555WFGMBOX
Item #: N82E16819103846
$89.99
---------
$522.92 - $40 Mail-in Rebates + about $13 shipping from www.newegg.com to both east and west coasts.


The only upgrade I think you consider is +$10 for a bigger PSU the Corsair 430W will definately power the system, but it doesn't leave much room for upgrades and maybe OC'ing. I stay will quality PSU's Antec, Corsair, Seasonic stay away from no-name brands and Rosewill (will-fail)

CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 (CMPSU-500CX) 500W ATX12V v2.3 Active PFC Power Supply
N82E16817139018
$49.99
I think it has a $10 mail-in rebate also

I think this is your best solution.
good CPU for budget gaming
good GPu for budget gaming
quality PSU
good RAM
New HD
new DVD

hope this advice helps
 

jerreddredd

Distinguished
Mar 22, 2010
1,477
0
19,660

imaurer269

Distinguished
Sep 16, 2010
392
0
18,860
Yes is a chance on unlocking but I wouldn't count on it I have gone 0/6 on unlocking in the last 3 months, tried 2 Phenom 555's a 560 and three Athlon II X3's. Only one of the X3's would boot after turning on the ACC/UCC option and that one wasn't stable under load even after I pushed up the voltage and under clocked it. The 555 is a nice CPU even if you don't get unlucky and unlock I agree. Just have to decide if you want 2 or 3 guaranteed cores.
 

processor-pro

Distinguished
Mar 12, 2011
72
0
18,660
I see where you guys are going with the Athlon. I think i'm going with the Phenom ii x2
The power supply is actually really good if you look at the specs. It is "XFX" so it is not a no name brand, plus it's not exactly cheap either! From the reviews not very many people got bad ones. But I see what your saying I trust Corsair with my life I have there ram, SS-D's, H70, and 800D. But some reviews said the cheaper corsair ones were burning up, and my cousin is 13 (very spacey, and careless), and I don't want to be responsible for the burning down of his house, or worse case his death because he left his PC on for a month straight! XD

I was just wondering if that graphics card, with this CPU will Play World of Warcraft at a 1920:1080P on lower/mid graphics willel maintaining 40-60 frames per second.

 

processor-pro

Distinguished
Mar 12, 2011
72
0
18,660
This is a nice build, and will work good thanks this maybe the solution to our problem, although I may go with the XFX PSU. Do you play World of Warcraft do you think you could get me an estimate on fps on a 1920:1080p monitor. (I have only had a really cheap build, and a expensive build so I have no idea) Also That RAM is a bit cheap I may pay a bit more for some nice G.Skill. I am paying for it so $50 more is not a big deal! :D His laptop was giving him 10fps on low in Raids Considering he is a healer That is not good cause, a few good hit to me(being a warrior Tank) could kill me, and due to his lag he can't realize it in time (which has happened numerous times)
 

imaurer269

Distinguished
Sep 16, 2010
392
0
18,860


The 5770 should be ok but if you are worried and it sounds like you are the step up to the GTX 460 might be worth it here are a few benchmarks of the two cards from the new expansion

5770: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm-directx-11-performance,2793-3.html

460: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm-directx-11-performance,2793-5.html

The 460 is about 25 fps better than the 5770 @ 1920x1080 at ultra settings

Edit: also review about cpu performance: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm-directx-11-performance,2793-10.html

Might see better results from three cores than two
 

jerreddredd

Distinguished
Mar 22, 2010
1,477
0
19,660
I see where you guys are going with the Athlon. I think i'm going with the Phenom ii x2

I think you also initially chose an Athlon in your initial build.

Actually I chose a Phenom,X2 555 and imaurer26 an Athlon X3 450 both good cpu's. The Phenom x2 555 handles games better because of the 6 MB L3 Cache, the Athon x3 doesn't have a L3 cache, but its better at handling multi-threaded applications.


I think we answered this in both our builds we were unanimous:

SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100283VX-2L Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support ...
Item #: N82E16814102898
-$5.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$134.99
$129.99

the next step up would be a GTX 460 768Mb

Let me know how the XFX PSU turns out. XFX is not a name I associate with PSU's, so I would be interested in knowing how your experience goes. I didn't see a review for that particular model, but other models have good reviews, so go for it. if you get it @ new review it there after its been running a week or 2.

note: we also think you should get a new HD for the build, both of use suggested good HDs'
you also don't new a 3rd party Heat Sink, the stock one will be fine. if the fan gets too noisy you can replace it easily later with a quieter one.

good luck
 

processor-pro

Distinguished
Mar 12, 2011
72
0
18,660
Actually I chose a Phenom,X2 555 and imaurer26 an Athlon X3 450 both good cpu's. The Phenom x2 555 handles games better because of the 6 MB L3 Cache, the Athon x3 doesn't have a L3 cache, but its better at handling multi-threaded applications.
Sorry I got mixed up I meant I see where your going with the phenom, and I'm going with that. Thank you that was really helpful. If it were up to me I would choose a cheaper case. That GPU is a overkill so thank you for those benchmarks that is exactly what I needed I think i'm kinda modest so I didn't realize that you could get that much power on ultra setting. I thought that was only achievable with 6970's, or 580's but I was wrong! My build is running SLI dual 570's, and Wow only shows up to 60 fps, and I didn't do any benchmarking so now I know that I will be fine!

Question though If I get a new hard drive will I have to buy a new OS?
 

imaurer269

Distinguished
Sep 16, 2010
392
0
18,860
I haven't used a xfx psu before but they seem to get ok reviews, I have used 4-5 antec psu's and haven't had any problems ever. Other psu's I have had good luck so far with are corsair and ocz, both put in systems under 3 months old but no problems yet. I always go for a antec unless there is a way better deal on another decent brand name.
 

jerreddredd

Distinguished
Mar 22, 2010
1,477
0
19,660


I'm not sure I am follow which GPU is overkill? the 5770 is a solid recommendation. the 5750 would barely get by at 1920x1080 and after the mail-in rebate they are the same price.


Question though If I get a new hard drive will I have to buy a new OS?

do you have your XP install disc? If you put in a new MB, depending how old the original hardware was, it might not update correctly and you will have to do a re-install. you will need to slipstream at least SP1 if your XP disk is not already SP1, SP2 or 3 would better.

there are guides to installing new mb's without re-installing the OS just google it.

here is one, it seems to be on the right track:
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=1755&page=5


 

processor-pro

Distinguished
Mar 12, 2011
72
0
18,660


that may be good cause I need an OS too
 

processor-pro

Distinguished
Mar 12, 2011
72
0
18,660
Alright i'm done with all the BS so I came up with a final build this one includes a decent hard drive, and an OS. It is $650, and includes everything you could ever need to consider it a gaming PC! I want a little bit of feedback on the specs, but except for maybe a few hard ware tweaks i'm not gonna change much! lol (it's about time!) He better put in his coffin "This is in remembrance to my awesome cousin Alex who bought me a kick ass gaming computer when I could not afford one, and it is him I will miss the most."

CPU: AMD Phenom ii x2 BE $90

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard $73

RAM: PNY XLR8 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 $55

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive $45

Case:COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / Plastic Computer Case $50

I picked up a 4 pack of blue fans for extra cooling cause it only had a 120mm, and a 140 mm $10

GPU: PNY GTS Nvidia GeForce gtx 450 $120

PSU:COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus 500W ATX12V v2.3 Power Supply $45

Optical: Sony optriac $20

Fan Controller: I went with one because those cheap fan can get loud, and with 6 fan them being all the way turned up is not necessary. Sunbeam 6 channel $30

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811995016

Two washable fan filter for intake I hope to god he cleans it at least every couple of months! $5

OS: Windows 7 Home prenium

I took all of your ideas from all of you guys into consideration when designing this. So I thank you! :ange: So i'm guessing this will pull around 80 fps in WoW at 1920:1080 with everything on ultra I just tried to go with all good name brand parts, and this is what I came up with it seems pretty good any tweaks? I hope the power supply can power all these fans!
 

processor-pro

Distinguished
Mar 12, 2011
72
0
18,660
But I am going to go with that cooler it seems like it would actually exhaust better with a bottom mount PSU because of that fan it has on the back plus it's bronze certified(saves my money multiple ways) thanks I didn't even realize that it was 500 watts!