Can the radeon hd 5450 be used to play WoW: Cataclysm?

[mozenwrath]

Hi,
I know the card isnt really top-notch. But since i'm on kinda tight budget, and i was getting this card for 30$, i was wondering if this card can run WoW:Cataclysm with at least better than medium settings. I have an i3 CPU.
Any help will be much appreciated

 

[mozenwrath]

Hi,
I know the card isnt really top-notch. But since i'm on kinda tight budget, and i was getting this card for 30$, i was wondering if this card can run WoW:Cataclysm with at least better than medium settings. I have an i3 CPU.
Any help will be much appreciated

Forgot to mention:
I'll be using a 20" Widescreen monitor and 4gb ram

 

[Supernova1138]

The size of your monitor is not important, what resolution you intend to play at is. The 5450 will indeed run the game, but if you are playing at a higher resolution like 1920x1080 I doubt you will be able to do better than medium settings. WoW isn't a demanding game at all, but it does need more GPU horsepower than a 5450 for high settings at higher resolutions.

If you want a recommendation for a better card, post full system specs, particularly what Power Supply you have. Also if you have a slimline case that will limit your choices significantly.

 

[mozenwrath]

I intend to play at 1680X1050. My full system config is Intel i3-540 3.06 GHz, 4gb ram, stock supply 450 W (came with the cabinet, have had no probs with the power supply, though havent really stretched it either), 7200rpm 500 gb seagate HDD, XFX ATI radeon 4540 (non-OC). The case is full ATX, and the only constraint is cash right now. I wont be able to afford more than a 100$ card right now.

My primary concern is the game framing while I am raiding. I can only lower the settings to the point it doesn't affect my game, because more raid leaders will kick me out if I say I couldnt see the fire. So my reframed question is:
Can I raid with this system config? Also, given a 100$ budget, what is the best upgrade i can make?

Thanks in advance

 

[billybobser]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102873


$99 after rebate.

Pretty much the best you can get for that money. (and it's no slouch, with that the card should smoke wow, unless they've added more terrible coding and effects since last I played)

The only issue being, that card may strain your powersupply (if it's a lesser brand). You can also look at the 6770, little less powerful, and uses less power, a bit more modern.

 

[mozenwrath]

Ok, after a LOT of research and thanks to y'all's advice, I have decided to invest in a new card.

I'm looking at either

GTX 460 (very good reviews, good OC capability, though I probably will have to get a new PSU when i do OC) I'm hoping it will also play Dawn of War2 at max settings at 1680x1050, and Diablo 3 when it comes out. I will have to stretch resources to get it.

OR..

GTS 450 (value for money, will play cataclysm at 1680X1050 very well) Should play DoW2 and D3 as well, though not at maxed settings. The best card for available money.

I know they are in completely different price ranges. My question is whether the GTX 460 will improve Cataclysm to justify the added expense (card+psu). Also, the new WoW expansion is also around the corner, so I would like to play that as well.

Please help me decide the pros and cons of these cards.

p.s. I'm a bit biased for nvidia because the game I'd be playing most of the time is WoW, which is supposed to perform better with nvidia.

 

[Supernova1138]

Either card will handle WoW well. If you really want maximum settings, definitely get the 460. The 460 will also be more capable with future games than the 450, so if you want to go without a GPU upgrade for a while, the 460 would be the better choice in the long term. WoW probably won't get much more demanding in the near future, but some other titles you may be interested in may get more demanding, and the GTS 450 will fall behind a lot sooner than the 460.

 

[mozenwrath]

Best answer selected by mozenwrath.

 

[Maziar]

This topic has been closed by Maziar