Gaming Build for WoW

[rawrimmaeskimo]

Hey everyone! New user here but long time reader , I have recently thought of building my very first computer and would love some help. I dont know much about building but understand some basic stuff. My laptop just doesn't cut it anymore while playing WoW. I would like to build a new gaming rig for WoW and for the new MoP that is coming out later this year.


Approximate Purchase Date: Within a month

Budget Range: Would like to keep it under $800.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Photoshop, Streaming, Fraps.

Parts Not Required: Mouse, Speakers, I have a monitor but plan to upgrade so its a possibility.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I have been using Amazon, but newegg will work as well.

Country: USA, Georgia

Parts Preferences: Doesn't matter.

Overclocking: I dont know anything about overclocking so no

SLI or Crossfire: See above about overclocking

Monitor Resolution: My current resolution on my laptop is 1366x768. But I guess it depends on the monitor I get?

Additional Comments: I would like to play WoW atleast 50+ frames at all times on medium settings. Wouldn't mind going a bit higher on the settings but not necessary.


The parts I have found have basically been from a member called "zero__" I used his blog and basically the setups he had. But would love to get more input! Mainly would it run fine.


CPU
---------
Intel Core i5 Processor i5-2310 2.9GHz 6MB LGA1155 CPU (BX80623I52310)


Motherboard
------------------
Gigabyte Intel H77 LGA1155 AMD CrossFireX HDMI/DVI Dual UEFI BIOS mATX Motherboard GA-H77M-D3H

Memory
-----------
Samsung Electronics Extreme Low Voltage 30nm UDIMM 8 Dual Channel Kit DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM MV-3V4G3D/US

HDD
--------
Seagate Barracuda 7200 500 GB SATA 6.0 Gb-s 16 MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST500DM002

Drive
--------
Asus 24xDVD-RW Serial ATA Internal OEM Drive DRW-24B1ST (Black)

PSU
-------
Corsair Builder Series CX V2 500-Watt 80 Plus Certified Power Supply Compatible with Intel and AMD Platforms - CMPSU-500CXV2

Case
--------
NZXT Source 210 -Inch ELITE-Inch Midtower Case with 3.0 USB - Black

Graphics Card
--------------------
ASUS HD7850-DC2-2GD5 Radeon 2GB DDR5 VGA/DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort GPU Tweak Utilities PCI-Express 3.0 Graphics Card HD7850-DC2-2GD5


Monitor
------------
ASUS VH202T-P 20-Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black


I know with the monitor it puts me over $800 buts its okay. As you can tell I followed "zero__" 's build for $800 and I was just wondering if there are any changes I could make to keep it close to $800 but get more out of it. If not thats okay.

Thanks for taking the time to read and help me!

quick edit : forgot to include OS, I will also be purchasing win7.

 

[jmsellars1]

That all looks OK to me. If you want to save a bit of cash you could drop the GPU down to the HD 7770, the HD 7850 seems a bit overkill for WoW.

 

[ddan49]

CPU: If you're not going to overclock, go with an i5-2400. Overclocking is easy though, and I would recommend it. Tell me if you rethink it... it's not difficult or dangerous (as long as you don't go too far).

Mobo: jmsellars.. you didn't notice it was an AMD mobo? That motherboard isn't compatible with that CPU. Try an ASRock H61 motherboard if you're not going to overclock.

RAM: Your RAM is CAS11... I wouldn't suggest it. Try some G.Skill DDR3-1600 8GB 1.5v CAS9 RAM on newegg... Ripjaws or Vengeance

GPU: Fine.

Overall, this is kind of overkill for WoW (the 7850 can run BF3 on high or Max with no AA)... but it'll run any other games fine. Just don't get that motherboard.

 

[jmsellars1]

That motherboard is fine, it's socket 1155 not AMD. It's even H77 which means it's Ivy Bridge compatible.

 

[rawrimmaeskimo]

Thanks for the replies. Thats why I wanted to ask! I dont want to be buying parts that aren't compatible with each other. Also, you guys say its overkill? Would it allow me to stream and fraps and stay over say 50+ if not 60-70+ at all times?

The RAM, I also love Ripjaw and wanted to include it but wasn't sure at all. What do you think about Kingston? That was my 2nd choice.

As far as overclocking goes, I have no clue how to do it and dont really feel comfortable doing it unless I knew much more about it.

Also the motherboard, I will look at others if its not compatible, but I will just double check to make sure. I will look at that one you suggested as well.

 

[jmsellars1]

That motherboard is compatible. It is the right socket and is on the CPU support list for that board:

http://www.gigabyte.us/support-downloads/cpu-support-popup.aspx?pid=4143


The HD 7850 is great value for money and if you plan to play other more demanding games then go for it. If you're just playing WoW then I would say yes, it's overkill. If you're just playing WoW I'd grab the HD 7770. It should perform about the same as the GTX 460, I have that myself and play Skyrim on ultra high settings @ 1920x1200. FPS isn't ultra high but it's certainly playable at those settings.

 

[rawrimmaeskimo]

Thanks jmsellars1 , Is there any other build you could suggest that would save some money while also being able to play and stream / record at the same time?

I plan on playing medium - high settings and would like to keep the frames over 50+ while doing all that.

The only other game I would play would be Command and Conquer Generals 2 , when it comes out. But I would mainly use this computer just for WoW. Also, I noticed the resolution you pointed out, I'm not sure what I would play on since my monitor is 20 inch. Would I play on settings that high? Is it necessary to play on settings that high?

 

[ntrceptr]

With LCD monitors it's generally best to run at your monitors native resolution which is usually listed on the back of it.

 

[jmsellars1]

A 20'' monitor is most likely 1600x900 so a fairly low resolution by today's standards, this will make your FPS even higher by putting even less strain on the graphics card. The HD 7770 should be great. RTS games in general aren't very graphically demanding either, they tend to rely more on the processor.

This would be my choice for you:

(Prices from Newegg)

i5-3570K - around $220 when released next week
8GB G.Skill Ares 1333Mhz - $41.99
ASRock Z77 Pro3 LGA 1155 - $109.99
ASUS HD 7770 1GB - $139.99
Seagate Barracuda 500GB - $79.99
Antec EA-430D 430W - $39.99
NZXT Source 210 - $39.99
Samsung DVD Burner - $16.99

Total - ~$690


That CPU will be the best gaming CPU around and is also overclockable so in a couple of years when you feel like you need an upgrade, you could learn to overclock and get even longer out of it.

 

[rawrimmaeskimo]

Thanks ntrceptr, I read through some of the comments and the very first one listed it as 1600x900 , which is good enough for me coming from 1366x768. But since this computer is "overkill" for WoW, could you or someone else suggest other parts I could possibly switch out for to save some money?

Thanks!

 

[rawrimmaeskimo]

A 20'' monitor is most likely 1600x900 so a fairly low resolution by today's standards, this will make your FPS even higher by putting even less strain on the graphics card. The HD 7770 should be great. RTS games in general aren't very graphically demanding either, they tend to rely more on the processor.

This would be my choice for you:

(Prices from Newegg)

i5-3570K - around $220 when released next week
8GB G.Skill Ares 1333Mhz - $41.99
ASRock Z77 Pro3 LGA 1155 - $109.99
ASUS HD 7770 1GB - $139.99
Seagate Barracuda 500GB - $79.99
Antec EA-430D 430W - $39.99
NZXT Source 210 - $39.99
Samsung DVD Burner - $16.99

Total - ~$690


That CPU will be the best gaming CPU around and is also overclockable so in a couple of years when you feel like you need an upgrade, you could learn to overclock and get even longer out of it.

Oh thanks! I responded almost exactly when you did , but I am looking at the mobo and never heard of it. But if you can recommend something that will be awesome for gaming, then I will be sure to check it out and ask any questions I have about it. I noticed the PSU is only 430w? I was told by a friend to have atleast 500w? Or is 430 good enough and not needed for a CPU like this? Would I be able to find a benchmark?(I think) on how many frames I would be getting? I know with fraps and or streaming , my frames on my current laptop drop by 15-20.

Thanks again jmsellars1 , Just want to make sure I get the best bang for my buck ^_^

 

[ddan49]

Oh, yikes. Sorry about the motherboard... I saw AMD and immediately alarms went off.

Kingston RAM has a GREAT reputation (as well as Crucial).

I think that the build jmsellars1 suggested is great. Maybe an MSI Twin Frozr II OC instead of ASUS for the GPU manufacturer, and possibly switch to a GTX 560 Ti (to ensure you will play everything on high settings). I think the 7770 might be too much of a step down.

By the way, anything above 60fps doesn't make a difference in games unless you have a special monitor. The monitor itself only refreshes at 60 times per second! It's best to keep above 60fps at all times, though, due to vertical tearing and that kind of thing.

 

[jmsellars1]

The PSU required depends on the system. The max power usage for each component should be roughly:

CPU - 95W
MOBO/RAM/HDD/Fans - ~50W
HD 7770 - ~80W

Add another ~100W for overclocking and any headroom you might want and that brings you to around 320-350W. 430W is plenty.


With the HD 7770 on WoW at ultra high settings you are looking at ~45FPS with AA turned on or ~80FPS with it turned off.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7770-7750-benchmark,3135-10.html

 

[rawrimmaeskimo]

Oh, yikes. Sorry about the motherboard... I saw AMD and immediately alarms went off.

Kingston RAM has a GREAT reputation (as well as Crucial).

I think that the build jmsellars1 suggested is great. Maybe an MSI Twin Frozr II OC instead of ASUS for the GPU manufacturer, and possibly switch to a GTX 560 Ti (to ensure you will play everything on high settings). I think the 7770 might be too much of a step down.

By the way, anything above 60fps doesn't make a difference in games unless you have a special monitor. The monitor itself only refreshes at 60 times per second! It's best to keep above 60fps at all times, though, due to vertical tearing and that kind of thing.

Hehe, Yeah. I had Kingston RAM but decided not to include it. I was just reading about some of the things on the build jmsellars1 suggested. I like it alot, the only problem I have is with the PSU. Also , I will take a look at the GTX 560 Ti as well.

Also yeah the 60 fps , I have read it doesnt make a difference. But when I start to record / stream, my frames are bound to drop, which is why I would like to have something over 60 so when it does drop, it is still give or take around 60. Unless I'm thinking about it wrong?

 

[rawrimmaeskimo]

The PSU required depends on the system. The max power usage for each component should be roughly:

CPU - 95W
MOBO/RAM/HDD/Fans - ~50W
HD 7770 - ~80W

Add another ~100W for overclocking and any headroom you might want and that brings you to around 320-350W. 430W is plenty.


With the HD 7770 on WoW at ultra high settings you are looking at ~45FPS with AA turned on or ~80FPS with it turned off.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7770-7750-benchmark,3135-10.html

Okay, I dont want to sound like a "noob" but I'm not sure what AA is =/ I believe on my current laptop I have it turned off and the most frames I can get is like 20. That is standing outside in the middle of no where. You can imagine what it is like when I have a lot going on. I would be playing at Medium to High settings, so I think that card would be perfect if I decided i didn't need AA. I will always take into consideration though about what everyone suggest.

Thanks everyone for trying to help me and helping me, Any other suggestions? I dont believe I will need a wifi card as the modem is in my room. But if it came down to it, What kind of adapters do you suggest?

 

[pacioli]

Do not get the 7850 if you are playing WoW!
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7870-review-benchmark,3148-16.html
From the article, "Finally, we have to mention that the Radeon HD 7850 crashed over and over during testing, requiring far too many reboots before we were finally able to capture useable benchmark results."

Blizzard Games play better on Nvidia cards period. I play WoW on a GTX 560 Ti Maxed out on Ultra settings at 1920x 1080. I get 60 Fps all the time. During raids when things get the worst I've seen the fps drop as low as 52 fps. You can sit at the AH in org or SW all day and never go below 60 fps.

The rest of your build looks great.

 

[jmsellars1]

AA stands for Anti Aliasing. It means edges will be made to look smoother.

 

[ddan49]

You're fine. I don't think fraps does anything with the GPU, though... I'm pretty sure it only taxes the CPU. That's why I usually recommend a stronger CPU vs GPU (I mean... CPUs are always stronger than GPUs... an i5-2500k will not bottleneck any GPU on the market). I'd definitely recommend the GTX 560 Ti in that case, by the way. Just to be safe.

Now, the PSU... I used the eXtreme Outervision PSU calculator to calculate the wattage required. Basically, I went with a very taxing setup (meaning a high overclock with higher end components). I had a high-end mobo selected, i5-2500k as CPU, GTX 560 Ti, CPU overclocked to 4.0GHz at 1.4v, 2 sticks of DDR3 RAM, a 7200rpm HDD, DVD-RW/DVD+RW Drive, fan controller, 4 120mm fans, and 2 140mm fans. Total wattage? 464W. Because PSUs age and perform best at 80% of load, I would suggest at least a 550W PSU... try the Antec Continuous Stream 550W 80+ at newegg (one of the top rated). This would be optimal for your build.

 

[jmsellars1]

I'd just like to point out that the HD 7770 consumes ~70W less than the GTX 560Ti and I didn't include that many fans in my calculation so we are both correct.

 

[ddan49]

Do not get the 7850 if you are playing WoW!
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7870-review-benchmark,3148-16.html
From the article, "Finally, we have to mention that the Radeon HD 7850 crashed over and over during testing, requiring far too many reboots before we were finally able to capture useable benchmark results."

Blizzard Games play better on Nvidia cards period. I play WoW on a GTX 560 Ti Maxed out on Ultra settings at 1920x 1080. I get 60 Fps all the time. During raids when things get the worst I've seen the fps drop as low as 52 fps. You can sit at the AH in org or SW all day and never go below 60 fps.

The rest of your build looks great.

Incorrect. They had the reference version of the 7850...

All cards have these problems when they first start out. It's because of drivers. I can assure you that the NVidia 680 was crashing like a female dog when it was first released (or the drivers were first released). Since then, the problems have been resolved. I would still recommend the GTX 560 Ti, but... the AMD cards won't perform that much worse.

 

[ddan49]

I'd just like to point out that the HD 7770 consumes ~70W less than the GTX 560Ti and I didn't include that many fans in my calculation so we are both correct.

Yeah. Technically, a 500W PSU would be fine since it's over the recommended (not just minimum) with a very taxing setup. The thing is that I wanted to account for aging later on, so I added 50W. Also, the 20-80% zone is ideal to be in.

But you're still right. I'm just saying our two builds require different power requirements.

 

[rawrimmaeskimo]

Thanks everyone for the help, I believe I will go with the GTX 560 Ti, while looking on newegg I seen quite a few of them just different brands, Could you kindly link the one that you are looking at / use? Also once again I have never heard of that GPU, Could you give me some insight please? ^_^ I dont know how to OC so as for now I wouldn't, unless I have one of my friends do it who know a little about computers. But as far as everything else goes, all the required cables will come with everything that is needed correct?

I'm a first time builder and dont want to mess anything up!

 

[jmsellars1]

If you go for the GTX 560Ti then I would go with a 500-550W PSU like ddan49 said. It's a lot more power hungry than the newer cards. Personally I'd go for this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130604

EVGA are very reliable for Nvidia cards, the reviews for that card prove that.

 

[rawrimmaeskimo]

Yeah, I was looking at the EVGA brand, Wasn't sure if 1GB or 2GB though.


quick edit : I'm off to work but i will be checking back when I get home so I didnt forget you guys! Thanks for all the help so far! Dont forget me either!

quick edit 2: ddan49, could you possibly suggest a build as well? So I can compare the 2 between you and jmsellars1. I want to see what kind of options I have.

 

[pacioli]

Incorrect. They had the reference version of the 7850...

All cards have these problems when they first start out. It's because of drivers. I can assure you that the NVidia 680 was crashing like a female dog when it was first released (or the drivers were first released). Since then, the problems have been resolved. I would still recommend the GTX 560 Ti, but... the AMD cards won't perform that much worse.

Not incorrect...

http://forums.wowlite.net/thread.php?id=4138436261&forumID=2721885&region=us

More crashes...

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7870-review-benchmark,3148-21.html

see update on newer cards at bottom of page... WoW crashes with both the 7870 and the 7850

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/4175551821

From the WoW forums... see the last posts...

Oh yeah... the 560 ti is cheaper than the 7850 too...