Building a WoW PC..

[cKGunslinger]

Finally getting around to upgrading my PC. For the past year, the only game I've really played is World of Warcraft, and I don't see that changing much for this upcoming year (after that, who knows.) I do occasionally play other games (picked up and finished HL2, D3, and FarCry this year,) so I don't want a total MMORPG system, but one that is optimised for such a game, but will still handle newer FPS games as well. I usually start researching ~2 weeks before purchase, but this time I have about 1 months before I start buying parts.

Since my old PC is, well, old, I'm not going to salvage a whole lot from this system. Here are my current specs:

Athlon XP 2400+
Shuttle AK35GT2 (VIA KT333)*
* (At least 1 memory slot appears to be malfunctioning on this board - that is, my system is unstable (won't boot or immediately crashes) if that one DIMM is occupied.) i indead to trash the board after this upgrade.
768MB DDR PC-2700 (512MB + 256MB)
ATI Radeon 9600 XT 128MB
SBLive Value with Cambridge Soundworks speakers (4.1)
120GB / 8MB WD HD
52/32/52 CDRW (only works occasionally - has problems reading many disks)
17" Amptron GS17e CRT*
* (ancient, cheap monitor with horribly curved screen. 1280x1024x60Hz max res - I run it at 1152x864x72Hz)
ATX Mid-tower w/300W PS

The CPU and Video will be put in my wife's PC (current: XP 1700+ & ti4200,) as well as the monitor. I'd like to save some of the RAM as well (her PC only has 2 DIMM slots, so 2x512MB is her max with my current RAM modules. (She plays some WoW as well, but not enough that she is unhappy with current PC's performance, much less mine.)

My thought on upgrading are this. I want video quantity and quality. That is, I want to play at max resolution on a sharp monitor with max details (at least for WoW, I'm used to making sacrifices for FPS games.) I know WoW isn't graphic intensive, so my primary concern is RAM and HD access for performance. Budget is a major factor, but I've given myself a max limit of ~$1200, with the goal of making each purchase as efficient and cost-effective as possible. Anywhere I can cut out waste (due to mismatched performance, for example) and save some cash would be great.

Here is my initial stab at parts and justifications.

[removed]

I guess I'm hoping that there are people here, like myself, who enjoy reading over system specs then critiquing them and offering suggestions. If there are some spots where I could save some $$ without sacrificing performance, that would be great as well. If there are some spots where I could radically increase performance, without too much extra $$, that'd be great to hear about as well.

I await anything.


---------------

Update 1: Current plan

AMD Opteron 144 1.8GHz (939) - $160
DFI nForce4 Ultra Infinity (939) - $100
G.Skill 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR SDRAM (PC-3200) - $175
Sapphire Radeon X800GTO2 - $200
Hitachi Deskstar 160GB / 8MB / SATA 3.0Gb/s - $85
Hyundai L90D+ Silver 19" 8ms LCD - $330
Lite-On Black 16X DVD+/-R - $45
Thermaltake TR2 430W PS - $45
Samsung Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal FDD - $15
---------------------
Total: $1155

Any suggestions on a decent case/PS combo? It's always nice to put a new system in a new case, to change things up a bit. Something relatively low-key, preferably black, with a good 400W PS?

 

[Looney]

Looks good... except to me the most important part of a computer is the monitor, so i never skimp on that. Everything you do, you do for good visual quality, and yet people don't often factor in the monitor. Gaming on a 24" at 1920x1200 is where it's at imo.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: Looney
Looks good... except to me the most important part of a computer is the monitor, so i never skimp on that. Everything you do, you do for good visual quality, and yet people don't often factor in the monitor. Gaming on a 24" at 1920x1200 is where it's at imo.

I would love one of the dell WS FPs, but the cost is just a bit much. I could sacrifice some things to get one (Sempron 754, 1GB, 6600gt, no new HD,) but then I might have a hard time playing games at native resolution with the weaker components, no? I'd hate to have to run my new 1920x1200 monitor at anything less than that. A good 1280x1024 LCD should be easy to max-out with those parts, no?

But I do understand what you mean about spending $$ on quality monitors. I still regret buying that cheap CRT those many years ago.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I recommend a Viewsonic VP930b. Don't listen to everyone who keeps saying their Dell 2005FPW or 2405FPW rocks becuase I have seen both and I have a 2405FPW in front of me right now. Behind me is my VP191b (older version of the VP930b) and I'll tell you nothing m atches the vibrance and clarity of that VP191b.

Furthermore even with my 7800GT its impossible to game at 1920x1200. I can't even do 1680x1050 s moothly (games like COD2 and Q4, and I know with Doom 3 I'll have to drop down to high quality).

numero dos: I don't recommend the WD Raptor 36gb. Raptors today are slow enough unless you talk about the new generation. Today's fast SATA HDs like the new WDs and the Hitachi T7K250 come very close and win in load time sometimes against the 74GB Raptor. The 36GB is just slower. No point.

Overall :thumbsup: to everything else.

 

[jc9970]

I have a pair of these and they're pretty damn fast. I couldn't ask for more, especially for the price.

Check this out Raptor Comparison.

Also for gaming, I'd recommend you shoot for a monitor with a native res of 1600x1200, or (1680x1050,if you decide to go with 16:10). Don't go with anything lower, you'll regret it later.

 

[Malladine]

Yeah, get a new sata drive for that $105 and most than double your hdd space, while keeping similar speeds.

That's a helluva wow rig

1600x1200, all settings maxed, constant 30+fps.

 

[darXoul]

Originally posted by: DLeRium
I recommend a Viewsonic VP930b. Don't listen to everyone who keeps saying their Dell 2005FPW or 2405FPW rocks becuase I have seen both and I have a 2405FPW in front of me right now. Behind me is my VP191b (older version of the VP930b) and I'll tell you nothing m atches the vibrance and clarity of that VP191b.

Besides, WoW has a pretty screwed widescreen support - it chops off the top and bottom instead of adding horizontal FoV. Not worth it, IMO.

Dell 2405FPW also gets VERY mixed reviews in terms of ghosting. Some people say it doesn't ghost noticeably at all, other say the ghosting is atrocious to the point of being unbearable. 2005FPW seems better in the responsiveness department (despite the same response times on paper) but it's simply too small IMO. Vertically, it's smaller than my 19" (18" viewable) CRT. Widescreen makes sense in my book only if it's 23-24".

I understand you don't want to spend as much on a monitor, but if you actually follow jc9970's advice, the ViewSonic VP2030b may be a good monitor to get. It's pretty much the same as VP930b but with 1600*1200 resolution (therefore, 4:3 aspect and smaller pixels) as well as a bit higher brightness and slightly better rise/fall response time. There is currently only one user's review on Newegg, and it's quite negative, but I wouldn't trust it, since its quality seems more than doubtful. The VP191 used to be probably the best and most popular 19 incher around for a few months, the VP930 is its straight successor, and the VP2030 is just its bigger and slightly improved brother. I think you wouldn't go wrong with this one.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: DLeRium
I recommend a Viewsonic VP930b. Don't listen to everyone who keeps saying their Dell 2005FPW or 2405FPW rocks becuase I have seen both and I have a 2405FPW in front of me right now. Behind me is my VP191b (older version of the VP930b) and I'll tell you nothing m atches the vibrance and clarity of that VP191b.

I did some quick searching and much say that that monitor seems to be rather expensive ($450) for a mere 19" LCD. Is it really worth the premium? I read a handful of review on newegg (granted, many of those reviewers aren't exactly rocket scientists,) any many said the monitor wasn't the best for gaming. I actually had my eye on these monitors:

Hundai L90D+ Silver 19" 8ms LCD - $310
Samsung 940b-Black 19" 8ms LCD - $330
Viewsonic VX924 Black/Silver 19" - $350

in that order.

Furthermore even with my 7800GT its impossible to game at 1920x1200. I can't even do 1680x1050 s moothly (games like COD2 and Q4, and I know with Doom 3 I'll have to drop down to high quality).

Yeah, I think I'll stick with a good 19", 1280x1024 LCD for now.

numero dos: I don't recommend the WD Raptor 36gb. Raptors today are slow enough unless you talk about the new generation. Today's fast SATA HDs like the new WDs and the Hitachi T7K250 come very close and win in load time sometimes against the 74GB Raptor. The 36GB is just slower. No point.

Yes, I'm starting to see that. I'm now looking at maybe a Hitachi DeskStar @ 160GB or so for $80. Goods reviews and some useful space.

Overall :thumbsup: to everything else.

Thanks for your input! :thumbsup:

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Ah. Well I did spend $330 on a Samsung 930B and I returned it TWICE because I just oculdn't handle it. MY eyes hurt afterwards. This was my first panel too. I then bought a VP191b and sat it right next to my Samsung 930B and then I realized that the VP191b owns. The colors are A LOT better, and while its slower (8ms g2g, 20ms bw just like the newer VP930b), I would use it as an all around monitor.

I personally can't stand TN panels. They're bright and their colors suck because they are 6-bit panels. The Samsung 930B is exactly the same as the L90. My best friend bought a VX924 because he couldn't afford the VP191b. Within a month his roommate also bought a VP930b when it came out. Today my friend with teh VX924 regrets not getting the VP191b/VP930b and is dissatisfied with the display quality of the VX924.

I honestly don't know. I use a Dell 2405FPW now only because my parents dont like it too much. I say it hurts my eyes. They're using my VP191b while I'm still at home for break (but I'll be switching back to the VP191b once I move back into my apartment), and I don't like a thing a bout this Dell 24" POS.

Some people are perfectly satisfied wtih their 2005/2405s and also satisfied with their L90s and Samsung 930Bs. I for one cannot take them. If I never got to use the VP191b, I would be saying that LCDs suck big time and there's no reason to switch from a CRT.

 

[tdcarrol]

Originally posted by: darXoul


Besides, WoW has a pretty screwed widescreen support - it chops off the top and bottom instead of adding horizontal FoV. Not worth it, IMO.

Dell 2405FPW also gets VERY mixed reviews in terms of ghosting. Some people say it doesn't ghost noticeably at all, other say the ghosting is atrocious to the point of being unbearable. 2005FPW seems better in the responsiveness department (despite the same response times on paper) but it's simply too small IMO. Vertically, it's smaller than my 19" (18" viewable) CRT. Widescreen makes sense in my book only if it's 23-24".

All you have to do is zoom out a little bit and it's the same difference, third person perspective is handy that way. I am running the 2405FPW in WoW with a 7800gt and I am satisfied. WoW is not the most graphically demanding game though.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: DLeRium
Ah. Well I did spend $330 on a Samsung 930B and I returned it TWICE because I just oculdn't handle it. MY eyes hurt afterwards. This was my first panel too. I then bought a VP191b and sat it right next to my Samsung 930B and then I realized that the VP191b owns. The colors are A LOT better, and while its slower (8ms g2g, 20ms bw just like the newer VP930b), I would use it as an all around monitor.

I personally can't stand TN panels. They're bright and their colors suck because they are 6-bit panels. The Samsung 930B is exactly the same as the L90. My best friend bought a VX924 because he couldn't afford the VP191b. Within a month his roommate also bought a VP930b when it came out. Today my friend with teh VX924 regrets not getting the VP191b/VP930b and is dissatisfied with the display quality of the VX924.

I honestly don't know. I use a Dell 2405FPW now only because my parents dont like it too much. I say it hurts my eyes. They're using my VP191b while I'm still at home for break (but I'll be switching back to the VP191b once I move back into my apartment), and I don't like a thing a bout this Dell 24" POS.

Some people are perfectly satisfied wtih their 2005/2405s and also satisfied with their L90s and Samsung 930Bs. I for one cannot take them. If I never got to use the VP191b, I would be saying that LCDs suck big time and there's no reason to switch from a CRT.

Hmm... decisions, decisions. I think it may come down to the fact that since I'm used to using a really crappy CRT at home for so many years, I would still appreciate the L90D+, even if it is less than ideal when compared to other LCD monitors.

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: DLeRium
I recommend a Viewsonic VP930b. Don't listen to everyone who keeps saying their Dell 2005FPW or 2405FPW rocks becuase I have seen both and I have a 2405FPW in front of me right now. Behind me is my VP191b (older version of the VP930b) and I'll tell you nothing m atches the vibrance and clarity of that VP191b.

Furthermore even with my 7800GT its impossible to game at 1920x1200. I can't even do 1680x1050 s moothly (games like COD2 and Q4, and I know with Doom 3 I'll have to drop down to high quality).

I don't know about COD2, but with Q4 and D3, i play at 1920x1200 on high quality just fine. And this is on my laptop with a 6800Go Ultra.

But yes, you do need to keep your system up to specs to enjoy that. But if you're playing WoW, it doesn't take much of a system at all to play at 1920x1200 (i did it with a ATI 9700 with things on high).

 

[Malladine]

Originally posted by: Looney
But if you're playing WoW, it doesn't take much of a system at all to play at 1920x1200 (i did it with a ATI 9700 with things on high).

man that must have chugged in the wetlands and a few other places...

 

[Lasthitlarry]

I would go with 2GB RAM, and an X800 GTO

If you want a raptor, get a 74GB, better performance than the 36GB ones.

Other than that 250GB models are best price/GB at the moment, unless you can find a good deal. WD or Seagate are my recommendations

As for LCDs, I have no idea which are good, but I use a 1024x768 projector when I get bored with my 19inch CRT Nothing like a 8x6 foot screen.

I do know that LCDs don't matter too much for WoW, my friend has a 19 inch 16MS LCD that looks GREAT on WoW. Can't remember the model, but it was a name i didn't know.

I also have a 9600XT, I will be upgrading sometime around Socket M2 launch.

 

[cKGunslinger]

So, would I gain anything by going Raid 0? Say, with 2x Hitachi Deskstar 80GB SATA 3.0Gb, or 2x Samsung SpinPoint 40GB SATA 3.0Gb? Each pair of those would only be ~$100 for 80 or 160GB of raided storage. Would the performance be worth the setup hassles and potential failure rate?

Also, does dual-channel RAM makes *that* much of a performance difference? If I had to choose between 1GB Dual-channel (2x512MB) and, say, 1.7GB of mismatched RAM, would the extra memory be more worthwhile, or the performance from the dual channel?

And is the x800GTO2 unlockable, and worth the ~$60 premium over the regular x8900GTO?

 

[Malladine]

Does HDD speed really matter beyond regular pata 7200rpm 8mb drives? Links or I won't believe you

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: Malladine

Originally posted by: Looney
But if you're playing WoW, it doesn't take much of a system at all to play at 1920x1200 (i did it with a ATI 9700 with things on high).

man that must have chugged in the wetlands and a few other places...

I didn't make it to the wetlands before i quit. It was great 95% of the time, in certain cities, it did SLIGHTLY chug. I also had 2GB of ram though, so that may have been a bigger factor. Nonetheless, i know if i was to play WoW today, i wouldn't have a single problem with it (with the 6800Go Ultra)

 

[Lasthitlarry]

If it's a question of PATA, SATA, or SATA 2, then they are all the same speed.

It's all about the RPM for now.

Go with a 74GB Raptor or 250GB SATA.

-------
speaking of performance on WoW

I have a 2500+ Barton, 9600XT, 1 GB RAM and have no problems with WoW besides the normal server latency issues. I don't see all the fuss with the game, my friend plays it fine with a 9200SE. I think if you just have a gig of RAM you are fine.

90% of the lag is because of WoW's servers anyway.

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: Malladine
Does HDD speed really matter beyond regular pata 7200rpm 8mb drives? Links or I won't believe you

I just loaded up a IBM Deskstar 14GB HDD (7200 w/ 8mb), and i can tell you, there's a HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE difference between that and my Hitachi/IBM 250GB 7200 drive. We're talking about 2mins to boot on a fresh install vs 30secs... the system is EXACTLY the same (i just swapped the HDD because i was experimenting).

 

[Malladine]

But the rpm is the same right? So what makes the 250gb drive faster?

 

[Lasthitlarry]

It might have been ATA66 maybe, or the HD was just damn old.

That being said, I still prefer the latest SATA 150 hard drives

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: Malladine
But the rpm is the same right? So what makes the 250gb drive faster?

Yep, both are 7200rpm with 8mb cache. Denser platters, so that means each rotation, it's reading much more information.

 

[Makaveli]

lol that comparison that guy posted of tha Raptor is hella Bias!

they are comparing to Hitachi drives in Raid 0 against one single Raptor and saying it gets smoked. well Fu**in Duh! how about a Raid 0 vs a Raid 0 benchmark LMAO.

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: Makaveli
lol that comparison that guy posted of tha Raptor is hella Bias!

they are comparing to Hitachi drives in Raid 0 against one single Raptor and saying it gets smoked. well Fu**in Duh! how about a Raid 0 vs a Raid 0 benchmark LMAO.

Maybe they're saying that for the price of 1 raptor, you can get 2 hitachis that have more storage, and performs better.

 

[Makaveli]

well lets test that theory if I go on pricewatch right now a 74GB raptor is $154. One of those Hitachi's cost $130 x 2 doesn't compute my friend to being less than the cost of a raptor GG.