I do not want to make the same mistake twice, will this system be sufficient for WoW?

[hillzlisa]

Am asking here, as I would like to be sure this time, that what I'm getting is going to run WoW.

Firstly I will mention I was not looking to spend a huge amount on a machine that will outdate fairly quickly.

I'm looking at this: http://www.msy.com.au/SYSTEMS/Amdgame-3.pdf - err the site is a little ugly, but the prices are the best I've found in Adelaide. I had to print the page and read it afew times before I could actually understand it. You lot might have more luck lol

If one (or afew) of you could check it over for me and recommend any of the upgrades that might better my WoW playing (in particular the video card), I would appreciate it. I'm am not quite sure which is better. This hardware stuff is way over my head :-S

As I've said previously I plan on getting it in around 2 weeks time. And I wanna be able to run WoW on it the moment I get it home and online..

Thanks in advance
Lisa

[Kalos]

This machine should do pretty well. Thing that would help WoW: Pay for an Athlon64 (any type) or an Athlon X2 rather than a Sempron. Semprons are the lowest grade, considering there is $30 difference between a Sempron and an Athlon 64, I'd say go with the Athlon, a more powerful core.

The extra $35 for the 7900 GS Graphics processor would probably do nicely, but the 7600 GT is more than enough to get the game running stably.

Likewise, the ram is good, the extra upgrade to 2 gig would be noticable, but isn't necessary for bare bones playabilty. One gig is suffice right now, though it does come under pressure in busy areas of the game, or when you have alot of background programs like Instant Messangers and Security programs running.

As it is, it'll do well for WoW and several other games. Fairly happy little sailor it shall be. How do you connect to the internet though? You may need to select a modem to be built into the machine, depending on your setup.

[hillzlisa]

Hi

Those upgrades you mention are cheap, and if they will give me a more stable machine, I think I will upgrade the memory and card.

ATM this connects via ethernet ADSL, am either gonna run a crossover cable between this and my new machine, or just leave this off the net all together and chuck the other one on the adsl alone (via the ethernet). This modem has got the usb or ethernet option at the back. I dunno, I heard ethernet was better. I'm not sure how slow the connection will run if I run one off the USB and one off the ethernet.

From the list it says network card - I dunno if that means I can only go with the cross over cable from one machine to another, or it will have an ethernet port on it ready for me to plug this one straight into it lol

I guess I'll find out soon enough.

So excited to play the game!!!

13 days and counting..

sorry, I got one more question...

ok so Sempron is out of the question. What is the difference between amd am2-940 Athlon64 3200+ and the x2 Dual Cores? Would there be a huge difference? and I see the x2's range between 3600+ - 6000+, a huge difference again? Far out, can't they just put crap, medium and good next to the names instead of these fancy letters and numbers that don't make much sense :shocked:

[Kalos]

To be honest, there not much difference between the X2 processors, huge range of numbers but not much practical use. The difference between the Athlons X2 and the Athlon 64 processors is the number of cores. The majority of processors only have the one core, the Sempron and the Athlon 64 being standard. These days, the newer designs of processor have two or even four physical cores, allowing multiple programs to be ran at any one time faster than one core could. Basically, the designers hit a wall, they couldn't make one processor go faster without huge costs/delays, so they glued two together (literally, it's a slap job of two processors that started life on the manufacturing line seperately). These multiple core processors are the way of the future, and can do more work in some situations, but WoW and other games were only designed in the single core days, so for all purposes regarding games, having two cores is not helpful.

It's more something that will come in useful in the future, it does speed up Windows and switching between programs. I use a dual core laptop, for gaming it goes slower than my higher grade but single core desktop, but for ordinary use programs start faster and the desktop works quicker with less waiting. If you can spare the money, I'd say to go for an Athlon X2 3800+, but above that isn't really noticable. Dispite the numbering, there isn't really any improvement, the difference between an Athlon 64 3000+ and a X2 3800+ is much bigger than the 3800+ to the 6000+ Don't worry, you're not the only one who hates the naming systems used in the industry today. I used to love the old way of doing things by name, Celerons used to be the 'crap' brand of Intel processor and Pentium used to be the 'medium' and 'high' lines, the new naming system beyond this is even more puzzling to outsiders. Thankfully, techies can translate it :grin:

On the Ethernet/USB deal, connect the USB to your old computer and the Ethernet to the new one. The modem won't run slower with both plugged in, it allocated internet bandwidth on demand rather than splitting it 50/50 for all time. Ethernet is a faster standard designed for networking, while USB is a generic port for everything under the sun, 'jack of all trades but master of none' so to speak. The ethernet is a higher quality line, I use them in my own LAN systems (back when USB pretty much didn't exist :grin:) and they still run flawless ten years on. Built to last and good at what they do. A network card should be Ethernet based these days.

[hillzlisa]

Thanks Kalos

Interesting read.. But...

Now I'm confused lol The page I opened, with the AMD systems they have doesn't list the Athlon X2 3800+. Only thing I see close to that is the x2 dual core 3800+ OR Athlon64 3200+. I'd basically have to get them to build a machine from the ground up the way I want it if I wanted the 3800. And from a quick look on their site just now in the Parts section, they only have the Athlon X2 3800+ in Victoria. Which is interstate. Didn't really wanna have to order anything in. Not to mention I wouldn't have a clue on all the other 'stuff' thats meant to go with the 3800+ if I did want them to build a specific machine.

I was hoping to just order off the list, with a couple of simple upgrades lol

Cheers anyway, you have been very helpful :smiley:

[Kalos]

Ah yes, just select their x2 option. It's the exact same processor only they shortened the name on thier sales list. I was using the manufacturer's named for the product rather than the retailer's own, sorry. The processor listed as 'x2 Dual Core 3800+' is the processor I meant to reference as my recommendation for selection.

Got to love the computer industry, multiple names for the same product :rolleyes: There are some real snakes who like to fiddle the product name to make it look better, some try to add the two core frequencies together on dual core processors and give that as the total speed, very misleading. A dual core processor is like a moterway. The speed limit is still 70 MPH, even if there is two lanes, you can't rationalise "2X70=140" and drive at 140 MPH legally. The same goes for the dual cores. It allows two programs to run at that speed side by side, not one program to run at double the original speed. I really wish manufacturers would force the retailers to take up the full standard names instead of creating thier own forms. The full name of the process should be: Athlon64 x2 3800+ but they name it x2 Dual Core 3800+ for some reason or another, but they are one and the same.

[hillzlisa]

you are a very patient person.

thankyou very much
:smiley: