Will This Upgrade Make WOW Run Smoother?

[Pongee]

1st post here and already after some advice.

been playing WOW for around a year and really enjoying it but getting bad lag and rubbish framerates i will list the spec of my current pc below:

Celeron 360 (C) 3.46 GHz
Memory Installed 512 MB
160 GB SATA 3G (3.0 Gb/sec)
16X DVD(+/-)R/RW 12X RAM (+/-)R DL LightScribe SATA drive
Integrated graphics
Integrated 10/100 Base-T networking interface

I have just purchased 2 upgrades to add to it, i have bought:

1Gb DDR2 ram to add to the 512mb already in
512mb Geforece graphics card.

Will these help me run wow better and will i get less lag?

Thanks for your help

P

[Khab]

Extra ram will always help and a decent video can also make a big difference. As cheap as DDR2 is you should have gotten 2GB.


Which video card did you get?

[Tunga]

Some things to consider:

Generally you should run RAM in matched pairs so you'll get better formance if you just pick up two new 1GB sticks and add those. You also may not have a spare slot on your motherboard dependign on the model and in what form the existing RAM is.

The graphics card looks like it would be a big upgrade, though you haven't provided a model number so that could be one of several cards so you'd need to provide that before we could say whether it would be a good card to buy or not. Similar to the RAM, make sure your motherboard has the required slot for the card otherwise you won't be able to fit it.

Finally you should keep in mind that the CPU is over a year old and was a budget chip when it was released so it's probably going to end up being the bottle neck in the system.

If you provide full model numbers for your current Motherboard and RAM, and the same for the parts you are buying then we can advise further.

[Pongee]

The motherboard definately has a pci express slot for the new graphics card and there is a slot for the extra memory as it supports up to 2gb of ram.

This is the motherboard:
Manufacturer: ECS
Motherboard Name: 945GCT-HM
HP/Compaq motherboard name: Livermore-GL6

This is the memory spec:
Memory Installed 512 MB
Maximum allowed 2 GB (2 x 1 GB)
Speed supported PC2-4200 MB/sec
Type 240 pin, DDR2 SDRAM

The graphics card im buying is:
INNO 3D GEFORCE 7300 - 512MB PCI EXPRESS GRAPHICS CARD

The memory im buying is:
1GB 400/533/667/800MHz 240-PIN DDR2 DIMM RAM FOR PC's

i got the parts pretty cheap so they may not be the best i just hate lag.

P

[Erinion]

Erm.... which memory did you buy? The 400MHz? The 533MHz? The 667MHz? or the 800MHz?

(please don't say 800MHz - your motherboard doesn't support it - and the 667MHz will run at 533MHz)

[Pongee]

It was listed with my computer that it definately supports so im guessing its ok, im no computer whizz hence why im asking advice lol

[Erinion]

You've listed 4 different memory types and said thats the one you're buying:

"The memory im buying is:
1GB 400/533/667/800MHz 240-PIN DDR2 DIMM RAM FOR PC's"

So which one did you buy? A 1Gb stick of PC2-4200 DDR2 (which is the 533MHz one)?

[Pongee]

As far as i am aware it is the 533mhz as i have just asked the dude who i am buying t from

[Erinion]

Ok...thats cool.... its the fastest speed RAM your motherboard can support.

If it is a 1Gb stick I'd seriously consider getting a second matching one and using the two sticks together (as they are now dirt cheap.... 2x1Gb sticks are floating around the £30-35 mark at the moment)

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I have a feeling running a 512Mb stick and a 1Gb stick together is not a good idea :)

[Pongee]

So hwill they not work together at all or will it work as a temp fix while i wait for a second 1gb stick to arrive?
The main thing was getting WOW to run better so with the extra ram and the new graphics card will it make it run better?

[Erinion]

If it was me I would just use the 1Gb stick (take the 512Mb out). I think running the 512Mb stick and the 1Gb stick will cause you problems.

The graphics card will help with WoW but it's almost the bottom of the range from the last generation of graphics cards. You won't be playing Crysis on it!

[Pongee]

I just want it to improve WOW for now til i get myself a gaming PC in the summer, jus out of curiosity why would running the 512 and the 1gig cause problems?

[Kalos]

Can't say what will happen with running unmatched ram sticks in the same board. It's highly unpredictable, and often a common cause of crashes and instability, that's why it's heavily unrecommended. Any symptoms of a bad ram match-up can easily be caused by other things, so it's hard to spot.

The 7300 is an abysmal dog of a graphics card. Ignore the memory size, it means nothing in terms of performance. It's bigger brother the 7600 GS blows it away, more than double the performance typically; and that's quite cheap to. Buying a 7300, a card that was designed to be cheap third rate junk when brand new, hasn't gotten any better in two years of aging and decline, it's obsolete in performance yeilds as well as age.

[Pongee]

But as a quick fix will it not outperform the cack integrated graphics that i have in the machine at the moment?

[Kalos]

But as a quick fix will it not outperform the cack integrated graphics that i have in the machine at the moment?
It'll be better than what's there, but I'm not sure as to why this one. Why not go for a 256 MB version? Cheaper, and no real performance loss between the two. It doesn't make sense to go for a pointless 512 mb version, it's for show to drag in punters.

It may be worth getting, depending on the price. But don't expect to see lag resolved with it, just somewhat better.

[Erinion]

You cant spend £30 on a graphics card and expect much at all (if you spent more than £30... take the card and hit yourself with it until you bleed)