Idiot computer questions
Hey guys, In the next week or two I'm going to be looking at buying a new PC. I'm a little ignorant when it comes to what exactly makes a gaming machine better than what I've been using. It would help me to know what kind of specs I should be looking for specifically in a machine that will exceed what I have. Currently I use a HP laptop, I'm about 20 fps/130 lat in cities, 10 fps/150 lat in raids, and more like 4 fps/170 lat in combat in raids. Appreciate all the help I can get. Edit: I won't be getting another laptop.

If you want to stick with a laptop, best bet is probably a dell xps or another hp. Try aiming for a quad core processor with around 3 gigs of RAM. If you want to save money and stick with performance, you should definately get a desktop. I'm using an xps 420 quad core 3 gigs of ram and a 500GB HD. I run 60 fps no matter where i am in the game, and that's while running vent, trillian, IE, itunes, and whatever other programs i might want. AND i never break 50% CPU usage.

OK, there is basically a gaming trinity. I am counting the Motherboard (MB) and CPU as one piece here. I know that this is not technically correct, but unless you are building your own, you will have no control over the MB anyway, so it does not matter. 1. CPU- Faster is better. Duh. You would probably do well to get a quad core as the prices have come down significantly. However, getting a modern dual core will almost guarantee that any bottlenecks are at one of the other 2 parts of the trinity. 2. RAM- More is better. Also, duh. But RAM comes in lots of flavors. If you are planning on running 32 bit Windows XP or Vista you maximum addressable RAM is 4GB. There are ways around this, but I promise you, the return will not be worth the investment in both money, time, and frustration. My understanding is that this is all physical memory, meaning that the RAM on your video card counts. Short version- even at 3GB of system RAM, you will not be addressing all of it, so I would go with 2GB and be done with it. 3. Video Card- This is going to be where you can make the most difference. I went from using an NVIDIA 8600GTS to a 9600GT and my FPS in WOW went from around 30 raiding to over 60. I did not change anything else, and since I have both cards installed in my system, I can drag the WoW window over to the other screen and watch the FPS drop. Anyway, I know NVIDIA cards much better than ATI cards, so my recommendations will be limited to NVIDIA cards. If you have 500-600 bucks to spend on the video card alone, get a GeForce GTX 280 and bask in its power. The GTX 260 is nice for a lower price, but still on up there. Really, the question is- how much do you want to spend... However, if you only got a couple hundred bucks to spend, get a 1GB 9600GT. It will handle WoW with no problem.

Okay boys - I'm not a hardware nerd, so below you will find the specs to the comp I just bought (for $1k) from a friend: Mainboard: EVGA NVIDIA nForce 750i "FTW" CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale @ 3.0GHz, 6MB L2 cache, 65W, 45nm core Video Card: EVGA NVIDIA 8800GTS, 512MB, DX10 capable Power Supply: Apevia Iceberg 680W RAM: OCZ Platinum 4GB (2x2GB), DDR2 1066 HDD: Unsure of exact makes, but includes 250GB and 160GB SATA drives How does it look? Can I run at more than 5 fps with this thing? x_x Hilde said this system is a wee bit better than his 7-month old system, and I believe it's actually older (except I believe my friend said he replaced the motherboard and CPU about a month or two ago). If it looks good, maybe Stem can use it as a starting point.

How much are you looking to spend Stem? Are you looking for a pre built system, or parts to build your own? If you want to build your own I'll put together a list of stuff for the price range you're looking for. And casp, the stuff you linked for the system you got seems to be a good deal at 1k$, and yes, it will run more than 5fps lol.

This is the system I built back in January. Replace the video card with something newer, I have. The case is silly expensive... and massive but fits my needs. Dual monitors are by no means necessary, but are always helpful. Many of the other items are deactivated, but their replacements should have similar specs. Anyway, this system with an additional 9600GT video card will run 60+fps on the 9600, and ~30 fps on the 8600 at the same time. I have tried it. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009094 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148262 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116400 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118002 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134218 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128064 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119136 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115028 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130286

Mmmm, I want to dual screen some day... :9

Yeah the first question asked when building a system is "how much are you willing to spend?" as this pretty much determines which components to go for. So, how much are you willing to spend? Lol

My new computer came, and I'm using it right now! WoW is installing as I type. :D Fuck packing, I wanna run around in Shattrath with 40-bajillion frames per second. :D

I think I'll just get my current laptop some upgrades in a few years, but once I do I must get an autobot symbol emblazoned on it.