WoW Machine Under $500?

GasBandit · Oct 24, 2011

As I said, though, you get far less bang for your buck when it comes to gaming when you spend money on CPU instead of GPU. Especially if you're overclocking the older CPU.

PatrThom · Oct 25, 2011

Sorry to be so late, folks. I knew I wouldn't want to chime in until I had more reliable Internet access. A few things, then:

You're going to really handicap the system if you don't spend at least $650-$700 total.
Yes, a 2500k CPU will beat out your 940. The 940 will put up a good fight, but the 2500k will win every time.
Going the 'hand-me-down' route with the GTX580/5870OC swap would be an excellent idea.
WoW doesn't need an incredible machine, but you didn't really say if other stuff was going to come later, so we don't know how much headroom you'll need.
Most games still don't need multiple cores, they need good clock speed. A dual-core running 3.7GHz will usually beat a quad- or hex-core processor running 3.1GHz in games.
Intel beats AMD for gaming performance right now.
The OS of choice is going to be Win7 x64. The big choice will be home/pro.
Consider 4GB RAM to be your minimum.
Put your primary money into the CPU/GPU/MLB right now, not HDD. If it's going to be an online gaming machine, all the important data is going to be on the server anyway. If her HDD dies you can always reinstall.

Here's a quick parts list I threw together. Criticism welcome, but be ready to back it up. I am.

$120.00 PSU - Seasonic SS-560KM (my current fave PSU)
$120.00 CPU - Intel Core i3-2100 (faster in gaming than AMD, upgradeable later)
$120.00 MLB - GA-Z68MA-D2H-B3 (solid MLB with multiple GPU slots)
$50.00 RAM - Quality* 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-1333 (yes, only 1333)
$75.00 HDD - Quality* 7200rpm 500GB 3.5" SATA-3 drive
$100.00 OS - Win7 x64 Home Premium OEM
$75.00 CAS - IN WIN Dragon Slayer MicroATX Mini Tower Case (roomy and cheap!)
$25.00 ODD - DVD/CD burner (spend more for Blu-ray if you want, I guess)
$0.00 GPU - Hand-me-down 5870OC (priceless)
-------
$685.00 - Total (does not include kbd/mouse, tax)
--Patrick
*No specific brand. Just pick something reputable with good reviews and a good guarantee.

Chibibar · Oct 25, 2011

Hey PatrThom, I am always on the impression that Pro is better than Home. Is this still true? since you recommend home Premium instead of Pro.

figmentPez · Oct 25, 2011

Chibibar said:
Hey PatrThom, I am always on the impression that Pro is better than Home. Is this still true? since you recommend home Premium instead of Pro.

There's not much that the professional versions of Windows do that the average user, or even a gamer, actually needs. In the last decade of using XP, Vista and Windows 7, I can't think of a single instance when I've felt a lack using the home version of those OSes.

strawman · Oct 25, 2011

Pro gives you a virtual windows XP machine, which some (much) older games require.

Beyond that, there are no additional benefits that a gamer would use.

PatrThom · Oct 25, 2011

The only reason I recommended Home in this instance was due to its lower cost and the budget sensitivity of this build.

--Patrick

DarkAudit · Oct 25, 2011

PatrThom said:
The only reason I recommended Home in this instance was due to its lower cost and the budget sensitivity of this build.

--Patrick

Glad I signed up as a "developer" and got my copy of Ultimate gratis.

Azurephoenix · Oct 28, 2011

Disconnected said:
I am apparently the only person that has had luck with Dells. I also have a 7 year old Dell laptop, while not a gaming machine has not failed me yet either.

I have owned over 7 dells so far and the only one that had any problems was a laptop that was poorly designed and was prone to overheating. After replacing the motherboard and putting it on one of those fan bases it has also been reliable.

It's obviously anecdotal but I've always had a great experience with Dell and will probably order more from them in the future.

GasBandit · Oct 28, 2011

My business has had pretty good use out of a half dozen or so Dell Vostro 200 serieses. Of course, they're mostly glorified word processors and e-mail clients, so they're not exactly being pushed hard... but the worst they've suffered is one needed a new power supply after a couple years.

Chibibar · Oct 28, 2011

Our campus use primary Dell PC and Servers. We don't use Precision (home version) we use Optiplex version and those are pretty good.

Even our graphical production department (using Adobe CS 5.5 suite) have no issue with these machines

SpecialKO · Oct 30, 2011

I've had horrible experiences with Dell laptops, but my Dell XPS desktop has been rock solid since 2005. I'm most likely going to keep the newer components in it that I've upgraded over time (like the PSU, harddrive, and the monitor), and then build a new machine with a tad more money going to the CPU and GPU.

PatrThom · Oct 30, 2011

Every brand has their lemons. Every brand. To paraphrase an old department store commercial, "It's what's in the bag that counts, not who's on it." If you buy the lowest-priced model of just about any line, you pay for it later.

--Patrick