8 replies to this topic

[Karetan]

Hi all,

Early in the GW2 beta, I found my old machine was too slow to run Guild Wars 2. This was the spec:

- AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 6000 3.10GHz (Socket AM2)
- Asus M3A78 AMD 780G (Socket AM2+) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
- OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) PC2-6400C5 Dual Channel Vista Gold Series DDR2
- ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB GDDR3 TV-Out/Dual DVI/HDMI (PCI-Express)
- Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB SATA-II 32MB Cache
- Corsair VX 450W ATX PSU

(I've removed a few bits and pieces to only show whats important)

I replaced my computer with a much faster one, which is fine for GW2. However, my girlfriend has asked if we can upgrade the older machine above to be good enough to play GW2 for her.

I'm aware that the game may have been optimised a lot since then, so this might not be so much of a problem.

I've got the opportunity to buy a GeForce GTX 560 for £85, which is naturally a much newer graphics card than the aging HD4850 I have in that machine.

If I replace this 4850HD with a GTX560, and given the way the game was optimised, should I expect the game to be well playable on mid settings? Even during large dynamic events?

Edited by Karetan, 30 November 2012 - 08:59 AM.

[Killyox]

You won't see much difference imo. Game puts a lot of strain on CPU. Unless you also get powerful CPU with a GPU there's no point getting only GPU.

+the fact that the game is still very badly optimised. Reflections kills FPS regardless of card because it appears as it doesn't even use card at all.

With GTX670 OC and i5-760 quad i still get like 12-20 FPS in wvw or zergish events. That is not good optimization (and that's with 0 reflections and a bit of stuff like shaders reduced)

[Karetan]

Any suggestions what I can do CPU-wise with that build WITHOUT replacing the mobo/PSU etc?

I can't afford a full rebuild.

[Quaker]

Check the CPU support list on this page - http://www.asus.com/...s/M3A78VM/#CPUS
(If your motherboard is an M3A78-VM)

Note - some CPU models might require a BIOS update.

A Phenom x4 would be an improvement.

Edited by Quaker, 30 November 2012 - 03:16 PM.

[BlasBlas]

I think the upgrade on the vid card itself should be fine.  I've built machines that run a 3rd gen i3, with 4GB of ram, and a worse vid card (like the HD6850) and they are fine on the highest settings even in WWW zergfests.

There are a lot of factors that hinder the fps, such as running too many things with GW2, your own connection, HDD vs SSD.

After the vid card, I'd upgrade your HDD to an SSD.

If you want to upgrade your CPU, motherboards aren't that expensive unless you are trying to get all the bells and whistles like USB 3.0.  Probably the best bang for your buck for a CPU is the AMD FX-8350.  The power vs cost of this processor is very hard to beat.  If you cannot afford it, then wait until you can.  To me price points are a better way to save money vs buying something cheaper and much less effective.

Edited by BlasBlas, 30 November 2012 - 03:30 PM.

[Karetan]

BlasBlas, on 30 November 2012 - 03:29 PM, said:

I think the upgrade on the vid card itself should be fine.  I've built machines that run a 3rd gen i3, with 4GB of ram, and a worse vid card (like the HD6850) and they are fine on the highest settings even in WWW zergfests.

This is very encouraging, thanks. I might just go for the graphics card then. I REALLY don't want to upgrade the CPU if I can avoid it, or if I do, I want to economise and go for a 2nd hand one. The machine, as I've stated, isn't for me.

[Zerk2012]

Karetan, on 30 November 2012 - 03:52 PM, said:

This is very encouraging, thanks. I might just go for the graphics card then. I REALLY don't want to upgrade the CPU if I can avoid it, or if I do, I want to economise and go for a 2nd hand one. The machine, as I've stated, isn't for me.

Listen to Quaker not the above poster as he seems to have missed the fact you have  AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 6000
Your board specks say it will support this processor  (check your BIOS version first and update it if necessary before installing the new chip) http://www.overclock...tid=1967= You can always turn the graphic settings down. http://www.asus.com/...s/M3A78VM/#CPUS




This is really bad advise because you could spend the money on something that will actually make it play games better.
(After the vid card, I'd upgrade your HDD to an SSD.)

Edited by Zerk2012, 01 December 2012 - 02:55 PM.

[BlasBlas]

Zerk2012, on 01 December 2012 - 02:33 PM, said:

Listen to Quaker not the above poster as he seems to have missed the fact you have  AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 6000
Your board specks say it will support this processor  (check your BIOS version first and update it if necessary before installing the new chip) http://www.overclock...tid=1967= You can always turn the graphic settings down. http://www.asus.com/...s/M3A78VM/#CPUS




This is really bad advise because you could spend the money on something that will actually make it play games better.
(After the vid card, I'd upgrade your HDD to an SSD.)

Actually you make a good point about upgrading to the SSD.  Its more of a convenience then needed.  You should upgrade the CPU before the HDD.  I apologize.

I still think your processor is fine though, Kareton.

I've seen this game run on an A8 llano processor laptop on mid settings fine and I think your x2 and the Geforce you want to buy is a more powerful combo.

I could be wrong though, please let me know how you fair because I would like to know if I'm giving more bad advice.

[typographie]

BlasBlas, on 03 December 2012 - 12:33 PM, said:

I still think your processor is fine though, Kareton.

I think it meets the base requirements of the game, but there's a big caveat: its going to choke hard when events get crowded or if he tries to go into WvW. Whether things run "well enough" is entirely a matter of personal preference, though, and its probably worth trying it out to see if the video card upgrade alone is all the OP needs to be happier with his performance.

Edited by typographie, 04 December 2012 - 05:28 PM.