Vova on a laptop. What kind of computer should I build to play World of Warcraft? Selecting RAM

This series of materials is devoted to testing modern popular games on budget-level platforms with integrated and discrete graphics in the lower price range. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate to readers the readiness or unreadiness of configurations that are popular due to their affordability for use as gaming platforms by undemanding players. We especially emphasize that The cycle is aimed at buyers of ready-made solutions in the form of office and cheap home PCs and offers little useful information for those who want to update their PC (upgrade). Today we took the game World of Warcraft: Legion as the subject of our study.

The following configurations are included in the comparison:

1. based on AMD A10 APU (with integrated Radeon R7 graphics);
2. four options based on Intel Core i3-4160 CPU:
   • Core i3-4160 with integrated graphics;
   • Core i3-4160 + discrete graphics based on Nvidia GeForce GT 730 GPU;
   • Core i3-4160 + discrete graphics based on Nvidia GeForce GT 740 2 GB GDDR3 GPU;
   • Core i3-4160 + discrete graphics based on Nvidia GeForce GT 740 1 GB GDDR5 GPU.

Initially, we took two platforms with integrated graphics, focusing on their approximately equal cost and popularity among PC assembly companies. However, it is already clear that Intel’s integrated graphics look weak against the Radeon R7 in the A10, so we began to gradually add discrete graphics based on Nvidia GeForce to the Intel platform, focusing on the most budget solutions so that they do not greatly increase the total cost of the platform. We started with the GT 730, and took the cheapest option (very “cut” in terms of the memory bus), then added the GT 740 (of different modifications and prices) to eventually get an approximate correspondence to what the AMD Radeon R7 can provide in an APU A10. Thus, the reader has a decent choice: in fact, five options that, although different in cost, still belong to the same budget PC segment.

Briefly about the game

• Release date: August 6, 2008 (last updated August 30, 2016)
• Genre: Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
• Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
• Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

System requirements

Minimum system requirements:

• CPU Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 or AMD Phenom II X3 720
• RAM of at least 2 GB
• video card Nvidia GeForce GT 440 or AMD Radeon HD 5670 or Intel HD Graphics 5000 with at least 512 MB of video memory
• 45 GB
• 32/64-bit operating system Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10
• express Internet connection

• CPU Intel Core i5-3330, AMD FX-6300 or better
• RAM capacity 4 GB
• video card Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti or AMD Radeon R7 260X or better with 1 GB memory
• free storage space 45 GB
• 64-bit operating system Microsoft Windows 10
• express Internet connection

Game Review

Test computer configurations

• Computer based on AMD APU A10 processor:
  • processor AMD A10-7860K, CPU 3.6 GHz, GPU Radeon R7 1 GB DDR3, 757/2133 MHz T-13582382
  • motherboard MSI A68HM-P33 V2 T-13190929
  • Cost of the kit (without power supply) at the time of writing: 23,129 
• Computer based on Intel Core i3-4160 processor:
  • RAM 8 GB AMD Radeon R9 2×4 GB PC3-19200 DDR3 2400 MHz T-12737679
  • SSD OCZ Vertex 460A 240 GB T-11869715
  • power supply Zalman ZM750-EBT 750 W
  • Cost of the kit (without power supply) at the time of writing: 23,667 
• Computer based on Intel Core i3-4160 + Nvidia GT 730 processor:
  • processor Intel Core i3-4160, 3.6 GHz T-11000550
  • motherboard MSI H81M-P33 T-10453145
  • RAM 8 GB AMD Radeon R9 2×4 GB PC3-19200 DDR3 2400 MHz T-12737679
  • video card Gigabyte GeForce GT 730 (GV-N730SL-2GL) 2 GB GDDR3, 900/1800 MHz T-11154240
  • SSD OCZ Vertex 460A 240 GB T-11869715
  • power supply Zalman ZM750-EBT 750 W
  • Cost of the kit (without power supply) at the time of writing: 27,522 
• Computer based on Intel Core i3-4160 + Nvidia GT 740 2 GB GDDR3 processor:
  • processor Intel Core i3-4160, 3.6 GHz T-11000550
  • motherboard MSI H81M-P33 T-10453145
  • RAM 8 GB AMD Radeon R9 2×4 GB PC3-19200 DDR3 2400 MHz T-12737679
  • video card Gainward GeForce GT 740 PCI-E 3.0 2GB GDDR3, 993/1782 MHz T-10852817
  • SSD OCZ Vertex 460A 240 GB T-11869715
  • power supply Zalman ZM750-EBT 750 W
  • Cost of the kit (without power supply) at the time of writing: 31,652 
• Computer based on Intel Core i3-4160 + Nvidia GT 740 1 GB GDDR5 processor:
  • processor Intel Core i3-4160, 3.6 GHz T-11000550
  • motherboard MSI H81M-P33 T-10453145
  • RAM 8 GB AMD Radeon R9 2×4 GB PC3-19200 DDR3 2400 MHz T-12737679
  • video card Gigabyte GeForce GT 740 (GV-N740D5OC-1GI) 1 GB GDDR5, 1071/5000 MHz T-10894691
  • SSD OCZ Vertex 460A 240 GB T-11869715
  • power supply Zalman ZM750-EBT 750 W
  • Cost of the kit (without power supply) at the time of writing: 30,005 
• operating system Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, DirectX 12
• monitor Asus ProArt PA249Q (24″)
• Intel drivers version 548.04
• AMD drivers version Crimson Edition 16.9.2
• Nvidia drivers version 372.90
• VSync disabled

For our research, we selected several options for budget platforms in the price range of 22,000 - 32,000. The cost of the compared AMD and Intel platforms without taking into account Nvidia discrete graphics is almost the same; adding GT 730/740 graphics increases the cost of the Intel platform, and due to the increase in prices for GT 740 cards, the increase was more significant than we expected. But this only adds to the intrigue.

The configurations we have chosen are at (or above) the minimum requirements stated by the game developers, so in this case we can count on getting good performance at least at medium settings, and possibly at maximum settings.

Game settings and testing methodology

Game settings

We tested in three resolutions: 1920x1080, 1440x900 and 1280x800 at maximum quality settings.

AMD A10-7860K	Intel Core i3-4160	Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 730

And at medium quality settings at 1280×800 resolution:

The game picture looked something like this:

AMD A10-7860K	Intel Core i3-4160	Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 730	Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 740 GDDR3	Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 740 GDDR5

The difference in the picture at medium and maximum quality settings is almost visually not noticeable.

Testing methodology

Our goal is to demonstrate what a player feels in real gameplay, so for benchmarking we simply play the game, including FPS counters (using FRAPS software) to give a rough idea of ​​performance.

The videos were recorded in Dalaran (the capital of the current content), which is equivalent to playing solo and going to dungeons with a group of 5 people (5ppl). In raids for 25 people (25ppl), FPS values ​​are lower from approximately 5% outside of combat to 40% in very intense combat.

Test results

Small videos demonstrating performance on a particular platform (in different modes):

Resolution 1920x1080, maximum settings

Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 740 GDDR5

Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 740 GDDR3

Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 730

Intel Core i3-4160

AMD A10-7860K

Resolution 1440×900, maximum settings

Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 740 GDDR5

Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 740 GDDR3

Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 730

Intel Core i3-4160

AMD A10-7860K

Resolution 1280x800, maximum settings

Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 740 GDDR5

Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 740 GDDR3

Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 730

Intel Core i3-4160

AMD A10-7860K

Resolution 1280x800, medium settings

Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 740 GDDR5

Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 740 GDDR3

Intel Core i3-4160 + GT 730

Intel Core i3-4160

Not long ago, Blizzard published the minimum system requirements for the upcoming World of Warcraft: Legion expansion. Judging by the polar reactions: “what has changed?” and “my calculator will explode,” not many people now soberly understand what system requirements mean in terms of their own computers. Today I will try to clarify the situation.

The size of your budget does not matter, because you will always have the opportunity to upgrade - be it a new video card, or buying a completely new machine.

You and your computer

Desktop or laptop

But a laptop is also a good choice, especially if you need portability. If you buy a new laptop, you will most often be given a choice of processor, video card, memory and hard drive, although the choice will be narrower than in the case of desktop systems. Some laptops allow you to change the amount of RAM and hard drive later, and some don't.

Processor (CPU)

Although for games I would not rely on the built-in video card, because not only will you load your processor more, but your customization will not be as wide. Therefore, if you are going to use a separate video card, then it is better to choose an Intel processor, which most often work in a similar combination faster than AMD.

If we talk about model names, then everything is simple for Intel. For gaming you need an i3, i5 or i7. There are options below, but if you use a computer for games, their usefulness will not be particularly good. Further we will also try to simplify: the 4-digit number following i3, i5 and i7 means the generation of the Intel processor.

With AMD everything is a little more complicated. For example, the FX-6350 has 6 cores, a 3rd generation card and a slightly increased operating frequency. If you have a medium budget, then simply select suitable processors by price and choose the one with the largest numbers in the name.

For gaming, I would recommend at least an Intel i5 or AMD FX-6300. Both processors will last much longer than their cheaper counterparts and will prove to be better in terms of price/quality ratio. Depending on the model chosen, these CPUs will fall somewhere between Legion's minimum and recommended requirements. If you take the Intel i7, then it will be extremely difficult to find a model under $300. Below you can see several interesting models as recommendations, all of which are included in the Legion recommended requirements and are reasonably priced.

• Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad Core Processor is a good i5, which is only 2 generations behind the most current one, and will work with games with a bang. One generation younger than the recommended Legion, and also with a better operating frequency.
• AMD FX 8320 8-Core Processor - Comparable to Intel i5 processors, the AMD FX8320 has even more cores than Legion requires, but it's hot.

Video card (GPU)

The main difficulty in buying a video card is finding the right one. It's simple: the more numbers in the name, the more productive the card. What's not so simple: Nvidia and AMD only make the base chip, while other manufacturers make their own versions of graphics cards, each with minor differences. For example, if you search for GTX 960, you will find versions from MSI and EVGA. Moreover, each manufacturer will have a couple of variations, such as more coolers, or overclocked operating frequencies.

As for Nvidia cards, EVGA has proven itself with a high-quality guarantee and support; At the same time, MSI cards are more resistant to overclocking; ASUS cards are generally good and aesthetically feel better. I'm less familiar with specific AMD manufacturers, but Sapphire has been a brand that I've trusted almost unquestioningly in the past. In general, however, all these versions of video cards are almost the same and the manufacturer will not play a big role, unless you are going to use it on the verge of a foul.

Another interesting thing that you should definitely check before purchasing: the ports that the manufacturer installs on the board. Most cards will have at least 1 port that you will need, but if you only have one specific port on your monitor (VGA or DVI), look for a graphics card that will support them.

Finally, there is one point that does not directly affect the purchase of a video card, but it is often overlooked. Be sure to check whether your power supply can handle the increased load. Manufacturers of most cards immediately write the recommended power that is needed to operate the video card, check that you have at least that much, if not more. Below, as usual, are some examples of components.

• Radeon R7 360 or GeForce GTX 750 Ti - both graphics cards provide average performance at a low price. On high settings, the frames per second will drop below 20 (especially in raids), but you can play on low or medium settings without any problems. The AMD card is slightly better than the Legion's recommended requirements and slightly ahead of the 750 Ti.
• Radeon R7 370 or GeForce GTX 950 - these options are already more expensive, but still within the bounds of decency. Will satisfy casual gamers and also exceed Legion's recommended requirements.
• Radeon R9 380 or GeForce GTX960 - these two are beyond $200, but will show extremely good performance without requiring you to invest a lot of money. If you want consistently smooth FPS in Legion and beyond, then look no further than these cards.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

But there is a silver lining to all this: all new computers come with a 64-bit operating system. On most versions of 64-bit Windows, the RAM limit is set to more than 100 GB. With the exception of Win7 Home Basic and Home Premium, which are limited to 8 and 16 GB, respectively.

For games, judging by the recommended Legion requirements, 4 GB is enough, and 8 GB will allow you to work with other programs simultaneously while you play (several browser tabs, for example). Given that memory has become significantly cheaper recently, I would never recommend playing with less than 4 GB of RAM. And if you are limited by budget, it is now difficult to find a use for more than 8 GB of RAM. Before buying RAM, check how many slots there are for it on your motherboard. This will influence the choice, because you can take two 4 GB dies, or one 8 GB. RAM for laptops is most often specific due to the required chip, so it’s also worth checking before purchasing.

As usual, options. Just keep in mind that most often the manufacturer does not play a role here and such a list exists only so that you do not think that due to the small number of RAM slots you cannot install a certain amount of memory.

Also, if you are going to make a kit from different manufacturers and kits, then know that they will all work at the frequency of the slowest one from the kit. This is if the motherboard allows it, otherwise at the maximum frequency of the motherboard.

Hard Drive (HDD vs SSD)

Another topic to cover here is whether you need a solid state drive (SSD). They are more expensive than HDDs, although they have become cheaper recently. The difference in use is striking - programs load much faster. That is, loading in games will be terribly fast. But the point here is rather to store the operating system on the SSD, and everything else on the HDD. If you're shopping on a budget, you'll probably want to avoid SSDs.

To give you an idea, a system installed on an SSD boots up in 15 seconds or so. After installing the SSD, I sometimes need to reboot the PC, and it is thanks to it that I manage to return to the game even before the trash pack was killed in the raid, which was pulled when I left. But again, this is completely optional.

• Seagate 250 GB HDD - there will be little space, but if the computer exists only for WoW, it will be enough.
• Seagate 1 TB HDD - one terabyte will be enough for the average person, but if you shoot videos or a bunch of screenshots every day, you can also view the 2 TB version of the disk using the link.
• Samsung 850 EVO 120 GB SSD - The SSD in this list is only for those who have decided on an SSD+HDD combination. You can also look towards SSDs from Intel. There is not much space on a 120 GB disk, but it’s just right for the system. If you take it to 240, then you can also put in WoW with a couple of games.

Operating system (OS)

If you are going to buy a Mac, then you don’t have to worry about the OS. And Linux-oids, I am sure, will find all the information they need on their own.

All the rest

And finally, if you assemble and build it yourself, then the first thing you need to decide on is the motherboard. It should be of high quality, although it will not affect performance. Also, do not forget to check whether the board is compatible with the desired CPU. And if you decide to change only the CPU, check that too.

Lately there has been a lot of news related to the release of this or that processor or video card. In the throes of choosing a configuration for their “iron-logical horse,” World of Warcraft players are faced with many problems and troubles. After all, the choice of equipment is a very delicate matter and will require a little analysis of the “material parts”.

I offer you several selections of different price categories for a comfortable game in World of Warcraft.

Selecting a computer configuration for the game World of Warcraft

Background

World of Warcraft is a game launched in 2004 whose engine is based on Warcraft III, which was released in 2002. At minimum settings, the game will allow you to play even on very outdated hardware. However, with the release of the Warlords of Draenor expansion, WoW began to consume significantly more system resources, as Blizzard focused on creating more beautiful, detailed locations, and also significantly supplemented the engine with various modern technologies. After the release of the Legion expansion, graphics technology became even greater, character models acquired additional polygons, which led to Overall this means that while in Azeroth, you may not feel the difference between the old and new computer, but when you go on a trip, say , on Broken Isles, performance can significantly spoil your gaming experience.

What is FPS?

FPS - Frames per Second - frames per second. FPS is the main "measure of computer performance". Inside the game, you can find out the number of frames per second using the combination Ctrl+R. A low number of frames per second will cause the game to freeze, while at a high FPS the animations will look smoother and more pleasing to the eye.

Number of frames per second. Horizontally - a time interval equal to 1 second. The bars mark the change of picture in this time interval. The graphs are sorted vertically by FPS value.

Talking about FPS and monitors.

In the budget segment for a resolution of 1920x1080 (or FullHD) monitors are usually produced with a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz. Screen refresh rate is the frame rate specifically on the monitor screen. 60 Hz is equivalent to 60 frames per second. And here comes a fundamental difference: do not confuse the FPS that the system produces and the FPS displayed on the monitor screen. Not only the number of frames output to the monitor depends on the frames produced by the computer hardware. Each frame is the result of processing game events and polling computer elements, including input peripherals. Simply put, for each frame there is a poll of the keyboard, mouse, joystick, and so on (if these peripheral elements are capable of operating at such a frequency). Therefore, if you play not only World of Warcraft, but some “shooters”, then it is important for you to know that your reaction speed directly depends on FPS.

For World of Warcraft, a value of 60 FPS is acceptable. This is a standard limitation of monitors in the budget segment with FullHD resolution (60 Hz). When selecting iron, we will strive for exactly this value.

World of Warcraft System Requirements

Let's look at the important components of the system.

Processor selection

At the moment, a lot of different processors have been released. Modern 7th generation Intel Core and AMD Ryzen processors are well suited for building new computers for gaming.

The performance of World of Warcraft depends on many indicators, but the main load falls on the processor and video card. Central cities, raids, and a high “Visibility range” setting are the best places to test the performance of your system. Since WoW is quite an old game, it puts a lot of strain on single-threaded CPU performance. Modern processors from Intel have higher single-threaded performance than their competitors from AMD. But the latter should not be written off.

The cheapest optimal option of processors on the market is Intel Pentium G4560. It will be a little more expensive to buy Intel Core i3-7100. This pair of dual-core processors is good for WoW, but you shouldn't expect any super outstanding results from them.

From the medium-expensive range it is worth paying attention to Intel Core i5-7500. Also shows very good results i5-7600K, which is a very good option for gaming in general.

About AMD

Please do not assume that this article was written by an Intel-centric author. It is worth recalling that World of Warcraft does not use more than 4 processor cores. Therefore, the quad-core i5-7600K is ideal for this build. Available on the market Ryzen R5 are 6-core and have their own number of advantages. These benefits, unfortunately, do not apply to World of Warcraft. Also, in this price segment they are inferior in single-threaded performance to processors from Intel.

Obviously, processors such as Intel Core i7-7700K And AMD Ryzen 7 1700X.

Selecting a video card

The choice of graphics card directly depends on the resolution at which you play. We agreed above that we will only consider 1080p (or 1920x1080).

Cheap options for specific builds are Nvidia GTX 1050Ti. To increase productivity, you should pay attention to GTX 1060 from Nvidia.

Suitable for medium-expensive assemblies Nvidia GTX 1070, and for powerful ones it’s suitable GTX 1080.

The above recommendations apply to players who play on medium-high settings and want to see high FPS. Please note that you can increase FPS by lowering the graphics settings. Play around with them to get the best ratio. "performance/picture".

Selecting RAM

Despite the official system requirements stating that 2 GB of RAM is enough for World of Warcraft, in fact this amount of RAM is not enough. In some cases, even having 4 GB of RAM can negatively affect the gameplay. Therefore, I recommend starting with 4 GB for budget builds, and for mid-range builds 8 GB are already recommended.

Of course, when considering “RAM,” I silently mean DDR4 memory, after all, we keep up with the times, don’t we? 🙂

Builds and prices

I have described the most important things, now let's take a look at the assemblies as a whole. We will consider 5 categories, sorted by price.

Comparative assessment

The most budget build at the moment is about 31 thousand rubles, which is a very real possibility for almost any wallet. Yes, it will be a little problematic to hang yourself with addons and listen to music from social networks in the browser while raiding in Mythic mode, but WoW itself will work quite stably at low graphics settings.
"Average" the assembly will give you a little more opportunities for improvisation in the game, but without fanaticism.

"Medium-expensive" And "Expensive" the builds are very good for World of Warcraft. Such computers will be enough for several years of good and high-quality work with stable FPS. "Expensive" the assembly will also allow you to play other modern games at high-ultra settings.

In my understanding, the assembly "Expensive" is a desirable one from the category of serious gaming computers. Borrow, but buy! It's worth it.

"Powerful" falls into the category of exclusives - for those who don’t mind investing now in order to enjoy it for a long time. On such cars you will definitely forget about the brakes. Please note that in this build, the i7-7700K is worse in comparison tests than the AMD Ryzen 7 1700X, so I advise you to pay a little more in this situation in order to get very good performance from an 8-core processor.

The article was written based on materials from logicalincrements.com.
Prices are taken from Yandex.Market.

And one last thing: