# Solved: Can my computer play WoW?



## austin206 (Jun 4, 2007)

Well Im concerned that it wont be able to because I dont think my video card is good enough. My system info is this...

-Compaq Presario SR1120NX (I havent put on any extra things, its basically straight out of the box)

-Windows XP

-*512MB Ram*

-80GB Hard Drive

-Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.66GHz

-Realtek AC'97 Audio Sound Card

-4x CD-rom drive

-*Intel(R) 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller (Intel(R) 82845G Graphics Controller) Video Card*

Im mainly worried about my ram and the video card. Im almost positive that everything else works but if it doesnt, please let me know.

If I need a new graphics card, could anyone recommend a cheap one that will work? I really dont want to spend too much more than $40-50 on it though...

So if you think my computer is good enough please let me know, and if it isnt, what I can do to make it good enough. Thank you for any help!


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## hung.n.bled (Apr 18, 2006)

im not a WOW player nor a fan. but i know its very low requirments. 512 would be enough ram but its your graphics, seeing as their onboard and all.

www.canyourunit.com

that'll scan your computer and tell you if you can play the game.

if your after a cheap card, look at the ATI 9550 or ATI 9600 or a nVidia 6600. not sure if your mobo is AGP or PCIx16 or what.


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## austin206 (Jun 4, 2007)

How do you check what type of motherboard you have?


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

it's probably generic since it's HP/Compaq. Perhaps Belarc Advisor (www.belarc.com) might help.

I can tell you now that your machine will have a hard time coping with that game, especially when there is a load of people in one area, and the fact the graphics card is old.


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## Courtneyc (Dec 7, 2003)

Austin206:

Follow hung.n.bled's advice. Go to the website and run the software for one of the two WOWs listed. It will tell you if you can run the software and what you need if you can't. With WoWs relatively weak requirements, I suspect that you can.

Courtney sends....


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

motherboard specs: directly from HP/Compaq

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...244&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=425921&lang=en

Looks like you need a PCI card since you have only 3 PCI slots


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## austin206 (Jun 4, 2007)

Couriant said:


> motherboard specs: directly from HP/Compaq
> 
> http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...244&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=425921&lang=en
> 
> Looks like you need a *PCI card *since you have only 3 PCI slots


I just looked up more info about the Nvidia GeForce 6600...

*Graphics Bus PCI Express AGP 8X *
Memory Interface 128-bit 128-bit 
Memory Bandwidth 16.0 GB/sec. 14.4 GB/sec. 
Fill Rate (texels/sec.) 4.0 billion 4.0 billion 
Vertices per Second 375 million 375 million 
Memory Data Rate 1000 MHz 900 MHz 
Pixels per Clock (peak) 8 8 
RAMDACs 400 MHz 400 MHz

Since it looks like I need a PCI card, this Nvidia one will work on my computer right? (all these questions are probably stupid but Im not too smart around computers...)


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## Compiler (Oct 11, 2006)

OUCH..!!

Very limited choices - but WOW is not exactly a cutting-edge game anyways.

I highly recommend the GeForce fx5200 PCI card. or 5500 - either way, they are bottom end.

$60 = http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133007
There are some $45~55 types, but they have fans - that CAN fail (Cheap cards = cheaper fans)
A fx 5500 won't be any faster.

If there is only 1 RAM slot used, perhaps buy more RAM.


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## Compiler (Oct 11, 2006)

Your computer is a slow-end Celeron. It was never made to be flexible for expansion back then (unlike the AMD models which tend to include AGP slots)

Your PC only has PCI slots. The GeForce6600 is $10 more and about 6 times more powerful... but again, no AGP slot = no go.

Just PCI - not PCIe or PCI Express.


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## austin206 (Jun 4, 2007)

So the GeForce fx5200 PCI card WILL run on my computer and support WoW? If so, I think I will buy it because I see it on ebay for about $25 new.


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## Compiler (Oct 11, 2006)

I don't trust most "new" computer parts on EBAY...

You may wanna check local stores like COMPUSA - they usually sell it for $35~45.

It the BEST you're going to get... but its a pretty lame card, even when it was new 5 years ago... But THERE IS nothing better for PCI.


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## austin206 (Jun 4, 2007)

Now on the WoW boards people are saying that if I do get this video card, the game will still have constant lag because I only have a PCI bus... Do you think this is true? Because if this card isnt enough to play the game right, Ill probably just forget about playing it


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

Compiler said:


> It the BEST you're going to get... but its a pretty lame card, even when it was new 5 years ago... But THERE IS nothing better for PCI.


Hey don't diss the FX5200... I have one and it's working great for me    

As for the PCI question... I don't know. Most common in use are AGP cards, which are better than PCI cards, but not great as PCI-E /PCI-Express.

I can't guarantee that it will work without any hiccups, but it will work.


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## Compiler (Oct 11, 2006)

The 5200 is perhaps 4 times better than the onboard Intel video...

Heres an old chart (the used to have an even older chart)
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics2005.html?modelx=33&model1=281&model2=296&chart=79

Age of Empire should use a bit less 3D horsepower compared to WOW...
The GF6600 is playable at 18fps. (you want 30fps min)... At 5200 would be around 2fps... But lowering the game details and such should get you up to 6-10fps.

And the Celeron CPU really doesn't help.

You may want to wait till your next computer upgrade.


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## Compiler (Oct 11, 2006)

Couriant said:


> Hey don't diss the FX5200... I have one and it's working great for me


Er... I will diss the Fx5200... as did everyone else.
But wow... found an OLD Comparision chart:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2003/07/14/vga_card_buyer/page13.html

When the fx5200 was NEW, it was priced a bit more than the GF-Ti4200... but was half the performance. Its kind of like today's GF8600 not beating the cheaper 7900gs, but NOT nearly as bad.

If you ONLY have PCI, the 5200 is the best!

Only the 5900 was decent at $400 an the $200 5700 that came out later. (I had both a 5900 and ATI9800 at the same time, as of today - I still have my 9800Pro in my #2PC)

Anyways - looking at the U2003 chart - the Fx5200 should still play WOW at about 20~35fps... playable. The TEST system is a bit faster but also has 512mb of RAM.



> As for the PCI question... I don't know. Most common in use are AGP cards, which are better than PCI cards, but not great as PCI-E /PCI-Express.


AGP is about as rare as PCI... very few NEW AGP systems built, actually none. Only new mobos with AGP are for those who want to migrate an older card tech to a new computer.

Good thing about PCIe - is that almost ALL new PCs today have a decent x16 PCIe slots - allowing the end-user to upgrade. Most Dells and other name-brands with Intel CPUs did NOT include AGP (as it has happened to the Original Poster).

Here is a NEW-EGG example: 130 AGP cards, 45 PCI cards.... and 400 PCIexpress cards.
I bet in 6 months, there would be half as many AGP cards to choose from.

So, do you play WOW on your system? If it works out for you, then austin206 should do well.


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## Compiler (Oct 11, 2006)

Austin206 - remember that LINK I gave you? If you look at some of the LINKS I included.. the fx5200 comes in both 64bit and 128bit memory systems... you want the 128bit to get the best possible speed...

That $25 on ebay would be a 64bit version. This $60 version is 128bit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133007

other performance charts:
http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=1933&p=15

If you can find one in a store (128bit) you can give it a try... and return it if it doesn't work out.

Still - the versions without a fan (128bit) maybe worth it...


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

Compiler said:


> Er... I will diss the Fx5200... as did everyone else.


lol didn't you see the smileys? I was j/k w/ you.



Compiler said:


> So, do you play WOW on your system? If it works out for you, then austin206 should do well.


I played Final Fantasy Online (same concept, different game) and I had no problems video wise. The only problem I had was 1000 odd people standing in the same spot. Slowed down, but not to the point of 0.01x slow.


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## austin206 (Jun 4, 2007)

Thanks for all those links guys and the descriptions that helped a lot. Im fine if it runs at around 30 fps, a little lag doesnt bother me its just a lot Im worried about. But I think I will buy the FX5600 and see if it will work. If its too slow, Ill just return it. One of my friends is coming over soon to check out my computer just to make sure I didnt miss anything, then Ill buy the stuff.

Thanks for all of your help guys, I never would have been able to find out all this stuff on my own.


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## misterleroy (Jun 4, 2007)

austin206 said:


> a little lag doesnt bother me its just a lot Im worried about.


From a member of the WoW Support team, I can help with various issues with regards to lag. WoW will run on most rigs. It likes RAM more than anything else. The Graphics are very flexible and can bent and twist to work with a large variety of GPU's.

There are different lags in WoW. Localised Lag and server Lag. One can be controlled by yourself, the other is beyond your control.

Both will effect your gameplay. If you seriously experience lag ingame, you should use this to factor in your choice of Character Class! If you run a machine which suffers from lag, do not choose a Mage/Priest/Warlock (caster class) else you will suffer and die a hell of a lot!

Hope to see you in there.


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

Are you related to Jenkins?


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## misterleroy (Jun 4, 2007)

No, thank god. My relationship with Jenkins is one of futility.

My name is actually Leroy, his name at most is Leeroy, and he is a certified turd


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

No kidding. But at least he has his own WoW card...


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## misterleroy (Jun 4, 2007)

What's worse is I own the card.. 



End Me Now!


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

misterleroy said:


> What's worse is I own the card..
> 
> End Me Now!


lol... now I was wondering... did he get chicken, or was he not chicken? 

OK, enough high-jack-post-ing


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## Compiler (Oct 11, 2006)

Couriant said:


> lol didn't you see the smileys? I was j/k w/ you.


I know...


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