Guild Wars 2

My 5 year old computer basically died, so I’m looking at building a new one. Previously I was playing GW2 on mostly low settings (with frequent crashing), so I’d like something that can run it better.

I’m looking at the following site for ideas:
http://www.logicalincrements.com/

How would something in the Very Good to Great categories run GW2? Any specific advice on parts? For example, are there any known issues with those graphics cards and GW2?

GPU wise fine ..but their CPU’s r out of whack. CPU is more important nowerdays especialy for GW2. If ur looking at Very good / Great for everything else, then make sure u get a CPU in the Excellente or above bracket at minimum.

Exactly the kind of feedback I’m looking for. Thanks!

Yeah I was about to say something similar. Don’t go directly across their row of VG or Great.

Also, look at the other posts about building a computer in this fourm. There’s some good advice there. It helped me upgrade mine – just got a i5 3570K and 560Ti. It’s like playing a whole new game! I can’t believe what I was missing by playing at low graphics settings.

‘most’ of my posts are in response to performance issues. Click my name on the left and go to my post history it will take u to different performance topics most of which have some advice on computer specs.

Thank you both.

Here are some build for your budget. Both build should be able to run the game at the highest settings with the 2nd build having better performance. It is also important to note that most games only use 2-4cores and intel CPU is much Better than AMD. (I.e 2Ghz intel > 3Ghz AMD of the same tier.)

CPU AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor $164.99 @ Newegg
Motherboard ASRock 970 Extreme3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard $74.99 @ Amazon
Memory Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 × 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory $59.98 @ Amazon
Storage Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $67.98 @ Outlet PC
Video Card Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card $234.99 @ Newegg
Case NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case $39.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply Antec Basiq Plus 550W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply $69.99 @ Amazon
Total
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. $712.91

RECOMMENDED:
CPU Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor $189.99 @ Microcenter
Motherboard MSI B75A-G43 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard $74.99 @ Newegg
Memory Crucial Ballistix sport 8GB (2 × 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory $51.20 @ Newegg
Storage Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $69.98 @ SuperBiiz
Video Card Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card $189.99 @ NCIX US
Wireless Network Adapter Rosewill RNX-N150PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter $14.99 @ Newegg
Case NZXT Tempest 210 ATX Mid Tower Case $44.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply Corsair CX 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply $59.99 @ Newegg
Optical Drive Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer $15.98 @ Outlet PC
Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) $89.98 @ Outlet PC
Total
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. $822.08

Thanks Sky. I’m curious… why does the first build include the HD 7870, while the second build includes the cheaper 7850? Also, the second build includes a DVD writer and the OS. If you take those out, the builds are close to the same price. Am I missing something?

After reading around a bit, it seems like the i5-3570K is a good match for me, and either the HD 7850 or HD 7870. I am fairly new to building PCs. Does the processor and graphics card used affect which power supply is needed? In other words, how much power is enough?

Also, what should I look for in a motherboard?

if ur after a 7870 ..get the sapphire 7870XT (ita tahiti bassed card ..faster than the old 7870)

PSU wise u can get away with a 500w, but if i were u i would get a 600w or higher just for the extra head room that allows the PSU to run at a lower % utilization and thus be more efficient, quiter, and last longer.

Motherboards u just go for what connections u need, if ur going to OC, and their reliabilty/rep.

For good OC’ing a mid range Asus or Gigabyte board is ur best bet, they r also top fo thel ine in reliability and have good options for more or less PCIe x16 slots ..or more Sata 6 connections etc.

Can’t believe you guys haven’t recommended an SSD, that’s a no brainer now days…..

I will never go back to running my os and a few games without an SSD.
i5 3570k is the way to go. GW2 isn’t overly demanding on GPU’s so your 7800 series or even a GTX 660ti is more than enough really.
The one thing I would absolutely recommend is a getting a good PSU. 80+Bronze or better is essential and as Solar said try to aim for 600w+.

I’d prefer not to overclock as I have never done it before, so hopefully I can get by with it as is.

Sartori.1962:

Can’t believe you guys haven’t recommended an SSD, that’s a no brainer now days…..

I’m considering this as well. From what I understand, an SSD is best used for the OS and frequently used programs, correct? Does anyone use RAID any more for regular hard drives or do most use alternate backup means? On my old computer, I had RAID as well as backups locally and remotely using CrashPlan.

Easiest way to estimate the size of the PSU you will need is to use the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator lite

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

550-600 watts is normally a good size for the CPU/GPU pair you are looking at. Big point is to get a high quality modern PSU. The important number isn’t just the total max wattage of the PSU but the max wattage at 12 volts, which is where both the CPU and GPU draw their power from. And since about 90% of a gaming rig’s power is going to the PSU and GPU, it’s fairly important.

Personally, I favor Intel i5/i7 over the current AMD CPUs when it comes to gaming. It may not be the CPU’s fault but the better connection from CPU to the graphics PCIe controller with Intel (it’s integrated into the high speed memory bus within the CPU itself) Vs AMD’s old school Northbridge. Let me trot out this

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/guild-wars-2-performance-benchmark,3268-7.html

However if in any game where a game is GPU bound, CPU performance isn’t as important (ie Metro 2033).

SSD is only a consideration when u have the spare cash.

no point spending £100 or more on a 128gb SSD, when that £100 can go towards making a 3570k a 3770k or a 7870 a 7970.

As for raid.

I have a 128gb SSD for my OS + frequently played games.

I also have 2 500gb 10k RPM drives that i usei n Raid0 for less frequently played games and programs aswel las storage. Raid0 improves the performance, so its always a consideration imo.

This is pretty much a top of the line PC includes everything but the keyboard, mouse, speakers, and monitor. It’s made to overclock as with this game it will help alot.
Move the front case fan to the top as output and install the 200mm fan in the front as input. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QhAX
For boot times the raid0 is not even close to a SSD, from the time you see the mother board flash screen till windows is ready to use is about 10 seconds.
For the mother board it’s all about what features you are going to use how many HDD’s, Xfiring or not, USB 3.0 or not, overclocking or not.