Guild Wars 2

I’m not a hardcore gamer, I dont really care about 60 fps and all time quality, I just play to have fun.

My computer is a peice of junk, now that I have some extra money I was wondering what should I upgrade first to improve my gw2 expirience?

Windows Version: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition Service Pack 1 (build 7601), 64-bit

Processor: AMD Athlon™ 7450 Dual-Core Processor

Graphics Card: ATI Radeon HD 4300/4500 Series

Total RAM: 2.0 GB

budget? that system is pretty old..

Budget currently not set, though I would really like to be able to play on medium-ish settings without fps lag. 1380×1024 is the resolution I play on and I’m satisfied with it.

well, you should put up a budget. you can get a new system if you have a reasonable budget.

I was actually thinking I should upgrade one at a time. That is why I am posting here, what to upgrade first to improve my gw2.

Nobody can help you if you don’t post how much you’re willing to spend. If you’re looking for something on the cheaper end you’re going to be spending at least $200 to upgrade your processor.

1380×1024 is also a weird resolution. Are you using a laptop?

Isn’t that a socket AM2 CPU? You didn’t name the motherboard, but it’s probably so old that no new CPU will work in it. Also, AM2 boards use DDR2 RAM, so what you have right now is incompatible with newer motherboards and CPUs, which use DDR3.

So if you want a smoother framerate, you may need to replace the motherboard, the RAM and the CPU.

Buying a new graphics card would be a smaller upgrade, but when GW2 seriously slows down, it’s usually limited by the CPU, so the performance increase would be limited. It’d still slow down in the same fights, but you could run at somewhat higher settings without it slowing down more.

@Nilgoow.1037 I could spend 200$ if it is worth it. And I choose that resolution because for some reason it ran the smoothest with least fps drops.

@tota.4893 I actually updated my motherboard, ASRock N68C-GSFX (8 core cpu ready, am3+ cpu support).
Do you have any medium CPU’s that you recommend? And also how much RAM should I add?

one way to approach is it to go to newegg – search amd apu , then sort by highest price, scroll down to your budget.

as a general rule, a computer is as fast as it’s slowest part. so I’d start there.

in windows 7 – you click – start / control panel / performance – and run a benchmark on your computer to see which are the slowest parts.

be careful with some of the advice you get on these forums, some of the responses are sensible, but other over the top enthusiasts will tell you, that you need to upgrade your power company first lol

You could get something like an AMD FX-4350 CPU, 2×4GB sticks of ram, and a Radeon HD 7750 (or a 7770 GHz if your PSU has PCI-e power connectors) for ~$280. That’s a considerable upgrade from what you have now and a safe bet as far as being able to use the components you already have.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1lgpO

Thank you, both of you.

Though it is alot of money that I currently do not have. I will just get the CPU and the RAM then, the graphics card will have to wait… even though it is very cheap :/

I know the feeling, I need a whole new set up – my old system reached saturation point with upgrades ….I’ll tell you this though – don’t be quick to buy from new egg- join their mailing list – as sometimes they give you codes that save you a ton of money – newegg is slick, sometimes they have great bargain savings hiding in their system – but if you add the item too quick to your cart – they won’t tell you about it heh!! I’ve chopped off over $150 from my desired build so far like that – I just keep stuff in my cart and keep searching for deals and coupon codes !! lol

Yeah, I just heard about newegg. Thank you for your tips

Problem is as others pointed out is at the most basic level your system is just to old. Asking what to upgrade in a socket AM2 system is like asking to upgrade an Intel socket 775.

AM2 means it uses DDR2 memory (I seem to remember a few AM2+ MBs that had DDR2 and DDR3 memory slots but since you didn’t go into detail I’ll assume the most common denominator.

- So socket AM3 or AM3+ motherboards are not compatible to Socket AM2 CPUs.
- DDR2 memory is not compatible to socket AM3 or AM3+ motherboards.

So if you are going to do an upgrade you will need to change out the entire core of the system. That brings up other potential problems as well such as PATA based drives, which are no longer supported on most motherboards. Then there’s the shift in power supply requirements where 12 volt amperage is the most important.

Due to the age something as simple as a memory upgrade will cost more (50-60%) relative to current memory prices due to the reduced production now. The only quad cores available for that socket was the 1st generation Phenoms and they weren’t fast.

I guess you could get a more modern video card since that’s independent of the core 3 components and thus reusable in a future system. But power supply requirements could come into play.

Basically we your options are very limited if you want to go piecemeal and we would need a bit more information to help with our recommendations.

Behellagh.1468:

Problem is as others pointed out is at the most basic level your system is just to old. Asking what to upgrade in a socket AM2 system is like asking to upgrade an Intel socket 775.

AM2 means it uses DDR2 memory (I seem to remember a few AM2+ MBs that had DDR2 and DDR3 memory slots but since you didn’t go into detail I’ll assume the most common denominator.

- So socket AM3 or AM3+ motherboards are not compatible to Socket AM2 CPUs.
- DDR2 memory is not compatible to socket AM3 or AM3+ motherboards.

So if you are going to do an upgrade you will need to change out the entire core of the system. That brings up other potential problems as well such as PATA based drives, which are no longer supported on most motherboards. Then there’s the shift in power supply requirements where 12 volt amperage is the most important.

Due to the age something as simple as a memory upgrade will cost more (50-60%) relative to current memory prices due to the reduced production now. The only quad cores available for that socket was the 1st generation Phenoms and they weren’t fast.

I guess you could get a more modern video card since that’s independent of the core 3 components and thus reusable in a future system. But power supply requirements could come into play.

Basically we your options are very limited if you want to go piecemeal and we would need a bit more information to help with our recommendations.

He has a socket AM3+ motherboard.

@Nilgoow.1037

I like how you bashed my graphics and my pc the other thread when you said “I didn’t know they released GW2 for the Sega Genesis.”, and now you’re helping me get a better preformance xD

Well since you have an AM3+ motherboard and 64-bit Win 7 then 8GB of memory should be a good relatively cheap upgrade. 2, 4GB sticks of fast DDR3 are in the $70 price range. More than enough for gameplay, OS and utilities running at the same time.

Totally forgot that this line of CPUs have both DDR2 and DDR3 memory controllers.

CPU, that’s a lot tougher. The FX-4350 or FX-6350 are under $140 at NewEgg ($130 for the 4 core FX-4350, $140 for the slower 6 cores FX-6350) and will improve performance compared to the Athlon X2 7450 because either are faster on a per core basis and they both have more cores. They can handle up to DDR3-1866 memory. However they both require more power than your current CPU which brings the question on power supply back into the picture. Also more power means more heat so both CPU and case cooling are important.

Nilgrow is right about his recommendations. Even at NewEgg the price of an FX-4350, 2×4GB sticks of DDR3-1600 Cas 9 memory and an HD 7750 with GDDR5 is under $300 before rebate. As long as you have a power supply with enough 12 volt wattage to feed the CPU and video card (they will use around 60 more 12 volt watts than your current setup, guessing an HD 4550) you should be blown away by the upgrade, and then soon to be craving for more.

id say buy a powerful cpu/mobo and save up for a beast vga, ull be fine with that card playin GW2 also 2gb is enough for gw2 if ure fine with longer loading times and some texture popups, if you want to improve gw2 performance def get a better cpu

whats ur exact budget?

sry for my english

Wow thank you guys, I really do not need the Ultra or even High preformace. I’m satisfied with normal just that THERE IS NO GOD kitten FPS DROPS every kitten ed 30 seconds xD

look, my english isnt good enough cause i never studdied it but ill try to explain my personal experience without any fancy tech stuffs.

i have two Pcs, one with a phenom x4 965 (4 cores), hd 5770 and 4gb ram < runs at 30-70fpsin pve, 15-20 in boss fights and wvw zergs, everything is maxed with medium shadows and native sampling. at 1600*1200

the other one is a really poor intel e6600 (weak 2core) and a terrible hd 3650 with 2gb ram. run ok around 25-35 fps on low-med settings at 1280*1024 but drops to 5 fps if alot of ppl around.,

i swapped the hd 3650 to the hd 5770 and nothing changed, the only one thing is that i could play at higher resolution and could turn on some effects like shader and post processing on high, was the same in crowded areas. so yea, id still say pick a powerful processor. your vga is alot better than the hd 3650.

and yes i know some would say both of my pcs r crap…

again; sorry for my english.

Thank you Kasylx for your information. I am trying to get a processor first indeed.
I was always told to pack a good processor before a graphics card

Op your best bet is to save $100 or $200 more, u will get alot more out of it.
A FX 6350 is ur best bet on a budget for CPU.
DDR3 RAM is plentifull, just grab some that is CL9 and atleast 1600mhz. 8GB minimum.

GPU wise imo a 7770 is the lowest u should go so try get one of those or better.

Then make sure ur PSU is up to scratch, u may needa new one in which case a good 500w PSU is what u should look for. But what ever u do , dont buy the cheapest PSU u can find, last thing u want is ur PSU to pop and blow everything else inside ur case along with it.

As others have said, when a rig gets to a certain age, the only way to upgrade is to go all in , and it aint cheap as a one of payment.

That said I do personaly prefer going full hog in one go, nets better performance for the 1st half of its life span so long as u got a big enough budget. Use a rig for 3-5 years, then replace the whole thing. Though having all that money in one go can be a PITA to achieve.
Upgrading as u go can somtimes put u into a ‘always just not good enough’ performance bracket as ur always held back by some component. But its alot easier to save small amounts of money at a time.

Nilgoow.1037:

You could get something like an AMD FX-4350 CPU, 2×4GB sticks of ram, and a Radeon HD 7750 (or a 7770 GHz if your PSU has PCI-e power connectors) for ~$280. That’s a considerable upgrade from what you have now and a safe bet as far as being able to use the components you already have.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1lgpO

And not to mention, that’s a total beast of a computer there for those kinds of parts. Obviously not high end, but it’s BEAST for that price

Hello OP!
Okay so now that you mention you don’t care for 60 FPS, I can make some alright recommendations on some upgrade parts.

I took a look into your current processor’s socket connection and the list of similar processors seeming compatibile (ultimately determined by your mainboard’s manufacturer,) an upgrade to your processor may be pretty costly. (An AMD Athlon64 X2 6400+ is $450 brand new and it’s OLD! Although I never looked at the price if it’s changed over the past couple years) But from what I can see, your best bet may be for purchasing new hardware. Mainly CPU, RAM, motherboard, and GPU if that matters to you, if you currently have a dedicated graphics card. However if you want a new graphics card, you may have to consider purchasing a new power supply unit as well (along with Windows IF YOU NEED TO)

So, here my suggested recommends are,
AMD A10-6800K. This processor may be a bit on the pricier side of things, however it’s the top of the line for AMD APU. the reason I picked it is because of the graphics hardware that comes onboard with the processor itself. The graphics hardware that is integrated into the processor should be powerful enough to let you play your games at a casual enjoyable pace with fair frame rates. It also comes with a huge base frequency of 4.1 GHz with a 4.4 GHz turbo so there’s no real need to overclock.

For mainboard, I recommend, MSI FM2-A75MA-E35 FM2 AMD A75 (Hudson D3).
I don’t know too much about it, but the price is low and it looks good with a lot of features and a lot of positives on the site I usually buy from. It’s only 62 dollars I think.

RAM, a single 4 GB stick G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066.

If you need or want a GPU, I recommend any of the AMD Radeon HD 7700 series graphics cards. They’re great on price.

If you need to upgrade your power supply unit,
Thermaltake TR2 TR-500 500W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply.
It’s very inexpensive but it should power all you need. It’s like 50 dollars for me I know that much.

I hope this list gives you some ideas or some help!

[EDITEDITEDITEDIT]
Okay so I just noticed someone said that OP may have an AM3+ board. If that is true, then I recommend at least going for a processor upgrade of say an AMD FX-4170 or 4350. They’re not expensive. Just a thought!

after re-reading this thread, i’m starting to think that the best upgrade I can get is to find other people with older computers who are sick of having to buy new computers – buy some sandwiches, a Frisbee and meet up at a park I’ll get 2 frisbees, one with amd written on it and the other with intel – maybe a whiffle ball with “mac”. Any upgrades from there will be how high you can throw em :p

Avelos.6798:

Hello OP!
Okay so now that you mention you don’t care for 60 FPS, I can make some alright recommendations on some upgrade parts.

I took a look into your current processor’s socket connection and the list of similar processors seeming compatibile (ultimately determined by your mainboard’s manufacturer,) an upgrade to your processor may be pretty costly. (An AMD Athlon64 X2 6400+ is $450 brand new and it’s OLD! Although I never looked at the price if it’s changed over the past couple years) But from what I can see, your best bet may be for purchasing new hardware. Mainly CPU, RAM, motherboard, and GPU if that matters to you, if you currently have a dedicated graphics card. However if you want a new graphics card, you may have to consider purchasing a new power supply unit as well (along with Windows IF YOU NEED TO)

So, here my suggested recommends are,
AMD A10-6800K. This processor may be a bit on the pricier side of things, however it’s the top of the line for AMD APU. the reason I picked it is because of the graphics hardware that comes onboard with the processor itself. The graphics hardware that is integrated into the processor should be powerful enough to let you play your games at a casual enjoyable pace with fair frame rates. It also comes with a huge base frequency of 4.1 GHz with a 4.4 GHz turbo so there’s no real need to overclock.

For mainboard, I recommend, MSI FM2-A75MA-E35 FM2 AMD A75 (Hudson D3).
I don’t know too much about it, but the price is low and it looks good with a lot of features and a lot of positives on the site I usually buy from. It’s only 62 dollars I think.

RAM, a single 4 GB stick G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066.

If you need or want a GPU, I recommend any of the AMD Radeon HD 7700 series graphics cards. They’re great on price.

If you need to upgrade your power supply unit,
Thermaltake TR2 TR-500 500W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply.
It’s very inexpensive but it should power all you need. It’s like 50 dollars for me I know that much.

I hope this list gives you some ideas or some help!

[EDITEDITEDITEDIT]
Okay so I just noticed someone said that OP may have an AM3+ board. If that is true, then I recommend at least going for a processor upgrade of say an AMD FX-4170 or 4350. They’re not expensive. Just a thought!

I would skip the bulldozer part and go with anything viscera, FX 43XX, FX 63XX, or FX 83XX.

Ilithis Mithilander.3265:

[EDITEDITEDITEDIT]
Okay so I just noticed someone said that OP may have an AM3+ board. If that is true, then I recommend at least going for a processor upgrade of say an AMD FX-4170 or 4350. They’re not expensive. Just a thought!

I would skip the bulldozer part and go with anything viscera, FX 43XX, FX 63XX, or FX 83XX.[/quote]

Price is where it matters.