Guild Wars 2

For WvW you would want a good CPU, 2nd gen or higher intel core i5/i7. This should be your first priority before getting a GPU upgrade. Large scale battles in WvW rely very heavily on CPU power.

Get the best CPU on this list you can afford
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.html
(2500k, 3570k are popular ones. Get K version to overclock)

For GPU get something with score higher than 3k on this list.
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpukittenml
(7850, 7870, 660, 660ti, 670 are popular ones)

You didn’t list your PSU, but 500W+ should be fine.

Look at this thread to see other people’s specs & fps

You need to build a new system, this is too old.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/support/tech/fx-8350-performance-experience/first#post1046050

This is a thread that I wrote on my experiences with my fx 8350. Performs as well as an i5 3570k from the feedback I have read. It’s cost effective, and is on the am3+ socket, which is said to support Steamroller when it comes out. Not to mention it has 8 cores, which will age well. I am sure that GW2 will not be the only game you play forever. So, I would go with a platform that will age well and give you more upgrade options.

kirito.4138:

For WvW you would want a good CPU, 2nd gen or higher intel core i5/i7. This should be your first priority before getting a GPU upgrade. Large scale battles in WvW rely very heavily on CPU power.

Get the best CPU on this list you can afford
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.html
(2500k, 3570k are popular ones. Get K version to overclock)

For GPU get something with score higher than 3k on this list.
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpukittenml
(7850, 7870, 660, 660ti, 670 are popular ones)

! thanks for the link this is pretty much what I’ve been look for. Btw, if I were aiming for 3k on the GPU where does this put the gw2 settings on?

I’m planning to get a i7-2.7ghz just cant decide if 660m will be good enough to get it to high/ultra settings with no shadows. It seems the highest that light laptops can carry is a 660m. Hopefully everyone else will catch up to the ultra thin imac with a 675mx

Flappybob.1950:

I was very wrong about my previous stats, that would be my laptop. My desktop is at a much lower point in it’s life. Throwing up some pictures of a CPU-Z scan now.

I have a Q6600 3.2OC system and it is very playable at 30-60fps for PVE content. Running around LA it gets 20-30fps. It just won’t be able to handle WvW smoothly. If you don’t want to build an entire new desktop, your Q8200 should do fine if you get a better video card. The 9400GT is very low end, actually its a bit below minimum requirement of HD 3000. Get a ~$70 card like radeon 7770 or something.

Xandman.4583:

! thanks for the link this is pretty much what I’ve been look for. Btw, if I were aiming for 3k on the GPU where does this put the gw2 settings on?

probably mostly high settings

hmm interesting PassMark chart shows the gtx580m way better than 660m even the 670mx, hopefully its a typo

I think I’ve had this discussion with kirito before

It’s not a typo, but it’s only one benchmark result. That’s good enough for a general idea of what range a graphics card belongs too, but never judge a cards performance by just one benchmark. In other benchmarks, the 670M and MX score higher than the 580M.
In actual games, the performance will be different yet again.

Xandman.4583:

hmm interesting PassMark chart shows the gtx580m way better than 660m even the 670mx, hopefully its a typo

Higher model# does not always equate to better performance. Its a gotcha type thing that fools avg consumers.

xXx
First number designate the generation of the GPU. Changes in architecture design of the chip etc.

xXx
Second number shows the range or class within it’s generation. 7-9 high end , 4-6 mainstream, 1-3 budget low end

Then there are postfix and prefix tags like GT, GTX, GS, GSO. Gets confusing. Read this for more info

Usually each new generation bumps up the performance a little shifting the range/class up a notch. So a GTX480 would be about the same as GTX570.

So a GTX 480 is about the same as a GTX 660, since its two generation behind and two class behind which makes sense. The advantage a 660 would have over the 480 then would be heat&power consumption are less.

Now passmark is a single benchmark and a synthetic one. It gives a good rough approximation of performance, but there will be variations. Depending on manufacturer of the GPU, it could be overclocked or offer more memory etc. Each card would then perform differently depending on what application or game it runs.

kirito.4138:

Xandman.4583:

hmm interesting PassMark chart shows the gtx580m way better than 660m even the 670mx, hopefully its a typo

Higher model# does not always equate to better performance. Its a gotcha type thing that fools avg consumers.

xXx
First number designate the generation of the GPU. Changes in architecture design of the chip etc.

xXx
Second number shows the range or class within it’s generation. 7-9 high end , 4-6 mainstream, 1-3 budget low end

Then there are postfix and prefix tags like GT, GTX, GS, GSO. Gets confusing. Read this for more info

---

Usually each new generation bumps up the performance a little shifting the range/class up a notch. So a GTX480 would be about the same as GTX570.

So a GTX 480 is about the same as a GTX 660, since its two generation behind and two class behind which makes sense. The advantage a 660 would have over the 480 then would be heat&power consumption are less.

Now passmark is a single benchmark and a synthetic one. It gives a good rough approximation of performance, but there will be variations. Depending on manufacturer of the GPU, it could be overclocked or offer more memory etc. Each card would then perform differently depending on what application or game it runs.

Pretty much what he said.

Tho theres something more to add. Apart from type of card exmaple :
Gtx 480/ gtx 660 – they will get around same performance tho! various graphic option that requires high bandwidth will bottleneck a bit a crad with slow data transfer.

best example is ati 7870 vs gtx 660ti where ati will handle gw2 better due to better bandwith as gw2 requires more bandwith that most of games

kirito.4138:

For WvW you would want a good CPU, 2nd gen or higher intel core i5/i7. This should be your first priority before getting a GPU upgrade. Large scale battles in WvW rely very heavily on CPU power.

Get the best CPU on this list you can afford
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/singleThread.html
(2500k, 3570k are popular ones. Get K version to overclock)

For GPU get something with score higher than 3k on this list.
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpukittenml
(7850, 7870, 660, 660ti, 670 are popular ones)

You didn’t list your PSU, but 500W+ should be fine.

Look at this thread to see other people’s specs & fps

Its so much easier when Kirito beats me to a post :P

Bassicaly….. everything he said :P

Now that’s just lazy …

Also, lol at profanity filter in links