How will these computers run GW2?
Neither has an acceptable video card for this game.
The processors at stock speeds will also bottleneck your performance.
The first one has a processor that cannot be overclocked.
Buying a premade from bestbuy isn’t going to get you playable performance in this game.
Sorry mate.
Screw overclocking, the first one has the better CPU when it comes to gaming. Also supposedly comes with a 460w PSU according to HP’s specs which is a lot better than the usual crappy 300 watt ones you find in their home models.
Limey is right that the graphics are horrible. The GT 620 is faster than the Intel HD Graphics 2500 but that’s like saying a snail is faster than a dead snail. It really isn’t a gaming card, more of something you put into an HTPC to offload video decoding.
RIP City of Heroes
Thanks for the help. I sorta knew that the graphics card wasn’t all that great. if I were to upgrade that myself would it help any?
1st one has a better CPU and it can be OC’d but only by about 300mhz ontop of its highest stock boost clock iirc. But as stated above, the GPU sucks.
You could upgrade it urself but u will have to keep an eye on ur PSU. You will need to choose a good modern GPU that doesnt use to much wattage whilst still being powerfull. So a 600 series nvidia for example.(650ti minimum)
Otherwise u will need ot buy a new PSU aswell. chances are the stock PSU will be a cheap one meaning it likely wont run well akittens limits.
In the end buying prebuilt then upgrading a part or 2 as soon as u get it isnt very money efficient. You would be better of builing it all form scratch urself.
EVGA GTX 780 Classified w/ EK block | XSPC D5 Photon 270 Res/Pump | NexXxos Monsta 240 Rad
CM Storm Stryker case | Seasonic 1000W PSU | Asux Xonar D2X & Logitech Z5500 Sound system |
(edited by SolarNova.1052)
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/budget-mini-itx-gaming-pc,3513.html
Tom’s hardware published this today. It’ s a 650 dollar small form factor gaming box.
Find something similar on their site (they do these budget builds once per quarter) and have a tech saavy friend build it for you.
If you can’t find anyone local to do it, PM me and I’ll build it for you (you provide parts and shipping costs obviously)
Except Tom’s and other DIY sites tend to leave out that pesky $100 Microsoft Tax called an OS. I take it Limey that you are part of the “just pirate it” DIYers out there.
Thanks for the help. I sorta knew that the graphics card wasn’t all that great. if I were to upgrade that myself would it help any?
Yes, you can get a modest GPU like the Saphire HD 7750 for under $85 after $10 rebate at NewEgg or the Asus HD 7750 for $88 after a $20 rebate. Neither should remotely stress the PSU in that HP system and are roughly 4 times faster than either the GT 620 or the HD 7470.
RIP City of Heroes
(edited by Behellagh.1468)
Neither has an acceptable video card for this game.
The processors at stock speeds will also bottleneck your performance.
The first one has a processor that cannot be overclocked.
Buying a premade from bestbuy isn’t going to get you playable performance in this game.
Sorry mate.
Video cards do no matter in this game. A guild mate of mine has an onboard graphics card and gets the same FPS as me with a GTX690. Refer to my thread, https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/support/tech/Low-FPS-and-nVidia-employee-response
DragonBrand – [Agg] Aggression
They don’t to a degree but a GT 620 is so far below a dual GPU SLi set-up that it will matter in this case.
It’s all about balance. Weak video card will limit what a good CPU can do and a weak CPU will limit what a good video card can do.
RIP City of Heroes
Glad you decided I was a pirate out of nowhere. Fortunately all my windows 7 keys came from technet, so you’ve got zero merit there. While I agree, building your own box carries the MS tax, he’ll still be far better off building his own (it’s about as easy as putting legos together these days)
By the way, the hardware I run cost me about two grand, so skimping on a copy of windows? Not likely.
You know what they say about assumptions.
But not a lot of people have means of getting a Windows key for free (if you ignore the fact a TechNet subscription is $200-600 a year). My point was describing the box on Tom’s at only $650 is misleading. In my experience discussing DIY builds on various forums, those that gloss over the required offering to the Gods of Bellevue are acquiring a Windows key from less than reputable sources.
I’m truly sorry I lumped you in with them.
I do find it interesting you dismissed the i5-3470 quad core yet recommended a box containing an i3-3220 dual core that with an OEM copy of Windows Home would run $200 over the systems the OP were looking at. And Tom’s shows that for GW2, the dual core/hyper threaded nature of the i3-3220 would blunt performance over a true Intel quad core.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/guild-wars-2-performance-benchmark,3268-7.html
True, probably not enough to make sticking a $90 HD 7750 in that HP box the faster solution but you are sending mixed signals. My sin is being cheap and cautious over the PSU when it comes to recommending an replacement video card.
RIP City of Heroes
(edited by Behellagh.1468)
Yeah, the I5 is obviously superior, but for me, it’s a matter of taking the whole picture into account with a prebuilt. The mobo and psu in that prebuilt are likely crap, and to put any kind of a decent video card into the system, at least the psu will need upgrading.
You’re absolutely right that a quad core is the better option. However, since you can’t OC that one, I’m not sure how much better it’ll be.
I’m not trying to be a debbie downer, but until (if ever) there are some optimizations made to the game engine, you just have to invest in more powerful hardware to run this game at settings “I” would consider acceptable.
I didn’t mean to come across flip about the OP’s concerns, and what I probably should have said was something like “take this example from Tom’s Hardware, and then customize the parts involved to optimize for the games you want to play” In the case of GW2, sacrifice a little gpu power for a quad core (get one you can overclock if at all possible)
Anyway, no harm done. Sadly, I can’t get any of my non-hardcore-pc-gamer friends into GW2, simply because it won’t run well on their decent, but aging systems.
I’m lucky enough to be able to keep my rig up to date these days, but I remember the early days of college when we were playing DAOC, and my computer couldn’t handle the RvR zergs. We’re back in the same boat here. Back then, the guys with Alienware boxes with ati 9800’s were the haves, and the guys like me with a dinky little p4 based dell were the have-nots.
I’m all for pushing graphics to the next level in some game types, but in others where the endgame model is “put 100+ players on the screen together”, they’ve got to come up with some better scaling options so you don’t NEED a stupidly high dollar box to run it.
/Rant off
Anyway, Vogue, my offer still stands if you want to build your own (or like I said I’m happy to help). See if you can scrape together a budget of 800 – 1000 and you’ll end up MUCH happier with your investment. The difference between 500 and 800 when building a gaming box is a BIG step up.