Guild Wars 2

Virtute.8251:

Bro… I can press CTRL with my little finger, WASD with my ring and middle finger, and zero with my thumb: as a Mesmer traited for dodge-cloning and near constant 3-illusion upkeep.

Get, on, MY, level… BRO.

I had a reading fail and thought you had your thumb on 1 when I first read this. I had a really tough time trying to make that combo work…

To the OP, I’m fairly certain you can get a game pad to work in GW2, and doing so isn’t hacking or cheating as long as one button still performs one action (this is ANets official policy on macros- 1 button=1 action). It’s no different than using a keyboard or mouse with programmable buttons.

Perphection.8209:

Stop trying to treat the symptoms, and instead tend to the underlying cause.

You can kitten about zergs all you want, but the underlying cause of skill lag is a technical problem not a design problem. When a game mode designed for battles between large groups of people can’t handle large groups of people fighting, there’s a technical issue to be worked out.

Should they encourage less zerging? Probably (it’s really a topic for a different discussion), but there should still be opportunities for massive fights, and they shouldn’t be a massive 1-skill spam-fest or bring the entire map to a screeching halt.

Sounds pretty cool, but I can imagine the QQing that would come from PvEers. Would “leading” be based on PPT or total points? I feel like total points could lead to some depressing weeks, whereas PPT would cause things to switch more often assuming matches were even.

Some thoughts to keep PvEers from getting destroyed too badly:
1. Make sure the matches are more balanced first. As it stands now there would be servers being overrun far too often.
2. Make sure there are ample PvE events for the defending server to push back from their home world before having to deal with invaders. Stage 1 should be fairly extensive to give the PvEers a good chance to stop their impending doom. It would be quite unfair for the PvEers of a server to suddenly be getting slaughtered simply because their WvWers couldn’t keep up, so they need to be able to pull together and stop it too (at least temporarily).
3. Consider adding this only to specific servers, and give the option for free transfer off of those servers (to a server without this mechanic). I don’t think this is the best option, but it would give people the option to flee if they really hated the idea.

Number of meteors is halved, effectiveness isn’t. Without knowing the exact change in aoe size for each meteor before/after patch it’s impossible to say how the effectiveness changed.

Dedlaw.9130:

I guess the culprit thought…

~puts shades on~

…it was all a game

Some numbers on video editing:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/fx-8350-vishera-review,3328-12.html

I haven’t seen any full reviews have been done on haswell i5s yet, but I don’t think the Ivy-Haswell improvement was enough to catch up on threaded tasks.

I highly doubt running it from Win7 would help much. The hardware simply isn’t designed to dissipate the heat produced from demanding loads. It wouldn’t hurt to try though. You should be able to find free (and legal) win7 install media to download from digital river if you don’t have it already. That will give you time to try it out without having to pay (you have 10 days I think before activation is required).

If you’re looking for a safe registry cleaning tool, ccleaner has a registry cleaner that works well. I don’t know if it’s necessarily the most effective out there, but it’s never caused problems and certainly isn’t malware (download it straight from piriform, the developer). I also used the registry cleaner included with Comodo system cleaner before with good results, until the “fonts” cleaning left me with nothing but unicode symbols when I rebooted…

I don’t have the numbers, but I’m fairly certain the 8350 will beat the i5 for gameplay recording and video editing. In both cases moar cores is the way to go. That said, the i5 is the better straight up gaming CPU. I’m guessing it’s out of your budget or you would have mentioned it, but an i7 would beat both, no question.

8GB of RAM should be good, although more RAM for video editing is always a good thing. If you can afford it, 16GB would certainly help.

I don’t usually look too much at specs for graphics cards, but focus more on benchmark comparisons. You’ll want something fairly good to keep up with GW2, and any other games you play (I’d say 650Ti at the absolute minimum for GW2, maybe a 7770 if you’re really tight). Tom’s Hardware’s Best Graphics Cards for the Money is a great place to start, although keep in mind the GTX 770 and 780 weren’t out when this was written (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html). I personally would say a sapphire 7870XT is one of the best deals out there if it fits your budget.

Your FPS problems in zergs is a CPU bottleneck, a second graphics card won’t help at all (you aren’t even making good use of the one you have in that situation).

AmphibianX.7042:

MrChandMan.8253:

AmphibianX.7042:

Why are servers ranked by their WvW Performance?

Because the ranking system is used to determine WvW match ups. Duhhh

yeah, and because of this we know who is #1 in wvw, but what server is #1 in sPvP?
if we knew what server was #1 in sPvP, dont you think there would be people who would want to migrate to that server and battle the best sPvP players in the game?

WvW has rankings so that matchups can be created. Any other server-wide rankings would be pretty useless. You already spvp against the entire game population, and can guest wherever you want for pve. This would just be an exercise in measuring kittens.

I actually just realized that PSU isn’t compatible with Haswell due to low power consumption in sleep states. Here’s a couple of alternatives that would be OK with Haswell.
Seasonic M12II:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ss650am
Corsair TX650 (currently on sale @ newegg, grab it now):
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cmpsu650txv2

Other than that things look fairly good to me, just swap the CPU and motherboard to haswell components. You could consider switching to a case with front USB3 ports (Corsair 200R is a cheap option) but the HAF 912 is generally a good choice.

Wait for Haswell. The performance increase isn’t enormous, but we’re literally talking about <2 weeks for the next generation of Intel CPUs. Buying now is silly. I also agree with Qazwersder that an aftermarket cooler for overclocking would be worth it. A Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo is a great budget cooler (~$35).

My thoughts on your build: I’m not sure I’d go with that power supply, I haven’t heard great things about OCZ PSUs. Consider this one instead (also ~$10 cheaper):
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-s12ii620bronze

I’d probably go for a 650Ti Boost 2GB over the 7850 for a bit less, or the 660 for a bit more (although game bundles could be a factor depending on what you’re interested in).
650Ti Boost:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-n650titf2gd5ocbe
660:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvn660oc2gd

Finally, I haven’t looked at monitors closely in some time so take my recommendation here with a grain of salt, but I’d try to find a 1920×1080 that fits your budget if you can. Your build will have the power for 1080 gaming (in most games), so it’s worth getting the monitor to make use of it. This one seems to have decent reviews on newegg:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-ve228h

They can’t really work on the temps of your hardware. Hardware heats up when it’s heavily used, it isn’t the software’s fault (other than that it’s asking the hardware to work).

Advice for improving your temps depends a bit on your computer (Is it a laptop or deskop? Did you build it yourself or is it pre-built?) but the one huge thing you can do regardless is open it up and blow dust out. Make sure you get all the dust out of the heatsinks (especially the graphics card heatsink if it’s a desktop).

Knudge.5048:

any other suggestions on graphic cards within 200 dollar range

HD 7870 GHz Ed. on sale @ Newegg $190 after rebate:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202025

GTX 660s are just a hair over $200 at this point, better deal than the 7870 without that newegg sale. If you miss the sale and can’t swing the 660, go for a 650Ti boost (2GB) for ~$170-180.

For reference:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

Also, before upgrading your graphics card be sure your power supply is enough for what you’re getting, if not you’ll need to replace that as well (particularly a concern if this is a pre-built rig you’re upgrading). Graphics cards will generally give minimums, but I’d find a wattage calculator online and use that to see what all your components will draw (the card’s minimum is just a guess).

First, what “system requirements test” are you referring to? If you’re talking about one of those websites that scans your computer and supposedly gives you an idea of how well you should be able to run a game, just ignore the website. All they’re doing is comparing your system info to the minimum requirements, nothing more. They have absolutely no understanding of how the game performs on any hardware.

Second, what kind of “lag” are you talking about? Are you getting low fps (you can see your fps in the options menu if unsure) or skill lag/rubberbanding? If what you’re seeing is skill lag, it’s most likely a network problem, not your computer.

Third, where does this happen? If your problem is just low fps in large battles (crowded events, WvW zergs) it’s your CPU. Even the best desktop processors around have trouble with these situations (with 4.5GHz+ overclocks).

Finally, if it is low FPS all of the time, certainly try Kyllaa’s suggestions. It also could be your graphics card, which is not too much above the minimum requirements. Unfortunately there’s not much you can do if this is the case.

It’s not a low end processor, it’s just old. As for your examples, the original crysis came out in 2007, and AFAIK Tomb Raider depends mostly on GPU.

GW2 is extremely CPU bound, especially in large scale events/WvW (and yes, changing settings won’t help much). If you’re willing to do an upgrade, your best bet is to wait for Haswell to come out next month (or, if you want AMD, get an 8350 now). I’d say go with an i5 4670K or i7 4770K, along with a motherboard upgrade. If you’re willing to overclock (with aftermarket cooling), doing so will help your FPS in large battles quite a bit.

SaadBaig.8560:

I’m assuming you have a 6870 in your build, and that is not sufficient anymore for this game.

Even a 6850 is enough, especially at that resolution. GW2 really doesn’t need that much graphics power. My GTX 460 keeps up quite well at 1920×1080 just turning down reflections, shadows, and supersampling. If he were asking about buying a 68xx it would be a bad choice, but there’s not really any reason to replace it for GW2.

I wouldn’t say GW2 “hates AMD.” People have had good results (comparable to an overclocked i5) with an overclocked 8350. The overall assessment is correct though, it’s the CPU that’s holding back your WvW performance, not your graphics card (especially at that resolution). Unfortunately most of the settings (except WvW specific culling options) don’t help with this problem in the least.

I would say your best options are (1) wait a month and get a new Haswell i5 (4xxxK) and compatible motherboard, or (2) get a FX 8350 and compatible motherboard. You could get an Ivy Bridge i5 now, but with Haswell (and the accompanying socket change) so close it’s probably worth waiting since your current rig is still functional. In both cases you’ll get the best results if you also grab an aftermarket cooler and overclock.

Behellagh.1468:

Which assumes he has a copy of Windows he can install from.

You can get the install media free pretty easily, the hard part is getting the activation code (which he should have if his Windows is legit).

zalcs.9701:

Dosen’t look like a very happy ele to me. :/

You forgot something.

A GTX460 will (speaking from experience) keep up with GW2 at mostly high settings (I turn down reflections, shadows, supersampling) until the CPU bottleneck hits. That said, unless you’ve found some kind of deal picking up a used one from a friend or something, you can probably do far better for your money. You can get a 650Ti Boost for about the same as the cheapest 460 still available, and you’ll be much better off.

Not really. Based on this spec sheet for the 7500, you’ll be just barely above most minimum requirements, and below the min. ram requirements. It may install (although it most likely won’t without a ram upgrade), but anyone with specs anywhere near the “minimum requirements” will tell you they’re a load of BS, and the game won’t run well at all with that level of hardware.

I find it hard to believe that the case would cause a problem like this, and that’s the only part left as far as I can tell. Maybe there’s 2 bad parts? If I understood the back-story right, they were all in the same suitcase, so it’s much more likely to have a second damaged part once you have 1 that was damaged (essentially, breakage of parts is not independent).

I’d try swapping the potentially damaged parts into a functioning build 1 by 1, and see what doesn’t work there.

If by “optimization” you’re referring to terrible fps in large scale WvW/DEs, the answer is no. They did fix culling, but large fights will still bring even the best rigs down to 25-30fps (with WvW culling options lowered).

Definitely sounds like a hardware problem to me, here are my suggestions. First, check your vcore in your bios. It should be automatically set reasonably, but sometimes it can be set fairly high for stock settings (I’ve heard of boards setting it at ~1.45 for chips that should only need ~1.3 at stock).

Second, does your motherboard have a VRM heatsink (a heatsink directly to the left of the CPU)? Some 970A-D3s do, some don’t depending on the rev. #, but apparently you can call gigabyte and request a heatsink if yours didn’t come with one. Your problems could be caused by an overheating VRM, the shutdown being a protection feature to prevent your board from catching on fire. Regardless of whether or not it actually turns out to be the problem, getting the heatsink free from gigabyte seems worth it to me (you will need the heatsink if you ever want to seriously overclock on this board).

Third, try disabling turbo core in your bios, and see if that helps things. That “mini-overclock” could be just enough to destabilize your system.

Finally, what are your core temps under load?

<—- The mac tech support forum is that way.

r z.7261:

Take a look around the forums, I’m not the only one having these issues. My system is solid as rock son.

You may not be the only one having them, but they’re not exactly common. You’ll also notice that most other posts about similar issues are asking for help, not telling the devs they need to fix the game.

A “solid as rock” system doesn’t crash or BSOD on a daily basis due to a poorly optimized game, period.

r z.7261:

Makes zero sense. Basically you’re saying, IT IS GW2.

The exact same system ran GW2 fine at stock (and a slightly lower overclock) and crashed in GW2 when overclocked, indicating that the overclock was the problem. There were no signs of instability elsewhere, making it seem as if GW2 was the problem, but the fact that restoring stock settings stopped the problem shows that it was the overclock, not GW2.

Just because it’s only in GW2 does not mean GW2 is the problem (I’ve had OCs that were perfectly fine EVERYWHERE but GW2, including P95 blend for 20+ hours). Maybe instead of kittening and blaming it on the devs, you should post some info and ask for help. GW2 puts loads of stress on your system, so if there is even the slightest bit of instability, it will crash.

There are major optimization issues with the game engine atm, but daily BSODs and crashes suggest (quite strongly) that your system is not stable.

I played a bit on Mint a while ago (December probably) and had reasonable performance. I don’t remember exactly what my fps was, but it definitely wasn’t noticeably bad (so at least 20-30). I never tried WvW or large-scale events though. This was on a Phenom II 980, GTX 460, 16GB RAM.

Here’s the guide I followed to set it up:
http://gameshogun.ws/freegaming/how-to-play-guild-wars-2-on-linux

r z.7261:

Strange, I haven’t had a problem using Afterburner with GW2.

The only time I had a problem was trying to use the “Raster 3D” overlay. GW2 wouldn’t start with it enabled, but “Vector 3D/2D” worked fine. Other than that, no problems here either.

Baile Del Serpiente.4720:

basketcase.3894:

A possibility if you’re interested in building your own:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Q3q7
I went just a hair over your budget, but there are some spots you could save a bit (case, 1GB 650Ti rather than 2GB, even an FX-6300).

I wouldn’t recommend building/buying specifically for one game, because that’s essentially how you got in this situation. You had what would manage to run what you already played, and when something new came along suddenly you needed more. If you do a solid upgrade (based on what you can afford), you’ll be better off if you decide there’s a new game you want to play in a couple of years.

First part, thanks for the parts suggestions, but I don’t think I know nearly enough to be able to assemble my own rig. I’ll definitely look into that, though!

As for the second, that’s not exactly the case. This computer has been sufficient for running everything I’ve put on it, from all parts of the original GW, to WoW, LoL, War Rock, Dragon Age 2, etc., despite being under the minimum suggested requirements, so long as I ran on the lowest settings (and occasionally medium settings if I stayed in instances like the Traditional Chinese districts on GW due to lower traffic). I figured it would be much of the same, so I didn’t bother looking for a new rig when I pre-ordered GW2. The 3-day pre-release period came up, so I went to install the game and I got a message saying that because I was below the minimum requirements, I wouldn’t be able to install the game.

Now, I don’t plan on buying any more PC games (at least until I’m out of college) because of problems like this, so it won’t be as huge a deal as you’d think if I happen to buy specifically for GW2. I end up playing ps3 games much more frequently nowadays. I’m only interested in buying for this game specifically because I’ve already paid for it and can’t even play it. Plus, I’ve been on and off of the original GW since its release in 2005, so I have a much more sentimental connection to the franchise than I do any other games besides maybe the Zelda installments (of which I’ve beaten seven, ranging from the original Legend of Zelda to Twilight Princess, and am most of the way through Skyward Sword).

I can see where you’re coming from, I’d just hate to see you needing to upgrade again sooner than you should just because you felt you needed the mobility of a laptop.

Regarding building a computer, it isn’t anywhere near as difficult as it sounds at first. If you feel that it’s way over your head that’s fine, but if you do decide to go with a desktop, take a bit of time to learn about it and see if you’d be comfortable with it. I was nervous as hell for my first build, and after I was done I thought “Was it really that easy?” There’s a number of guides out there that will help you select parts and learn how to put things together, as well as forums where people are more than happy to answer questions.

zerk.9701:

basketcase.3894:

Nothing “GTS” is a high end card. It will be an improvement, so if that’s all you care about, great, but don’t try to call it “high end.” By today’s standards, a GTS 250 is barely entry-level. I mostly use Corsair PSUs, and I’ve heard good things about Seasonic.

Corsair does not make a PSU they are all rebrands. All of the Channel Well brands avoid .
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-oem-manufacturer,2913.html

You’re going to kitten about CWT here too?

zerk.9701:

basketcase.3894:

Sky’s suggestion is pretty good, with one exception. That ASRock board isn’t going to overclock for kitten, and will quite possibly be unable to handle the Phenom II even at stock voltages (3+1 phase VRM with no cooling=bad).

My recommendation for motherboard would be an Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 or Gigabyte GA-990FX-UD3. It would add a bit of cost, but it’s well worth it IMO. If you just can’t afford the extra cost, at least go with a Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3. With that you should be safe with some overclocking at least, and you definitely won’t have problems at stock.

Now on to difficulty, it really is quite simple. Do some research ahead of time, and you’ll be fine. In many cases things only go together one way, so unless you’re acting like a monkey banging things together, it’s hard to do it wrong. There are lots of resources and communities out there (Tom’s Hardware, AnandTech, Reddit build a pc, etc.) that you can turn to.

Alot more than one exception the DDR3 video card the processor the HDD and the very cheap CX series power supply do you know who makes the CX series? The processor in my build will beat the AMD no mater what you overclock it to and if I remeber right they were no aftermarket coolers listed . You might get 3.8 out of it with a stock cooler but that would be pushing it. The stock 3470 would still stomp on that for this game.

I didn’t notice the DDR3 card at first, that was my bad.

Channel Well makes the CX series, and they’ve made excellent PSUs in the past several years. I own multiple CX series (and a TX also made by CWT), and haven’t had a problem with any of them.

The processor in your build is also $60 more expensive and significantly newer. I certainly hope it would perform better. I mentioned overclocking simply because Sky suggested that he could overclock, but there’s no way it would happen on that board. You can get a 212 Evo for $30, so the cooler isn’t really a huge issue.

Sky’s suggestion is pretty good, with one exception. That ASRock board isn’t going to overclock for kitten, and will quite possibly be unable to handle the Phenom II even at stock voltages (3+1 phase VRM with no cooling=bad).

My recommendation for motherboard would be an Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 or Gigabyte GA-990FX-UD3. It would add a bit of cost, but it’s well worth it IMO. If you just can’t afford the extra cost, at least go with a Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3. With that you should be safe with some overclocking at least, and you definitely won’t have problems at stock.

Now on to difficulty, it really is quite simple. Do some research ahead of time, and you’ll be fine. In many cases things only go together one way, so unless you’re acting like a monkey banging things together, it’s hard to do it wrong. There are lots of resources and communities out there (Tom’s Hardware, AnandTech, Reddit build a pc, etc.) that you can turn to.

EDIT: kitten completely missed the DDR3 card, none of that. Really the rest of the build is fine though. A Phenom II will work quite well for everything outside of crowded DEs/WvW (I’m speaking from experience), and Corsair PSUs are among the best.

A possibility if you’re interested in building your own:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Q3q7
I went just a hair over your budget, but there are some spots you could save a bit (case, 1GB 650Ti rather than 2GB, even an FX-6300).

I wouldn’t recommend building/buying specifically for one game, because that’s essentially how you got in this situation. You had what would manage to run what you already played, and when something new came along suddenly you needed more. If you do a solid upgrade (based on what you can afford), you’ll be better off if you decide there’s a new game you want to play in a couple of years.

Nothing “GTS” is a high end card. It will be an improvement, so if that’s all you care about, great, but don’t try to call it “high end.” By today’s standards, a GTS 250 is barely entry-level. I mostly use Corsair PSUs, and I’ve heard good things about Seasonic.

A Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 would be a decent motherboard choice. You could also do an ASRock 990FX Extreme3 for a bit less, but the VRM isn’t quite as good (but should be sufficient). The Asus M5A99X Pro or ASRock Extreme4 are around the same as the Gigabyte.

Here’s the VRM info on all 4 boards (along with some links about why it matters):
http://www.overclock.net/t/946407/amd-motherboards-vrm-info-database

For PSU, Seasonic or Corsair are your best bet. It might be worth getting a 500-600W PSU, I’m never one to cut it close on how much power you need (especially because PSUs run more efficiently when they’re well below their max).

For coolers, the Noctua or Phanteks monsters are definitely among the best. I use a Xigmatek Aegir (somewhat smaller), and have had excellent results. The 212 Evo is definitely the best budget cooler IMO.

I wouldn’t expect the PS4/XBox 720 release to cause any new hardware to come out. I suppose it might shift prices some, but the hardware they’re rumored to have is already behind, so it’s not like PC hardware will have to jump to keep up.

I definitely second the vote on the 7870XT, it’s a great deal. If you want more, a 7970 is probably your best bet without going sky high on price. The Nvidia competitor is a gtx680, but it costs more and has similar performance. I’m not sure where you heard the “once you go to Nvidia, you never go back,” but I’ve swapped back and forth over the years, currently have a rig with each, and would upgrade my main Nvidia rig with AMD if I had the cash (unless somebody threw me boatloads of money to SLI some Titans). Bottom line, unless you have a specific need (e.g. low power/heat for SFF) go with the best price/performance available when you’re buying.

Kryptio.3169:

muslumgurseks.4951:

Kryptio.3169:

Thanks for the reply storm. I currently am using a oc certified thermaltake CPU cooler, so I just play on using that one and try and overclocking the 8350 to at least 4.5 ghz or so. Do you have the 8350? What’s your fps look like in pve and Wvw?

I dont own the new series of fx just have the 8120 I cant really say that I’m perfectly happy with the previous gen but if you make up your mind for that FX8350 make sure your certified cpu cooler is compatible(and you own the brackets etc) with am3+ boards if you are changing the board aswell or you are going to be spending some more money for the cooler that may very well end up the same price point of 3570k(kinda couldnt understand whether you are going to change mobo for both or just for 3570k)

Very good point, i didnt even realize i may run into compatibility issues with my cooler going from AM3 to AM3+. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. How is the fan that comes with the 3570k? If I factor an overclock cpu fan it wont be much different price wise compared to the 3570k. I’ll have to take that into consideration.

First, regarding 8120 vs 8350, piledriver is a significant improvement over bulldozer (for gaming especially). Second, regarding the 3570k cooler, no CPU will come with a cooler that you will want to use for a serious overclock. In most cases I’d say Intel’s stock coolers are worse than AMD’s if anything.

I haven’t seen him around in quite a while, but Jazhara Knightmage had an 8350 @4.6 and said he got ~25-30fps minimum in WvW zerg fights. This was prior to the culling update, so you’d have to lower some of those settings slightly to maintain those numbers, but that’s going to be the case regardless of your CPU.

I’d go with a 7870XT. It’s easily enough for GW2 (assuming you’re at 1080), and beats the 660Ti for less money. As for the AMD/Nvidia debate, unless you personally have a strong opinion on it or need to fulfill an extra requirement (low power/heat for SFF), just ignore the BS and go with the best price/performance.

They’re using lightning flash during the skill cast. Since it’s an instant skill, it can be used without interrupting the other skill, allowing the ele to jump in the middle of the cast and catch someone trying to run out of the AOE. This is an old trick, and I highly doubt the devs haven’t realized it’s there yet.

This is from last June…

1UP
I was really on the fence about this, because I can see it being fun as a once a year thing. Then I saw this... bring on those skins!

pig.3092:

Thanks, it is better to oc the i5 for wvw ?

Yes. Regardless of your CPU, you’ll see better results in WvW with an overclock. Get the K version, along with a motherboard and cooler that can handle it, and get as high as you can (without killing the chip ofc).

Slywolf.4987:

Hello! I’m having trouble with the memtest download and software, could you go into detail about what to do with memtest?

It runs as a bootable CD or USB. The easiest way to do it is to download the USB auto-installer from the site that Ilithis linked, and use it to install it onto a USB flash drive. Then restart your computer and press whatever key it is for your boot options (for me it’s F12 IIRC). Choose the USB option (if there are multiple, you want USB-HDD), and memtest will load up from there.

This is something you want to run for a while, so set it up when you don’t need the computer. Exactly how long you need time-wise depends on the amount of RAM you have and what speed, but 3-7 passes is generally good (the more you do, the more sure you can be of not missing problems). I generally just set it up to run overnight, that should give you plenty of passes.

Initial reviews of the 650Ti Boost looked very positive. Nvidia looks set to push AMD pretty hard in that price range. If you’re willing to fill your budget though http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-video-card-111992020g is the best bang for your buck. It’s a bit over £200 atm, but if you can wait it’s likely to go just under at some point.

Kite.2510:

I never overclocked, so It looks like if that’s the case I’ll have to return it back to the store, as they where the ones who suggested most of the pieces including the coolings.

Any suggestion on what program should I use and how it will keep track of my performance?
Do I have to check my performance on screen?
…or the program can keep track of it and give me a report after it closses?

I don’t know any of these stuff works or were to find them!

There’s basically three ways (that I can think of at least). You can set up an overlay, you can set up something that will log it for you to see later, or you can leave something open (preferably with a graph or at least min/max) and alt-tab after playing a bit. The last one is definitely the easiest to set up, but not really the cleanest. Personally I use an overlay when I want to see my performance info.

If you’re going with the last option I’d recommend HWMonitor (free) for monitoring all your temps, but there are other options (SpeedFan is another popular one). MSI Afterburner is great for graphics info specifically as well. I actually use OCCT (a stress testing tool- just ignore that part) sometimes as well, because it makes good graphs.

Personally , I use MSI Afterburner’s overlay, with HWInfo providing general system information. Here’s the guide I used to set it up. It takes a bit of tinkering, but once you get everything going, it’s all set. One warning I have about MSI’s overlay is that the “Raster 3D” mode prevented GW2 from starting for me. I’ve had no problems running it in “vector 3D” mode.

For logging info, I can’t be a huge help because I’ve actually never done it. I’m fairly certain MSI Afterburner will do it, as will HWInfo.

Could be caused by your graphics card overheating, have you checked the temps when this is happening?

Most likely either overheating, as Catisa said, or a bad component. Check your temps (look up the proper operating temps for your hardware, 80c would be too high for an AMD CPU). If they’re good you can try running some diagnostics if you like. Seeing as it’s new though, your best bet may be taking it back to the store rather than wasting your time trying to track down the issue and then having to deal with a clueless customer support rep (checking temps is worth it though- it’s quick, you may be able to easily fix it, and if you can’t, you don’t want to exchange, you want a refund).

Regarding “GW2 with ease,” be aware that’s a relative statement that depends upon what part of the game you’re in. If you’re doing WvW, large battles won’t run well on any computer you can find in a store, you need a custom built rig with a high-end processor overclocked to 4.5GHz (at least) to maintain a 30fps minimum. Some DEs can be the same way, depending on how many people show up.

It’s probably your graphics card, unlike the common CPU problems in WvW. A 410m is a pretty weak card (around the minimum requirements), and it probably isn’t handling the skill effects. If you haven’t already, try turning down settings, but beyond that I don’t know that there’s much you can do short of getting a new computer.