World of Warcraft/PC? Which one!?

Question

I'm really digging this game and thinking of getting a PC just for it....I don't have a computer now, but gamers what is a good PC to get for PC games? What is needed? I'm not a big PC person so detais please. Suggestions? Apple? Gateway? Dell?

Answer 1

I am a WoW'er myself, and computer does make a big difference.

As much as I like Apple... dont get it for PC games.

The only Dell's I would even touch to play a game with is their XPS systems... but you are going to pay a bit more

If you are savvy enough, or have a friend who is, go to newegg.com and buy the parts and make your own, its the best.

That being said, get a HP, or other popular brand, thats fine, but here are the specs you should have to have an enjoyable time playing:

(Minimum in my opinion)

2.5 mghz processor or faster

1 gig RAM or more (they say 512 is enough, it is, but RAM is so important, go bigger on this)

Graphix Card at least 128mb or 256mb. my comp ran the game with a 56mb card, but it was very limited. you want a graphix card with as many pixel pipelines and high clock speed as you can afford

Windows XP is a must, runs cleaner..

and your computer should have a 100gig+ hard drive, with a good speed. These are so cheap now, and you will really need it.

BTW, if you dont already have your account, let me send you a free 10-day trial to start you off, you can then select your payment options later, once you know your system is working well enough for the game

Just send me a message

See you in game!!

Answer 2

Brand isnt as important, as whats in the box.... Every brand of computer has so many versions available... just telling you "Dell" or "HP" wouldnt be enough.

Start with the game box. It has a list of minimum requirements and recommended requirements. Keep that in mind when shopping.

In general... you want plenty of RAM say, about 2 Gig. You also want an up to date graphics chipset, or card. Blizzard has a recommendation on the box, I believe. A fast processor helps too. Sound system.... this can be 'on the motherboard' or a seperate card, it really doesnt matter. You may want to consider a good set of headphones with a mic, for live speech during the game. (TeamSpeak, Ventrilo, even Yahoo Chat, hehehe) Monitor... For gaming, dont settle for less than a 17", and get the best resolution you can. Many of the computers come with 19" LCD flatscreens now. And last but not least... hard-drive... the bigger the better....especially if you are going to be doing any digital photography down the road, or loading music.

When you look at the 'box' or tower, that houses the actual computer.... its often convenient to have a USB port, or two up front, along with a headset/microphone jack(s)

Try to get a DSL connection, or better, if you can. It will not eliminate all 'lag' in a game, but it will eliminate all of the bottlenecks at your end of the connection, hehehehe.

The computer Im running an HP right now, has 2 gig ram, a 250 gig harddrive, and a 64 bit AMD Athlon CPU. Im using the 'built in' sound and video... and its great. I play mmorpg games like WoW every day, with no problems whatsoever, and on the highest settings available.

I spent about $1000 on this comp a year ago... you can buy some very close to it for half that now. Just remember to get that extra Ram stick, hehehe. (Some stores, like WalMart, sell comps with the minimum parts inside them... If you get a comp from Wallymart... plan on buying more ram...at another store, because WM doesnt carry it, lol)

Again, a good place to start, is the game box itself. I'd suggest that you check out some of the requirements for the games that have just hit the shelves now too... they will have the highest requirements, and this would help you get a computer that will be playable for some time. Hehehe

Lol, well, I get my answer posted, and I see Moonshine has already posted the Req's for the game... Do like he suggests and print em off, and take it shopping with you. Compare your options on different machines at different stores too!

Have Fun!

Answer 3

As posted by Moonshine, look at the recommended requirements for the game...

Try to avoid the minimum requirements (of course you might be hard pressed to find a machine that small anymore). The Burning Crusade will require a bit more than the current version but not much.

As for which PC machine most of them are very similiar (use most of the same parts) so it is a matter of preference. I personally like Dell.

If you are looking for a Gaming machine only, I'd stear clear of Apple. They tend not to be a gaming machine (not that they are not good game machines - just not as much games released for them).

Bottom line is: Both current PC and Apple machines will run World of Warcraft just fine. Look at your plans on how else you would like to use the machine. Examine the software that you might use besides WoW and see what platform (PC or Apple) offers the best solutions for your list.

Spending about $1,000 for a PC platform will get you a decent machine that will easily last you 3-4 years. Not sure on $$ for Apple's but they shouldn't be much different.

Answer 4

honestly do NOT get a dell! they are a rip off and they give you refurbished hard drives that crash within 4 months of having htem (personal experience) honestly if you want some thing just for games get a MAC!! they really are the best for gaming and graphics...not that expensive at all really, if not a MAC then get a toshiba, or an HP, those are probably the best...if you wouldn't mind spending the money...then the two best computers ever created: Alien ware, and Voodoo PC. but htey run pretty high in price.
all you need for the computer is a good graphics card, sound card, and a high volume of memory! oh, and a good internet connection.
but yea...those computers are your best bet!

Answer 5

As a matter of fact, I just bought a new PC for WoW this December and this is the one I got:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8007417&st=emachines&type=product&id=1155848397448

I of course added a new video card, and it runs great!

Also according to the Consumers Report, eMachines was a top rated PC for 2006.

Answer 6

These are System Requirements need to run the game. Make a copy of these and take them with you to purchase your computer.



Minimum System Requirements

Windows® System 2000/XP OS:
Intel Pentium® III 800 MHz or AMD Athlon 800 MHz
512 MB or more of RAM
32 MB 3D graphics card with Hardware Transform and Lighting, such as NVIDIA® GeForce™ 2 class card or above
DirectX® 9.0c (included) and latest video drivers
6.0 GB available HD space
4x CD-ROM drive
A 56k or better Internet connection
Mac® OS X 10.3.9:
933 MHz or higher G4, or G5, or Intel processor
512 MB RAM or higher; DDR RAM recommended
ATI or NVIDIA® video hardware with 32 MB VRAM or more
6.0 GB available HD space
4x CD-Rom drive
56k or better Internet connection
*Note: Due to potential programming changes, the Minimum System Requirements for this game may change over time.

Recommended Specifications

Windows® System 2000/XP OS:
Intel Pentium® IV 1.5 GHz or AMD XP 1500+ MHz
1024 MB RAM
64 MB 3D graphics card with Hardware Transform and Lighting, such as NVIDIA® GeForce™ FX 5700 class card or above
Broadband Internet connection
Two-button scroll-wheel mouse
Mac® OS X 10.3.9 or newer:
1024 MB RAM or higher; DDR RAM recommended
ATI or NVIDIA® video hardware with 64 MB VRAM or more
Broadband Internet connection

Answer 7

Just get a Gateway or Dell
You'll have the least amount of problems.
>

Answer 8

The brand doesn't matter, in fact custom made computers run better inherently juts beacause they were built with TLC and by hand.

Answer 9

I'd just get a Dell. They are reliable and not too expensive. Unless you want a real expensive beast of a machine, go with them.