Specs for Multiboxing on 1 PC - Feedback requested

[emps]

It's hard to define minimum requirements as "minimum" falls under what's acceptable FPS/Quality to a gamer... However, it may better help as a guide to just post our setup (sw/hw) + FPS + game settings. This is so that everyone has a measure of the game's performance w/ multiple setups prior to buying/building any system even if it's not "minimum".

I have 2 specs I can list here (plus another in a couple more days). The only ware changing from one spec to another is the video card.

SPEC1 (5 wow instances)

• MB: Asus Rampage Formula X48
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4Ghz)
• RAM: 8GB DDR2 1066
• HDD: 3x SATA 3.0 80GB (all 3 in raid 0 - stripe)
• VID: EVGA Nvidia GTX 280
• DISP: 1x Samsung TOC 22" and 1x Gateway 24" (both running on 1 vid)
• OS: Windows Vista Ult 64 (note the amt of ram)

Game settings

• Main screen runs on 22" @ 16x10 res (full) and 4 clones run on 24" @ 16x10 (entire monitor is split evenly into 4 screens 960x600)
• Game settings are set to medium w/ vert sync enabled
• FPS - mid 20s-high30s on main screen in Shat while flying (hovering up and down) w/ main (atop flightmaster area) and clones are in Shat bank - density of people at the time, med-high.

SPEC2 (5 wow instances)

• MB: Asus Rampage Formula X48
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4Ghz)
• RAM: 8GB DDR2 1066
• HDD: 3x SATA 3.0 80GB (all 3 in raid 0 - stripe)
• VID: EVGA Nvidia GTX 260 (temp replacement for an RMA'd GTX 280 for overheating)
• DISP: 1x Samsung TOC 22" and 1x Gateway 24" (both running on 1 vid)
• OS: Windows Vista Ult 64 (note the amt of ram)

Game settings

• Main screen runs on 22" @ 16x10 res and 4 clones run on 24" @ 16x10 (entire monitor is split evenly into 4 screens)
• Game settings are set to medium w/ vert sync enabled
• FPS - mid10s-low20s on main screen in Shat while flying (hovering up and down) w/ main (atop flightmaster area) and clones are in Shat inn.

SPEC3 (5 wow instances) [GTX 260 will be replaced with ATI 4870 X2 and will post when it arrives]

I hope this helps a bit. Shattrath is a killer anyway.. So expect a good 10-20 FPS outside of Shat. Also the dual monitors are probably taxing my card as well. Let's see what the 4870X2 is made of...

EDIT: I chose to put 8GB of memory as my instances are taking around 400MB each (need to verify this later - addons). That's already around 2.5Gb.. Then feed vista and the rest with 700ishMB? Hrm, I don't think so.

[Sam DeathWalker]

If you are only going to run 4G ram then you don't need vista. I have a motherboard with 512K ready boost on it:

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?threadid=240224 which may or may not help asus M2N32-SLI premium vista edition. Its a nice board cause its also silent and will take am2plus.

Anyway I see 3.66 gig in the task manager, which is great cause I use Win2K. So I can use a non memory hog OS (dont use norton eaither), and have 3.6g ram available.

vista and the rest with 700ishMB? Hrm, I don't think so

Which is why I use win2K.

Just got a 9600 nvidia on my main computer (again no fans), and the 9550 quad core phemon (by far the best price per perfomance ratio). Again the X600 (6600, 7600, 8600, 9600 is the price perfomance area of the nvidia line). So although others do have better systems, I thinks bang for the buck my system is the best.

http://www.sisoftware.co.uk/index.ht...ost&langx=en&a=

anyway point being dont get 64 bit vista unless you going to 6-8 GiG. I have EQ / Wow on a 80G or so raptor.

And if you want to drool a bit, I have FOUR 1920 X 1200 HP 2335 monitors (which have the EXACT SAME PANEL as the 23 apple monitor), and two Dells 20 inch which also have the same panel as the 20 inch apples. http://www.apple.com/displays/specs.html

The poster above me does have a much better system, as compared to anyone of my computers but I think my six will overall do better. Of couse Ill only be running one instance on my main computers and 5X on the other 5, so Ill have the benifit of very high effects on the main with very high fps (running one instance doh).



To get back on track the OP advise I think should be that you should get the best your budget allows, and then just get more computers of the same if you budget is bigger, and set up your total system to take advantage of a larger number of best for the buck computers vs. same money on single or two better computers. So, quad core AMD with whichever nvida X600 you can afford (and 4 gig ram, and a raptor or raid). Then just more of the same if yur rich. Or upgrade to 64bit os and 8 gig ram (but no 64bit os with under 8 gig ram). XP is fine, Im using 2K cause Im still using the same registry I had 7 years ago - can you belive it? I just keep moving the same OS/Registry to my new computers lol ...

[wowphreak]

I run 3box on p4 3ghz with 2 gigs of ram running XP I can run 4 inside an instance. And if I slap on another 2 gigs I would be able to 5 box with ease.

This is basically running them all at the lowest res with all the effects turned off.

For all those people who dont understand about XP and 4 gig limit:
Xp can use up to 4 gigs of memory. If yeh dont see 4 gigs displayed its because its being used for something.

Vista is kinda a side grade it aint no upgrade. If yeh get vista64 yeh trade off performance for the ability to use more the 4 gigs of memory.
If yeh get vista 32 yeh loose performance and still cant use more then 4 gigs of memory.

So if yeh get vista64 get over 4 gigs of memory and at least a dual core.

if yeh get vista32 and have 4 gigs of memory be prepared to lag a lil in any major city with lots of people in it.

if yeh got vista yeh need a semi decent graphics card anything that was made in the last year or so.

Most people dont have a problem with hardware its the software they cant grasp.

You dont need a quad core anything to be able to 5 box with decent fps.

[emps]

anyway point being dont get 64 bit vista unless you going to 6-8 GiG. I have EQ / Wow on a 80G or so raptor.

And if you want to drool a bit, I have FOUR 1920 X 1200 HP 2335 monitors (which have the EXACT SAME PANEL as the 23 apple monitor), and two Dells 20 inch which also have the same panel as the 20 inch apples. http://www.apple.com/displays/specs.html

The poster above me does have a much better system, as compared to anyone of my computers but I think my six will overall do better. Of couse Ill only be running one instance on my main computers and 5X on the other 5, so Ill have the benifit of very high effects on the main with very high fps (running one instance doh).

1. I agree on only using Vista if you're going more than 4gigs.

2. Disk I/O on 2 or more small drives, raid 0 is recommended for best performance. This is why i opted for little drives (littlest I found in my local B&M).. Only if I can easily buy 40GB drives i would have gone for it and bought 4 (again on raid 0)..

3. I am definitely drooling. I don't quite have the space for them as my office has been converted into a nursery or at least 3/4 of it.. 8|

4. 6x independent systems running one client each > 1 system running 5 clients (i'll check the FPS when the 4870 arrives)... Though i must argue that when I ran one instance alone with max settings on 19x12 (vert sync off) i was up to 80+FPS on Shat doing the same thing. This was on the 280. Not sure about 260.

Edit: I got curious and started to lookup AMD Phenom 9550 and Intel Q6600 - AMD is cheaper by 20 bucks but is lagging behind on the tests i've seen.. (benchmarks starts here http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...n,1918-16.html) Again, i'm not raising anything.. I just got curious.

[Mokoi]

I can run 5 just fine. Loading shattrath is no picnic, but instances and arenas, BGs and most world areas are just fine.

AMD 6000+

2Gigs of RAM

1 HDD

9800 GTS

that's all. you dont need anything more fancy.

[emps]

Suggestion: It'd be nice to get actual FPS on main screen and the resolution and settings used... Reason being is, gameplay varies per user. While one maybe content with 20FPS with low settings another's baseline maybe 40 FPS with med settings.. etc.. Being objective in this regard is more helpful, IMO.

[wougoose]

Note that there also is a performance difference if you are capping the alternate instances to a certain FPS limit. This limiting can make a big difference on what hardware you need

How many pixels do you want to render? (How many monitors? How big will each instance be?)
What kind of FPS is considered playable to you? (Varies from person to person)

I agree with others that we should list hardware specs based on FPS desired. Maybe benchmarks in a given area (Shat maybe?)

[Elix]

My 5 Boxing setup:

Q6600 clocked @ 3ghz
4gig RAM
ATi HD 4870
3x SATA HD's (OS & acc1 on main drive, 2 acc's on each other one)

22" Widescreen monitor filling up the 1980 x 1050 res with all the wow windows
I locked the main to high & 60fps, all others 30fps

Only get lag in shat really.

[Sam DeathWalker]

Never put in less then 4 Gig in your machine, ram prices is dirt cheaps.

[Zaelar]

Pentium 4 3.0 ghz
3 gigs of ram(I don't remember it's speed but it isn't the fastest)
ATI raedon x600 w/ 256 mb ram

Runs 5 on minimal settings in slightly shrunk windows at a playable state. Does lag notably in org though, haven't done 5x shat yet.
Runs 4 without shrunk windows pretty smoothly.
Runs 3 great.

With only 1 gig of ram it did not run 3(would crash after a short time). Running 2 was ok, but I don't remember how well it was.