Best PC hardware for running 5-10 WoW on the same system

[Kinc]

I work for a pc component manufacture named ASUS. Since I were going to updrage my computers this week I had a big test session in the office last weekend to find out the ultimate config for running 5 and even 10 wows on the same comp.

Best w/o cost limit:

CPU: Intel QX9770 clocked to 4GHz (Quad core 45nm).

Motherboard: P5E3 Premium X48

Memory: 4x2GB Corsair Dominator DDR3 1600MHz 8-8-8-22 (8GB in total)

Graphic card: Nvidia GTX280 TOP 1024MB GDDR3

Storage: Intel 64GB ES SSD (extremly high perf. but not available in stores yet)

OS: Vista Ultimate 64bit

Conlusion on this config: It seems like the driver needed to run GTX280 has a problem with rendering a perfect image of more than 1 source at once. Resulting in artifacts when using this card. The artifacts are not very noticable so I dont count this as a problem. If you cant find a high perf. SSD WD Velociraptor would be the best choise. This rig runs 10 wow smoothtly.



Best config with a good c/p ratio:

CPU: Intel E8400 clocked to 3600MHz (dual core 45nm)

Motherboard: P5Q Deluxe P45 DDR2

Memory: 4x2GB corsair value memory

Graphic card: Nvidia 9800GTX+ (no artifacts what so ever, perfect rendering)

Storage: Two single platter 500GB HDDS in Raid 0 (using drive Xpert on P5Q).

OS: Vista Ultimate 64bit

Conlusion on this config: 9800GTX+ gives you a perfect rendering (even on two screens). This config allowed to run 10 WoWs (9 minmized and 1 visable) in zangarmarsh at 60fps constantly smothly.

What I've learned from my testing:

4GB of system memory will allow you to run up to 6 WoW in Oggrimar without lag, 4 WoWs in shattrath.

6GB of system memory will allow you to run up to 10 WoW in Oggrimar without lag, 6 WoW in Shattrath.

8GB of system memory will allow you to run up to 10 WoW in Oggrimar without lag, 8-9 WoW in Shattrath.

A G92 gpu based graphic card like 9800GTX is the best. (If you have a G80 8800GTX or Ultra that is just as good)

DDR2 for sure since 8GB comes at a much better price than DDR3. Mmory bandwidth is not very important.

SSD storage is the best for sure, especailly in oggrimar or shattrath

A intel E8400 will give you all the cpu power you need.

Do NOT get a AMD graphic card. AMD has a driver limitations so it can only render 1 3d source at one time correctly. So you cant run more than 1 wow with a AMD (ATI) card.

Do NOT use SLI or a 9800GX2 card, it will limit you to one display.

Your graphic card should not have less than 512MB frame buffer.

GTX280 offers the best multiboxing graphic performance with its native 512bit 1024MB frame buffer. (will give you some artifacts though)

In the end if you want to multibox more than 5 use 2 computers it will give you the best performance

I multibox 8 warlocks, 1 paladin and 1 druid and by using two of the last system listed here I get perfect performance using two 24" and two 22" displays.

[Stormweasel]

Ignore me - you're talking about 5/10 boxing

[Ticks]

Do NOT get a AMD graphic card. AMD has a driver limitations so it can only render 1 3d source at one time correctly. So you cant run more than 1 wow with a AMD (ATI) card.

I don't know where you get your information but I have an ATI Radeon with 2gb memory and two GPUs and I can run my main screen at 55 fps and 15-20 on all of my slaves on a second monitor. I only get some lag in Shattrath due to the fact that I'm only running 32bit Vista. The Radeon replaced a 780MB 8800GTX Nvidia card and the difference is huge. Are you sure you work for ASUS and not Nvidia?

[Ken]

I don't know where you get your information but I have an ATI Radeon with 2gb memory and two GPUs and I can run my main screen at 55 fps and 15-20 on all of my slaves on a second monitor. I only get some lag in Shattrath due to the fact that I'm only running 32bit Vista. The Radeon replaced a 780MB 8800GTX Nvidia card and the difference is huge. Are you sure you work for ASUS and not Nvidia? ;) [/u]

The fact that you have a 32bit version makes it different. It could be a bug in the 64bit driver.
I had artifacts(geometry stretching out/twitching) on a 9800GTX+ card on XP64, while the computershop(who tested the card) didn't have any problems with a 32bit OS.

[kura]

I've run my 9800 gx2 on xp pro, xp x64, and vista ult 64, and never had any issues. This was all using nvidia's 170-175 release drivers.

As for your ATI comment, my 4870 works just fine for multiboxing

My 9800 gx2 will also run 2 monitors, all you do is go into the nvidia control panel and change from "multi gpu mode" to "multi display mode" And I actually got a few extra frames by unlinking them.

As for the GTX 280, why pay twice as much for a card that's beat up and down the street by g92's? I got my gx2 for 200 bucks new. newegg ftw

I'd take a q6600 over an E8400 any day. Especially when you're multiboxing on one rig.

Solid state drive? Cause wow utilizes a lot of HDD while playing right? That'll shave 2 seconds off the loading screens at the cost of what.. 1000-1500 bucks? My main and 2 alts run off a sata 3.0 16mb buffer drive, and the 2 other alts run off an old 80gb WD pata drive. The 4 alts load at the same speed.. always.

No offense, but there are some things you need to reassess. Your "best without a cost limit" system is simply overkill/rediculous. The system in my sig runs 10 boxes through shattrath like a hot knife through butter, it's all about how you set it up. turn off graphic enhancements you don't need, cap your FPS accordingly for each window, use less bulky addons, have a stable overclock, use appropriate resolutions, use stable drivers... etc

You're making people think you need some crazy rig to start boxing, when you don't.

edit: Sorry to rain on your thread, but somebody had to.

[Nairi]

I've run my 9800 gx2 on xp pro, xp x64, and vista ult 64, and never had any issues. This was all using nvidia's 170-175 release drivers.

As for your ATI comment, my 4870 works just fine for multiboxing

My 9800 gx2 will also run 2 monitors, all you do is go into the nvidia control panel and change from "multi gpu mode" to "multi display mode" And I actually got a few extra frames by unlinking them.

As for the GTX 280, why pay twice as much for a card that's beat up and down the street by g92's? I got my gx2 for 200 bucks new. newegg ftw

I'd take a q6600 over an E8400 any day. Especially when you're multiboxing on one rig.

Solid state drive? Cause wow utilizes a lot of HDD while playing right? That'll shave 2 seconds off the loading screens at the cost of what.. 1000-1500 bucks? My main and 2 alts run off a sata 3.0 16mb buffer drive, and the 2 other alts run off an old 80gb WD pata drive. The 4 alts load at the same speed.. always.

No offense, but there are some things you need to reassess. Your "best without a cost limit" system is simply overkill/rediculous. The system in my sig runs 10 boxes through shattrath like a hot knife through butter, it's all about how you set it up. turn off graphic enhancements you don't need, cap your FPS accordingly for each window, use less bulky addons, have a stable overclock, use appropriate resolutions, use stable drivers... etc

You're making people think you need some crazy rig to start boxing, when you don't.

edit: Sorry to rain on your thread, but somebody had to.

when you unlink the 9800gx2 you pretty much have a single 8800gt/9800gt card. and no its not fast as a gtx280 nor a gtx260.
a single 8800gt costs $119. which is what you're using by unlinking.

As for the TS have you heard of the skulltrail? 2x (QX9775 cpus 4x gpus... can do both sli and crossfire.

[kura]

when you unlink the 9800gx2 you pretty much have a single 8800gt/9800gt card. and no its not fast as a gtx280 nor a gtx260.
a single 8800gt costs $119. which is what you're using by unlinking.

As for the TS have you heard of the skulltrail? 2x (QX9775 cpus 4x gpus... can do both sli and crossfire.

Ah i see your point there.
Mine's still showing up as two, I was unaware I was shutting off my second. That's a bit deceptive.
Either way, my FPS went up when I changed to multi-display mode =/


And the GTX 280 aint all it's cracked up to be..





I just don't see why somebody would justify buying a gtx280 the price is absurd.

[kura]

I play everything I can get my grubby hands on. Crysis is a blast on very high, too bad the game wasn't that great. At least it was pretty!
My point though is that it's a well rounded card for a decent price. I've had no issues with lag at ALL while multiboxing and I don't see any issues other than lack of multi-monitor support.

I think if I were going for a multi monitor setup I would consider AMD over nvidia, or single gpu nvidia cards. All this time I had no idea multi-monitor was cutting off one of my gpus, yet it still shows up as two. That's great.

[wallshot]

thanks for the shared work

Would you mind explaining how your directory structure was set up? I recently switched to the 5 directory set up and lagged like nobodies business in Shatt/Org, until I made symbolic links using "MKLINK" command. Not that going cheep on HD's or storage would be the point of this quest, but I found it eliminated my need for a 2nd, 3rd... HDs while I level.

[Hat]

I use a Q6600, 4 Gigs of RAM, 7600 GT, and 5 box.
I use two hard drives. One for three of my guys and the other for two of my guys. I share the same directory with the ones on the same hard drive. I haven't had any major problems, and all of that cost me under $1000.