Would this be overkill?

[mxracer050]

Hello!

Trying to configure a new i7 build for multiboxing. I plan on getting back into multiboxing and would be playing 5 Instances on one PC.





is there any way to make this cheaper? Or is this overkill to begin with.



Thanks in advance!

[Kyklos]

WoW does not work very well with SLi so unless you are planning on playing other games on this system that will benefit from it I would drop 1 GTX 260. Also even if you do go with a dual GPU setup a good 750w single 12v rail PSU will be more than sufficient. The 1k PSU would be more inline for a triple GPU setup. Other than that there's not too many corners to cut. According to Sina here Multiboxing Benchmark Full Review - Doghouse Systems Multiboxing Solution there is only a small difference from 6 gig and 12gig of ram. Personally I went straight to the 12gigs on my system. A cheap 2nd gen SSD and 7.5k HDD would give you better performance as well as more storage space and come out to around the same cost as the Raptor HDD. After that there isn't much to change, just no external sound card and a cheaper tower if you HAD to cut some more cost

[BigSmitty]

I would agree with the above. Drop one of the GTX260s and the sound card unless there's a reason you want/need it outside of WoW, because WoW isn't going to suffer without an SLI setup or a decent sound card. Most of the time I have my sounds off for multiboxing, because I don't need to hear them, I can see them just fine... Personally I hate onboard audio, but then again, I used my computer for MIDI and other stuff, so a good sound card is a no brainer.

[heffner]

Wow doesn't need much computer power to run. I am pretty sure you can run 5 instances of WoW with a mediocre computer. I was running 4 instances on a E8500 with 4 gigs for quite a while with zero problems [and I am sure others are still doing the same]. However, I never went into highly populated areas like Dalaran. So, that is the potential drawback really - lag when a lot of toons are around. I don't think you NEED a quad core at all (although I have a Q6600 w 8G RAM now for my slaves, but it didn't seem to make all that much difference IMO). I'd say the system you listed is way overkill, but what you listed seems to be the common current spec for multiboxing on a single computer. Also, I think it depends on what graphic settings you find acceptable and if you're going to PVP.

I don't have any problems with on-board audio. I haven't tried any of the newer cards though. This is probably a more important consideration for PVP or competitive FPS play.

The 900 case is really nice. Check out the 300 though, also nice and cheaper.

1000W seems like a lot? You might need it I don't know, but it seems like overkill. I know people often suggest this, but do you really need it? Is 650W or 750W enough? Price can change quite a bit on PS's depending on the capacity.

If it were me, I would just go for the "bang for the buck" items (CPU and GPU). Should be a lot of suggestions on the net. Also, there is likely no discount for buying 2 video cards or 12G RAM at the same time, so I would probably get 1 video card (SLI and wow, dont see the point - but you might play other games too) and 6G of ram is probably enough - if you need more then buy it later.

Anyway, without a budget to work with it's hard to say. Sometimes it's splitting hairs with the prices. That being said, it seems to me when you're buying a computer you are pretty much limited to the most current technology available at the time. Ever try to buy hardware that's more than 9-12 months old?? It can be difficult to find.

So, budget and your goals in game (PVE, PVP, 25-man raids etc.) are important questions to answer before solid suggestions can be made.

[Elektric]

Your really at the crossroads that any real computer nerd hits.

Do I go with yesterday's proven hardware at a discount? or do I buy the latest and greatest that sounds light years ahead of yesterday?

And the real question is How BIG is your wallet? In todays economic state, regardless of where you are in the world, I would suggest that any deal you can get would be a wise move.

It might not be the smartest but in a year or to you feel that need to step things up go for it. From past experience I have found that going budget with yesterday's top of the line equipment almost always wins.

Just my 2cents.

Cheers.

[mxracer050]

Well, thank you very much for all of your input. Now a few more quick questions from me.

I am going to downgrade the RAM to 6GB, and PSU to 700W. However, I'm not sure about the GPU. Will the Black Edition 260 GTX be enough? Or another card? What GPU would you recommend?

Also, would I still need my MOBO, its $300 O_o


EDIT: Well, WOW! I actually found a combo deal. I7 920, Asus P6T X58, and GTX 285 for $909.87, ( $35.00 discount ). Sounds like a good deal, is it?

[Sajuuk]

Switch the ram to http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231223

(Now you can get 12Gb for 50 dollars less than your previous ram)

You don't ***NEEEED*** a big graphics card like a 285 (Yes, it's nice, but not needed. I'm doing fine on a 9600GT)

The p6t is a decent motherboard - it's the one I went with.

[mxracer050]

K, took everyone's advice into consideration.

New specs are as follows;