hardware advice please

[Psych]

Before you go buying gobs of RAM and swapping out your existing sticks, have all of your WoW instances open and go into Task Manager (CTRL-ALT-DEL --> Task Manager --> Performance Tab), see how much memory you're actually using. I run 5 WoW's at once, granted 4 of them are set for low graphics, but the main one is at "High" mostly. I never peak over 2.6GB of RAM used for 5 instances of the game at once. Add on any regular stuff like music, web, email, IM client, you won't get over 3GB used.

If you're not getting REALLY close to your RAM limits (4GB) then look to your CPU. Again in Task Manager, Performance tab, check when running all of your WoW's if all 4 cores are getting used, if you're only seeing usage on 2 cores then mess aroung with your Affinity settings in Autohotkey or in your config.wtf file itself.

If all cores are being used, you may want to look at a CPU upgrade. I just upgraded from a e6300 dual core (the 1.8Ghz version, not the 3Ghz) to an e8400 dual core and it's been a world of improvement, quite dramatic. WoW is quite CPU intensive, it would seem.

I'd wager that if you're going to put money towards something, your CPU will be a good way to go.

Hope that helps a bit!

[Owltoid]

Before you go buying gobs of RAM and swapping out your existing sticks, have all of your WoW instances open and go into Task Manager (CTRL-ALT-DEL --> Task Manager --> Performance Tab), see how much memory you're actually using. I run 5 WoW's at once, granted 4 of them are set for low graphics, but the main one is at "High" mostly. I never peak over 2.6GB of RAM used for 5 instances of the game at once. Add on any regular stuff like music, web, email, IM client, you won't get over 3GB used.

Where are you seeing this? There is a huge difference between Dalaran and inside an instance from vanilla WoW (BRD). I'd be extremely surprised if you're only using 2.6GB of RAM on 5 clients inside Dalaran.

[Psych]

I'll check again tonight, but I for sure have never breached 4GB of RAM used. My highest 5 group is 65 so I've yet to 5 box in Dalaran, but still...during the Fire Festival there was a good amount of activity in some other capital cities/Shat.

I really think keeping the graphics settings low on the 4 clients is key, if they don't have to render gobs of data for things too far away to matter to a child instance of WoW, it must help with things.

But yeah, I'll maybe summon myself out to Dalaran soon and see how much mem usage I have like this.

[Owltoid]

I'll check again tonight, but I for sure have never breached 4GB of RAM used. My highest 5 group is 65 so I've yet to 5 box in Dalaran, but still...during the Fire Festival there was a good amount of activity in some other capital cities/Shat.

I really think keeping the graphics settings low on the 4 clients is key, if they don't have to render gobs of data for things too far away to matter to a child instance of WoW, it must help with things.

But yeah, I'll maybe summon myself out to Dalaran soon and see how much mem usage I have like this.

My laptop could run 4 in BC instances fairly well, but it can't handle more than one in Dalaran at any time (2GB RAM).

YMMV

[vinny_germany]

ok thanks for all the advise.
I just tried the performance window while running all 3 toons in SW

Ram is going grazy at about 3.4-3.5 GB
CPU is seeing only 50% but what is strange is only 2 cores are really going full out the other 2 are not really moving. Strange

i lowered the video settings in wow and I was getting the above values with about 45fps on main and about 25-30 on the other 2 windows on the second screen.

I gave back the GFX275 today and am waiting for the rams since they did not have 4x 4GB in stock. I should have them this weekend.

I'm going to have a go at keyclone now see what I can improve even more.

[Owltoid]

for the cores you need to change you affinity if you want it to load balance over more than the first two. Do a search on affinity on this website as there has been recent discussion.

[wowphreak]

Wow isnt very graphic intensive. upgrading your grpahics card is the last thing yeh should do for wow.

/facepalm

It is when you're running 5 copies of it.

I can run 5 copies of wow on a graphics card thats over 10 years old with no problems todays cards are overkill.
At least half of the graphics is done in/on the cpu wow doesnt do much offloading onto the graphics card.
This is the main reason why yeh set the affinity and the reason if yeh set yer in game res to high it still bogs down.

[Psych]

Ok, tested with all five in Dalaran, instead of each instance of Wow using 390MB of memory, it was using 580MB. That's it. Sooo...I never went over 3.6GB of memory used with all five dancing in Dalaran during a peak evening period.

If you crank your graphics, you'll use more, one client on full will use 1-1.5GB of memory, but that's on FULL settings at full res. If that's how you run things, you need gobs of RAM. If you run smaller child instances, you simply do not. 4GB is fine for 5 clients, 4 on low.

[vinny_germany]

Ok, tested with all five in Dalaran, instead of each instance of Wow using 390MB of memory, it was using 580MB. That's it. Sooo...I never went over 3.6GB of memory used with all five dancing in Dalaran during a peak evening period.

If you crank your graphics, you'll use more, one client on full will use 1-1.5GB of memory, but that's on FULL settings at full res. If that's how you run things, you need gobs of RAM. If you run smaller child instances, you simply do not. 4GB is fine for 5 clients, 4 on low.

This strange and not what I get at all. Are you running 2 screens ?
I am running quite good now thanks to the advise given by you all. Still using the 9600GT and my 4MB of ram (until the new arrive).
I played around with the performance window and set 2 wow on the last 2 cores and 1 on the first 2
then I set the 2 slave windows on 20fsp using the wow comand.
The result is i'm getting 60fps on main now going down do about 40 sometimes, runs nice over all but still lagging in SW.
memory usage is always around the 3GB - 3.4GB (which is max since only 3338 is used from the 4GB)
CPU usage is about 40-60 now but all cores are running

so I think I will stick to my memory upgrade since i'm maxing it out still

[grap]

.... 4 GB is fine for 5 clients, 4 on low. ....

well, it s a joke
...... a copy of my memory, same PC like yours except video card.
main in full 1900X1200 and 4 clone with 1024X768 with an X4870 512 Mo

No swap file but you see ... in dalaran with 5 wow .... i have only few M free. All is busy or ready to use.
I test with an MSI oc 285 1 Go ( all results are much better with this CG ) and i have less memory busy but 4 GB isnt enought at all to play 5 wow in dalaran.

Is it the CPU my problem :S

any help advise would be greatly appreciated

So, i ll give you my advice for your problem but you can choose what you want ....

You play with only 3 wow so 4 GB is enough because your 2 clones will be in lower resolution.
i use 512 MB for each clone and 1.4 GB for the mail in full.( i7 + w7 x64 )

Before, i was like you with 3 wow and xP pro x32 with only 2 GB and it was good except in shatt city.
q6600 + raptor + CG x800 xl 512 MB
With new ... wotlk, graphic is better ( shadows, etc ... ) so the game need more power.

Update to 8 GB RAM, it s enought. 16 GB is luxury and waste of money for 3 wows

If you want to play nice with 2 screens, the most important with your systeme .... is .... the graphic card and the memory on your graphic card.
Dont buy 2 CG with sli or cf, the result ll be expensive/not so great but try with one big video card with huge memory and see the difference ....
Not a multi gpu like X2 4870 or nvidia 295. The highest ll be ati x4890 or nvidia 285 but with huge memory, at least 1 GB


it s strange with your gtx275 1 Go !!!
it was 1 Go ?
You try the good video drivers ?