Set up of the gods?

[Jim-Tal]

Hi there...

New to boxing, very familiar with wow.

Brief intro:

I am a pre-TBC'er that tried TBC for about 3 days and just couldn't settle into the new content, so I /uninstalled and stopped playing. It's been nearly a year now since I properly played and I still miss it to this day (Sad I know).

I still have a level 60 Nelf priest and I have been considering a return for the last few weeks. I was always a shadow spec during the days when a 1vs1 with a shadowpriest would result in your face falling off. But from watching the forums this no longer seems to be the case (Damn Warlock nerfs!!).

SO... To the point >

I have always been good with picking up complicated things and refining a process until it is nothing less than german in it's efficiency. I have to say, Multi-boxing (especially 5-boxing) makes me feel like a giddy little schoolgirl.. I am going to do it!

My question is, if money was no object, what (in your opinion) would be the set up of the Gods?

I am willing to spend around £8,000 ($16,000) on this but would happily spend more if it was going to improve the overall experience.

SO >>> Set up of the gods?

My intentions at present are:

2 of these (Portrait mode with split screen - 2 WoW's per screen)[size=10]
1 of these for Main
[size=10]2 of these[size=10] (upgrading to tactus in the future)[size=10]
5 of these [size=10]

These are just things I would like to have due to their display abilities. I have no idea yet about what to do in terms of switches, hardware etc... But I would probably do this with 3 boxes (all extremely high spec).

Sky is the limit here, let me know your thoughts.

^^

[OzPhoenix]

Wow - and I thought I was splurging....hehe.

Well, ok, here's what I ordered (and picked up in 3 very long days from now)

Processor -Intel Quad Core Q9300 2.5GHz 45nm 6MB S775
Mainboard -EVGA 780i SLi
Memory -2GB(2x1024MB)DDR2 PC8500 1066Mhz RAM 5-5-5-15
HDD -1TB SATA-300 32MB Hard disk drive 7200rpm
Video Card -2x nV 8800GT 512MB
Optical Drive -20x Dual Layer DVD-Burner with LightScribe drive (Black)
ATX case -Antec Nine Hundred CASE with Antec 1000w Power Supply
6 x USB 2.0 Port (MAX)

All up, along with a second 22" LCD to compliment the one I already use for single-boxing, along with some sundry extras about $2,500 Aussie, or about 50 pence UK (ok, well, about 1,200 pounds).

Unless I am terribly mistaken, this outta run 5 wow's so well, that the only thing the PC may die from is boredom. The 4 followers will be on the old 22", with the primary on the new one.

New computer desk to neatly hold all this for another $600 and I'm done. Still only at 1,350 pounds so if you do spend what you're talking about, please send photos so I may /bow in adoration and envy....hehe.

[Jim-Tal]

I'll be sure to forward the pics when I get this set up... hell... I'll be sending them to anybody with a pair of eyes just so I can flash the old epeen.

My brother is an engineer and the company he works for creates custom EPOS systems (Electronic point of sale - basically fancy cash registers) and he had some interesting thoughts. He was saying that I could basically buy one of their machines, strip out the crap I don't need and just use the software / screen / processor etc. What this would do is essentially create a sort of interactive touch screen interface that can be as dynamic as I need it to be. He said he would be happy to do some of the programming with me and we could set up an EPOW (Electronic point of WoW lol). Now, the only concern I have here is lag. If there is a lag between the EPOS and the PC then I'm in trouble really... but what the hell, there's no harm in trying as I think it would basically be the most legendary box set-up in the world ever.

I like the specs you have on the PC units (1TB wtf lol?).

I'm so tempted by flashy, shiny things that I'm in danger of overkill. I think I could just ask one of our guys to build me 3 identical high end machines and then I'll focus on input, design, display and configuration. My overall goal is to be totally unique in my input methods using things like LCD key displays and touch screen monitors... but not sure yet as they do have lag.

LOL @ 50 british pence btw... yes the british pound is pretty OP, needs a nerf.

How are you setting up your keyboards / mouse?

[Wilbur]

EPOS keyboards are definately FTW. I've been looking at several UK companies for supply of one, Which company is it your brother works for if you dont mind me asking?

[Maxion]

So THAT's where that keyboard with the lcd on each key disappeared off to. I was looking at buying one of those for a long time, but then it was suddenly gone from the site I had seen it on and never saw it since.

I think that will be my next investment after I find out what I can afford again. (buying video glasses and then losing interest in them because I started multiboxing wasn't the best turn for my economy recently)

I tend to splurge as much as I can when I get into things as well (my idea with the video glasses was to try to setup a wearable computer so I could walk around while playing WoW, but the bluetooth keyboard had too much delay and other limitations that it didn't work for my purpose of mounting it to my wrist, and other mini-keyboards were too expensive to consider, though I suspect I might get the one I got to work better if I played around more with the settings, then again I also got limited by the trackball presenter mouse got for that setup since it got hard to use it to turn and such in WoW due to the small trackball and it being placed where the scrollwheel would normally be on a regular mouse (it could be placed on the desk and take that functionality), anyway, enough of my rambling about my semi-failed project :P ).

Looks like you will indeed get a setup of the gods, though if you want optimal performance and visual details I think you will need to have a computer for each account in order to run smoothly at maximum settings, then again I haven't really tried running proper multiboxing with a lower number of clients on my relatively powerful machine yet.

Anyway, looking forward to pictures of your setup when you get it done, and work-in-progress pics would be nice too
And while trying to get a unique interface, maybe you'll try to make a unique class setup that somehow works extremely well in arenas?

[Hoho]

Memory -2GB(2x1024MB)DDR2 PC8500 1066Mhz RAM 5-5-5-15

Unless I am terribly mistaken, this outta run 5 wow's so well, that the only thing the PC may die from is boredom. The 4 followers will be on the old 22", with the primary on the new one.

2GB for five WoW's is not nearly enough, especially if you intend to use higher visual settings.

Btw, you cannot use dual monitors with SLI as far as I know, I'm not sure if you can use the cards separately and have one of them to run two and other three games.

[Jim-Tal]

2GB for five WoW's is not nearly enough, especially if you intend to use higher visual settings.

Btw, you cannot use dual monitors with SLI as far as I know, I'm not sure if you can use the cards separately and have one of them to run two and other three games.

My intention was to have 3 identical super PCs with 4GB RAM in each. I would have solid state memory also hopefully. I would run my main on the nice Apple monitor with the single PC and then the alts would run on the other 2 pcs. The alt PC units would have a large monitor each, rotated to portrait view. I would then run 2 instances of WoW on each and have them split on the Widescreen. This saves having a load of monitors on my desk.

I hope this makes sense?

------------Widescreen top-----------------------------------Widescreen top-----------
---------Widescreen bottom--------main display-------Widescreen bottom----------


----------8GB, SSHD, Quad------Main PC same spec-------8GB, SSHD, Quad---------


---------2 x Optimus Minis---------Optimus Mini-----------2 x Optimus Minis--------


--Optimus Maximus Keyboard + Custom EPOS screen + fancy 3million button mouse--


------------------------------------------------Me------------------------------------------------

EPOS keyboards are definately FTW. I've been looking at several UK companies for supply of one, Which company is it your brother works for if you dont mind me asking?

Oh yeah btw Wilbur , he works as a 3rd party contractor for a company called Protouch. They do loads of stuff for shops etc and lots of touch screen kiosks. Google them. If you can't find em give me a shout

Anyway, looking forward to pictures of your setup when you get it done, and work-in-progress pics would be nice too
And while trying to get a unique interface, maybe you'll try to make a unique class setup that somehow works extremely well in arenas?

Man wouldn't that be a dream? A 5-box team... 2 Hunters, a Lock, a Shammy and a S.Priest or something ridiculous. OMG that would be insane... Lock Uberkilling off S.Priest, 2 Hunters with their Pets going mental and dazing people with shots and a Shammy throwing down totems and heals. That would be ridiculous. Although I'm sure more imba setups are possible with different classes.

Would be difficult to control but if you have a custom developed interface with a touch screen and some Mini-Optimuses using the three mini screens to flash red when Heals are needed / Dots running out etc... could be possible?

[Chorizotarian]

I suggest starting with whatever hardware you have to see if you like multiboxing. There is a low of macro / config setup work, so it's not like the time will be wasted. The first 10 levels can be sloooow and frustrating though.

[Jim-Tal]

I suggest starting with whatever hardware you have to see if you like multiboxing. There is a low of macro / config setup work, so it's not like the time will be wasted. The first 10 levels can be sloooow and frustrating though.

I've heard this from a few people. Although I have a high threshold for frustration as I hate things getting the better of me.

I imagine just getting your characters to work in tandum and not panicking when 2 of them get pounded to the GY is difficult... never mind firing off spells and heals. Yeah, I am expecting a LOT of macro / config work.. but luckily there seems to be a good community of MB'rs out there that are way ahead of me.

[Hoho]

I would have solid state memory also hopefully.

Assuming Windows is anything near Linux in caching then SSD is huge overkill. I have all five accounts have their data directory symlinked into one directory and loading takes couple of seconds even on my old drive and in Orgrimmar. With enough RAM you'll never swap and HDD just sits there being pretty much useless for the most of the time

Instead of the SSD's just upgrade something else, perhaps a decent chair to sit in or something like that