• Tools
  • Main page
  • What links here
  • Recent changes
  • Wiki search
• View
• Edit
• History
• Media

System Performance Guide

Welcome to Allakhazam's Weekly System Performance Guide
Tweaking your PC gaming experience, one component at a time

As with many PC based games, MMOs will often require special attention to both hardware and software settings to ensure a comfortable gameplay experience. While each game has its own internal settings, this weekly performance guide brings to the community both hardware and software recommendations that will provide MMO game players with updated information on potential computer configurations. Please keep in mind that even though this is a weekly updated guide, game user settings, hardware, and software can all change in a blink of an eye.

If you have any updates for us to incorporate into this guide, especially deals on hardware purchases or workarounds for poor performance experiences, please submit them to us at: pcconfig@allakhazam.com.

We also have a forum post setup for further input and suggestions about guide related material HERE.
Also be sure to read an exclusive performance article in our forums HERE.

Disclaimer: We are only presenting to you the choices and opinions we deem to be the most cost effective, yet performance ready parts for a PC gamer's needs. We are not to be held accountable for your ultimate purchase decisions and outcomes thereof. We are also not establishing any exclusivity to any products or companies listed, so please do not ask us for any special discounts or otherwise (although don't be surprised if we do a contest or giveaway once in awhile!).

Tip of the week: Having a dual monitor setup is a great investment both for work and gaming purposes. You can have a game running on one monitor in windowed mode, while the other monitor displays important information from sites such as Allakhazam, about the game. Two 22-24" monitors are optimal for this configuration.

Anything larger and you may find yourself moving your head around too much if the monitors are close to you. Anything smaller and it may not be worth purchases two. Instead, one larger 25-28" monitor would be best. Best to avoid 30"+ due to the cost and video card requirements, unless you use also the monitor as TV and it sits back farther from your position.

Updated: July 13, 2008 (Sunday)

WEEKLY DEALS

WD Caviar GP 750GB 7200RPM Hard Drive | $115 w/free shipping



* A fast "green" drive for such a huge amount of space at this price-point.
* 16MB of cache for faster access of small and repetitive files.
* Saves on energy over competing drives of similar capacity and price-point.

Information Link: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=337
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136150

ASUS EAH4850 Radeon HD 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 Video Card | $165 AR



* Supports PCI Express 2.0 connectivity
* Fastest mid-range new ATI GPU

Information Link: http://usa.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=2
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121253

Intel Penryn E8400 45nm Processor | $190 w/free shipping



Information Link: http://www.intel.com/products/processor/core2duo/index.htm?iid=prod_desktopcore+body_core2duo
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037
Purchase Link (US/EU): http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3574211&CatId=2398

RECOMMENDED SYSTEM COMPONENTS

Case (Enclosure)

NZXT Apollo Black SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail | ~$50 AR



* Roomy design, side window, cool design
* 120mm fan slots allow quiet and efficient cooling
* Supports ATX and mATX motherboards

Information Link: http://www.nzxt.com/products/apollo/
Review Link: http://www.sysopt.com/features/cases/article.php/3629476
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146025
Purchase Link (US/EU): http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2477938&Sku=A406-1069

Power Supply (PSU)

OCZ GameXStream OCZ700GXSSLI ATX12V 700W Power Supply - Retail | ~$90 AR



* 700 watts is enough for any MMO user's system
* Crossfire & SLI support

Information Link: http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/power_management/ocz_gamexstream_power_supply-nvidia_sli_ready_
Review Link: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/397
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341002
Purchase Link (US/EU): http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=2235424&sku=O261-2005&srkey=OCZ700GXSSLI

Hard Drive (Storage)

WD Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM | ~$90



* 640GB of storage
* Highest density platters on the market
* Transfer rates and read/write times rivaling WD Raptor series

Information Link: http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=394
Review Link: http://techreport.com/articles.x/14380
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218
Purchase Link (US/EU): http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=3839239&sku=TSD-640AAKS&srkey=WD6400AAKS

DVD-ROM Drive (Mobile Storage)

SAMSUNG 20x DVD+R Burner Black SATA - OEM | ~$29



* SATA model
* Reliable and fast write speeds

Information Link: http://www.samsung.com/us/support/download/supportDown.do?model_nm=SH-S203B
Review Link: http://www.cdfreaks.com/reviews/Samsung-SH-S203B-DVD-Burner-Review/Advanced-tests.html
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16827151153

Processor (CPU)

Intel Penryn E8400 45nm Processor | ~$190



* While Quad-core processors may be tempting, they aren't particularly useful for normal computer users today, especially MMO game player needs. Stick with Dual-core 45nm processors, and the E8400 has the best balance of raw mhz horsepower, cache, cool/power saving features, and a nice ability to overclock.

Information Link: http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sSpec=SLAPL
Review Link: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/wolfdale-shrinks-transistors,1773.html
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819115037
Purchase Link (US/EU): http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3574211&CatId=2398

OR

AMD Phenom 8450 Toliman 2.1GHz 3x512KB L2 Cache Processor | ~$125 w/free shipping

* If you go the AMD route there is nothing sweeter than finding a balance between dual-core and quad-core processors. Try this triple-core processor for a low cost solution that offers strong gaming performance yet will slice through regular applications on the side.

Information Link: http://products.amd.com/en-us/DesktopCPUDetail.aspx?id=425
Review Link: http://techreport.com/articles.x/14606
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103254
Purchase Link (US/EU): http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3867867&CatId=3681

Main Memory

G.SKILL 4GB (2x2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM 800 (PC2 6400) - Retail | ~$80



* 4GB allocation, giving maximum performance for systems running Vista
* DDR2 800mhz is mainstream, fast, and yet inexpensive

Information Link: http://www.gskill.com
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

Mainboard

(INTEL): GIGABYTE LGA 775 P35 ATX Motherboard - Retail | ~$90



* Supports up to 8GB of DDR2 memory
* Built-in sound, network, numerous USB ports, and other options
* Updated, efficient, fast, and reliable

Information Link: http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.aspx?ProductID=2778
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL071008&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL071008-_-Motherboards-_-L0C-_-13128337

OR

(AMD): GIGABYTE GA-MA770-DS2 AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX Motherboard - Retail | ~$90



* Compatible with AMD's triple-core Phenom processors
* Solid State Capacitors for reliability
* Built-in sound, network, numerous USB ports, and other options
* Efficient, fast, and reliable

Information Link: http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.aspx?ProductID=2722
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128081

Graphics Card (Video)

(NVIDIA) ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express Video Card - Retail | ~$200



* The video card should be one of the more expensive purchases of your system when considering games, so do not skimp on this purchase. Get what will run well for the foreseeable future.
* 512MB memory will ensure all games run without memory lag
* 9xxx series supports DX10 and the latest games

Information Link: http://priceguru.in/archives/new-hardware/1672
Review Link: http://priceguru.in/archives/new-hardware/1672
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500039

OR

(ATI) ASUS EAH4850 Radeon HD 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express Video Card - Retail | ~$165



* The video card should be one of the more expensive purchases of your system when considering games, so do not skimp on this purchase. Get what will run well for the foreseeable future.
* 512MB memory will ensure all games run without memory lag
* 4xxx series supports DX10.1 and the latest games

Information Link: http://searchna.ati.com/promosearch/?site=us-en&la=en&qt=4850&selectsite=ATI&Search.x=0&Search.y=0&Search=Search&sp_a=sp10039240&sp_p=all&sp-x-1=col&sp_f=ISO-8859-1&sp_q=4850
Review Link: http://www.tomshardware.com/news/ATI-Radeon-4850,5705.html
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121253

Monitor (Display)

Acer AL2216Wbd 22" Widescreen LCD | ~$220 w/free shipping



* Right up there with the video card, the monitor should be an important element when considering quality in purchasing a system component. Staring at a poor quality monitor all day will more than make your eyes hurt, but also make your wallet feel bad too.
* This is one of those things that requires more to spend if you want something worthwhile. Fortunately, you can have a decent enough 22" LCD for one of the cheapest prices around! I (Berek) happen to own three of these.

Information Link: http://us.acer.com/public/page4.do?link=oln56.redirect&dau22.oid=19184&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=25&CountryISOCtxParam=US&LanguageISOCtxParam=en&ctx3=-1&ctx4=United+States&crc=2340259541
Review Link: http://www.anandtech.com/displays/showdoc.aspx?i=2944
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009094
Purchase Link (US/EU): http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2430647&CatId=2775

Cooling Devices (Fans, Heatsinks)

SILVERSTONE FM121 120mm Case Fan - Retail | ~$17



Information Link: http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_contents.php?pno=fm121&area=usa
Purchase Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999344


ZALMAN CNPS9500 AT 2 Ball CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink - Retail | ~$50



Information Link: http://www.zalman.com/ENG/product/Product_Read.asp?idx=161
Review Link: http://techreport.com/articles.x/8922
Purchase Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118003


SilenX IXG-80C GPU Cooler - Retail | ~$25



Information Link: http://www.silenx.com/ixtremaproheatsinks.asp?sku=ixg-80c
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835226018

Peripherals (Extras)

CORSAIR 4GB Flash Survivor Ultra Rugged USB 2.0 Drive - Retail | ~$19 AR



* Purchase one of these if you limit your system memory to 2-4GB and have Windows Vista installed.

Information Link: http://corsair.com/products/survivor.aspx
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233055&Tpk=Corsair%2bSurvivor%2b4GB
Purchase Link (US/EU): http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=3344792&sku=C13-2562&srkey=CMFUSBSRVR-4GB


HT OMEGA STRIKER 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Sound Card - Retail | ~$80



* If you must purchase a separate sound card with higher audio quality than what is offered on the mainboard, we recommend an inexpensive yet fully decked out HT OMEGA.

Information Link: http://www.htomega.com/rgboard/view.php?bbs_id=new_products&doc_num=8
Review Link: http://www.cluboc.net/reviews/sound/ht_omega/claro/index.htm
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271001


LINKSYS WRT54GL Wireless-G Router - Retail | ~$52 AR



* A wireless router will provide Internet access for multiple computers as well as protection against unauthorized access to them. Be sure the wireless portion is secured and that all necessary "ports" are opened when a game or other program you trust needs access.

Information Link: http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1133202177241&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper&lid=7724139789B01
Purchase Link (US): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124190
Purchase Link (US/EU): http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=1820385&sku=L48-2468&srkey=WRT54GL

RECOMMENDED SOFTWARE & CONFIGURATIONS

Guild/Group Audio/Text Communication

Ventrilo (Free Version)



Whether you want to chat with your guild mates outside of the game, in-game, or both at the same time, Ventrilo is a great tool to allow for text and audio communications between a large number of members.

Information Link: http://www.ventrilo.com/

Guild/Group Audio/Text/Video Communication

Pidgin (Free Version)



Whether you want to chat with your guild mates outside of the game, in-game, or both at the same time, Pidgin is a great tool to allow for text, audio, and video communications between members. Pidgin combines AIM, ICQ, Yahoo Messenger, and more together in one software package.

Information Link: http://www.pidgin.im/

Virus Scanner

AVG Anti-Virus 8.0 (Trial Version)



With this virus scanner updated to 8.0, and a lengthy trial period, AVG is recommended as the current anti-virus software for your game system.

Information Link: http://www.grisoft.com/ww.download?prd=triaav

Fragmentation Maintenance

PerfectDisk (Trial Version)



A hard disk will store things in an organized fashion as much as possible, but is ultimately limited in effectivness when programs are continually being added or removed. PerfectDisk will periodically organize all the files on your computer for optimal performance, potentially reducing load times in games.

Information Link: http://www.raxco.com/home_office/home_office.cfm

RECOMMENDED MMO SYSTEM CONFIGURATIONS

Particle Effects, Lighting, and Shadows

These three graphical elements may severely hinder your systems performance when playing the latest computer games, especially MMOs when in a large group raid situation. If your graphics card has less than 512MB of onboard memory and non-DX10 compliant, you may want to consider turning these settings down to a more modest level.

We personally recommend trying to completely turn off shadows as well, as this will often hinder performance not due to your system limitations but due to lack of sufficient programming on the game development side.

Character Details

EverQuest II is an excellent example of a MMO that supports numerous system configuration settings. One must be careful though to exercise control when turning up all of these options. One option you are going to want to keep at a medium level, even if you have a high-end card, are the amounts and high-level details of characters that appear on the screen at any given time.

For example, in EverQuest II you can adjust the sliders to include 40 or more characters on the screen, as well as at least 12 high detailed characters. If you regularly raid with 40 or more fellow guild mates and have even a high-end 8800GTS video card, you may not want to raise the high-level model details on 12 or more of those 40 characters.

Other Active Programs

Disconnecting frequently from a game and frustrated when it happens to occur at the most inconvenient of moments? It may not be your router or network connection, but instead your background software doing evil deeds "behind your back". Ensure that programs like Anti-virus scanners and Defragmenters are disabled or at a low priority level when playing any sort of network based games.

Your Home Network

Many computer setups in a household today will come equipped with a router. Keep in mind that routers provide two primary uses: 1) Protection against outside unauthorized access, and 2) Multiplicity of the shared Internet connection. Ensure that the router has appropriate ports open for the games that you are running, as well as ensuring adequate protection from "free-loaders" that may use your connection without authorization. This is only in serious concern if your connection is open in a wireless capacity.

Dual Monitor Support

While almost all games do not specifically support dual monitors, having two screens setup is a great way to divide up your gameplay and other tasks you may wish to accomplish at the time. Especially if the game supports any sort of windowed mode, having the game on one screen and all of your Skype/TeamSpeak/IRC windows open can make a much more enjoyable gaming experience, especially when you need to contact your guild outside the game when needed.

FINAL THOUGHTS

In-game settings and software suggestions will allow you to further tweak system performance beyond the limits of the hardware. Combined, these two avenues of performance tuning will give you a pleasant gaming experience (providing the game itself isn't to be blamed for problems, such as any bugs you may encounter).

If you have your own input into our performance guide, please submit all inquiries and suggestions to: pcconfig@allakhazam.com.