$300 or preferably less for upgrades

[westvegas]

I saw the requirements for making a post asking for advice and I honestly don't know enough to states specifics. I am 100% new to looking at computer parts/performance. I like to play WoW and with my current setup on all LOW settings I run about 10fps :\

Dell Inspiron 560
pentium dual-core cpu e5700 @ 3.00ghz
6114mb ram
intel g45/g43 express chipset

I dont know what this stuff means to be honest.

I want to know if it is possible for me to upgrade one or two things to at least get me to moderate settings with 30+ fps or should I just try this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgyI8bfrYt4

 

[TheMentalist]

You can reuse your case and harddrive and get this build:
CPU: AMD A10-6800K 4.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-HD3 Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($55.18 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($79.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX Power Supply ($27.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $293.14
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-05 01:36 EST-0500

This will perform much better than your Inspiron 560.

 

[westvegas]

will these new components fit in my current case adequately? from what i have read WoW is a cpu bound game.. would the bundle you put together for me be ok then?
thank you for your help!

 

[TheMentalist]

Your case supports mATX boards and the one I listed is also mATX, so it should fit fine.
The 6800K APU is a decent CPU/GPU combo for World Of Warcraft and even other games.
If you want even better performance then you'll have to increase your budget but this combo will serve you well.

Take a look at some benchmarks. It's pretty good.

 

[Math Geek]

+1 for the a10 upgrade. simple and cheap solution that does what you want it to.

 

[logainofhades]

Case might not work. Front panel motherboard connectors tend to be proprietary. You can reuse the ram, as it is ddr3, and the HDD, and the optical drive. You might have to get a new copy of Windows too.

 

[Math Geek]

good thought logain as it seems we missed that point. he probably needs more info though since he is new to pc building and such.

what he is speaking of is that dell cases often do not have the normal power switch connectors and therefore will not connect to a new motherboard like any other case does. this may present a problem as the new motherboard may not power on from the usb header like your current motherboard does. it is a simple fix and only requires a new switch which can be added to the build for a couple dollars or gotten from an old case you may have access to.

the switch comes out pretty easily and can be replaced pretty easily and cheaply if your careful.

 

[logainofhades]

If a new copy of Windows is not needed, this would do far better than an APU.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($111.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($55.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GT 730 1GB Video Card ($66.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $304.95
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-05 13:34 EST-0500

 

[TheMentalist]

Case might not work. Front panel motherboard connectors tend to be proprietary. You can reuse the ram, as it is ddr3, and the HDD, and the optical drive. You might have to get a new copy of Windows too.

Good point, didn't think about the front panel.

 

[Math Geek]

here's a new switch for $3.18

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA2RP1004983&cm_re=power_switch-_-9SIA2RP1004983-_-Product

 

[westvegas]

new copy of windows is not necessary. so the best bang for my buck would be option 2? as far as assembly i can figure that part out with a few tutorials no problem. i just dont have enough experience to know what to look for in these components to improve gaming experience. thanks again everyone, all feedback is welcome!

 

[logainofhades]

It is fortunate that your system has DDR3. Many Core 2 rigs were DDR2. It is nice having enough parts to save you money, to be able to get a substantial upgrade elsewhere.

 

[westvegas]

if i went with your selected setup logainofhades, is there a range of fps i could expect to be getting with moderate settings, ultra(possible?)? i saw the graph for MoP expansion, is there one for WoD? i never have more than 25-30 world MS if that means anything lol
so ddr3 is the ram?

 

[logainofhades]

DDR3 is the ram. Your FPS will matter greatly on what resolution you will be playing at. I have yet to see a a WoD graph. I put my old GT 240 in my neighbor's Dell with a previous gen, Ivy Bridge i3. He still has an old 17" LCD, so stuck @ 1280x1024, but I was getting 45ish in Warspear, on fair settings. I would think fair to good settings should be doable at 1080p. The game will be far more playable than what you have now.

 

[westvegas]

my monitors current display mode is 1920x1080 (32bit) (60hz) but if i try that in game my fps goes down to 6.

 

[logainofhades]

Fair to good should be doable with that CPU and GPU combo, @ 1080p.

 

[westvegas]

with the components you put together and my current stock components, everything will fit fine within that case you chose? i just want to double check before i buy the parts lol

 

[logainofhades]

Hard drives and optical drives are a standard size, with the exception of slim towers. Some of those had slim optical drives, similar to a laptop. I looked up your system specs, and it showed your system came with DDR3, so that will work with the new motherboard. Everything will fit.

 

[ohiou_grad_2006]

Do you have a microcenter store nearby? They have been doing deals where you can get an amd fx6300 6 core and motherboard for 90 bucks which leaves you enough to get a decent power supply and good video card, maybe a gtx 750 ti I'm thinking.