Intel DG41RQ which CPU/RAM/GPU to max performance

[conversenation]

I have a DG41RQ Intel Motherboard. Currently Intel Pentium Dual Core 2.5 Ghz (E5200 I believe), 2x1024 DDR2 800 Mhz RAM, and Onboard Intel 4500 Graphics. A friend wants to run World of Warcraft on it. I suggested Win 7 64bit, 2x4096 RAM 800 Mhz, and a Q9400 Intel Quad Core with the new GeForce GTS 450 FPB. His budget is about $500.00 and I feel that trying to get Intel i3 board and cpu with ddr3 and the video card are going to be way over that. basically, Case, 800W PS, DVD-RW and Dual 320GB 7200rpm drives is what he has other than the (2gb DDR2, Pentium Dual Core 2.5 Ghz and onboard graphics) Open to all ideas.

 

[boiler1990]

i3-530, $115: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115222&cm_re=i3-_-19-115-222-_-Product
EVGA P55 Mobo, $75: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188064
4GB Patriot Sector 5 DDR3-1333 RAM, $90: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220435
EVGA GTX 460 768MB Superclocked, $200 - $10 MIR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130564

Total Price: $480 (and some room for some shipping costs)

When there's a will, there's a way 😉

 

[leastat]

i think the quad core 200$ at most (keep the motherbord) is the better choice i3 is = or less then what u have now and find a gtx 260 should run about 150$ (older but handles better the the gts 450s ) and add another 2 gigs of ddr2 (50$) at same speed should handle wow great. and sould cost about 350$ (rounded up for shipping cost) and spend a fue bucks too pretty it up with a cheap case or some leds

try too sell the dual core for more wiggle room

and a gtx 400 on a core i3 is a waste of money.....

 

[boiler1990]

If he wants better gaming performance, he'll want a better graphics card. There's nothing wrong with the GTX 260, but the GTX 460 has DirectX 11 and will perform better with future games.

 

[leastat]

then i5 or better for cpu or AMD quad core would be needed too use the full power of gtx 460

 

[conversenation]

Thank you for your responses and here is what I am finding based on the thread:
This is what I have to work with (the case thermaltake wing rs100, PS silentpro 800, lite-on DVD-rw).
The PC components are:

DG41RQ (Intel MB - 667, 800, 1333 FSB - 775 socket) http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/motherboards/DG41RQ/DG41RQ-overview.htm

2x1024 Corsair XMS 800 mhz RAM http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2206874&CatId=2261

E5200 Intel pentium Dual Core Processor http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=37212

I am looking to produce the best FPS in World of Warcraft I can. After looking at what is available to me I am not so sure if it is worth it...

Q9400 - Intel Core 2 Quad - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4621250&CatId=2758
$169.99

2x2048 DDR2 Ram - Corsair XMS - http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4642585&CatId=1554
$114.99

EVGA GTS 450 - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6680906&sku=E145-0452
$129.99

I wonder if just upping the ram and using the graphics card would be enough for 30 FPS on medium to high settings in WoW.

 

[leastat]

if you have the money go for the full rebuild but i would go for atleast the i5 but the i5 750 is about 175-200$ and would be my choice

 

[boiler1990]

@ConverseNation: 4GB of DDR3 doesn't even cost $100, so I would not buy 4GB of DDR2 that does. You're just wasting money at that point. Try going with G.Skill, Kingston or Patriot; I've heard of issues with Corsair's memory not reaching full speeds on Intel Chipsets, and it'll be cheaper. Since you're looking online, check Newegg; CompUSA/Tigerdirect are not competitive price-wise.

Your frame rate is dependent on your gaming resolution; the higher it is, the slower it runs. The GTS 450 runs well at 1920x1200, so it's should be good for your WoW needs.
DirectX 11 doesn't run too well (it just can't handle it), but I don't think WoW uses it anyway, so you should be good.
http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gts-450-review-roundup/21

@leastat: The OP is building this for his friend and only has approx. $500 at his disposal. He'd never be able to afford a RAM and GPU upgrade if he bought an i5, so stop trying to suggest things that are ridiculously out of his price range. It doesn't help at all and defeats the purpose of these forums.

 

[conversenation]

Thank You all again for the information and I decided to try something.

First not that it is of any importance but I thought I would share the Windows Experience Index.

with the items in the PC above the WEI is: 3.0

1) Processor - 5.4
2) Memory - 5.2 (Corsair CM2X1024-6400; 1.9v 800MHz, 2x 1024MB 5-5-5-18)
3) Graphics - 3.0 (intel Built in graphics)
4) Graphics 3D - 3.2 (intel built in graphics)
5) Primary HD - 5.9 (Seagate 7200.10 320 GB)

I used a Video Card and RAM I had access to: (EVGA GeForce 7950 GX2, Kingston 2.0v 800MHz, 2x1024MB 5-5-5-15) and the WEI changed as follows:

1) Processor - 5.4
2) Memory - 5.2 (Kingston KHX6400D2K2/2G; 2.0v 800MHz, 2x1024MB 5-5-5-15)
3) Graphics - 5.9 (EVGA 7950 GX2)
4) Graphics 3D - 5.9 (EVGA 7950 GX2)
5) Primary HD - 5.9 (Seagate 7200.10 320 GB)

So the question now becomes, what would you use to bring WEI, if WEI is an indicator you trust, to make the CPU and RAM hit the 5.9 or higher mark. Would MS Windows 7 64-bit with 2x2048MB of 800MHz RAM and a socket 775 quad core raise the WEI to 5.9 or higher? let me know.

*note I am assuming the Kingston is slightly better than the Corsair only because the 5-5-5-18 on the Corsair is higher than the 5-5-5-15 of the Kingston.
** also currently this is powered by an MSI 450W I can put in a SilentPro 800 if power is someones concern.

 

[boiler1990]

WEI is a pretty decent indicator of your system performance. You should be able to increase the WEI of your CPU and RAM with more RAM and a better CPU. A Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad would be a big step up from the Pentium.

The PSU really only depends on the GPU; most cards only require your system to have ~400W, so the 450W should be fine for the moment. Your system is currently very low power, so you don't need to worry about your PSU.

The numbers you posted for the RAM are the timings. You want your timings to be lower, so the Kingston RAM is better than the Corsair, but not by much. What has a bigger effect is the CAS Latency (again, lower is better). You can support 2x4GB sticks, but 2x2GB should be fine in your system; 4GB is the standard for systems like yours.

 

[conversenation]

Best answer selected by ConverseNation.

 

[conversenation]

I will see if I can ebay, craigslist or sell the RAM and try to pick up a better CPU. It is my understanding WoW will test or trial Dx11 but it is definately not a deciding factor on the GPU. I am seeing a few 9800 GT's still out there and may pick one up for now. Not sure the GTS 250's are a step up. I love my 9800 GTX+. I will update this post with my results.