Old system upgrade

[unmaked]

My girlfriend just received an old PC
It's a Celsius w480 workstation and she want's to play World of Warcraft on it.
Some specs:
CPU: Intel Xeon x3470
GPU: ATI firepro v4800
RAM: 8 gb ddr3
D2917 motherboard

With this specs in wow it get's to 20 fps on high. Since on my pc, with an i5 444 and 8gb RAM and the same GPU I get 60-70 on ultra, I thought that if I put the r7 370 on her PC I would see some improvement. But i was wrong, since the FPS only increased by 5-10, still on high.

Can i improve somehow the performance?

 

[shrapnel_indie]

Well... Yes, you can improve the performance. The Xeon is probably up to the task, even if a little slower than we'd like, and the FirePro v4800 might or might-not pull it off ( http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/workstation-graphics-card-gaming,3425-14.html ) so what I'd suggest is changing out the workstation card for something like a Radeon RX-460 or RX-470 or GTX-1050, GTX-1050Ti, or GTX-1060 3GB.... depending on budget...

Oh yeah... without knowing the size (make, model, power output) of the PSU, better stick to a RX-460 or GTX-1050 or GTX-1050Ti without a PCIe connector on it.

 

[unmaked]

The 20FPS on high it was with the r7 370
I had a rx-460 ordered but i canceled because with the r7 370 I only got 5-10 increase in FPS, and since both are kind of the same i didn't see why would I buy another GPU.

Here is the PDF of the motherboard. On page 5 is the scheme for it.
http://support.harlander.com/upload-artikelsupport/computer/fujitsu_siemens/celsius-w380/win7-x64/documenation/mainboard-d2917-short-description-kurzbeschreibung-en-de-20091214.pdf

I had to put the GPU on the PCIe4 slot since it's too big to fit in the PCIe16 slot. Can that be a problem?

 

[shrapnel_indie]

The 20FPS on high it was with the r7 370
I had a rx-460 ordered but i canceled because with the r7 370 I only got 5-10 increase in FPS, and since both are kind of the same i didn't see why would I buy another GPU.

Here is the PDF of the motherboard. On page 5 is the scheme for it.
http://support.harlander.com/upload-artikelsupport/computer/fujitsu_siemens/celsius-w380/win7-x64/documenation/mainboard-d2917-short-description-kurzbeschreibung-en-de-20091214.pdf

I had to put the GPU on the PCIe4 slot since it's too big to fit in the PCIe16 slot. Can that be a problem?

It could potentially be a problem with only 4PCIe lanes available to it. Oh yeah.... some of those cards I mentioned before are also short cards and may fit the PCIe16 slot without issue... unless the issue of "too big" is the GPU being a double-slot card.

 

[unmaked]

The 20FPS on high it was with the r7 370
I had a rx-460 ordered but i canceled because with the r7 370 I only got 5-10 increase in FPS, and since both are kind of the same i didn't see why would I buy another GPU.

Here is the PDF of the motherboard. On page 5 is the scheme for it.
http://support.harlander.com/upload-artikelsupport/computer/fujitsu_siemens/celsius-w380/win7-x64/documenation/mainboard-d2917-short-description-kurzbeschreibung-en-de-20091214.pdf

I had to put the GPU on the PCIe4 slot since it's too big to fit in the PCIe16 slot. Can that be a problem?

It could potentially be a problem with only 4PCIe lanes available to it. Oh yeah.... some of those cards I mentioned before are also short cards and may fit the PCIe16 slot without issue... unless the issue of "too big" is the GPU being a double-slot card.

it's too long, not to thick.
Thanks for the answer

 

[bambiboom]

My girlfriend just received an old PC
It's a Celsius w480 workstation and she want's to play World of Warcraft on it.
Some specs:
CPU: Intel Xeon x3470
GPU: ATI firepro v4800
RAM: 8 gb ddr3
D2917 motherboard

With this specs in wow it get's to 20 fps on high. Since on my pc, with an i5 444 and 8gb RAM and the same GPU I get 60-70 on ultra, I thought that if I put the r7 370 on her PC I would see some improvement. But i was wrong, since the FPS only increased by 5-10, still on high.

Can i improve somehow the performance?

unmaked,

Checking Passmark Performance Test results, the highest rated Fujitsu w480 system (12 tested) is:

Rating: 2949
CPU: b][5608[/b] (Xeon x3470)
2D: 582 (Radeon R9 280X)
3D: 5381
Mem: 1677 (16GB)
Disk: 2053 (Adata SX900 128GB)

CPU: The Xeon x3470 (4-core @2.93 /3.6Ghz) is a good performer. with a Passmark average CPU Mark of 5195, so the w480 CPU is performing well above the average. The important Single-Thread Mark is however 1232 and that is not terrific for 3D when there are a lot of polygons shifting (CPU-based) plus the heavy textures typical in games. There is a Xeon x3480 (4-core @3.06 /3.73Ghz) which averages a CPU Mark is 5808 and single thread mark of 1391, which might be a consideration, although the improvement might not be too noticeable. I can't find information about processor compatibility of the w480 motherboard, but there are some w480 using the dual core i5-680 (2-core@ 3.6/ 3.86GHz) . the CPU Mark is 3533, but the single-thread rating is 1520- much better thanks to the higher clock speed. A dual core is not impossible for games today, and it might be worth considering, but the data sheet fro the Fujistu better would be if the w480 could use series 1 i5's and i7's. I was unable to find a CPU compatibility list for the D2197, See the Fujistu D2917 motherboard manual.

GPU: A search of the Radeon R9 280X shows a top Passmark 3D score of 8300, but that is on an overclocked i7-4790K system and the average CPU mark is 5666, meaning the w480 is performing a bit below the current average on the older technology, but 5381 is still quite good. The average for a GTX 680, at one time near the top performing GPU's, is rated at 5706. Overall, the video system of the w480 appears to be healthy.

It's important to have the GPU in the x16 slot or minimally in a x8 slot and that means a smaller, but high performing card. Consider adding a GTX1050 (average 3D= 5198 ), GTX 1060 3GB (average 3D= 8403), or the EVGA GTX 950 (average 3D= 5204) which can be purchased in compact formats and like many modern high performance GPU's, require little power. Anyway, the w480 has a 500W power supply so it could use a card requiring more. On a budget, look at used GTX 750Ti and the compact version of the GTX 760.

Also, adding a 120-128GB SSD is going to make the gaming experience snappier.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

 

[shrapnel_indie]

My girlfriend just received an old PC
It's a Celsius w480 workstation and she want's to play World of Warcraft on it.
Some specs:
CPU: Intel Xeon x3470
GPU: ATI firepro v4800
RAM: 8 gb ddr3
D2917 motherboard

With this specs in wow it get's to 20 fps on high. Since on my pc, with an i5 444 and 8gb RAM and the same GPU I get 60-70 on ultra, I thought that if I put the r7 370 on her PC I would see some improvement. But i was wrong, since the FPS only increased by 5-10, still on high.

Can i improve somehow the performance?

unmaked,

Checking Passmark Performance Test results, the highest rated Fujitsu w480 system (12 tested) is:

Rating: 2949
CPU: b][5608[/b] (Xeon x3470)
2D: 582 (Radeon R9 280X)
3D: 5381
Mem: 1677 (16GB)
Disk: 2053 (Adata SX900 128GB)

CPU: The Xeon x3470 (4-core @2.93 /3.6Ghz) is a good performer. with a Passmark average CPU Mark of 5195, so the w480 CPU is performing well above the average. The important Single-Thread Mark is however 1232 and that is not terrific for 3D when there are a lot of polygons shifting (CPU-based) plus the heavy textures typical in games. There is a Xeon x3480 (4-core @3.06 /3.73Ghz) which averages a CPU Mark is 5808 and single thread mark of 1391, which might be a consideration, although the improvement might not be too noticeable. I can't find information about processor compatibility of the w480 motherboard, but there are some w480 using the dual core i5-680 (2-core@ 3.6/ 3.86GHz) . the CPU Mark is 3533, but the single-thread rating is 1520- much better thanks to the higher clock speed. A dual core is not impossible for games today, and it might be worth considering, but the data sheet fro the Fujistu better would be if the w480 could use series 1 i5's and i7's. I was unable to find a CPU compatibility list for the D2197, See the Fujistu D2917 motherboard manual.

GPU: A search of the Radeon R9 280X shows a top Passmark 3D score of 8300, but that is on an overclocked i7-4790K system and the average CPU mark is 5666, meaning the w480 is performing a bit below the current average on the older technology, but 5381 is still quite good. The average for a GTX 680, at one time near the top performing GPU's, is rated at 5706. Overall, the video system of the w480 appears to be healthy.

It's important to have the GPU in the x16 slot or minimally in a x8 slot and that means a smaller, but high performing card. Consider adding a GTX1050 (average 3D= 5198 ), GTX 1060 3GB (average 3D= 8403), or the EVGA GTX 950 (average 3D= 5204) which can be purchased in compact formats and like many modern high performance GPU's, require little power. Anyway, the w480 has a 500W power supply so it could use a card requiring more. On a budget, look at used GTX 750Ti and the compact version of the GTX 760.

Also, adding a 120-128GB SSD is going to make the gaming experience snappier.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

Uh.... 750Ti is left wanting when compared to a 1050. To use any GPU that pulls more than 75W will require said PSU (unknown brand and model) to have PCIe power connectors, which since we have no other info than wattage, it may or may not lack (since we can't see it.) The OP would have to verify that themselves before dedicating the resources. Also the original GPUcard in the unit is a workstation ATI FirePro v4800, The R9-280X wouldn't fit in the PCIe16 slot due to length restrictions. If you looked at the linked document, you would also note there are only two PCIe slots that are greater than one lane... a 16 lane and a 4 lane. no 8-lane slot exists. The 1050 can also be had for less than a 750Ti, at least in the States, too. Tom's own review testing shows the 1050 to beat the 950 and trounce a 750Ti.

Yeah, a SSD will make things snappier, but a 120GB SSD will fill VERY fast, especially if one tosses Office in the mix and a few other apps. Yes if they don't have a lot to load on it, they may have room for one, MAYBE two games, but that would be it... but let's look at the SATA ports for a second... SATA? Yes SATA-I more than likely as I'm sure SATA-II would be noted in the manual. That will also diminish the snappiness. (more info needed to verify SATA standard used with the SATA ports)

 

[Rogue Leader]

My girlfriend just received an old PC
It's a Celsius w480 workstation and she want's to play World of Warcraft on it.
Some specs:
CPU: Intel Xeon x3470
GPU: ATI firepro v4800
RAM: 8 gb ddr3
D2917 motherboard

With this specs in wow it get's to 20 fps on high. Since on my pc, with an i5 444 and 8gb RAM and the same GPU I get 60-70 on ultra, I thought that if I put the r7 370 on her PC I would see some improvement. But i was wrong, since the FPS only increased by 5-10, still on high.

Can i improve somehow the performance?

yes, by tossing it in the trash and buying her something new.

The CPU is the main bottleneck here, being an 8 year old Xeon running normally under 3 ghz. In addition the motherboard isn't a high performance setup either although the first slot SHOULD be running at x16 according tot he manual, but if you can't fit it and only can use the X4 slot, then the GPU is hampered even more. You can try using a PCIe extender to be able to use that slot:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAASP40U1592&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC-_-pla-_-Cables+-+Internal+Power+Cables-_-9SIAASP40U1592&gclid=CjwKEAiA-rfDBRDeyOybg8jd2U4SJAAoE5XqQFLl3tvP7sOvm9pLe7idvNNt2N2_iWyJHbXMoLs9tBoC0Rzw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

You need a CPU upgrade but the problem is we don't have a reference of what CPUs do work in that board, but it doesn't matter, the next step up the X3480 is minimally faster. The board likely does not support i7 processors, but even if it did they are not much faster either. Maybe gain 5-10 fps, plus the GPU you'd max at MAYBE a 20fps gain in some scenarios.

Not worth it.

 

[bambiboom]

Uh.... 750Ti is left wanting when compared to a 1050. To use any GPU that pulls more than 75W will require said PSU (unknown brand and model) to have PCIe power connectors, which since we have no other info than wattage, it may or may not lack (since we can't see it.) The OP would have to verify that themselves before dedicating the resources. Also the original GPUcard in the unit is a workstation ATI FirePro v4800, The R9-280X wouldn't fit in the PCIe16 slot due to length restrictions. If you looked at the linked document, you would also note there are only two PCIe slots that are greater than one lane... a 16 lane and a 4 lane. no 8-lane slot exists. The 1050 can also be had for less than a 750Ti, at least in the States, too. Tom's own review testing shows the 1050 to beat the 950 and trounce a 750Ti.

Yeah, a SSD will make things snappier, but a 120GB SSD will fill VERY fast, especially if one tosses Office in the mix and a few other apps. Yes if they don't have a lot to load on it, they may have room for one, MAYBE two games, but that would be it... but let's look at the SATA ports for a second... SATA? Yes SATA-I more than likely as I'm sure SATA-II would be noted in the manual. That will also diminish the snappiness. (more info needed to verify SATA standard used with the SATA ports)[/quotemsg]

shrapnel_indie,

Yes, different GPU's have different performance, and in the absence of a budget and given that the system is an obsolete, free system, the upgrade budget is probably minimal, and a used GPU has the best cost /performance.

The GTX 1060 is the best choice in my view: compact and high performance, but it costs 3-4X the value of the whole system. Also, the only previous generation GTX's I know with a compact version that also uses lower power are the GTX 750Ti and only a couple of GTX 950 versions. A used GTX 750Ti can be purchased for as little as $50-$80 while an EVGA compact GTX 950 2GB still costs $120-$150, 2X or 3X the system value. When upgrading, the compatibility / cost / performance equation is not so simple.

If you had read the post, the Celsius x480 has a 500W power supply and common to workstations of that period certainly a card up to 150W is possible. I have a 2011 Dell Precision T3500 with a 525W PSU and Dell relates it to use 2X 150W cards as does the 2015 HP z420 with a 600W PSU. All the workstations I've had of that (Dell Precision 390, T3500, T5400, and T5500 always had at least 6-pin connector, or can use a Molex to 6-pin connector. the T3500. There were T3500's sold with a Quadro 6000 6GB- 220W peak and requiring two connections.

Nowhere is it suggested the w480 has a PCIe x8 slot, only that GPU's may run at x8 without a serious performance loss, but that @ x4 would be noticeable.

The OP says of the new system "she want's to play World of Warcraft on it" and will understand the drive size requirements. Again, the idea is to minimize costs. Windows 7 is 30GB and WoW requires 45GB, so yes a 120-128GB drive isn't roomy.

According to the w480 specs there were x480 systems offered with SATAII and SATAIII drives:

SSD SATA, 256 GB, 2.5-inch
SSD SATA, 128 GB, 2.5-inch
HDD SATA III, 10000 rpm, 600 GB, 3.5-inch internal
HDD SATA III, 10000 rpm, 300 GB, 2.5-inch
HDD SATA III, 7200 rpm, 1000 GB, 3.5-inch, business critical
HDD SATA III, 7200 rpm, 500 GB, 3.5-inch, business critical
HDD SATA II, 10000 rpm, 150 GB, 2.5-inch, S.M.A.R.T.
HDD SATA II, 7200 rpm, 2000 GB, 3.5-inch, business critical
HDD SATA II, 7200 rpm, 1000 GB, 3.5-inch, S.M.A.R.T.
HDD SATA II, 7200 rpm, 500 GB, 3.5-inch, S.M.A.R.T.
HDD SATA II, 7200 rpm, 320 GB, 3.5-inch, S.M.A.R.T.
HDD SATA II, 7200 rpm, 250 GB, 3.5-inch, S.M.A.R.T.
HDD SATA II, 7200 rpm, 160 GB, 2.5-inch, S.M.A.R.T

Cheers,

BambiBoom

CAD / 3D Modeling / Graphic Design:

HP z420 (2015) (Rev 3) > Xeon E5-1660 v2 (6-core @ 3.7 / 4.0GHz) / 32GB DDR3 -1866 ECC RAM / Quadro K4200 (4GB) / Samsung SM951 M.2 256GB AHCI + Intel 730 480GB (9SSDSC2BP480G4R5) + Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > 600W PSU> > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit > Logitech z2300 2.1 speakers > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H (2560 X 1440)
[ Passmark Rating = 5581 > CPU= 14046 / 2D= 838 / 3D= 4694 / Mem= 2777 / Disk= 11559] [6.12.16]

Analysis / Simulation / Rendering:

HP z620 (2012) (Rev 3) 2X Xeon E5-2690 (8-core @ 2.9 / 3.8GHz) / 64GB DDR3-1600 ECC reg) / Quadro K2200 (4GB) + Tesla M2090 (6GB) / HP Z Turbo Drive (256GB) + Samsung 850 Evo 250GB + Seagate Constellation ES.3 (1TB) / Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium PCIe sound card / 800W / Windows 7 Professional 64-bit > Logitech z313 2.1 speakers > HP 2711x (27" 1980 X 1080)
[ Passmark System Rating= 5675 / CPU= 22625 / 2D= 815 / 3D = 3580 / Mem = 2522 / Disk = 12640 ] 9.25.16

 

[Rogue Leader]

shrapnel_indie,

Yes, different GPU's have different performance, and in the absence of a budget and given that the system is an obsolete, free system, the upgrade budget is probably minimal, and a used GPU has the best cost /performance.

Snip....snip.....

Cheers,

BambiBoom

You have conveniently missed the part where he tried a faster GPU one that should run the game at 60-70 fps and it barely touched 30fps.

A GTX 1060 is an enormous waste of money on this system, the CPU cannot handle it, end of story.

 

[bambiboom]

shrapnel_indie,

Yes, different GPU's have different performance, and in the absence of a budget and given that the system is an obsolete, free system, the upgrade budget is probably minimal, and a used GPU has the best cost /performance.

Snip....snip.....

Cheers,

BambiBoom

You have conveniently missed the part where he tried a faster GPU one that should run the game at 60-70 fps and it barely touched 30fps.

A GTX 1060 is an enormous waste of money on this system, the CPU cannot handle it, end of story.

Rouge Leader,

No, I wouldn't expect that a GTX 1060 would be a serious consideration based on cost, the compact version was cited as probably the best performing GPU that would fit the space.

But, a good GPU is not wasted in a w480. You have conveniently missed the part in which I cited the w480 / x3470 system that, with an R9 280X produced a Passmark 3D score of 5381: ",..the average [R9 280X] GPU [3D] mark is 5666, meaning the w480 is performing a bit below the current average on the older technology, but 5381 is still quite good." That means that the x3470 is proven to produce a 3D performance that is 94% of average of a quite powerful GPU. I don't consider a -6% performance to mean a component is "wasted". If someone can't run WoW on a GPU with a 3D mark of 5381- the GTX1050 averages 5198, there must be something else amiss.

The x3470 is disdavantaged by a low single-thread perofrmance but modern GPU's can really wake up an older system. My local particle accelerator uses Dell Precision T3500's with W3690's and Quadro K6000's to design the 18m, supercooled acclerator modules in Siemens NX.

When considering what a component "can handle", some research will present a more accurate assessment.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

 

[Rogue Leader]

shrapnel_indie,

Yes, different GPU's have different performance, and in the absence of a budget and given that the system is an obsolete, free system, the upgrade budget is probably minimal, and a used GPU has the best cost /performance.

Snip....snip.....

Cheers,

BambiBoom

You have conveniently missed the part where he tried a faster GPU one that should run the game at 60-70 fps and it barely touched 30fps.

A GTX 1060 is an enormous waste of money on this system, the CPU cannot handle it, end of story.

Rouge Leader,

No, I wouldn't expect that a GTX 1060 would be a serious consideration based on cost, the compact version was cited as probably the best performing GPU that would fit the space.

But, a good GPU is not wasted in a w480. You have conveniently missed the part in which I cited the w480 / x3470 system that, with an R9 280X produced a Passmark 3D score of 5381: ",..the average [R9 280X] GPU [3D] mark is 5666, meaning the w480 is performing a bit below the current average on the older technology, but 5381 is still quite good." That means that the x3470 is proven to produce a 3D performance that is 94% of average of a quite powerful GPU. I don't consider a -6% performance to mean a component is "wasted". If someone can't run WoW on a GPU with a 3D mark of 5381- the GTX1050 averages 5198, there must be something else amiss.

The x3470 is disdavantaged by a low single-thread perofrmance but modern GPU's can really wake up an older system. My local particle accelerator uses Dell Precision T3500's with W3690's and Quadro K6000's to design the 18m, supercooled acclerator modules in Siemens NX.

When considering what a component "can handle", some research will present a more accurate assessment.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

I know exactly what the component can handle, I have done the research and have an intimate understanding of how this woks.

Telling someone to throw ANY money at this system is BAD advice.

Using passmark as your only benchmark of a system performance is BAD advice. Passmark has nothing to do with real world performance.

Advising someone to even consider purchasing a GPU for a system that single core is a little more than half the speed of a stock Pentium G3258 in a real world benchmark is Bad advice. That Pentium is about the benchmark for minimum CPU gaming performance for modern titles these days.

 

[logainofhades]

This would be a far better solution, for a WoW rig.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus H110M-A/M.2 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($46.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba Product Series😀T01ACA 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Video Card ($139.99 @ B&H)
Case: Rosewill FBM-05 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($26.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Other: Logitech HD Webcam C615 with Fold-and-Go Design and 360-Degree Swivel ($47.99)
Total: $623.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-05 14:59 EST-0500

 

[unmaked]

This would be a far better solution, for a WoW rig.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus H110M-A/M.2 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($46.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba Product Series😀T01ACA 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Video Card ($139.99 @ B&H)
Case: Rosewill FBM-05 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($26.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Other: Logitech HD Webcam C615 with Fold-and-Go Design and 360-Degree Swivel ($47.99)
Total: $623.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-05 14:59 EST-0500

Well, thanks for the advice but she doesn't have the budget for a new pc.



Thank you all guys for the answers.
I managed to test it with the rx 460 GPU in the PCIe16 slot. Since the main purpose for this PC is to run wow, i managed to get to 40-50 FPS on ultra/high. For her it's enough. When I will have some money I will try and buy her a new CPU+mobo combo.

 

[bambiboom]

Well, thanks for the advice but she doesn't have the budget for a new pc.

Thank you all guys for the answers.
I managed to test it with the rx 460 GPU in the PCIe16 slot. Since the main purpose for this PC is to run wow, i managed to get to 40-50 FPS on ultra/high. For her it's enough. When I will have some money I will try and buy her a new CPU+mobo combo.

unmaked,

I'm very pleased to read that the w480 system is running at an acceptable level. Despite the skepticism in this thread, with attention to the performance-related details oftentimes obsolete systems can have surprising potential. With computers. "good enough" is good enough- and less expensive.

I would make one more suggestion to (carefully) minimize the startup and background programs list in ms.config, turn off monitor and CPU hibernation, most importantly, check that the power option is set to "Performance."

Consider running Passmark Performance Test- there's a 30-day free trial, and that can provide a before and after record of improvements plus a comparison to the 12 other Celsius x480's already tested. If any test score is particularly low, that can reveal the weak link. When I first had an HP z420 (E5-1620), the CPU score was half of the others with the same CPU and that led to switching to the performance priority, which then showed the CPU at full strength. It turned out that the SP1 OS update had reset it to a power saving mode.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

 

[shrapnel_indie]

This would be a far better solution, for a WoW rig.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus H110M-A/M.2 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($46.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Toshiba Product Series😀T01ACA 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Video Card ($139.99 @ B&H)
Case: Rosewill FBM-05 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($26.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Other: Logitech HD Webcam C615 with Fold-and-Go Design and 360-Degree Swivel ($47.99)
Total: $623.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-05 14:59 EST-0500

Well, thanks for the advice but she doesn't have the budget for a new pc.



Thank you all guys for the answers.
I managed to test it with the rx 460 GPU in the PCIe16 slot. Since the main purpose for this PC is to run wow, i managed to get to 40-50 FPS on ultra/high. For her it's enough. When I will have some money I will try and buy her a new CPU+mobo combo.

Glad to hear you got a solution that works for now.

 

[unmaked]

Well, thanks for the advice but she doesn't have the budget for a new pc.

Thank you all guys for the answers.
I managed to test it with the rx 460 GPU in the PCIe16 slot. Since the main purpose for this PC is to run wow, i managed to get to 40-50 FPS on ultra/high. For her it's enough. When I will have some money I will try and buy her a new CPU+mobo combo.

unmaked,

I'm very pleased to read that the w480 system is running at an acceptable level. Despite the skepticism in this thread, with attention to the performance-related details oftentimes obsolete systems can have surprising potential. With computers. "good enough" is good enough- and less expensive.

I would make one more suggestion to (carefully) minimize the startup and background programs list in ms.config, turn off monitor and CPU hibernation, most importantly, check that the power option is set to "Performance."

Consider running Passmark Performance Test- there's a 30-day free trial, and that can provide a before and after record of improvements plus a comparison to the 12 other Celsius x480's already tested. If any test score is particularly low, that can reveal the weak link. When I first had an HP z420 (E5-1620), the CPU score was half of the others with the same CPU and that led to switching to the performance priority, which then showed the CPU at full strength. It turned out that the SP1 OS update had reset it to a power saving mode.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

Thanks. I will do that when i will have some time free. Thanks again