WoW Rookie: Will my computer run WoW?
by Lisa Poisso 
Jan 28th 2009 at 6:00PM
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the resources they need to get acclimated. Send us a note to suggest a WoW Rookie topic.Playing WoW is no fun at all if your system doesn't cut the mustard. If you've just started playing on hardware of questionable power, you may believe you're clicking along just fine -- only to watch your frame rate come to a grinding halt the first time you're faced with a raid or Battleground full of players moving, casting and otherwise wreaking havoc (to both the game environment and your system).
Lots of players start out playing WoW on hand-me-down computer systems. In fact, the spouse who starts playing on an old hunk o' junk, only to become hooked and then upgrade to a hotter rig than that of the established player, has become something of a gaming cliché. The thing to remember here is that a system that will run WoW will not provide the same enjoyment as a system that runs it well.
Let's look at Blizzard's minimum and recommended system requirements for Wrath of the Lich King-era play.
PC System Requirements
OS
Windows XP / Windows Vista (with latest Service Packs)
Processor
Minimum: Intel Pentium 4 1.3 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 1500+
Recommended: Dual-core processor, such as the Intel Pentium D or AMD Athlon 64 X2
Memory
Minimum: 512 MB RAM (1GB for Vista users)
Recommended: 1 GB RAM (2 GB for Vista users)
Video
Minimum: 3D graphics processor with Hardware Transform and Lighting with 32 MB VRAM, such as an ATI Radeon 7200 or NVIDIA GeForce 2 class card or better
Recommended: 3D graphics processor with Vertex and Pixel Shader capability with 128 MB VRAM, such as an ATI Radeon X1600 or NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT class card or better
Sound
DirectX-compatible sound card or motherboard sound capability
Mac System Requirements
OS
Mac OS X 10.4.11 or newer
Processor
Minimum: PowerPC G5 1.6 GHz or Intel Core Duo processor
Recommended: Intel 1.8GHz processor or better
Memory
Minimum: 1 GB RAM
Recommended: 2 GB RAM
Video
Minimum: 3D graphics processor with Hardware Transform and Lighting with 64 MB VRAM, such as an ATI Radeon 9600 or NVIDIA GeForce Ti 4600 class card or better
Recommended: 3D graphics processor with Vertex and Pixel Shader capability with 128 MB VRAM, such as an ATI Radeon X1600 or NVIDIA 7600 class card or better
That, right there, is your bottom line. Hit those benchmarks and you should be good to go.
- Keyboard
- Mouse; multiple buttons and a scroll wheel are recommended.
- Other input devices, including joysticks and gamepads, are possible but not supported for use.
- Broadband Internet connection; dialup play at 56.6k or better is technically possible, but no sane person would recommend it.
- 15 GB of free space on your hard drive.
- 3D graphics card; see Blizzard's list of supported video cards.
- Headset with microphone; while completely optional, you'll probably want one for playing in groups with other players.
How can I boost my older system's performance? More RAM is usually the first good solution to bolstering a sagging system. If your system is still struggling after that, look into a new video card. Anything beyond that really points toward a bigger, better computer system. You may get a better feel for things from our post and comments about Wrath hardware requirements.
Can I play on a platform other than PC or Mac? WoW is playable on Linux, although not right out of the box.
WoW Rookie feeds you the basics to get you off to a good start in the World of Warcraft. Find more tools you can use in the WoW Insider Directory and WoW Insider Leveling Guides.Filed under: Features, WoW Rookie, Hardware
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
AyaJulia Jan 28th 2009 6:07PM
I can definitely attest to the fact that WoW gets a lot more enjoyable with a beefy system. On my old computer, I was often at less than 1 fps in Dalaran and around 20 fps tops anywhere else... then I received a new laptop over the holidays. The upgrade alone made the game much, much more fun for me. You'd be absolutely amazed at the difference between ~18 and >30 fps, even if you think you don't notice the skipping. The beauty of the increased detail in things like shadows and weather detail are great as well.
longjohnt Jan 28th 2009 6:53PM
Its amazing what low framerate you put up with to play WoW. I was quite happy with my 35 fps for the longest time. I have friends that play on generic laptops and are lucky if they get >20fps.
Then I aquired a chunk of change and invested in some stock at Newegg (so to speak ;) I got a 24" monitor and a 4870 X2 graphics card along with the cpu/mobo to support it.
It was like I had cleaned my screen with windex. Everything on high (except for some reason I cannot turn on shadows w/o a hugh hit) at 60fps running around Dalaran. I didn't know there were so many frames involved in just running. There are so many little details I missed out on; little studs and cracks on the armor, the shining steel of the blades., the foliage on the ground. People who say this game looks cartoony did not run it with a fast card.
It definitely pays to invest some cash if you spend a lot of time playing. Especially if you pvp; 10 fps can make the difference between pwner and pwnee.
jbodar Jan 28th 2009 7:06PM
@longjohnt
It's not just the framerate, but the resolution that makes the difference, esp. with regards to a cleaner image.
Jamesisgreat Jan 28th 2009 8:16PM
I'm the same - got anew computer that could handle WoW maxed out on (nearly) all the graphics options and the difference is amazing. But like longjohnt as soon as I try and max out the shadows option , everything just grinds to a halt.
Ah well - I'd take extra viewing distance and detail over shadows any day :)
AyaJulia Jan 28th 2009 11:02PM
The human eye can't really discern any higher than 30 fps, so if you're getting 35, it's not "putting up with" it. :)
Merus Jan 29th 2009 12:11AM
Don't underestimate the value of a big draw distance - quite apart from making the world feel much bigger, being able to see landmarks from a long way away makes it a lot easier to navigate. I recently levelled through Zangarmarsh with a beefy new system, and Sporeggar in particular is a lot easier to find amongst the mushrooms now that I can see the lights from a mile away.
Hakushi Jan 29th 2009 12:33AM
The idea that the human eye can not track things going faster then 30 frames per second, or that it will not make a difference is ludicrous. Seriously, take a moment to think about it - most classic 2D fighters (Street Fighter) require that you hit a button as a reaction in a *3 frame* window, at 24 frames per second. Play on a computer that runs consistently and *only* 60 frames per second, and tell me that it does not feel smoother, that your eyes don't feel more relaxed, and that the picture quality is not better. I hate to reference Wikipedia, but it is late:
http://whisper.ausgamers.com/wiki/index.php/How_many_FPS_human_eye_can_see
I have seen other studies that support that as well. The effects of the refresh rate going up is positive (with diminishing returns) up to (depending on your specific eye) 85 hz.
Also, with regard to the shadows - The look pretty, but the more shadows, and details that you are shadowing, the more strain on the card. For a simple shadow the screen has to be processed effectively twice. With shadows all the way up, the work load on your computer is increased by an order of magnitude.
Jaffarn Jan 29th 2009 5:56PM
Too add to Hakushi's comment here is an article on the idea
http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/Feature/106746,science-proves-gaming-is-better-on-crts-than-lcds.aspx/1
It's an ok read if you are interested.
AyaJulia Jan 29th 2009 3:24AM
"Play on a computer that runs consistently and *only* 60 frames per second, and tell me that it does not feel smoother, that your eyes don't feel more relaxed, and that the picture quality is not better."
Okay. Been there, done that, never felt the picture was any smoother or that my eyes were more relaxed. The picture quality was better, but it had no relation to framerate, but rather resolution and detail.
stqn Jan 29th 2009 7:32AM
People have different eyes. I can barely stand 30 fps animation (when there are lots of changes between two succeeding images), while 50 or 60 fps feels good to me.
On a side note, I also can't stand the white background of wowinsider's articles.
Naix Jan 29th 2009 9:53AM
Indeed. beefyness is the way to go, but not over priced Alienware crap.
LostOne Jan 29th 2009 11:04AM
Simple way to tell if you can run Wrath or not: http://systemrequirementslab.com
turtlehead Jan 29th 2009 2:42PM
"AyaJulia said...
The human eye can't really discern any higher than 30 fps, so if you're getting 35, it's not "putting up with" it. :)"
That's a gross oversimplification with the additional feature of being wrong. :)
Was going to try and explain why but gotta go to work.
http://www.100fps.com/how_many_frames_can_humans_see.htm gives a good summary, though coming from the digital movie making angle.
In the real world, the human eye + brain can much on far more than 30 fps, albeit with diminishing returns for a game
Eisengel Jan 29th 2009 4:07PM
Resolution can be a killer... I have a crappy old laptop and often play at 16-bit color 16-bit multisample... however... there are times when that will actuall fail. Any time WoW wants to show you mixed shadows like the zombie screen effect during the invasion, the zombie screen during the fight with that skeletal wind serpent boss in GunDrak, the shadow world screen when you hop through a Sartharion drake portal... they all require at least 24-bit color... if you don't have 24-bit color enabled (to ease the load on your old system) you get... a black screen. This can make things a little bit .. challenging (hey, am I healing the right person?).
Beware.. even though 16/16 is available as a WoW video option, if you are going into a raid or instance, you should pop it up to 24/16 at the least, or you may end up with a magic encounter blindfold.
Teresa Jan 29th 2009 4:44PM
Keep in mind, that even hitting recommended requirements guarantees no more than 20fps in the middle of nowhere.
You will get significantly less in raid environments.
Jamison Jan 28th 2009 6:09PM
I would like to say, under Windows 7 the requirements look like they'll be just a little bit more than XP. When my PC is running Vista is sluggish soloing with around 20 fps and dies in major cities and groups. It preforms well under 7 with around 40-45, 20ish grouping and in Dalaran. This is with minimum Vista requirements and all settings on low, DK sound effects enabled (and playing on a DK, it does have an effect)
Neodarkmatter Jan 28th 2009 6:10PM
A new PC definitely helped my WotLK experience. Was having horrible problems going through Dalaran. Saw that my Processor and Memory utilization would shoot up to 100% every time. Once I got the new PC that problem went away. If you had the same problem with utilization, please do say it is lag. If your Frames per Second stay at 30 or more and you are still choppy then it could be lag.
Jamison Jan 28th 2009 6:11PM
And I have to agree, the beefier the better. I occaisionally play on my parents beastly laptop, and the difference is astounding. I never knew the game could look so good. And it ran so smoothly on there... I need to get a job and a new computer...
Thander Jan 28th 2009 6:17PM
Most people should get a computer that plays the game >30 fps with 50% view distance and no shadows. Those two settings are the biggest hit on the system. The game is very playable without them. Almost any modern computer should be able to do this.
I bought a new computer when Wrath came out because my computer was much, much worse. Minimum graphic settings, no addons, and I still couldn't maintain 5 fps in dalaran. The new computer can max out the settings but I still turn off shadows for PvP like Wintergrasp.
Ameranthine Jan 28th 2009 6:27PM
I am running WoW on a fairly outdated computer now, and i must say it's not all that fun. My graphics are down to "low" and still i experience heavy hiccups. I definitely recommend investing into a better system. I, myself, am getting a dual core 2 processed laptop with 4GB of RAM with a very decent video card for only about $850 CDN. Upgrading would be a very good investment for yourself and your guild.