Today, there are around 4.88 million players of World of Warcraft worldwide. Since 2004, WoW has gained recognition from the gaming community.
How to Upgrade Your Machine for a Raid in the World of Warcraft
One reason for this love of the game is that it operates even on low settings. If, however, this is a problem for you and you want to upgrade your PC to run better on raids, keep reading our guide below.
What You Need to Know Before Upgrading Your PC
One of the first things you need to keep in mind is that WoW is more CPU-intensive. It means that you need to invest in a good hard disk, memory and CPU for the system.
Compared to GPU-heavy apps or games that focus on graphics and visual effects more, World of Warcraft uses your PC’s computational resources more.
Some WoW expansions can be pretty demanding. Generally, the game itself is already GPU-heavy and even more CPU-intensive.
What Should Your Budget Be to Join WoW Raids Comfortably?
Preparing a budget is a vital step to ensuring you build the PC that you need. The question is, how much must you save for a decent PC or upgrade? Well, the answer depends on how well you want the PC to perform.
Remember, you can set the game settings to be lighter or more intensive on your PC. If you want a higher FPS and smoother gameplay, you must push your PC to work harder. If you don’t want the game to be too taxing to your PC, you’d have to play at low resolutions and FPS.
A PC worth $475 should be enough for a smooth raiding experience if you’re on a budget. However, you’d only be able to play it at 1600×900 and 1920×1080 resolutions. The ideal PC should be worth $850. A computer like this lets you play at resolutions up to 2560×1440 smoothly.
If you plan to spend money on other services, don’t forget to take them into account, too. For example, you don’t have enough time in the day to join raids. As a solution, you use Skycoach Raiding Services, so your account continues to improve.
Aim to Improve Your Computer CPU
You may have heard somewhere that the CPU is the brain of your computer. So it should be the first thing you consider upgrading. Of course, you can’t upgrade your CPU if you don’t have a motherboard, but we’ll discuss the motherboard later.
When you upgrade your CPU, keep an eye out for a few things. Make sure that CPU socket fits the motherboard. The most famous CPU brands are Intel and AMD.
Usually, these two manufacturers use unique sockets. So, avoid buying an Intel processor if the motherboard is for an AMD processor.
Also, check if the CPU you want to buy is compatible with your current motherboard. If it’s not, take this as a sign to upgrade your motherboard, too.
Upgrade Your Motherboard
Keep in mind that if you’re upgrading your chipset, most likely, you’ll also need a new motherboard. If the CPU or processor acts as the brain, the motherboard is the skull where it and other pieces must fit.
With that said, get one that will let you add more RAM and fans to the system. We included more data on RAM, fans, and other gaming PC factors below.
On overclocking, it can help if you want higher performance. However, overclocking your CPU all the time is harmful in the long term. Instead of looking for parts that will allow you to overclock, you should invest in high-quality and high-end pieces.
Think About an SSD
Now, you most likely heard about the commotion caused by Blizzard’s announcement on the Shadowlands minimum system requirements last year. The good news is that Blizzard pulled back on the SSD condition. However, it’s still the recommended piece for Shadowland players.
So, what type of SSD should you get for your machine? Today, you can find SSDs with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities. If you want something more affordable, a 256GB SSD will do. Remember, you only need 100GB of storage space.
Also, Blizzard removed the SSD requirement for other WoW expansions. You can continue using your hard disk drive (HDD) if you can’t afford an SSD. However, it’d be wiser to get an SSD if you’re upgrading anyway.
Increase the Memory (RAM)
Increasing your RAM can do wonders in improving the performance of your PC. The system requirements say you need 4GB. Yet, when it comes to RAM, 8GB is how much you want for raids.
Do you like running mods while you play? Remember, the more mods you run, the more RAM you need. The same applies if you plan to run other processes in the background while you play.
Before you upgrade your RAM, check its compatibility with your motherboard. The DDR4 SDRAM is the current generation of RAM for most PCs built later than 2014. Confirm that the RAM you buy also has the right frequency and latency.
Add Fans to Cool Your CPU
Finally, buy fans to complete your gaming PC build. Fans are essential if you want to overclock your CPU. As much as possible, get intake and exhaust fans. This way, the air inside your PC case flows and moves.
Now, we hope this helped you learn how to upgrade your PC for raiding in World of Warcraft.