Intel HD Graphics Core i3 OK for World of Warcraft?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
K

kwq_e_500

Junior Member
Feb 28, 2011
1
0
0
Hello,
I just got a new PC which has integrated graphics with the mobo - Intel HD Graphics Core i3, with shared memory (128mb min) - my pc has 6GB RAM.
I'd like to start playing some games - namely World of Warcraft, and was wondering if my graphics would be adequate - I have a PNY GeForce 8600GT w/ 256MB DDR3 which I've not installed because I've had it for a while in my bits and pieces box, and when I did try to install it I ran the driver which I downloaded from the web, and when I plugged the monitor in, all it displayed were lines of alternating colors, so I'm really not sure what that means, so I just went back to the board graphics.
Do I have to get a new vid card to be able to play this on a 18" screen w/ 1366x768 resolution.
 
viivo

viivo

Diamond Member
May 4, 2002
3,345
32
91
The original and the first expansion might work, but later expansions increased the graphic requirements quite a bit.

Look up video card baking. It might fix your other card.
 
bryanW1995

bryanW1995

Lifer
May 22, 2007
11,144
32
91
It might work ok at that low of a res with minimal detail settings. You could also try the aforementioned baking procedure in an attempt to resurrect the 8600gt. Only if both of those proove unsatisfactory would I look at buying a new card.
 
R

RavenSEAL

Diamond Member
Jan 4, 2010
8,661
3
0
viivo said:
The original and the first expansion might work, but later expansions increased the graphic requirements quite a bit.

Look up video card baking. It might fix your other card.
Click to expand...

a GT6600 won't be much faster.
 
Zap

Zap

Elite Member
Oct 13, 1999
22,377
2
81
kwq_e_500, welcome to AnandTech Forums

On the notebook I'm typing this message using, with everything turned down all the way I get around 6FPS in town (Stormwind). Of course this notebook uses a CULV SU7300 (1.3GHz) with GS45 IGP.

Since I'm visiting my parents, I should copy WoW over to my mom's computer to test it. It is a Pentium G9650 (basically Core i3 with less cache, no HT, 2.8GHz).

My prediction will be that it is playable at low settings. "Playable" to me would be minimum above 20FPS in populated areas. Of course those into big raids are probably SOL with this IGP.

Come to think of it, maybe I'm wasting my time? AnandTech's Sandy Bridge review had WoW benchmarks.

WoW 1024x768 "Fair" settings with weather turned down
Core i5 660 (733MHz graphics core) 24.3FPS

Now, the Core i3 5XX has the same graphics core at the same speed, so performance should be similar.

OTOH what if the OP has a "new" Core i3? Unlikely, but what if?

WoW 1024x768 "Fair" settings with weather turned down
Core i3 2100 (6 core HD 2000 graphics) 39.5FPS
Core i5 2500K (12 core HD 3000 graphics) 48.2FPS
Core i7 2600K (12 core HD 3000 graphics) 56.7FPS

Interesting. They all have the same graphics, except the Core i3 version is cut down. First thing is that any of these should be reasonably playable for those that aren't super hardcore WoW players. The other interesting thing is that the i7 was a decent amount better with the same graphics, showing how WoW scales with CPU.

This actually is pretty exciting for notebooks because all the notebook Sandy Bridge chips will have the 12 core HD 3000 graphics, raising the graphics capability floor of mainstream notebooks.
 
yh125d

yh125d

Diamond Member
Dec 23, 2006
6,886
0
76
RavenSEAL said:
I went from a 6600GT to a onboard nV9400. 9400 was better in every single aspect. I doubt the IGP for that CPU could be worse.
Click to expand...

yeah, but he was talking about getting the OPs 8600GT working again, not 6600GT
 
Throckmorton

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
16,829
3
0
I don't know what GPU the i3 has but the 3000 is a little better than a 9600M, which can run WoW OK.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom