What really affects FPS in WoW?

Default What really affects FPS?
is it all the mods?
is it the connection?
is it the video card?
is it the driver?

i'm a warcrack addict...
i have some User Interface Mods installed so it's a bit more than the basic WoW version... but i hear of folks with lower machines using the same amount of Mods and it dont affect them much...

i play on my laptop... which was out for service and now i received my laptop back with a spanking new motherboard...

my specs:
Voodoopc Envy u709 / Clevo D900K F-Bomb

AMD Athlon X2 4800+
2 GB Ram
256MB nVidia GeForce Go 7800GTX

should i upgrade the video card to a 512MB 7900? a 7950? will i see any improvement?

my laptop is not the best but still it's not that old, is it?

thanks...

 

the video card / the drivers you have for it / overclocking

 

ok, is my video card incapable of handling a game with comical figures running about?

my driver is dated 11/12/07
version 6.14.11.6909

shouldnt be too bad... but i'm getting poor FPS...

 

Assuming that you're running WoW at 1920x1600, upgrading the GPU will give you a boost in performance. A faster clock will give you the most boost, so upgrading to a 7950(GTX) should yield better results than a 7900(GTX).

But, it is quite strange that you're getting poor FPS on a 7800GTX. Perhaps you're running something else that's using up your PC's resources in the background?

 

I would check background processes for sure. You might also try disabling all of your addons, just to see if that helps at all. I'm running on the notebook in my sig, which is nowhere near your spec, and I have every graphical setting cranked as high as it will go at 1440x900. The worst framerate I've ever had is around 20 FPS walking into Stormwind or Ironforge. I generally average between 30 - 49 FPS.

 

Who let you out of tha Mutthaboards, King? I'm sure your problem is all the ape hair gunking up your lappy. Clean that out and everything should be fine.

 

A 7800GTX paired with that processor should be more than enough for a low-end graphics game like WoW even cranked up to max details at high resolutions.

You have major overkill for WoW.


If you have performance problems with that rig on that low-end of a game, I'd try the following:
-Install new drivers (169 or 174 series)
-Check to make sure you are both plugged in and running in "performance mode". (that your card isn't downclocked)
-Check for malware

 

ibnotrich raises a very good point in his own jocular way . Your notebook is over a year old at this point, so it has had time to accumulate a lot of dust and gunk, which can lead to heat issues. The system is smart enough to try to downclock itself when it starts running too hot. Try opening up the notebook and cleaning out the system fans to see if that helps at all.

 

seems like it might be a heat or driver issue, have u overclocked?

i have a 2.0GHz 800MHz, 2GB Ram, and an 8600GT 256DDR2, so my gfx card is worse off, but when i did play *managed to quit, YAY!!!!* i had all settings MAXXED, AA and everything at 1440*900, and worse was in Orgrimmar, would drop to like 25-30fps. so try cleaning ur system and if ur overclocking, don't... cause like most people here believe *and it's an exaggeration* u insert the WoW CD's into a toaster, u can play it. no need for max gfx power there

 

Haha thats great to hear


But yea i would suggest to get a can of compressed air and give it a good cleaning.

How about running a benchmark or try playing some other game just to see if your problem is not isolated only to WoW?

 

ibnotrich, you stalking me here?

perhaps you're tired of walking around the mutthaboards in your green tights...
where's your avatar here?

as for background process,
i've checked, nothing out of the norm, i've even tried disabling my firewall and avg and see if it makes any diff but sadly, no.

i have the 169 series driver... not sure where is the 174 series.
i have checked about setting for performance... but i'd

i have not overclocked anything... all runs stock...
will check for monkey hair...

 

May just be the massive resolution.

 

probably not, i myself have a 8600m gt 256MB DDR2, im running it on 1920x1200, everything maxed out, except for AA x2..

And im running a constant 60fps..

 

really, now this is puzzling...

i've just logged into Shatt (for those who dont play wow, it's a "city" where lag hits harder than others...) and my FPS stays at 14 range... my GPU temp is still at the 50-54oC range...

when i kick up my fan to highest setting, it drops to 48oC but still does not affect my FPS... this is starting to annoy me...

and no monkey hairs in my system..

 

Two troubleshooting suggestions:

First, try disabling all of your addons to see what (if any) effect this has.

Second, download and install a demo for another game (let's say something like the Dark Messiah of Might & Magic demo...that's enough to make my older system chug, but it SHOULD run fine on your rig). I'm interested to see if you'r having framerate issues across the board, or only with WoW.

 

Everything turned up 31 FPS in Shatt right now. Running a 29 'lock now so in Azeroth FPS always 60.

I run a very clean Task Manager, NOTHING extra. I have the 1280x800 screen.

 

My best educated guess is that your driver is downclocking your card.

Pick up riva tuner and see if it will tell you your clocks. If they aren't ramping up then likely something is wonked up with your drivers or your mobile power-saving features.

 

May be a lame question, but are you using it on battery or does it do the same when plugged in? If on battery then it's energy savings (anyway try setting to high performance, just in case). Also you may want to check driver's Image Quality settings to see if they are not forced by driver to Max

 

Video Card > CPU/Ram > Settings > Background Processes/Mods

 

Hrm... On my desktop, I get around 30fps, which is a X3000+, 1 gig of ram and an x800xt running at 1280x1024 and everything turned up except AA. I also use a heavy amount of normal mods and UI mods.
Not sure what my FPS is in Shatt and other heavy populated cities (I just don't remember). It's fairly normal to have lower FPS in the cities. My MBP gets about 13 in cities and 20-25 normally at 1440x900 with everything up but AA.

Odd though, with your hardware, it should be stable at 40+ regardless of mods.

In the cities, connection has a bit to do with it, but I would point to more CPU than anything else. But its hard to say. Everyone seems to run slower in cities.

 

sounds like a driver issue, you should be able to max that no problem, upgrading to a 7950GTX will not be worth it, its pretty much just an overclocked 7900