Quad or Dual Core, ok with GW?

xigel

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Apr 2007

E/Me

Hey Guys,

I'm planning on upgrading my system and am weighing up between the E8650 and the Q6600. Graphic's will probably be a 8800GT. I'll probably stick with XP - haven't got a view on 32 vs 64 bit yet. But maybe 32bit.

Anyway, I like the idea of the future-proofing aspects of the Quad so am leaning towards that. I mostly only play GW (and I assume GW2 when it arrives).

I assume I shouldn't have any GW issues with the Quad? Anyone got any useful thoughts or comments on their experiences?

Cheers

Seraphim of Chaos

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jul 2006

Your Personal Savior [gsus]

W/E

Quad is actually overkill X 9001.

You'll be fine.

Brianna

Brianna

Insane & Inhumane

Join Date: Feb 2006

Well, a few things.

Guild Wars wasn't designed or optimized around Dual/Quad core processors, there for it has some problems..

Here's a few to start:

*The game may run in super slow/super speed.

*You may get bad FPS.

*The game can crash on you, or it can crash your whole entire system.

This is easily fixed by running ForceCore to make Guild Wars execute on only one processor.

Or, when Gw.exe is up in the processes tab, you go CTRL + ALT + Delete > Processes > Gw.exe > Right click > Set Affinity > Uncheck all CPU's except for one. Same thing that ForceCore does in a sense, except just manually.

Personally I've had some problems, severe lag, bad FPS with the game running on two cores, but never crashes. I run an AMD Dual Core right now.

I've noticed somewhat that Crashes are more common with Intel, and AMD just seems to get the bad lag bit.

Though running it with only one core doesn't really decrease performance much, and if it does then your 8800GT will back it up by far.

You'll be fine pretty much.

Mr D J

Mr D J

Permanently Unbanned

Join Date: Jun 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brianna
Well, a few things.

Guild Wars wasn't designed or optimized around Dual/Quad core processors, there for it has some problems..

Here's a few to start:

*The game may run in super slow/super speed.

*You may get bad FPS.

*The game can crash on you, or it can crash your whole entire system.

This is easily fixed by running ForceCore to make Guild Wars execute on only one processor.

Or, when Gw.exe is up in the processes tab, you go CTRL + ALT + Delete > Processes > Gw.exe > Right click > Set Affinity > Uncheck all CPU's except for one. Same thing that ForceCore does in a sense, except just manually.

Personally I've had some problems, severe lag, bad FPS with the game running on two cores, but never crashes. I run an AMD Dual Core right now.

I've noticed somewhat that Crashes are more common with Intel, and AMD just seems to get the bad lag bit.

Though running it with only one core doesn't really decrease performance much, and if it does then your 8800GT will back it up by far.

You'll be fine pretty much.
O_o you can't be serious...

If it wasn't designed for a dual core, it'll simply use 1 core...? I mean c'mon I've been using dual core for over a year now and I've been playing some REALLY REALLY old games (like early 90s old). Not a single problem. I don't know if AMD really messed up their dual cores but Intel has been working just fine for me. Aside from that, having 600 FPS does not affect the speed of the game in any way (multiplayer games that rely on the server that is). It will be there but you won't see it. I run counter-strike source and get 400+ FPS all the time... and even if you do encounter some FPS related issue, there's V-Sync which doesn't let FPS go above the frequency of your monitor. You could be experienced the problems you mentioned above because of a faulty hardware piece... not because the game wasn't designed for Dual core CPUs. It would be ridiculous if every game had to be redesigned for the Dual or Quad cores and I REALLY REALLY DOUBT anyone in the right mind would buy one if it was screwing with the games. That being said, OP, go get yourself a dual or a quad and enjoy it

EDIT forgot to add, GW CAN'T run super fast because all of your motions are monitored and recorded by the server to prevent speed hackers

Brianna

Brianna

Insane & Inhumane

Join Date: Feb 2006

I said that it may happen.

I play old games fine too. We're talking about Guild Wars here.

The first few months of playing on my dual core, I had no problems, but after time they started picking up.

This problem with Guild Wars happens more than it doesn't, it seems.

Or people just never notice the minor problems it may create, if it doesn't make big ones, like in my case.

If you don't believe me, ask some other techs around here, they'll tell you the same basically.

EDIT: Also by lag I didn't mean Ping lag, I just meant lag from Guild Wars running poorly while under two cores.

Also another note, my Laptop has a Dual Core intel processor, never had one problem with Guild Wars on it. So as you can see it doesn't always happen no, but it's likely and should be made aware of.

Admael

Admael

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

California

Xen of Heroes

Used over 10 combination dual/quad core processors, I even have an ES AMD Tri-core processor (AMD Phenom 8600, Toliman 2.3Ghz).

Zero problems. (at least problems that don't have solutions )

But yes, Guild Wars only uses one core, but... which one?

EDIT: Guild Wars is an old game :<

beregond

beregond

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Dec 2007

Paladins of Eternal Truth[POET]

W/Mo

I run an AMD dual core as well. the only problem I see is that GW crashed fo the first time ever for me, I never had it crash on my really old computer with a single core.

Overall though, I'm doing ok, except or the occasional rediculously low FPS like under 10, when normally its 40-50 FPS.

Mr D J

Mr D J

Permanently Unbanned

Join Date: Jun 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brianna
I said that it may happen.

I play old games fine too. We're talking about Guild Wars here.

The first few months of playing on my dual core, I had no problems, but after time they started picking up.

This problem with Guild Wars happens more than it doesn't, it seems.

Or people just never notice the minor problems it may create, if it doesn't make big ones, like in my case.

If you don't believe me, ask some other techs around here, they'll tell you the same basically.

EDIT: Also by lag I didn't mean Ping lag, I just meant lag from Guild Wars running poorly while under two cores.
Oh, intermittent problems are different though. Computers are like cars... every one of them has a unique problem. The only problem I've been experiencing with Guild Wars is constant corruption of the archive (white squares instead of people and all that crap). It's either the motherboard or the CPU. But given the performance boost between the generation of processors before DC were released and the actual DCs, minor problems are not really that important.

Brianna

Brianna

Insane & Inhumane

Join Date: Feb 2006

Any core, Admael! :P

I'm just speaking this out of my experience and reading so many issues around related to multiple cores, I wish mine would run good with it because honestly I wouldn't complain about the extra 10 FPS I get with it.

:EDIT: Yeah, pretty much DJ.

I just wonder what makes the actual core not work well with the game?

Also I can't run a game called Thief: Deadly Shadows on a Dual Core, have to use ForceCore or else that is a huge mess.

beregond

beregond

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Dec 2007

Paladins of Eternal Truth[POET]

W/Mo

Yeah, overall I'm pretty happy with my dual core. Quad core seems like overkill...

Admael

Admael

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

California

Xen of Heroes

Go with the dual-core, if you're just into pure gaming/casual browsing. If you're benchmarker, heavy video editing and/or heavy data compression, go with the quad.

The Q6600 is a budget quad (orly, there are budget quads? yes!) they can be clocked to 3.0GHz easily, I've even seen 4GHz on golden chips.

But! (actually I've never heard of the E8650, but if it's anything like the E8400 you'll need either an X38 board or nF780i board) The chip costs the same right?

EDIT: why do I never get to type what I want to, anyways. My suggestion is get a dual-core processor, then when programs start utilizing all four cores, then switch over. By that time (probably 4 years down the road when Sandy Bridge comes out) you'll be looking for a new computer

Sandy Bridge + Larabee = Win

Pleikki

Pleikki

WTB q8 15^50 Weapons!

Join Date: Nov 2006

???oo ???ugs ???lan [?????????]

go with dual-core with it you get less problems then quad.. well i did have problems with dual and it crashed whole system all the time. then fixed it.

Masseur

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Dec 2005

Southern California

R/Mo

Most programs can care less how many cores you have, unless it's an old 16 bit windows program. I have a Quad Core AMD Phenom 9500 and it runs great, no problems. I did have to upgrade my vid card to keep up, got an nvidia 9600GT. If the system is crashing, it's the system, not the programs you're running.

Blackhearted

Blackhearted

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2007

Ohio, usa

none

Mo/

I've used a dual core for about 2.5 months and i've never had any problems at all with gw or with other old games. Even when overclocked by roughly 35% from stock speeds everything i've thrown at it, including gw, has worked fine with no speed or crash issues.

Brianna

Brianna

Insane & Inhumane

Join Date: Feb 2006

Well that's good to hear that all of you haven't had any problems, that shines new hope if I build a new PC later - Perhaps no problems with dual core. But that's only hope.

Maybe when the OP gets one of these processors they can let us know how it runs?

Admael

Admael

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

California

Xen of Heroes

The future is with Penryn! (atleast till Nehalem and Sandy Bridge comes) The new Wolfdale (which I think the E8650 are, I haven't found any data on it) chips are badass, puts my Yorkfield to shame.

Unreal Havoc

Guest

Join Date: Dec 2007

I'm running an AMD Athlon 5000+ (Black Edition) Dual Core at 2.6ghz per core, on Vista, haven't even touched it yet in regards to overclocking.Guilld Wars is running absolutely fine for me. Any minor errors or crashes I do get are nothing different from what I used to get when running an AMD 3.2ghz single core on XP. If anything its faster, especially since the new Vista Service Pack 1. Only time I tend to get any fps drops in may be in towns or outposts, other than that I very rarely drop under 60fps.

Abedeus

Abedeus

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Jan 2007

Niflheim

R/

Dual Cores work with GW pretty nicely. My cousin has one + GeForce 8800GT and it was about 80 FPS all the time. So yeah, dual cores are useful.

Aera

Aera

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

Galactic President Superstar Mc [awsm]

E/

I've been having quite a bit of problems with my C2Quad and GW. But I'm starting to think it might be something else, considering the fact my screen goes black randomly every now and then, and my arrow is still visible.

Hmmm....

Pasha the Mighty

Pasha the Mighty

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Nov 2007

South Park, Colorado

OtDL

D/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by Admael
Go with the dual-core, if you're just into pure gaming/casual browsing. If you're benchmarker, heavy video editing and/or heavy data compression, go with the quad.

The Q6600 is a budget quad (orly, there are budget quads? yes!) they can be clocked to 3.0GHz easily, I've even seen 4GHz on golden chips.

But! (actually I've never heard of the E8650, but if it's anything like the E8400 you'll need either an X38 board or nF780i board) The chip costs the same right?

EDIT: why do I never get to type what I want to, anyways. My suggestion is get a dual-core processor, then when programs start utilizing all four cores, then switch over. By that time (probably 4 years down the road when Sandy Bridge comes out) you'll be looking for a new computer

Sandy Bridge + Larabee = Win
That's what I was gonna say. The current quad's will be obsolete by the time they're fully utilized. You're better off getting an e8400(it's a badass oc'er)

Unreal Havoc

Guest

Join Date: Dec 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aera
I've been having quite a bit of problems with my C2Quad and GW. But I'm starting to think it might be something else, considering the fact my screen goes black randomly every now and then, and my arrow is still visible.

Hmmm....
Check to make sure both your CPU and GPU are clean and not overheating.

Admael

Admael

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Sep 2005

California

Xen of Heroes

Oh I see the E6850 now, it's just a Conroe.

For that price, you're better off with a E8400, imo.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aera
I've been having quite a bit of problems with my C2Quad and GW. But I'm starting to think it might be something else, considering the fact my screen goes black randomly every now and then, and my arrow is still visible.

Hmmm....
It could be your video card, it sounds like my old GTX when I play Crysis (it overheats under very high load). Poor MSI... I blamed them for a very long time... then they released the godly P7N Diamond, I drooled over it for days... but by then I already have bought EVGA's 780i... it's made of fail.

gremlin

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Oct 2006

GWAR

Me/Mo

No problems with a quad core processor here, mine is the intel Q6600.

GW plays the same as it always did only at a far higher fps than it did before.
Its running all my other older games without problem.

Hannes

Hannes

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2007

http://www.blowupdoll.co.za/

Band of Buds [BUD] (Officer)

N/

I've been running GW on a Q6600 & Vista Ultimate 64 since september '07, no problems.

I don't only play GW, so it's not "overkill" for me.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Admael
EDIT: why do I never get to type what I want to, anyways. My suggestion is get a dual-core processor, then when programs start utilizing all four cores, then switch over. By that time (probably 4 years down the road when Sandy Bridge comes out) you'll be looking for a new computer
lol only in 4 yrs time? I do a complete system upgrade every 18 months or so

Aera

Aera

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

Galactic President Superstar Mc [awsm]

E/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Admael
It could be your video card, it sounds like my old GTX when I play Crysis (it overheats under very high load). Poor MSI... I blamed them for a very long time... then they released the godly P7N Diamond, I drooled over it for days... but by then I already have bought EVGA's 780i... it's made of fail.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unreal Havoc
Check to make sure both your CPU and GPU are clean and not overheating.
It only occurs in GW. When I play Crysis, HL2, any other game really, it's stable.

GPU has a max of 45C under load.
Checking the CPU in a sec, but I'm pretty sure that's not the problem.

Numa Pompilius

Numa Pompilius

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: May 2005

At an Insit.. Intis... a house.

Live Forever Or Die Trying [GLHF]

W/Me

Running an AMD dualcore right now and since several months: no problem at all with GW.
@Aera: Crysis etc will tax your graphics, but not necessarily your CPU, whereas GW does... It might be a good idea to run a "cpu torture test" (there's several on the net) because I too get the feeling you might be having overheating issues.


@OP: If you find that individual apps run too slow for your taste, then I'd go with a dualcore, because you can then get one with faster clockspeed for the same price, and most games will just run on one core, so the clockspeed will determine how fast the game runs.

If you find that you get annoyed not so much by the raw speed of individual apps or games, but more by the computer running at uneven speed due to load (e.g. a virus scan turning your game to a slideshow) then you'll probably appreciate the quadcore, even though for a fixed cost you'll get lower clockspeed than with the dual.

Basically more cores isn't really about running individual things faster, it's a but running more things without any speed penalty. I do that a lot, so I'm buying a Q9450.

There's no such thing as future-proofing in computers, that really isn't a factor. Whatever you buy it'll be old and weak in a years time, and hopelessly obsolete in two.

Whichever you buy the processor will be plenty fast enough for GW (and no doubt also GW2 when that's released).

Aera

Aera

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

Galactic President Superstar Mc [awsm]

E/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Numa Pompilius
Running an AMD dualcore right now and since several months: no problem at all with GW.
@Aera: Crysis etc will tax your graphics, but not necessarily your CPU, whereas GW does... It might be a good idea to run a "cpu torture test" (there's several on the net) because I too get the feeling you might be having overheating issues.


They look fine to me.

Temperatures wouldn't go any further after 3 minutes of the torture test.

I've updated my motherboard drivers and BIOS. I'll see how it goes now.

Blackhearted

Blackhearted

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2007

Ohio, usa

none

Mo/

what exactly is speedfan incorrectly reporting at -128° C?

Tachyon

Tachyon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Stoke, England

The Godless [GOD]

W/

There is a dual-core issue with Guild Wars. I've been in contact with suport, as have many others experiencing the lock-ups, and it has not been rectified yet. The only way to avoid the system locking up is to set the affinity to single core when running Guild Wars.

Yesterday I received a PM from Gaile Gray about this issue, so hopefully now that I've also explained the situation to her she may be able to light a fire under someone's desk and have them look into it in more detail.

It is not a system problem, this system is hand-built by me and suffers no problems at all in any applications, games or anything else that I decide to run, In fact it's only Guild Wars that ever crashes at all, and like I said above putting it onto a single core cures the problem. So, it's got to be something in the way Guild Wars handles multiple-cores that's causing it. Temps are all low, the memory is fine, the HDD is fine and it isn't a dodgy PSU either.

Aera

Aera

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

Galactic President Superstar Mc [awsm]

E/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackhearted
what exactly is speedfan incorrectly reporting at -128° C?
I don't know actually. I'll see if I can find out.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Azagoth
Yesterday I received a PM from Gaile Gray about this issue, so hopefully now that I've also explained the situation to her she may be able to light a fire under someone's desk and have them look into it in more detail.
Would be nice if they'd look into it.

cosyfiep

cosyfiep

are we there yet?

Join Date: Dec 2005

in a land far far away

guild? I am supposed to have a guild?

Rt/

yeah for looking into the dual core problem!!!.....affinity has been working for me (no crashes but my fps goes down to single digits)....

Brianna

Brianna

Insane & Inhumane

Join Date: Feb 2006

Finally the people who have problems come in!

The problems do exist yes, and it would be more than nice if they would look into it yes.. from now on I'm going to try and run on two cores and see if it crashes me, but so far I only notice small problems.

]SK[

]SK[

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2006

Nottingham, UK

GV

W/

Quad 32bit Vista here. No problems.

auroraparadox

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Mar 2008

Da Infamous

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brianna
Well, a few things.

Guild Wars wasn't designed or optimized around Dual/Quad core processors, there for it has some problems..

Here's a few to start:

*The game may run in super slow/super speed.

*You may get bad FPS.

*The game can crash on you, or it can crash your whole entire system.

This is easily fixed by running ForceCore to make Guild Wars execute on only one processor.

Or, when Gw.exe is up in the processes tab, you go CTRL + ALT + Delete > Processes > Gw.exe > Right click > Set Affinity > Uncheck all CPU's except for one. Same thing that ForceCore does in a sense, except just manually.

Personally I've had some problems, severe lag, bad FPS with the game running on two cores, but never crashes. I run an AMD Dual Core right now.

I've noticed somewhat that Crashes are more common with Intel, and AMD just seems to get the bad lag bit.

Though running it with only one core doesn't really decrease performance much, and if it does then your 8800GT will back it up by far.

You'll be fine pretty much.
I have no such problems with Guild Wars. You should be fine running guild wars on dual core or quad core. I'm using an AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ and I've had zero problems when running guild wars. A quad core might be a bit overkill. I would get a dual core that runs at 3.0 GHZ and that should cover you.

Aurora Paradox

P.S. In terms of OS if you choose Vista go with 32 bit. You won't get any benefit from getting 64 bit vista because very few applications are written to take advantage of it.
P.S.S. My dual core processor works without manually changing the processor affinity it must be a problem that occurs with only a few people's computers.

Brianna

Brianna

Insane & Inhumane

Join Date: Feb 2006

^ I have the same processor Auro.

It crashes an old game called Thief, and messes up Guild Wars.

And as mentioned by Azagoth, my computer is as well hand built by me, so I know there isn't any problems.

I've never had one single BSOD, Lock Up, or Power Down, It's just Guild Wars.. my PC is fine.

Zonzai

Zonzai

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2005

E/

After reading Briana's first post I switched GW to utilize one core. She's right, I saw an instant improvement of about 8 FPS. And I am using an Intel 3ghz.

Numa Pompilius

Numa Pompilius

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: May 2005

At an Insit.. Intis... a house.

Live Forever Or Die Trying [GLHF]

W/Me

Weird. It's as if for some people the scheduler gets confused and lets the game run on all cores even though it's not a multi-threaded application. Could it be a driver issue?

Daggrs And All

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2007

War Doctors [WAR]

W/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Admael

But yes, Guild Wars only uses one core, but... which one?
Destroyer Core?

Blackhearted

Blackhearted

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2007

Ohio, usa

none

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by auroraparadox
P.S. In terms of OS if you choose Vista go with 32 bit. You won't get any benefit from getting 64 bit vista because very few applications are written to take advantage of it.
You don't need 64-bit apps to get use out of a 64bit OS. For example: you need a 64bit OS in order to use 4(+)GB of ram and have it see it all.


As for the people who have problems running gw with multicore cpus... I can't help but wonder if it's a configuration issue somewhere. Perhaps something is setup wrong, or something needed isn't installed.

Gaile Gray

Gaile Gray

ArenaNet

Join Date: Feb 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Daggrs And All
Destroyer Core?
*groan*

Think ya got us, there.