World of Warcraft System Requirements

World of Warcraft, Blizzard's extremely popular massively multiplayer online game, has one of the lowest computer system requirements in the current gaming market. Blizzard has continually expanded its userbase by making the WoW requirements lower than many competitors. Of course, this is due in part to the game design choice of making many graphical displays optional - users with better computers will be able to increase spell effects, terrain detail and weather elements while users with lower-end computer systems can turn down these effects for a smoother play experience.

While it is possible to play WoW on some versions of Linux, the two most popular operating systems to play WoW on is Windows and Mac.

WoW Expansion Computer Requirements

In order to play the latest WoW expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, on a PC, you'll need Windows XP or Windows Vista (with the latest service pack) running your system. The minimum processing power necessary is the Intel Pentium 4 1.3 GHz or in the AMD Athlon XP 1500 series and higher, but Blizzard recommends using a dual-core processor such as the Intel Pentium D or AMD Athlon 64 X2. You'll need 512 MB of RAM if using XP or 1 GB of RAM if using Vista because Vista uses more system resources. For recommended performance (which means seeing necessary graphical effects for most of the higher-end content in the game), users will need to double their RAM.

While both the necessary processor and the memory are usually included in most new computers (or easily upgradable to), the problem most users experience is finding a video card that can meet the requirements. Wrath of the Lich King expansion made the video card a necessity, with the minimum being a 3D graphics processor with Hardware Transform and Lighting with 32 MB VRAM. If you're not sure what you're looking for, an ATI Radeon 7200 or NVIDIA GeForce 2 class card (or better) qualifies. Blizzard recommends a a 3D graphics processor with Vertex and Pixel Shader capability with 128 MB VRAM. This would include the ATI Radeon X1600 or NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT class card.

Players using Macs will have an easier time meeting the WoW system requirements. Make sure to run Mac OS X 10.4.11 or newer, and have at least 1 GB of RAM (although 2 GB is recommended). Either the PowerPC G5 1.6 GHz or Intel Core Duo processor is the minimum required to run WoW properly, but the Intel 1.8GHz processor or better will make sure you're able to play smoothly. Similarly to the PC, Mac users will need a 3D graphics processor with Hardware Transform and Lighting with 64 MB VRAM. In this case, look for an ATI Radeon 9600 or an NVIDIA GeForce Ti 4600 class card. If you want to get the most out of WoW, look for a 3D graphics processor with Vertex and Pixel Shader capability with 128 MB VRAM Such as an ATI Radeon X1600 or NVIDIA 7600 class card.

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