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Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions

Posted By: Edge

Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 06/30/13 09:12 AM

Hey All,

I am mostly a lurker on SimHQ, but spend a lot of time browsing all the interesting topics on here, and it seems that the 'vibe' here is a little friendlier on some of the sites that are game/console/technology focused. With that in mind, I am going to throw a few ideas in and hopefully get some decent feedback to use.

I used to game a lot on PC, (stayed with Original Ghost Recon for so long because it was such a great game, and nothing comes near it in the new games) then I moved to XBOX, simply because it was easily accessible, great fun online (when played with friends and not the obnoxious little morons that seem to fill the place) and there were some fun games to play. I still go online on it from time to time but I am not inspired by the games out there and the re-hashing of COD etc). I still like Battlefield because of the larger scenarios and vehicles in game.
I have always been a fan of sims, most notably iL2 (offline), EECH (still so much fun with all the updates, great mods and attention from dedicates users) and I am looking to get DCS:Huey. I used to play Arma years ago, and enjoyed playing the vanilla versions online in Coop battles. The biggest problem is I didnt have decent HW to run it and I am not dedicated enough to gaming to spend US$3000+ on a gaming rig. I ave recently bought Arma2 and probably will add a few mods on there but will likely download SP missions to play in the interim. Busy honing my heli skills as I would like to get online and transport troops around, but want to make sure I am proficient enough first.

My old rig needs to be upgraded, but I have been out of the game for a long time, and not up to date on the tech, especially GPU's, I have done some research and I think I am going in the right direction.....but it would be nice to get some feedback.
For a start, I loaded up Arma2 and did some testing on the old rig, and it is DEFINATELY not up to scratch! I have an old MOBO (details, not sure, but I willlook up the details and post when I have them). CPU is Intel E6400 2-Core 1.97 or 2.13Ghz. Mem is 4GB and the HDD is a 5200k rpm Seagate of 250GB. GPU is an Nvidia 9400GT. It runs IL2 pretty well (not great but defo playable), EECH runs very well but the graphics have not improved that much over the years). Arma2 runs badly on it, and with all settings down low, I still get frame rates hovering between 11 -25fps in open areas, dropping down to 9 and worse in built up areas. I am tooling around with heli flying in editor so without any other operations happening in the scenario so it is playable (just) but it will not get better when I start the MP.

Sooo, my rig needs replacing for sure, now the questions:
For CPU, I will go with i7 I suppose and a MOBO to suit, would prefer to stay with Intel.

For HDD, is it worth it going with SSD or can I get away with using a 7200k rpm basic SATA drive? I have heard that the SSD's have limited lifetimes, but then with no moving parts, it could be a better option, but is the money output worth it? I am going to use a networked drive for all data/docs/pics, so do I need a secondary HDD in the machine too?

Memory is agiven, as much as I can get, probably go for 2x4GB

For GPU's, I have access to a EVGA GTX680 2GB for about US$350 locally (I live in Dubai, so no access to newegg etc special prices) but I have heard that the 680's have been plagued with some overheating problems in the past, and a 7xx would be a better buy? I would like to investigate a simpit build so 3 monitors are in the future. I will not need huge LCD's for this and was thinking 3x20" units would give me a whole diferent aspect of gaming as opposed to the single 24" unit I am using now. Would I need 2 x GPU's to do this?

I dont need the best sound system available, I will probably not need anything more than the 5.1 setup I have now, I dont need immersion more than this.

Power Supply is a 650W unit that should be up to the task.

I have Saitek G52 Pro and TrackIR and rudder pedals which do nicely enough....

Anyway, would appreciate any and all feedback.
Posted By: - Ice

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 06/30/13 10:01 AM

Hello Edge and congrats on the first post.

Your old rig is... old. Time to upgrade, but you don't necessarily need the "bleeding edge" stuff. Perhaps there is a good second-hand market in Dubai where you can get "behind the curve" stuff for a good price? A local eBay seller perhaps?

Here are a few suggestions on what to look for:
1. CPU - going i7 isn't a "must." You can go with a lower i5 processor or even an AMD Phenom II X4 Black. Most games are GPU-limited now so if you get a quad-core that can push 3.5Ghz easy, you're good. Intel is the current leader and is the favorite, but AMD is still a good second-choice for bugdet gamers.

2. GPU - get the best you can afford. A 1GB card may be good enough for single-screen 1920x1080 gaming, but I'd get a 2GB card or 3GB if you can afford it and if you want to do multi-monitor setups later on.

3. HDD - a standard 1TB 7200rpm should be enough for your needs and storage requirements. A SSD is great for OS and for select games, faster boot times (OS) and quicker loading (programs and games) is always nice. I would recommend at least a 120GB SSD. Remember that even though you are using an SSD, they won't be very good as far as "price per MB," it will be very expensive, so in the end, you will still need a good old platter HDD to store your music and older games. With Steam and a mod, I move the games I am playing now to the SSD and move the older or less-often-played games to the HDD. Then again, I have two SSDs (one for OS, one for games) and two HDDs.

4. RAM - 8GB should be cheap, and for slightly more, a 2x8GB (16GB) would be cool. However, most stuff don't max out 8GB at the moment.

5. PSU - 650W should be good..... but it'll all depend on what CPU/GPU/etc you end up with. As this is the one that provides juice to the entire system, I prefer to err on the high side, my lowest was 700W. Also, get the best you can, modular PSU if you can afford it. With stuff running hotter now, I can't emphasize how cable-tidying and good airflow are a must!


For some ideas, check out Best Gaming CPUs For The Money, Best Graphics Cards For The Money, and maybe the $1300 Enthusiast PC would be useful reads.

Sorry I could not give more specific advice. GPU/CPU recommendations are affected very much by things like personal budget, end-PC goals, and so on, so it is always best to do your own research and find out how each component fits or doesn't fit your need. As an example, someone could recommend me a cheap, powerful GPU but unless it can support 4 monitors, it won't be one I will be purchasing.

Good luck on your build!
Posted By: Edge

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 06/30/13 03:46 PM

ICE, thanks for the reply and the links, makes for some good reading. It may also pay to use an AMD Phenom and save some extra cash to up the GPU spec, I may have to consider that.

In the review links, there seems to be some good praise for the GTX650i Boost, it seems that from a value perspective, that might be the way to go, or maybe pair two up for good measure, although the general consensus seems to be that a good single card is better than two average duals....not considering the power/cooling problems.

I was wrong about my setup, it seems I under estimated it a bit, but not by far....here is my dxdiag basics, but it still makes for some SAD reading from a gaming perspective....

------------------
System Information
------------------

Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.130318-1533)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
System Model: EP41-UD3L
BIOS: Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E7500 @ 2.93GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.9GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 4094MB RAM
Page File: 1361MB used, 6825MB available
DirectX Version: DirectX 11

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce 9400 GT
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0641&SUBSYS_34AB1458&REV_A1
Display Memory: 2796 MB
Dedicated Memory: 1005 MB
Shared Memory: 1791 MB
Current Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: W2486
Monitor Id: GSM5729
Native Mode: 1920 x 1080(p) (59.934Hz)
Output Type: HDMI
Driver File Version: 9.18.0013.2018 (English)
Driver Version: 9.18.13.2018
DDI Version: 10
Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
Posted By: - Ice

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 06/30/13 04:39 PM

Yep, you're right. One single good card is "better" than 2 lower-performing cards. Note that not all games benefit from SLI/Crossfire, so best "bang for buck" advice is always get the best GPU you can afford.

Re: AMD as CPU, again this will depend on your budget. However, suffice to say that 6- and 8-core CPUs don't really mean better at the moment, but rather how high you can clock the thing. I remember some time ago that a dual-core with higher clocks outperformed quad-cores. Today, given the right CPU and heat sink, you can get a stable 4+GHz from an Intel. Anyway, Allen's our resident AMD guru, I'm sure he'll be along shortly.
Posted By: Edge

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/01/13 11:27 AM

I am starting to lean to the AMD side of things at the moment, and although I can start off with a cheap(er) CPU, I can always upgrade on the motherboard I have selected. I dont know if this is the right wat to treat things, but it seems to make sense for now.

Any opinions?
CPU AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.40 GHz Processor - Socket AM3 PGA-941
MB Gigabyte Ultra Durable 3 GA-990XA-UD3 Desktop Motherboard AM3+
Memory Corsair 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM - 1600 MHz x 2
HDD Seagate 320GB 7200k/rpm 16MB Buffer x 2
CPU Fan Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
GPU EVGA GeForce GTX680 2GB

This lot will set me back US$700 and I can get it all into the case that I already have. The PSU should cope with it. I should also be able to get away with 3 22" LED screens which will cost me another US$420

Would like to know your opinions....particularly on the GPU, the stepup to 660, 670 and 680 is very costly, particularly when looking at 2GB and over.
Posted By: - Ice

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/01/13 06:39 PM

Make sure your PSU is reliable. And dust-free. My old PSU started failing about 3 years ago, luckily I was able to RMA it from OCZ.

As for the CPU cooler, please do not buy the Hyper 212 just because of my recommendation. It was my best option when I bought it about 2 years ago, there might be a "better" option available now at the same price point. However, do note that in general, a third-party cooler is more efficient than the stock coolers.

4GB is the minimum for RAM nowadays. 8GB (2x4GB) shouldn't set you back too much and does give a bit of performance boost with regards to load times.

Regarding the HDD, why 320GB? 1TBs are cheap enough nowadays...

Lastly, your CPU choice is one of the most important choices you will make --- simply because it will dictate what motherboard you will be getting as well as whether you will go with a dual-channel kit (AMD and some Intel) or triple-channel kit (some Intel). It is also one of those bits that can be difficult to "sell on" later when you upgrade. Personally, I would go for a cheaper GPU for a beefier CPU, as I can easily sell the GPU later on when I upgrade.

Hope that helps!
Posted By: JAMF

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/01/13 09:18 PM

Originally Posted By: - Ice
As for the CPU cooler, please do not buy the Hyper 212 just because of my recommendation. It was my best option when I bought it about 2 years ago, there might be a "better" option available now at the same price point.

No, the Hyper 212 is still a valid option under 30$, although the "evo" is the better one, running cooler and more quiet.

If you were to look at it's competition, running as silent (or better) and cooler, you're looking at ~65$ (Tuniq Tower) to ~80$(Thermalright Silver Arrow and Noctua NH-D14). There are others out there with a similar cooling performance, but make more noise.
Posted By: - Ice

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/01/13 10:59 PM

For some reason, I thought I mentioned the Hyper 212 Evo here, but it was on a different forums, so nevermind.

And +1 to the "Evo" version, I prefer the flat contact base over the standard one. Nice to see it's still going strong among the competition.
Posted By: Allen

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/02/13 12:12 AM

I second Ice's above opinions thumbsup

Quote:
Any opinions?
CPU AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.40 GHz Processor - Socket AM3 PGA-941
MB Gigabyte Ultra Durable 3 GA-990XA-UD3 Desktop Motherboard AM3+
Memory Corsair 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM - 1600 MHz x 2
HDD Seagate 320GB 7200k/rpm 16MB Buffer x 2
CPU Fan Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
GPU EVGA GeForce GTX680 2GB


I've owned or own the 965, UD3, Seagate drives, Hyper 212. I didn't own the GTX680 (I'm an AMD fan who recognizes that Nvidia's best stuff is as good as AMD's best stuff) -- but have the similar performing HD7970. The new XBox and PS4 consoles will use AMD CPU and GPU. So, long term, games will start to be designed around AMD CPU and GPU (not Intel, Nvidia as in the past). Of course, games will nonetheless work well on Intel, Nvidia. If the cost difference works out in your favor, you could consider an HD7970 (3GB) in place of the 680 -- both will give similar results.

This will be a fine long lasting system. The new consoles won't be as powerful as your system. But, games will be designed to run on consoles -- so, the computer you list will handle everything ported from consoles for several years. Its budget conscious -- but puts the money where it does the most good.

As Ice mentions, 1TB may be cost effective -- depends on prices where you live. New games seem to be 15 to 20GB each. So, a person can fill up a 320GB drive with games (I have). Still, one can always buy another drive later on if this one fills up. SSD is not worth it.

Consider a set of 8GB RAM (2x 4GB) at 1600 or 1866 speed (whichever is cheaper that day). Newer games can make use of it (with 4GB only a couple GB are available for games -- you need more RAM for the volumious "add in" texture sets that come with some games).

In 2 or 3 years, when AMD releases the "Excavator" line of CPUs, you will probably be able to buy one and simply plug it into that motherboard (if you think you need more CPU at that time) -- so, cheap for future upgrading. Before then, don't bother with the newer AMD CPUS. Simply over clock the 965 to 3.8 to 4.2 GHz (depends on the chip they send you) by simply changing the multiplier and upping the CPU volts a touch (in the BIOS) -- test with Prime95 for a couple hours to 8 hours to assure stability.

Merely Opinions smile

Hope you wind up with a system you like -- the final choices are yours to make smile
Posted By: JAMF

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/02/13 12:40 AM

Edge did select 8GB :
Quote:
Memory Corsair 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM - 1600 MHz x 2


He just hid the x2 at the end. He also chose 2x 320GB HDs, though why isn't clear yet.
Posted By: Allen

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/02/13 02:54 AM

Not too observant am I. Must be the dark glasses. copter

I like 2 HD minimum -- because I like to make sure all my "valuable" data is backed up on a second HD. That goes both ways. That is, use both drives for primary tasks -- but, put the most important personal-data/photos/game-saves on both drives in case one fails. Actually, currently, I have two backup HD in the computer case, and a couple external HD -- duplicate backups of all my valuable stuff -- way-overkill attack
Posted By: Edge

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/02/13 06:11 AM

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all the feedback, it is most appreciated.

ICE, I was going to get the Hyper EVO unit, but there is no stock available here at the moment. Perhaps they will get some in before I hit the 'buy' button. It is only around US$10 more than the std, so it would be prefereable. While I dont have unlimited funds, I would even consider dropping a bit extra coin on one of the liquid cooled versions, if it is recommended. I have to admit, I dont know which one of them would fit the CPU. The local supplier does not have enough info on the components to suggest which one is best. There is an Intel one (not likely to be built for an AMD processor) and a Corsair one, but I cant see if it will fit. Is it worth considering?

I am using these 320GB drives because they are DIRT cheap and I dont see myself needing more than this. I am like Allen in that I always have more than one drive in my PC's, but since this is going to be exclusively for gaming (and limited gaming at that) I thought one drive for OS and games, and the other for updates, patches, mods etc that I can keep close at hand. All my sensitive data (docs, pics, music and pr0n :)) will be on a RAID5 NAS system. I was also reading up on splitting the drives (100GB and 220GB) and loading OS on one 100GB master and then running a RAID 0 on the two 220GB drives......my limited understanding is that I will have faster throughput if done properly. If it is possible, and will work, then good....if not, I just buy a single TB drive....

I like Allens idea on the AMD GPU, keep it all in the same shop, and that 3GB card is the same price as I am going to pay for the NVidia and gives me 3GB, but the clock speed is down a bit. Not going to affect me directly, but still worth considering.

The MOBO is AM3+ socket and that was the only long term plan that I have....maybe upgrade the CPU later. I dont see myself selling this rig. The last one has been running for 6 or 7 years now, with only PSU, GPU and RAM upgrades. The only limiting thing on it now is the mobo which wont take a newe CPU. The new one has that option, and RAM, GPU upgrades can be done in a year or two, if needed.

I am glad I asked at this site and not at some of the others, there are some arrogant folks out there when it comes to helping plebs like myself. I DO do some research before I ask my dumb questions, and all of you have been polite and helpful.....for that I am grateful.

Andy
Posted By: Edge

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/02/13 06:12 AM

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all the feedback, it is most appreciated.

ICE, I was going to get the Hyper EVO unit, but there is no stock available here at the moment. Perhaps they will get some in before I hit the 'buy' button. It is only around US$10 more than the std, so it would be prefereable. While I dont have unlimited funds, I would even consider dropping a bit extra coin on one of the liquid cooled versions, if it is recommended. I have to admit, I dont know which one of them would fit the CPU. The local supplier does not have enough info on the components to suggest which one is best. There is an Intel one (not likely to be built for an AMD processor) and a Corsair one, but I cant see if it will fit. Is it worth considering?

I am using these 320GB drives because they are DIRT cheap and I dont see myself needing more than this. I am like Allen in that I always have more than one drive in my PC's, but since this is going to be exclusively for gaming (and limited gaming at that) I thought one drive for OS and games, and the other for updates, patches, mods etc that I can keep close at hand. All my sensitive data (docs, pics, music and pr0n :)) will be on a RAID5 NAS system. I was also reading up on splitting the drives (100GB and 220GB) and loading OS on one 100GB master and then running a RAID 0 on the two 220GB drives......my limited understanding is that I will have faster throughput if done properly. If it is possible, and will work, then good....if not, I just buy a single TB drive....

I like Allens idea on the AMD GPU, keep it all in the same shop, and that 3GB card is the same price as I am going to pay for the NVidia and gives me 3GB, but the clock speed is down a bit. Not going to affect me directly, but still worth considering.

The MOBO is AM3+ socket and that was the only long term plan that I have....maybe upgrade the CPU later. I dont see myself selling this rig. The last one has been running for 6 or 7 years now, with only PSU, GPU and RAM upgrades. The only limiting thing on it now is the mobo which wont take a newe CPU. The new one has that option, and RAM, GPU upgrades can be done in a year or two, if needed.

I am glad I asked at this site and not at some of the others, there are some arrogant folks out there when it comes to helping plebs like myself. I DO do some research before I ask my dumb questions, and all of you have been polite and helpful.....for that I am grateful.

Andy
Posted By: Johan217

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/02/13 08:36 AM

Personally, I think you would be better off with a SSD as primary drive and a 1TB HDD as secondary. I would also choose a 5400rpm HDD because they run cooler and quieter, and tend to last longer. The speed difference is neglegible for most users.

If the case you are using is quite old, you may also want to consider getting a new one for better heat/noise management. It's not such a big investment and the benefits will last for years. Especially if you are considering liquid cooling, not all cases are suitable for this. A 650W PSU should be plenty if you are sticking to a single graphics card. Again you may want to consider getting a new one if your PSU is old, because it will help a great deal to keep the noise and heat as low as possible. As Ice points out, get a modular PSU to keep your PC's innards tidy. Good brands are Cooler Master and BeQuiet.
Posted By: JAMF

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/02/13 10:09 AM

Your home in Dubai is airconditioned?

Here's a review of a watercooling solution. Once you see the results in the list, in between the other coolers around it, (like the 212 Evo), you'll see you're not getting much more cooling for the money.
http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=2665&page=1

If you're selling the Intel C2D E6400, remind the buyer it's possible to OC the 6400 from 2.13 to 3.2GHz, by increasing the FSB to 400MHz (1600MHz "quad pumped"). A decent cooler is required, but it's not a big investment (like the $30-ish for the 212Evo. biggrin ) The DDR2 RAM should be of the PC2-6400 / DDR2-800 kind, or better.
Posted By: SkateZilla

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/02/13 02:24 PM

how'd i miss this thread?, In office so I cant sit and read everything to offer my analysis....

But one thing I can point out by skimming the end, H212/EVODirect Contact CPU Cooler would offer the best Price->Performance Ratio.
Posted By: Phoenix

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/03/13 01:36 AM

Originally Posted By: Edge
it seems that the 'vibe' here is a little friendlier on some of the sites that are game/console/technology focused.


Yeah, it's kind of nice talking to people who don't dump all of their social skills the minute they go online.

But watch out for Ice and Allen -- real noobs and trolls those two

(totally j/k'ing smile )
Posted By: Edge

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/03/13 06:36 AM

Johan,

I am opposed to SSD for the time being, no particualr reason, but I will have a look into it a little more, and see if there is any justification for doing so. I am not bothered too much by PC noise, I will likely be on headphones, and the 'man cave' is far enough away to not bother the missus LOL!
I have made some baffles for inside my case, and they help keeping the wiring neat and tidy. Airflow is good in this machine.

JAMF - Yesterday I recorded 120F in the car on my way home.....I think that sufficiently answers the air conditioning question eek

Phoenix - Sometimes those with vast tech knowledge have to make room for all that information, and to do so, they create space by removing the manners content in their heads..... ICE and ALLEN seem to have sufficient space for both LOL
Posted By: - Ice

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/03/13 01:59 PM

If you are going for a modern system, I don't think RAID hard drives perform better than SSDs, but with SSDs, you get increased reliability that you do not get with RAID setups. As others have said, an SSD for OS is great, and they are quite cheap nowadays compared to a few years ago!

My current PC is not 3+ years old, but I still LOL whenever I get any newsletters from the online PC stores I buy stuff from, as they have nothing on offer that really entices me anymore. I **could** do with a faster CPU, but I've no need for that really. I **could** upgrade to 16GB RAM, but I'm not even maxxing out my 8GB. My recent purchases were simply an additional 1TB HDD and a 250GB Samsung SSD. The only time I think I'll upgrade is when there is enough of a performance increase with the new CPUs to warrant the jump.

My point here is -- if you build a decent system, it should last a good few years.

Originally Posted By: Edge
I am glad I asked at this site and not at some of the others, there are some arrogant folks out there when it comes to helping plebs like myself. I DO do some research before I ask my dumb questions, and all of you have been polite and helpful.....for that I am grateful.

.....

Phoenix - Sometimes those with vast tech knowledge have to make room for all that information, and to do so, they create space by removing the manners content in their heads..... ICE and ALLEN seem to have sufficient space for both LOL


To be fair, there are at least a couple of computer-hardware-specialized sites that have good members that are eager to help. I know this because that is where I got some of my "upgrade info" from when I needed it, and also my "how to overclock info." I do agree that a good number of other sites do suffer a bit of elitism though.

In any case, I am glad to be able to help and do post pics of your build!


PS. what case do you have? If anything, the case can be the killer of your setup. Make sure you have one that has loads of room (new GPUs can be lenghty!) and a good number of fans to keep the air circulating. I've not found a good reason to justify liquid cooling as air cooling has been enough for my needs.
Posted By: Jedi Master

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/03/13 04:28 PM

Originally Posted By: Edge


JAMF - Yesterday I recorded 120F in the car on my way home.....I think that sufficiently answers the air conditioning question eek


That's all? Hmph. I would've expected hotter. Here in FL I've seen 130+ in my car during summer...which is why all cars sold in FL have A/C. smile



The Jedi Master
Posted By: SkateZilla

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/03/13 04:42 PM

Get a 4,6, or 8 core now, and not have to upgrade anytime soon cuz barely any games take advantage for more than 3 cores.

That will changes in about 2 years though, as Nearly all Cross platform games (ie Battlefield 4) will take advantage of AMD 8 Core Module Architecture and AMD GCN GPUs
Posted By: Jedi Master

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/03/13 08:52 PM

Odd fact: the only game I've played so far that seems to utilize all 8 cores I have (4 real/4 HT) is LOTR: War in the North. I regularly see all 8 cores working w/CPU utilization in the 70% range playing that, while few other games seem to go past 40% using only 2-4 cores.




The Jedi Master
Posted By: Edge

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/04/13 08:59 AM

Jedi, the temp recorded was OUTSIDE the car....inside is a different story. Leave a plastic cigaretter lighter in the car when it is parked and you get back to find pieces of plastic all over the car LOL

ICE, I have a standard ATX case which should be ok, it has a decent fan system in it, with some baffles for airflow and wire management. I think it will be ok, but if I hit a problem assembling, I will just get a new one.
I am still on the fence with regards to the SSD's but I have found a guy selling excess stock of Intel 320 series (???) 180GB units for a good price. Might look into it.

I found a local agent for the Obutto range of chairs, and I am definately looking at getting one, and the 3 display add-on, I did a little test drive, and they are wicked....so much more fun! That said, I see a next door thread saying that SLI performs better when using 3 displays, and I am thinking that I need to consider this in the GPU purchase. There are some well-priced GTX770 units here that have 2GB ram, or should I consider a lower model and try get a 4GB unit?

I am getting closer to a final Bill of materials, and although in no hurry, would like to move forward now.

The one game that I KNOW I will spend time on is ARMA2 (possibly upgrade to 3 in time) and I would like to optimise for this game, it seems to be one game that performance is key.

Regards
Posted By: Allen

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/04/13 09:56 AM

Originally Posted By: Edge
...I see a next door thread saying that SLI performs better when using 3 displays, and I am thinking that I need to consider this in the GPU purchase. There are some well-priced GTX770 units here that have 2GB ram, or should I consider a lower model and try get a 4GB unit...


Most games work well with 2GB and 3 monitors. In any case, go for the faster card -- rather than more memory on a slower card -- if you are looking towards 3 monitors. A single GTX680 or, presumably, GTX770 (a rebadged GTX680 it is rumored) can do 3 monitors adequately. So can an HD7970 (I used one for Eyefinity for about a year). Anything less may "work" but will not be fast enough for the more GPU intensive games.
Posted By: - Ice

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/04/13 10:12 AM

I play BMS with 3 monitors (4 including touch screen) and get decent frames with a single HD 6970 2GB card. While SLI/Crossfire may help, perhaps it is best to check out whether your primary game will benefit from the extra GPU.

Again, get the best GPU you can afford. While I don't think the extra 1GB RAM will actually help, I am guessing it's easier to lower some settings in the game menu then upping them once you get the second GPU rather than having to make-do with two lower-end but high-RAM cards.
Posted By: JAMF

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/04/13 12:06 PM

Originally Posted By: Edge
I am still on the fence with regards to the SSD's but I have found a guy selling excess stock of Intel 320 series (???) 180GB units for a good price. Might look into it.

[snip]

The one game that I KNOW I will spend time on is ARMA2 (possibly upgrade to 3 in time) and I would like to optimise for this game, it seems to be one game that performance is key.


The 320 is a SATA2/SATA-300 SSD which is comparable to a Crucial 300 (or an M4 on a SATA2 port). If the 320 price is below the price of the Samsung 840, it might be worth it.

Arma2/3 take some tweaking. View range, resolution sampling (?), post processing settings, etc. I wonder who can play Arma3 with everything maxed and can run the Armabench without dipping below 30fps? New thread to those willing to test (CPU/GPU/settings)?

SLI doesn't work in every game, so it's worth investigating the games you want to play. IMHO, SLI/CF is an upgrade path, not a starting condition.
Posted By: - Ice

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/04/13 01:47 PM

Originally Posted By: JAMF
Arma2/3 take some tweaking. View range, resolution sampling (?), post processing settings, etc. I wonder who can play Arma3 with everything maxed and can run the Armabench without dipping below 30fps? New thread to those willing to test (CPU/GPU/settings)?


I'm willing!! You got a spare copy of Arma 3? biggrin biggrin biggrin

Originally Posted By: JAMF
SLI doesn't work in every game, so it's worth investigating the games you want to play. IMHO, SLI/CF is an upgrade path, not a starting condition.


+1. I'd rather turn on my PC and play rather than spend my time tweaking/fixing/troubleshooting. Last time I looked at SLI/Crossfire, this was still the case on a good number of games. Just as with the CPU department, I won't get a 6- or 8-core until the game makers make full use of 4; I won't be buying a second GPU until the gains of the second unit justify the cost.

In this regard, an SSD makes more sense in "bang for your buck" department. The benefits are instantly recognizable, immediately justifying the purchase of the SSD. And I'm saying this while I'm working on an old P55 motherboard that can only do 3GB/s SATA. Those with newer boards (6GB/s) must have it even sweeter!
Posted By: Jedi Master

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/04/13 03:15 PM

It's not a rumor, the GTX770 is the same chip as a GTX680. They've optimized it a bit and it runs at higher clock speeds for chip and RAM. They've reduced the cost to make them I guess so they're getting extra mileage out of it.




The Jedi Master
Posted By: SkateZilla

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/04/13 05:33 PM

Yup, GK104-425, as apposed to GK104

780s Use GK110 Chips with more SMX's disabled (ie Titan LE)
Posted By: Edge

Re: Getting back to some basic PC Gaming - Need some experienced opinions - 07/08/13 04:14 PM

Well, it looks like my local distributor may not be able to equip me with the pars I need so I am going to be going with Amazon. Means I will pay the shipping and duties, but it will still be cheaper than buying from the local vendors who put silly markups on them. I don't mind paying for someone's hard work and rent, but being ripped off is not my idea of fun.

I managed to pick up the GTX380 used from a mate of mine, for a great price. curiosity got the better of me so I installed it in the old system, and immediately noticed a HUGE increase in ARMA2 FPS.....on the lowest settings I was using to get 30fps, now yields 110FPS ...lol.
When I was installing it, I noticed my CPU fan was all dirty, so I removed and cleaned it. while doing that, I noticed the thermal paste had gone all hard and the contact was horrific between heats ink and chip. I didn't have any on hand so I put it all back, and while booting up I set the CPU temp alarm at 70degC.
ARMA2 ran for precisely 2mins before the alarm sounded.. dizzy, I shut it down pronto! Went to a reasonable vendor and picked up a hyper 212 EVO for US$35 and installed it. upped the graphics to 1080p resolution on my 24" monitor, upped the settings and kept, AA, Vsync and PostP off. My GOD! I have never seen graphics this good on a PC! It is MORE than adequate in my gaming opinion, still getting good 45FPS on MP and the EVO doesn't let the temp go over 45DegC.....but, I will still do an upgrade, because I want to get the 3 screen setup, and future proof myself. Having a look at the AMD FX6100 locally but it is. Poor price/performer compared with the FX 4 965. I am still going oxford that chip on a 990FXA mobo, because it will still leave me upgrade room for a few years at least....

I will start collecting pricing from Amazon and newegg. Are there any other sites you could recommend that maybe do international shipping or at least take PayPal?
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