System requirements - I need confirmation before buying my new computer
LobsterBuster
Quebec Join Date: 2014-03-26 Member: 194986Members
Quebec Join Date: 2014-03-26 Member: 194986Members
Hey I'm about to buy a new comp and this game as well. I saw that on google, for NS2 :
Recommended:
CPU: Core 2 Duo 3.0 GHz
CPU Speed: Info
RAM: 4 GB
OS: Windows 7 32/64-bit / Vista 32/64 / XP
Video Card: DirectX 9 compatible video card with 1GB, AMD Radeon HD 5770, NVidia GTX 450 or better
Sound Card: Yes
Free Disk Space: 5 GB
I want to play the game perfectly smooth with maximum (or close enough) settings
I'm not very used to buying computers so all the advice is welcome.
Recommended:
CPU: Core 2 Duo 3.0 GHz
CPU Speed: Info
RAM: 4 GB
OS: Windows 7 32/64-bit / Vista 32/64 / XP
Video Card: DirectX 9 compatible video card with 1GB, AMD Radeon HD 5770, NVidia GTX 450 or better
Sound Card: Yes
Free Disk Space: 5 GB
I want to play the game perfectly smooth with maximum (or close enough) settings
I'm not very used to buying computers so all the advice is welcome.
Comments
I am waiting for the new Intel chips later this year, but if I were to buy today, I would get an Intel i7 4770k with high end air cooler, with a radeon r9 280x or geforce 780 or 780ti graphics card.
I would get 16GB of 1800MHz or faster ddr3, a 240GB or larger ssd (eg patriot m5 pro).
and on that I would run Windows 7 professional 64bit. For monitor it has to be a 144Hz unit eg Asus or benq.
You didn't mention your budget though
I don't know how the situation in Canada is, but with 1k you should get a perfectly ( extremly ) fine setup.
i would go with this setup for 1K
cpu: i5 4440 (cheaper than the 4770k but has enought power for at least the next 4-6 years if you focus on gaming ) 195 $
gpu: r280X or nvidea 780 (780ti) e.g MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB GDDR5 399$
ram: 8 - 16 GB Ram 1600+ MHZ CL9+ ( Depends what you want to do with your pc other than gaming, for gaming 8 gb will be enought also it's not hard to upgrade the ram later
power: Seasonic G-Series G-550 550W ( Don't buy power you won't need any time like 1k W ) ~100 $
SSD: Samsung SSD 840 ( Evo Series 250GB or Pro 256GB ) for OS and important stuff like fav games 200 or 229$
HDD: Any 1TB you like for data ~60$
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H87-H3D or ASUS H87-Pro (C2) 109$ or 112$
Case: Some case with enought space and good air cooling you like. Standard cases are something like the Cooler Master N500 and cost around 60 $
Important always get a good cpu cooler like the Thermalright HR-02 Macho Rev. A or Noctua NH-D14 ( good cooling + not much noise )
Seems like yu don't get those in US so you would have to go with the Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 ( still okay ) ~40 $
Edit:
About where to buy:
TBH i would never buy pc hardware from ebay. Maybe from some tech forum where i'm sure i get working hardware but otherwise all i heard in tech support forums about refurbished hardware wasn't that great.
I would either go with a local small (not some major label) pc store (more expensive but you get personal support if needed ) or a internet store with alot good reviews which you can trust that if needed you will get support.
Hopefully some other ppl here can help you suggesting some good stores in canada / US because i have no idea about the market there.
Here in EU ( Germany ) we have some pretty descent stores with fair and good prizes.
Edit:
Added prices from http://www.canadacomputers.com/ ( seems to be one of the famoust canadian pc hardware stores )
So remember that CPU clockrate is what is most important here.. so if you are savvy enough (its really easy these days, tho) you should OC your cpu with a cheap and easy to install water cooler. (literally snap in installation)
Picking an intel cpu with a "K" designation will allow for more robust overclocking, as well.
Also, SSDs help loadtimes
You are talking about a hybrid liquid cpu cooler like the crosair h80 / h100, right ? Personally i think those coolers are not meant for amateur ppl and are overpriced otherwise.
A good air cooler keeps your cpu even OCed at a good temp and only costs like the half/third of a hybrid cooler.
Just get the following: i5 cpu 3GHz (minimum), gtx 660 or higher, 4gb ram (minimum). Your game will run smooth, with >150fps for the vast majority of the time, even with all the gfx and eyecandy turned up. This should cost about US$1,300 or less. You DO NOT need liquid cooling, 680/780, or i7s. As IronHorse said, an SSD should help load times but a current-gen HDD will do the job fine.
Source for the above recommendation: personal experience.
"Ever since closed-loop liquid coolers (CLCs) arrived on the scene, hardware manufacturers have been scrambling to get a slice of the pie. On paper, CLCs can achieve better performance than even the most expensive air coolers, and more quietly."
http://www.maximumpc.com/silverstone_tundra_td03_review_2014
"When we set the kit to quiet mode using Corsair Link, the cooler was near silent and outperformed our zero-point Hyper 212 Evo air cooler by almost 4 C under load. "
http://www.maximumpc.com/corsair_h80i_review_2013
You don't need a 780, get a cheaper card in the sub 400 and you will be fine. Even cheaper you will be fine. It's really about what your willing to sacrafice and what you aren't, what you are expectations you have too. I wouldn't sacrafice on a slow CPU however...
Mobos are just what features appeal to you most, brand preference etc. GPU are about two flavors red or greed. I choose green because I have better luck with their drivers (though I did love my 9800 PRO).
Just get 8gb of ram (2x4gb). Check the mobo you get to see what speeds you can run, then check obviously what the ram is rated for. As stated a SSD isn't necessary, but I recommend it. I do have the 840 and I turn my computer on (cold boot), walk 20 feet to grab a soda and immediately get into NS2 (or any program). It's just super nice, load times for games are non-existent as well. Get a quality PSU, doesn't have to be super expensive, just get from a reputable brand. I've had luck with OCZ psu's in the past. These are just my (simplified) opinions from building computers for some time, but as a hobbyist/enthusiast.
Do you play any other games? What resolution do you plan to run?
i7 3.6 OCd to 4.4 ghz = $300
770 gtx = $350
6 GB ddr3 = $65
Mobo = $200
Water cooling = $100
Total:
$1,000
(source: newegg)
I just beat your price by $300 and proved that you can definitely get better than those lowly specs you recommended to him..
If you got the cash, go for the gold... just saying.
:bz
Nice find. Though I got mine built for me by a company, so there's a premium for that.
edit: as a quick example, I remember a year or so ago I built a PC on the alienware website and compared the price to what I would pay if I purchased the parts myself. It was a difference of something around $650. the best part about getting them yourself is you can mix and match where you buy them from, getting the cheapest deals.
edit2: http://www.pcpartpicker.com
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.97 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($102.74 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus B85M-E/CSM Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($84.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($88.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($509.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1346.62
This what I'm hoping to build in the near future. Choose a CPU with a K designating the unlocked processor. If you plan on streaming, I would suggest the i7-4770K, but I dont stream ever so it wouldn't serve much purpose for me. I personally think ASUS Motherboards are the best for OCing so I chose this one. Liquid cooling will allow better OC speeds as well as quieter operation. SSDs decrease load times. The GTX 780 is just personal preference. Depending on budget you could get a 770, 760, or even a 600 series and still manage to max out most settings. Hope this helped.
Edit: Also, building your computer is always the best way to go. Not only is it cheaper but you will also take pride in your rig knowing that you built it. Plus I managed a black and gold color scheme.
(this is prebuilt, but i might save the hassle of building it myself, you're still free to convince me otherwise)
http://kindinformatique.com/PC-GAMERi5.html
What do you think about the 2 video card choices?
What is it lacking?
Also, I would hold off buying new pc as I expect geforce 800 series to come out soon and those things are more efficient by an order of magnitude.
With that cpu, expect a slideshow in the lategame, every time. (~ 20 fps)
Waiting for the newest stuff to come out is the best time. Cause then you just buy the previous generation and save tons of money
I cannot begin to tell you how many threads have been started in here, tech support forums, and in the steam forums - by users who meet the minimum requirements (and even the recommended requirements [which aren't that different]) but can't play because the FPS is so incredibly low, even with graphics turned down.
TLDR; Ignore what the store page says. Follow this thread here for guidance. I think @NeXuS made a perfect build for you
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-03gp42784kr?history_days=180
I personally wouldn't wait 8 months for a 10-20% price drop though.
It fits.
a) SLI is near pointless. With the money you spend on 2 GPUs, you can buy one higher-end card that will outperform 2 lower-end GPUs.
b) Being a micro-ATX case, dual GPUs would constrict air flow creating a hotter and louder system from lack of space for air to circulate and forces your fans to run at higher speeds.