What is the Max system for AH

[mettech]

I am tired for getting just 19 FPS.... I have a Dell 2.4, 1g mem, 9600XT, 18"LCD)... I run now at the max performance settings..

What system would give me "Max" video performance/detail return (i.e. intel/AMD speed, memory, video card)?

I don't want to over spend on something that is a overkill, but I do want to max detail and performance on AHII..

Any pointers SkuzzY? Anyone else know?

[aSTAR]

Check Sharkeyextreme.com

[MOSQ]

First general rule of thumb:

AH is CPU intensive, not GPU intensive. Spend more money on your CPU/Mobo and less on the graphics card than you would if you were playng other games.

Second, without a budget listed, you'll get answers from this group that are all across the board.

So a few more specifics are needed:
What is your budget? Do you want an enitirely new system so you can use your Dell for other things or can you cannibalize parts from it? Do you need a new case? What is your current power supply?

But to give you a quick answer, you can build a a great system for AHII with:

Athlon 64 3200
A new mobo that supports the Athlon 64. Look for an NForce III chipset.
512 or 1 Gig Corsair or Crucial Value Ram (depends on budget)
Reuse your 9600XT.
Probably should get a new case and PS (I LOVE my Antec SX835II)
SB Audugy (the plain Audigy, not the Audugy IIs, it will only run about $50).

Why reuse the 9600 XT? Because AH is so CPU intensive that the graphics card has much less impact on FPS in the games. Particularly if you don't care about Anti Aliasing and running at very high resolutions. If you run 1024x768 res and no AA, you'll get very good FPS with the 9600 XT and the Athlon 64 3200.

Or just buy one of these: http://www.falcon-nw.com/talon.asp

[Overlag]

recommend the same system

but

3200+ (939 pin)
Asus A8V (939 socket)
1gig ram... Crucial ballistic P3200 or something.

[JB73]

recommend new audigy II ... TONS less CPU usage, ask skuzzy, it's what he uses.

also a CRT moniter that supports 1280x1024 or higher at NO less than 85hz

that will probably set you back $450+ minium

also add an nvidia 6800 ultra. $550


hey you are talking max lol

[Docc]

am using a 2 year old

3.06G Intel processor
Gigabyte GA-8IHXP motherboard
onboard sound
ATI 9700 Pro video card
22" monitor with 120hz refresh rate at 1024x768

consistently get 60-120 FPS depending on activity in the area on screen

no problems with anything in the game

[Skuzzy]

MOSQ, that is not quite right.  Allow me to explain.

AHII is very GPU intensive, however, you have to have a CPU fast enough to keep the GPU busy.  In this sense, AHII is CPU dependent and no matter what the video card is, if your CPU cannot supply the data, fast enough, to keep the GPU busy, the GPU will have less impact on performance.
It is a balancing act.

If you want to use a high end GPU, you will need a very fast CPU to keep it busy.  A 3GHz CPU could overwhelm the 9600XT, while a 9800Pro would probably be a good match in balancing the overall system performance.
Anything faster than a 9800Pro might be a bit overkill, in a 3Ghz CPU system, but there are other advantages to a faster GPU.  You can enable anti-aliasing, for example, and not take a performance hit, especially when running shaders.

The situation you want to avoid occurs when the CPU is able to generate the data faster than the GPU can process it.

[mettech]

Skuzzy...
   
    Are you saying that the Intel 3 GHz with a 9800 pro is the max hardware for AHII?.... or should this be the standard hardware system for AHII?

`Please inform me on what is the best hardware (GPU/CUP/Mem)match up... i.e. ..GPU (video card) to a CPU (intel/AMD) that wil allow me to max out the settings in AHII....

I would like to run all of the settings to the max detail level.. but not spend more than what I need...

What say you?

[Skuzzy]

At maximum details, maximum texture sizes, you need the fastest of everything if you want it butter smooth.  And I am not quite sure if that is even possible with the given hardware available.

I am not making any recommendations, per se.  I was addressing the incorrect perception that AHII is more CPU dependent than GPU dependent.

There is no easy answer to what you are asking mettech.  There are just too many variables involved, which impact 3D/DirectX graphics performance, to give a nice neat answer.
Every application you install can have an impact on the available cycles for any other application.  It makes it virtually impossible for anyone to accurately assess what hardware is needed.

[mettech]

Hummmmmm... can anyone loan me $4.5K?.. lol

I must say Skuzzy... that was the easy way out..lol

[Overlag]

Originally posted by mettech
Skuzzy...
   
    Are you saying that the Intel 3 GHz with a 9800 pro is the max hardware for AHII?.... or should this be the standard hardware system for AHII?

`Please inform me on what is the best hardware (GPU/CUP/Mem)match up... i.e. ..GPU (video card) to a CPU (intel/AMD) that wil allow me to max out the settings in AHII....

I would like to run all of the settings to the max detail level.. but not spend more than what I need...

What say you?

Dont get a Intel 3ghz. you will regrett it. Get a A64 3200 or 3500 on a socket 939 system, MUCH faster and cheaper than a Intel system

[Schutt]

You asked for the fastest, fastest would be using a amd athlon64 fx55 with 2 modules of ddr400 cl2 ram.
Socket is 939 motherboard doestn change much, soundcard audigy2. Couple that with and geforce6800ultra or radeonx800, with fastest 256mb of ram you can have.

Then use watercooling to overclock grafik card and cpu.

That is the fastest... but its not affordable. When you get athlon64 3200 you probably have best buy for the money, and a 754 socket one will do as well as a 939. I have seen tests where they run equal speed..

ciao schutt

[Skuzzy]

That is a bit of an exaggeration there Overlag.  Nothing wrong with a Northwood P4.  It performs just fine.  I have one, and with the software I use, it performs better than most AMD systems will.
Besides, the CPU is only part of the equation.
If you are going AMD 64, stay away from the VIA chipset.  It has a bug in it if you want to use any bus master PCI devices that will cause many problems (random lockups, crashes amd general flakiness).

mettech, I was not looking for an easy way out, but I have seen people take, what is supposed to be, the fastest hardware around and manage to cut the performance in half with various software programs loaded.
I am probably a better guage of how a system should run, rather than how a system may actually run.

[Overlag]

Originally posted by Skuzzy

If you are going AMD 64, stay away from the VIA chipset.  It has a bug in it if you want to use any bus master PCI devices that will cause many problems (random lockups, crashes amd general flakiness).

sorry but thats rubbish, the VIA chipset is the best out there right now, its the Nvidia that has memory incompatabilities, and PCI lock issues, Sata issues. VIA boards are generaly plug and play, Nvidia boards take time to setup, tweak and get working.

the last VIA chipset to have issues you describe was the KT266 (i think) and thats 4 years ago. Its kinda like people saying AMD are unstable, slow and power hungery....yeah sure they was in 1999, but its 2004 now and all is good

[mettech]

Well.... I'm looking at the following"


xp home
x800 pro
AMD 3200
1 gig mem
cd/rw 52 speed
audigy2 sound card
80 gig HD
450 W power
Standard case

$1470.00 (today's cost)

Was told that the AMD 3200 would max out my 9600XT.. Could use 9800 Pro... but it would be better to use the new x800 card...

Also,  AMD will have a price drop on Monday on the 3200 and 3500 CPU...

Is this price OK?.. any other suggestions?..