Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: haasehole on December 16, 2008, 09:48:47 AM
-
I am going shopping for new computer. what size (procerssor/memory/drive/vid) would u suggest for a mid price range/ decent game play computer. that will last a few years of updates from aces high
-
First question I can see being asked is: What is mid-range price?
Second would likely be: Build it or buy it pre-built?
After that people will open up with plenty of options.
Mid-range price to some of these people is around 800$ it seems at times, this is why I ask. I personally say 400-500$ is mid.
-
First question I can see being asked is: What is mid-range price?
Second would likely be: Build it or buy it pre-built?
After that people will open up with plenty of options.
Mid-range price to some of these people is around 800$ it seems at times, this is why I ask. I personally say 400-500$ is mid.
I am in the business and if your calling 400 - 500 mid where do you get your parts? Entry Motherboard 100 to 150. Cheepo case 45.00, Small Hard Drive 45.00, Entry Level Graphics Card 80.00, Low wattage power supply, 50.00, Slow memory 35.00 (2gb) DVD burner 22.00 Total for the this 377.00 without OS.
-
my only advice is to go intel. Stay away from On board video and on board sound and if possible stay away from vista.
-
I am in the business and if your calling 400 - 500 mid where do you get your parts? Entry Motherboard 100 to 150. Cheepo case 45.00, Small Hard Drive 45.00, Entry Level Graphics Card 80.00, Low wattage power supply, 50.00, Slow memory 35.00 (2gb) DVD burner 22.00 Total for the this 377.00 without OS.
And you forgot the cpu.
-
a off the self ready to load up and fly under a grand bought where ever :pray
-
Maybe not, entry motherboard @ $150 would include processor.
And you forgot the cpu.
-
I am going shopping for new computer. what size (procerssor/memory/drive/vid) would u suggest for a mid price range/ decent game play computer. that will last a few years of updates from aces high
Just for Aces, or what other games?
-
That may be difficult for under a grand. However, try HP, Dell or whoever.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2032280010%201141824149%201308920938&name=Gaming
Try here. Check for CPU, Power Supply, Video Card, Sound Card and memory. Once you find something you like post it here for review. These guys are very very helpful.
-
any numbers such a say 4 gb processor 2 gb or menory ? size of hard drive
-
any numbers such a say 4 gb processor 2 gb or menory ? size of hard drive
As far as I know there are no 4ghz processors. But get a duo core e8400 or e8500 and you can take it there via overclocking. My E8500 is clocked a tad over 4ghz. Having said that a 3 ghz machine is quite fast and I think you will be very pleased. I would go with 4 gigs of ram and windows xp. 2 gigs of ram will work well though for xp.
-
heck thought thay came with vista now
-
It's not the preferred operating system.
-
I am in the business and if your calling 400 - 500 mid where do you get your parts? Entry Motherboard 100 to 150. Cheepo case 45.00, Small Hard Drive 45.00, Entry Level Graphics Card 80.00, Low wattage power supply, 50.00, Slow memory 35.00 (2gb) DVD burner 22.00 Total for the this 377.00 without OS.
I was making this estimate on a small off chance he was building it. But for prebuilt, I admit 400-500 is low end. However for my "mid-range" PC that is do-it-yourself:
I use Newegg/Officemax (Only gotten HDD from there), my system which runs from Aces High (max settings) to Crysis (Low/Med) just fine was about 550$. Not low end, and by no means high end. AMD, GeForce 7900, 2GB DDR2-800 Ram, 630watt (20+A on 12V rail) PSU.
Mobo 50$ CPU 60$ RAM 40$ GPU 100$ PSU 35$ HDDs (160/320GB) 55/85$ Case 55$ DVD 32$ Total: 512$ Approx.
True it is not the greatest, but it runs stable and no troubles at all.
However for a Shelf PC, I leave that to the rest to explain. The E-machines I use to have ran it fine, was better with even a cruddy add-on GPU (GeForce 7100). However, it has been a while since I looked at Shelf PCs :)
-
Before we all get too far ahead, post how much you want to spend and what you use your computer for.
Building your own computer will get you the best bang for your buck but you will have to purchase an operating system. Tildeath is definitely your man if you want to build. The downside if you buy online is a problem. You will have to possibly deal with RMA's.
Buying a "pre-built"system (Compaq, HP) is not always the wise choice. They use a lot of parts that may be newer technology but somewhat outdated(They get deals on outdated hardware). They usually use onboard video and low power supplies making upgrades a bit more difficult. You can get somewhat of a computer through HP or Compaq but if you buy a decent one for gaming you will either be less expensive building your own or you will get more for your money!
Question is are you capable???? It's real easy. A caveman can do it! If you are not sure, I bet a friend or family member has done it.
-
I have a new gaming system just finished building today. This is all brand new out of the box parts from DandH and ASIPartner (my suppliers). This system scores 12533 on 3dMark06 without any over clocking. With tweeking is should get to about 15k +_-
Gigabyte Motherboard Part # EP45-UD3P (3 year warranty)
Intel Q6600 Processor Part # BX80562Q6600 (G0 model) (Retail box 3 year limited warranty)
OCZ Vendetta 2 Heatsink & Fan Part # OCZTVEND2 (1 year warranty)
OCZ Reaper Memory 4GB Part #OCZ2RPR10664GK (Lifetime warranty)
EVGA GeForce 9800GTX+ Part # 512-P3-N879-AR (3 year warranty)
Western Digital 500gb Hard drive (not sure which 500 I put in so no part #) (5 year warranty)
Tagan 900 watt Power supply Part # BZ900 (3 year warranty)
NZXT Tempest Case
NZXT SENTRY 1 Fan controler with CPU, System, HDD monitor
Windows Vista Home Premium
My Price $875.00
newegg price for parts 1233.90
Upgrade Motherboard to ASUS Maximus II Formula 130.00
Add Swiftech H2O Compact CPU Cooling system 200.00
-
Tildeath... just a suggestion, maybe post quarterly a budget build, a medium build and a good gamers build what you can do. We can cross post a link for persons interested in a new computer. That is if Skuzzy is OK with it.
-
Look for an Intel Core2Duo processor at a minimum of 2 Gb with a 1333 front side bus. A larger CPU cache is preferable to a smaller one.
You'll want something with a dedicated video card with at least 512K dedicated RAM. If you can't find one in your price range then look for something with on-board video that offers as much shared RAM as possible.
As to System RAM 2 Gb should suffice unless it's being shared by on-board video. Then you'll want a minimum of 3 Gb.
Any size hard drive should do. Bigger is better.
Sound is likely to be on-board in your price range. If it's not to your liking you can always add a sound card later on.
Hope that helps. Happy shopping.
-
thank you all the info helped i know i could have a biuld comp for under a grand but by the time i buy a OS / and other software it bout double in price thanks for the addition info baldeagle i hope i find 1 that will get me ok game play with decent graphic's that will last a couple years of updates and such :salute
-
Dude you could build one easily under $800 with OS! Get a few builds from Tildeath and you will get more for your money!
-
I just put together a budget rig.
Asus P5K Pro- 110
e5200 CPU- 85
HD4670- 80
Antec 300 Case -50
Antec Earthwatts 500 Watt PSU- 50
2 Gigs pc6400 w/ heatsink- 30
Freezer7 Pro- 30
435 + shipping
The CPU overclocks from 2.5 ghz to 3.5 with stock cooling. I'm @ 4ghz stable, 55 degrees under load with the freezer 7 and antec300 case. The mobo leaves me upgrade options when needed. Very happy with it.
-
I just put together a budget rig.
Asus P5K Pro- 110
e5200 CPU- 85
HD4670- 80
Antec 300 Case -50
Antec Earthwatts 500 Watt PSU- 50
2 Gigs pc6400 w/ heatsink- 30
Freezer7 Pro- 30
435 + shipping
The CPU overclocks from 2.5 ghz to 3.5 with stock cooling. I'm @ 4ghz stable, 55 degrees under load with the freezer 7 and antec300 case. The mobo leaves me upgrade options when needed. Very happy with it.
The starter of the thread stated a good gamer, upgradeable and use for a few years. IMHO the system you speced out does not meet the requests. The specs of the system your stating most likely will score between 4 and 7k on 3DMark06. Not a gaming system at all. You say that the MB has room for upgrade, none of the other components do, so your out repurchasing Video card, Power supply, memory again rather then adding a video card or additional memory.
The PSU is crap I won't even sell an earthwatts psu. I think the max amps on one of the rails is 22 forget any good video cards or a crossfire comfiguration, It has a max of 4 SATA connectors, you CANNOT use a 260 or 280 video card. and I dont think it has the power for a 9800. The MB is for Crossfire upgrade, the PSU wont handle it. PC6400 is SLOOOOOOOOW memory and it will be hard to get to a decient FSB without way overvolting it. The processor does overclock well but, with the memory stated you will never be able to use the overclock since your FSB will not be able to compete with the processor speed maybe get that memory at best to 1066. What voltages are you pushing your processor at? Anything over 1.325 your risking frying your processor, all the OC specs I have seen over 3.8 on that processor are at 1.35+.
Overclocking a rig for gaming is not a question of "what I can push my processor to" alone, its FSB, Memory timings and their relation to the FSB, not to create bottle necks which actually slows system performance. Its to have all components work in harmony to produce a fast and stable rig. Heck I have a liquid nitrogen pot for processors and gpu's, I can get 22GHz out of some processors and more on others but that does not make the system fast. I guess I live in a different world when it comes to gaming systems, I build out for Industry Standard scores (3DMark06) not what I can get for the cheapest price and Overclock and say my system runs at _____. When my reputation as a builder, supplier and world ranked overclocker is on the line, I do not compromise quality for price.
-
The starter of the thread stated a good gamer, upgradeable and use for a few years. IMHO the system you speced out does not meet the requests.
The OP said he wanted to buy a system for under $1000 and further stated that he wanted one pre-built. Lets get real here... he's not going to get a world class gaming rig for that price but he will be able to get one that runs AH just fine for the next couple of years.
Dadano posted his system specs. He said he built his rig for under $1000 and is happy with it. Obviously it runs AH just fine. Why degrade him?
I don't think either of these guys is trying to win a benchmark award. I think they are just looking for something that will run the game for the next couple of years and on a budget at that. Why not just help them gracefully rather than coming in here as you do with the "I'm the greatest computer guru the world has ever known" attitude. I'm beginning to wonder who's worse... you or mini-you (drdeathx).
JMHO.
-
The obvious choice for gaming is to build your own. And as easy as it may be in reality, it scares the crap out of some people who don't know anything about it. When I built my first computer, I listened to the more experienced friends I had who had done their own already. I didn't look to the internet for confidence. But thats me.
As BaldEagl was leading to, these pissing contests are getting old and aren't helping anyone.
-
The obvious choice for gaming is to build your own. And as easy as it may be in reality, it scares the crap out of some people who don't know anything about it. When I built my first computer, I listened to the more experienced friends I had who had done their own already. I didn't look to the internet for confidence. But thats me.
As BaldEagl was leading to, these pissing contests are getting old and aren't helping anyone.
Agreed!
-
BaldEagle.... There you go again... Please read through this post 1 more time. I simply stated politely earlier for the individual to reply what he intended to use the computer for(possibly more graphically challenged games) and how much he wanted to spend. Then as we all see, I directed him to Tildeath seeing he bulids computers on a daily basis and is up to date with pricing of harware, ect. These forums are to help and some replies add to forums Skuzzy has to moderate. Please read forum rules!(use the shoe rule too).
The best advise is this:
Reply the exact amount you would like to spend on a new computer. We will find the best bang for the buck on a pre-built system and I am quite sure Tildeath will reply with the best MB, processor, PSU, Vid card, Sound card, Drives, ect.....and places to purchase them. After the pricing is done he can determine if he wants a pre-built or a self build.
I would stay away from compaq and HP. Those "Pre-builds" are not the best to uprade in the future and use somewhat outdated oversupplied technology.
Stay on track in this forum BaldEagle. I do not think it is intended for your analysis of others recommendations. Please make your recommendation and stop whatever you are trying.
I don't think either of these guys is trying to win a benchmark award. I think they are just looking for something that will run the game for the next couple of years and on a budget at that. Why not just help them gracefully rather than coming in here as you do with the "I'm the greatest computer guru the world has ever known" attitude. I'm beginning to wonder who's worse... you or mini-you (drdeathx).
I am trying to use 1 basic rule: Ask not think
-
I have a HP Pavilion that I purchased 2 1/2 years ago and since the last upgrade at HTC it has really slowed down. I recently ran the (3DMark06) program on it and scored so low as to be on the just on the positive side to run AH. The unit is pretty well loaded down by CH, IR, Ventrilo and all the other things that required to make the game enjoyable. Last evening I updated the drivers for the computer and saw no real improvement. I was going to reformat and install but with what I saw yesterday I think it is time to bite the bullet and rebuild. I agree with the ready made units being outdated products and I've built my own units twice before. I definitely do not want to go the Athlon route. So gentlemen and esteem guru's what do I put together that will run in the games that are in the high end (Call of Duty 4) for example. I would like to stay in the $1200 to $1500 range or less. :noid :salute
-
The OP said he wanted to buy a system for under $1000 and further stated that he wanted one pre-built. Lets get real here... he's not going to get a world class gaming rig for that price but he will be able to get one that runs AH just fine for the next couple of years.
No he is not getting a "World Class Rig" but I showed a rig under 1000 (his high end) for 875.00 saving over 350.00 from newegg cost, it is pre-built with an OS installed.
Dadano posted his system specs. He said he built his rig for under $1000 and is happy with it. Obviously it runs AH just fine. Why degrade him?
His Rig may run AH fine but the settings he stated are not obtainable without adding serious voltage which is not safe to push to a CPU. I didn't degrade him I stated what I though of his parts and settings.
I don't think either of these guys is trying to win a benchmark award. I think they are just looking for something that will run the game for the next couple of years and on a budget at that. Why not just help them gracefully rather than coming in here as you do with the "I'm the greatest computer guru the world has ever known" attitude. I'm beginning to wonder who's worse... you or mini-you (drdeathx).
You will not win a benchmark award in these budgets. I stated the benchmark of the system that I proposed because its the industry standard. I posted a system within the proposed budget that scores very well within the industry standard.
I am not the greatest "computer guru" in the world but all the systems I propose on these boards I have built and know how they perform with relation to "industry standards" (hence the statements of the scores) not just going to newegg and shopping price, or what I think will work. I do this for a living, am very well respected in the community for my knowledge and experience in this field. If I don't know something I don't answer, but if I do answer something on these boards I have the sources to back up my posts and do not back down from my beliefs and what I know is right or wrong with configurations and settings.
-
<-- gets some popcorn and throws a purse into the ring.
-
<-- gets some popcorn and throws a purse into the ring.
How much is the purse?
-
Off the shelf..... 129.99
But can be built better:
Strap - 36" grade 1 leather 1/2 x 1/8 $24.00
Material - 4 Sq. Ft. 3/16" leather $38.50
Thread - 1 spool, Carpet grade $8.25
If you've never built your own purse, there are plenty of very knowledgeable guys here that have either done their own, or build them for a living, and they can give you plenty of advice and hints.
-
Tildeath... Don't cut yourself short and let guys like Baldeagle effect you.
-
Tildeath... Don't cut yourself short and let guys like Baldeagle effect you.
I am not, lol, actually got a call from someone in this thread and the system is sold and on the UPS truck. The buyer knows what I spoke about in this thread and knows he got a great and fast system and a great deal.
-
I have a new gaming system just finished building today. This is all brand new out of the box parts from DandH and ASIPartner (my suppliers). This system scores 12533 on 3dMark06 without any over clocking. With tweeking is should get to about 15k +_-
Gigabyte Motherboard Part # EP45-UD3P (3 year warranty)
Intel Q6600 Processor Part # BX80562Q6600 (G0 model) (Retail box 3 year limited warranty)
OCZ Vendetta 2 Heatsink & Fan Part # OCZTVEND2 (1 year warranty)
OCZ Reaper Memory 4GB Part #OCZ2RPR10664GK (Lifetime warranty)
EVGA GeForce 9800GTX+ Part # 512-P3-N879-AR (3 year warranty)
Western Digital 500gb Hard drive (not sure which 500 I put in so no part #) (5 year warranty)
Tagan 900 watt Power supply Part # BZ900 (3 year warranty)
NZXT Tempest Case
NZXT SENTRY 1 Fan controler with CPU, System, HDD monitor
Windows Vista Home Premium
My Price $875.00
newegg price for parts 1233.90
Upgrade Motherboard to ASUS Maximus II Formula 130.00
Add Swiftech H2O Compact CPU Cooling system 200.00
Quick question, is that '1233.90' price with the Upgrade Motherboard and CPU cooling?
Just curious, since the other part list adds up to $1,093.90, and about $1,150 after shipping.
Was just curious if I was adding the wrong parts together, or if you may have miscalculated. :)
-
Quick question, is that '1233.90' price with the Upgrade Motherboard and CPU cooling?
Just curious, since the other part list adds up to $1,093.90, and about $1,150 after shipping.
Was just curious if I was adding the wrong parts together, or if you may have miscalculated. :)
Newegg pricing changes daily (the case is now 79 I think and it was 119 when I priced it), that was the price when I priced it out. Either way my pricing is over 200.00 less and the shipping of the whole system was 43.00 and that's insuring it at 900.00. so the total system price including shipping and insurance(built system and burned in with AHII installed with HiRes Pac) 920.00.
-
Ah roger. I know yours i cheaper, was just curious is all.
-
Off the shelf..... 129.99
But can be built better:
Strap - 36" grade 1 leather 1/2 x 1/8 $24.00
Material - 4 Sq. Ft. 3/16" leather $38.50
Thread - 1 spool, Carpet grade $8.25
If you've never built your own purse, there are plenty of very knowledgeable guys here that have either done their own, or build them for a living, and they can give you plenty of advice and hints.
be prepared Challenge and Baldeagle will ask you to build one and send it UPS
-
wow this thread keeps going on :salute i'm still out shopping just looking for a regular pc, a gaming system would be nice and i know a grand will more than get me there but i use the copmuter lightly: project take offs,spread sheets and such, nothing to fancy i currently have a 5 year old hp pavillion a320n upgraded memory 2gb and was looking to get a standard machine with the ability to run aces high for a couple more years with high res textures with good frame rate's . i curenty get lag when cons get 400 or so out, really effects gunnery LOL i guess my processor/vid card can't go fast enough to keep up even with textures/skins and such tuned low thanks for the post again :salute
-
Haase,
Tildeath is definitely right . When you bought your Pavillion it probably seemed like the right move. You do not realize how outdated the supplies they use to build these units. The technology is kinda new but they use motherboards and CPU's that are not THE NEWEST technology. What they do is get deals on slightly older supplies that are somwhat outdated. For instance the FSB speed may be 800 not 1066. They also use very low PSU's. This makes it difficult to impossible to upgrade in the future to better graphic cards and other things.
-
:salute
-
Tilldeth, :rock
what you recommend in MB/CPU/MEM just to run ACES??
iv got a lot of spares, cases, mice, drives, kbs, PSU etc...
Can I still use my EVGA 7600gtx PCIe?? :pray
-
Tilldeth, :rock
what you recommend in MB/CPU/MEM just to run ACES??
iv got a lot of spares, cases, mice, drives, kbs, PSU etc...
Can I still use my EVGA 7600gtx PCIe?? :pray
If you look on the main part of HTC's website it shows minimum to run, is that the optimal system for the game, no. This game is more CPU intensive then GPU but don't leave out FSB, put the fastest parts you have together and build a box. Since its spare parts its not a big deal. It will be what it is when your done. Memory is cheep right now, get the fastest mem you can for the MB and that will help from CPU bottlenecks. Good luck
-
Gigabyte Motherboard Part # EP45-UD3P (3 year warranty)
Intel Q6600 Processor Part # BX80562Q6600 (G0 model) (Retail box 3 year limited warranty)
OCZ Vendetta 2 Heatsink & Fan Part # OCZTVEND2 (1 year warranty)
OCZ Reaper Memory 4GB Part #OCZ2RPR10664GK (Lifetime warranty)
this a good start...yes?
i have all the other parts, like i said.
do I REELY need 4G mem??
-
this a good start...yes?
i have all the other parts, like i said.
do I REELY need 4G mem??
Really need 4GB? No.
Also, Really need a quad-core? Nope.
As I recall Skuzzy has suggested Dual-core CPUs over Quad unless you are heavy on movie-editing.
-
does SKuzzy have a post where he recomends CPU/MB??
-
Really need 4GB? No.
Also, Really need a quad-core? Nope.
As I recall Skuzzy has suggested Dual-core CPUs over Quad unless you are heavy on movie-editing.
For "AHII" he likes Duals, most other games make use of the Quads and higher end graphics cards. If all your going to do is AHII and nothing else sure get a Dual. Also the specs he quoted from me is a system I had built out not for aces high alone but other games too and was for sale at over 200 less then newegg pricing.
-
does SKuzzy have a post where he recomends CPU/MB??
As recently as a couple months ago he built a computer with an Intel E8500 and an Asus MB.
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,250578.0.html
Here's the thread.
-
As recently as a couple months ago he built a computer with an Intel E8500 and an Asus MB.
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,250578.0.html
Here's the thread.
What you fail to mention here is that "most of the parts were sitting on the shelf" Not what he would build if he were to get new parts
-
For "AHII" he likes Duals, most other games make use of the Quads and higher end graphics cards. If all your going to do is AHII and nothing else sure get a Dual. Also the specs he quoted from me is a system I had built out not for aces high alone but other games too and was for sale at over 200 less then newegg pricing.
Actually, Aces High II is one of the few natively multi-threaded games on the market. Most games claiming to be multi-threaded actually are leaning on the asynchronous nature of DirectX.
The reason dual-cores are preferred is due to the normally higher clock rates, which yeild higher raw performance levels than a quad core. On a clock matched quad core to dual core, there is just not enough "bang-for-the-buck" in a quad core to warrant the cost, unless you are into heavy movie editing. Both Sony Vegas and Adobe Premier will make use of all available cores and they have the ability to actually saturate all the cores available.
Quad cores also use double the power of a dual core, and require far more of the HSF due to the heat they can generate.
As far as my current computer goes, I never have been a "bleeding edge" kind of guy as I depend on computers too much for the work I do. They always have to work and work flawlessly. I am conseravtive, and shoot for a good performance value. If you want the absolute bestest, fastest, highest endest computer, I am not the guy to talk to.
Right now, the CPU is at 3.75Ghz, with an FSB of 533Mhz, running one to one ratio, with the CPU and the peripheral bus strapped to 400Mhz. It runs cool, and more importantly, very quiet. I am happy with the performance. It boots before the "kitt" eyeball makes one full pass at the Windows boot screen. I love that. Very stable and cool running. Video encoding has been just fun to watch now, it is so freaking fast.
-
Right now, the CPU is at 3.75Ghz, with an FSB of 533Mhz, running one to one ratio, with the CPU and the peripheral bus strapped to 400Mhz.
is this stock of OCd?
-
It is overclocked. The default clock speed for the CPU is 3Ghz. 333Mhz FSB and a multiplier of 9. Now the FSB is at 533Mhz and the multiplier is at 7. The I/O bus is strapped to 400Mhz to keep it running smoothly.
I went through a lot of combinations to find the best overall performance. My personal benchmark is a video render file and a POV-Ray render file. Those are the two things I spend most my time at when I am at home on my computer.
The system has proven to be rock solid. I just encoded a video which took 8.5 hours to render and it did not miss a beat.
By the way, the speed of my systems boot is largely due to the Audigy 2 ZS Platinum card drivers. Every onboard sound chip driver I have ever had the displeasure to install almost triples the boot time of a Windows XP system as compared to the Audigy 2 ZS card. And I never install the Creative utilities either. Just the driver.
DISCLAIMER: The above is not an endorsement to overclock your computer. Overclocking carries risks with it and if you chose to do so, you are on your own. I cannot be blamed for anything you make the choice to do.