Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: CSI147 on December 30, 2023, 12:09:43 PM
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Greetings.
Absent player for about 7 years. So I'm interested in getting back into this online game. I'm NOT computer savvy and need all the advice I can get. I am looking for a computer that meets and exceeds the recommended requirements needed to play Aces High. A plug and play would be my preference. Something compact but able to upgrade if need be. A small PC tower, of box to place near the monitor. Budget is around $1000 or less for the PC. Preferably something I can order online.
My plan is to have identical monitors, joysticks, and other hardware at two geographical locations. I want to be able to unplug the PC and take it to either location and plug it in and start playing from there.
I apologized is this question has been asked before. I tried searching but came up with too many results about other types of hardware.
Thank you and Salute.
CSI147
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Is 1000 for the PC only or does that include two sets of controllers, monitors etc?
I'm sure you will get some very specific suggestions on this one but the one thing I think you should consider is the GPU. There are many systems you can buy with lots of ram, a super-fast cpu and integrated graphics (not a dedicated GPU)
In most cases a "gaming" system will have a price premium. You may be better off buying a standard desktop and a separate GPU and adding the GPU to your system, however then you will need to take into consideration the PSU etc.
You also might consider a gaming laptop. I picked one up a few years back for less then your budget that is VR capable.
Also, if you wanted to order a system in parts I'm pretty sure that somebody here would put it together for you.
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PC only. Thanks for the information. I'll look at a laptops as well.
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Hi CSI147,
I would look to computer stores or major retailers if you don't want to build a gaming PC yourself. Look for at least a -60 series GPU (3060 or 4060) and an i5 or Ryzen 5 or better CPU, and 16GB or memory. Here's an example from Costco, coming in under $1,000:
https://www.costco.com/cyberpowerpc-gamer-xtreme-gaming-desktop---13th-gen-intel-core-i5-13400f----geforce-rtx-4060%2c-black.product.4000202717.html (https://www.costco.com/cyberpowerpc-gamer-xtreme-gaming-desktop---13th-gen-intel-core-i5-13400f----geforce-rtx-4060%2c-black.product.4000202717.html)
I also like this one, if you can stretch your budget a little more:
https://www.costco.com/hp-victus-gaming-desktop-–-13th-gen-intel-core-i7-13700f-geforce-rtx-4060-–-window-11.product.4000223996.html (https://www.costco.com/hp-victus-gaming-desktop-–-13th-gen-intel-core-i7-13700f-geforce-rtx-4060-–-window-11.product.4000223996.html)
NewEgg has this Acer, seems to have best specs/price/performance (also under $1,000):
https://www.newegg.com/acer-po3-640-ua91-predator-orion-3000/p/N82E16883101887 (https://www.newegg.com/acer-po3-640-ua91-predator-orion-3000/p/N82E16883101887)
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Nice picks there oboe.
Personally I'd get the Acer with the 3070. From what I've seen it benches a 20 to 25% higher then the 4060. Even though it has a 12 gen CPU it is more then enough for AH3 and could be upgraded to a 13th gen down the road as they take the same socket. It also has an SSD and a hard drive. I would put my OS and related stuff on the SDD and install the games on the hard drive. (this is just my personal pick of the 3) I'm sure others will have reasons to pick something else :)
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Building a PC is like Lego blocks, they only go one way in unless you get really creative. The most puzzling thing is to choose the right screws, there's at least two different types of threads for the same diameter. But everything that's compatible should go in without excessive force.
An i5 and an RTX 4060 is a safe bet for most games for years to come unless you need to go to high resolutions with high frame rates in which case a stronger GPU is the remedy. 12th (i5-12###) gen would be the budget choice, 14th (i5-14###) gen for the latest. Both are Win11 compatible and perform roughly the same so...
Something like this, given you can get a Windows license elsewhere:
PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kCkLbL
CPU: Intel Core i5-12600KF 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor ($177.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Enermax ETS-T40F-TB 47.72 CFM CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 D DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($40.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston NV2 500 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($41.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB Video Card ($299.99 @ B&H)
Case: MagniumGear NEO AIR (2023) ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Platinum 650 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ B&H)
Total: $920.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-12-30 15:36 EST-0500
Notice that this was compiled along the 12th gen i5 CPU. The 14th gen would be some $150 more and although the rest would be compatible you'd have to make sure the bios version is up to date. That may require using an older CPU for updating. A local builder shop would be a good choice in such a situation as they'd have some spares just for that. Also I chose the Z790 chipset just in case you'd like to overclock but if that's not your thing choosing another compatible chipset may save a hundred bucks.
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That's a nice build Bizman.
Personally I think you're better off going with a system like this if you can swing it as I think you can get better quality components then the "lowest" bidder approach of most of the stuff that comes as an assembled system. It will also be easier for you to replace failed parts or upgrade in the future.
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That's a nice build Bizman.
Personally I think you're better off going with a system like this if you can swing it as I think you can get better quality components then the "lowest" bidder approach of most of the stuff that comes as an assembled system. It will also be easier for you to replace failed parts or upgrade in the future.
Thanks.
Speaking about difficulty in upgrading especially HP has been known to use a hard coded "whitelist" in the bios, allowing only components in the list. For what I've seen their upgrading options are limited to parts that are of the same age with the original setup. Another thing to look at with <brand> computers is the power supply. Not long ago I saw an Acer "gaming PC" with a very special PSU: The main power cable to the motherboard only had some eight pins instead of the standard 24. And all power for other components were taken from the motherboard, including SATA power for the hard disks.
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Micro center has a PC build service, so you can pick out the components from what they sell, and they will build the system same-day for you.
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That's good to know about Microcenter. I build my own but in case of a friend that needs one built that is helpful.
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(https://www.snopes.com/uploads/2009/01/rand.jpg)
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I want one! Wonder how many bit that processor is.
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I have a custom Dell XPS model, I loaded it with a Nvidia 306ti, works great straight out of the box. Didn't need to tinker with anything to play AH, and I'm running 100% full detail. My monitor just chokes me off with a refresh rate of 60, so only 60fps. which is good enough.
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That Costco setup posted by Oboe looks decent for an assembled computer.
Here's a build that will do 60 fps with all settings maxxed out for about $625 (not including monitor or windows):
https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,408040.msg5410781.html#msg5410781
But you have to order the parts and put them together. Or have someone you know do it for you.
Windows costs $35 to $200 depending on how you buy it (key only can be had for $35 or so, retail is $200). A decent 24" 1080p monitor is about $100.
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CSI147, if you live anywhere near Nashville, TN, I'll build you one if you want.
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CSI147, if you live anywhere near Nashville, TN, I'll build you one if you want.
Or he could have it shipped to one of us who could put it together and ship it to him. (if he wanted)
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Or he could have it shipped to one of us who could put it together and ship it to him. (if he wanted)
True.
Shipping a built computer is a pain, though.
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True.
Shipping a built computer is a pain, though.
True.
I had a computer come damaged in shipping. Other then throwing them off the back of a moving truck I don't know how they could have caused the damage because they were packed decently. Worse part was that I couldn't tell from the box. It just looked scuffed up a bit.
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Wow thanks for all the suggestions. Right now I'm looking at a Dell laptop. It has the following.
Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U 8-core/16-thread Processor with Radeon™ Graphics
Graphics card: AMD Radeon™ Graphics
Memory: 16 GB: LPDDR4x, 4266 MT/s (onboard)
Storage: 1 TB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD
Display: 16.0-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1920 x 1200) Anti-Glare Non-Touch 250nits WVA Display with ComfortView Support
I know its not the latest or greatest but I'm thinking (really hoping) it will work. I have my old Logitec Extreme 3d Pro Joystick.
Window 11 Home.
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Oh boy. Looks like that's Vega 8 graphics. (Integrated graphics) I know very little about these other then it's integrated and I think you need something like Vega 11 to get decent performance. (I could be completely wrong here) But I would check the return policy in the event it doesn't do what you want it to do. A quick search showed that you could get something like this on Amazon:
$849
GIGABYTE G5 KF: 15.6" FHD 1920x1080 144Hz, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i5-12500H, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 512G SSD, Win11 Home (G5 KF-E3US333SH) Black
Or this for $926:
MSI Cyborg 15.6" 144hz Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7-12650H NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD Window 11 Home
I'm not sure what the price is on that Dell but I think you would get much better performance with something like these with dedicated graphics.
Just my 2 cents
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I concur with Hazmatt on this. Integrated graphics generally don’t have what it takes to make AH perform well.
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What the two above said.
Although AMD integrated graphics are usually way better than Intel's they're still far away from real gaming graphics.
Another thing to consider with laptops is that although the graphic cards use a similar naming to the desktop versions, the performance isn't similar. There is a reason why desktop GPU's can be a foot long and two inches thick. As such a monster can weigh more than a decent laptop it's obvious that it can't be miniaturized to a tenth or less, otherwise all gaming cards would be of that size just to save raw materials.
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The way I came up with the 4060 laptop is that I bought a gaming laptop with a 3060 that ran AH3 fine even with VR. The 4060 is now the card in the same price range and is at least 20% faster than the card I have from what I've seen.
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Wow you guys are quite knowledgeable. OK I'm scratching off the mentioned laptop. Aces High is the only game I'm really interested in. Enjoyed it years ago and now I'm retired and have some spare time. Is it really that demanding as far as what hardware requirements is needed? I figured AH was old enough that most computers today would easily handle it. Did someone spike AH with steroids in the last 7 years? :O
I need a computer I can road trip with from Wa. to Montana several times a month. Needless to say it's tough on gear. That is why I'm looking for an off the shelf mini pc or laptop I can just plug a monitor into at each location and play. One of the places I will be using it is in an old wine cellar that never gets above 65*f even on a 3 digit temp. day outside. In fact it will be mounted to, sitting on, or next to cellar concrete that's around 55*f. Keeping that in mind what do you think of Mini pc's? Beelink and Miniforum keep showing up on google searches and Youtube videos as candidates for compact pc's for gaming. I have never heard of them. In fact, I didn't realize mini pcs was a thing until now.
Specifically: Beelink SER7 Mini PC, Ryzen 7 7840HS (8C/16T, up to 5.1GHz) Mini Computer, AMD Radeon 780M, 32GB DDR5+1TB SSD Micro Desktop, Small Gaming PC 4K Quad Displays HDMI+DP+Dual USB4, 2.5Gbps LAN, WiFi 6
MINISFORUM UM790 Pro Mini PC AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS(8C/16T, up to 5.2GHz) 32GB DDR5 RAM 1TB PCIe4.0 SSD Micro Computer 2xHDMI/ 2xUSB4(8K@60Hz) Intel Killer WiFi6E Radeon 780M Graphics Small Form Factor
I tried to watch the many Youtube videos on them. So when these influencers start rattling off numbers and acronyms my eyes glass over and brain fog gets thick. Anyways, thanks for all your responses. Meanwhile, I'll be practicing with the Offline practice on an old Dell All in One computer at home. Might even dip my toe into the free two week deal once I can recall all the different key mapping and joystick inputs.
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According to this site:
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Radeon-780M-vs-NVIDIA-GeForce-RTX-4060-Laptop-GPU-vs-Radeon-760M_11564_11455_11566.247598.0.html (https://www.notebookcheck.net/Radeon-780M-vs-NVIDIA-GeForce-RTX-4060-Laptop-GPU-vs-Radeon-760M_11564_11455_11566.247598.0.html)
a laptop with a 4060 in it would have 3x the graphics performance of a computer with Ryzen 780M integrated graphics. In addition, a laptop would travel better and more conveniently than a computer + separate keyboard + monitor. The computers will love the cooler temps of a wine cellar, and you can get yourself a leather pilot jacket to don while flying!
Aces High III has more demanding graphics than the old AHII did (and the game is prettier for it). Make sure you get powerful enough hardware to run the game well. :aok
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Is it really that demanding as far as what hardware requirements is needed? I figured AH was old enough that most computers today would easily handle it. Did someone spike AH with steroids in the last 7 years? :O
Guess so, beta testing for AH3 ended late 2016 and the requirement for a video card changed dramatically. AH2 relied mostly on the CPU so any good office laptop could run it. When AH3 came no card could run it maxxed until several years later.
But if AH is the only game you're going to play a mid-priced gaming laptop is plenty good enough. There's caveats, though: If the laptop has a 4k screen running at 144 Hz, well, that's asking for trouble, sort of. Of course there's ways like reducing the speed and resolution. Basically simple one time tasks but something to take into account.
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Guess so, beta testing for AH3 ended late 2016 and the requirement for a video card changed dramatically. AH2 relied mostly on the CPU so any good office laptop could run it. When AH3 came no card could run it maxxed until several years later.
But if AH is the only game you're going to play a mid-priced gaming laptop is plenty good enough. There's caveats, though: If the laptop has a 4k screen running at 144 Hz, well, that's asking for trouble, sort of. Of course there's ways like reducing the speed and resolution. Basically simple one time tasks but something to take into account.
I thought the laptops I looked up were 1080p. Hope I didn't get a 4k laptop.
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I thought the laptops I looked up were 1080p. Hope I didn't get a 4k laptop.
At least the Gigabyte says so, the MSI doesn't tell in your post.
Also 4K isn't as problematic as a 1440p could be in terms of reducing the resolution for gaming. As 4K has exactly 4x the pixel count of 1080p it downscales naturally to that by combining 4 pixels to show one. Not to mention that for viewing photos or even movies the image quality would be great - or as good as you can see on a tiny screen.
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Ya, you can only get so much from a laptop screen. That's why I wanted a laptop that would run VR.
My laptop 3060 runs about the same as my desktop 1070 and my 1080ti desktop is noticeably faster.