Starting from Scratch!

[OldNitro]

Heya AH players.

I have been away from PC gaming for quite a while, 8yrs or so. Just kinda burned out on it, politics, hash n trash, constant updating equipment. It eventually overwhelmed the enjoyable aspects, so I bagged it all, and directed my attention to other hobbies. Now, I guess that I have come full circle, back to the beginning, so here we go again, lol..

My old game machine has been collecting dust in the attic. XP pro, Intel Dual Core E7300 OC'ed, DDR2, 9800GTX+. was a pretty good rig back in those days, but now only marginally adequate. So now I am building a new machine, using the recommended AH3 specs as a starting point. Right now I am selecting parts for my new rig, it will be assembled and tuned by a local Computer shop who i have done biz with over many years. Less trouble for me!

While browsing computer parts, I am looking at hardware that I have no experience with. I have some knowledge but it is out of date as well. Cut me some slack if my questions seem a bit elementary. I know there is a steep learning curve around here.

Format is ATX full size. Wifey has posted my build budget at $1,200.00. This computer will run AH3 only. I have other machines for regular browsing and personal business etc.

Is it really worthwhile to step up to DDR4 system RAM, over DDR3???

Browsing Intel i5 processors, found 2 that seem to fit my desires, same price even. Outwardly they seem very similar: i5 6600K 3.9Ghz 1151 socket -VS- i5 4690K 3.9Ghz 1150 socket.. What is the diff, and which would be better suited to work in AH3?

Browsing Vid cards, GTX 1060 and 970. would the 3g DDR5 be adequate? Or would it be worth the extra $75-100 for the 6g DDR5 and OC'ed cards?

Thanks for any info and looking forward to playing AH3..

[Bizman]

Hi Nitro, and welcome back!

Both DDR3 and 4 work well enough for any games. It's more a question of longevity. For the same reason I'd rather get LGA 1151. The game won't be bottlenecked by any of the possible combinations there.

From the video cards I'd choose the 3 GB 1060. The amount of RAM is sufficient by a margin and it runs much quieter and uses less power than the 970. Again, both are well up to the task if you're going to use one single 1080p 60 Hz monitor. OC'd cards... Well, one might think they're chosen ones so they may last longer. The performance boost is marginal, though. If you think you'd need more power, then the next better model is the answer.

One hint: Don't skimp on the power supply! Some 600 W is adequate, heavily overdoing the power will cause issues. What I mean, get quality. Seasonic seem to be making solid ones both under their own brand as well as for some others.

[The Fugitive]

There are a number of build outs posted in this thread as long as you don't mind doing some reading. Im sure you could find a half dozen in the first few pages of the "Hardware and Software" thread. From $650 build that run the game well to a number of sites that build good systems with guarantees and burn in testing.

Good luck, and welcome to our world!

[OldNitro]

Done!    Now I wait..... 

I ended up with.
Corsair Carbide Spec3 mid case.
EVGA Supernove G2 650 80+ Gold PSU.
MSI Arsenal series H110m Grenade miniATX Mobo.
Intel i5 6600K 3.3ghz unlocked.
8gig DDR4 2132 G/skill Aegis RAM. (later I'll bump it to 32max)
EVGA GTX1060SC 6gig GDDR5 VR ready.
250GB Crucial BX200 SSD.
1TB Toshiba SATA3 HDD.
ASUS 24x optical drive.

Plus Assembly and tuning, $1250 out the door.
Now I need a nice big monitor for my old eyes..
40" 1080p 120hz should do nicely!

Thanks for the Advisos.. Probably overkill, but WTF..
I'm not the "old" Nitro guy.. New meat for the grinder!
 

[Skuzzy]

That power supply is made by Super Flower.  A good quality power supply manufacturer.  Right there with Seasonic.

[Zoney]

Glad you are here OldNitro.  Hope to see you in the Arena soon.

FYI, I provide situational awareness training.  I dive in from the "Zoneysphere", (30k) and kill you when you aren't checking your high 6!

[OldNitro]

Yes, my computer guy recommended the PSU, it had great reviews, and a good price too. Plus the modular system leaves no cables laying around. Makes for a cleaner machine.

Downloaded the game onto my general service PC. WOAH MAN, looks frickin cool! Just pokin around a bit offline. So many buttons to remember, not an easy game, wouldn't be fun if it was!

I need a stick and a headset, my kids claimed that game stuff, years ago.

[guncrasher]

I would reccomend against getting a mini atx mob.  will limit your choices for future upgrades.


semp

[OldNitro]

I would reccomend against getting a mini atx mob.  will limit your choices for future upgrades.


semp

It's done, too late to change up now. Well I could, but it would delay the process.
I know a full size mobo is better, more PCI slots and will accept 64gig of memory, but I was pushing my budget to the limit, and this miniATX saved me about $100.
I had to give a little bit, so I'll just update it later. This setup should Rock this game anyway.

[Kanth]

Yep should be fine. 

I just ordered my new system too. 
Same thing, compromised in places that I can upgrade later.

[Bizman]

I was going to mention the mini-ATX, too. Instead of expandability my concern is in the cooling. A full size board has more copper within, spreading the heat on a larger area. Your case looks like a well breathing one, so a couple of large fans will most likely take care of any heat related issues.

[OldNitro]

I was going to mention the mini-ATX, too. Instead of expandability my concern is in the cooling. A full size board has more copper within, spreading the heat on a larger area. Your case looks like a well breathing one, so a couple of large fans will most likely take care of any heat related issues.

I agree, heat dissipation, another good reason for a Full ATX Mobo. I will definitely do that in the future, take advantage of a better chipset and higher memory speeds too, Just wasn't possible for me to drop 2+ G's to get ALL the goodies this time around.

Case will accept up to 6 fans, 2 in front, 2 in top, one in back, and one bottom. I have 4 120's specified, 2 (in) front, 1 (out) top, and 1 (out) rear. Stock intel cooler on the chip, which should be OK unless I overclock it. No plans for that, don't think that will be needed anyway. I do plan to boost the memory soon, to the full 32gig that the Mobo will accept.

From my reading, it seems that AH3 won't work this machine as hard as other games do.

[Bizman]

AH is relatively easy on machines.

As for overclocking, it's good to know you aren't into it since the H110m chipset doesn't allow it.

[OldNitro]

AH is relatively easy on machines.

As for overclocking, it's good to know you aren't into it since the H110m chipset doesn't allow it.

Ah, didn't even know that about H110 chipset. Not that it matters.
Last time I did this kinda thing, none of that stuff even existed.

Learning as I go!

[Masherbrum]

That power supply is made by Super Flower.  A good quality power supply manufacturer.  Right there with Seasonic.

I have the Supernova G2 750w and knew they were Super Flower.   10 warranty says a lot and EVGA has always been fantastic in regards to RMA's if need be.