Author Topic: Upgrades???  (Read 2521 times)

Offline avionix

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Upgrades???
« on: March 19, 2020, 01:34:17 PM »
So, have the specs on my machine below.

AMD FX(tm)-6100 Six-Core
8GB RAM
64-bit OS
NVIDIA GeForce GT740

Motherboard info:
BaseBoard Manufacturer   ASRock
BaseBoard Product   960GM/U3S3 FX

What do I need to upgrade to get better visuals? I have had to disable all of the options in the visual area and most of the sliders are turned down quite a bit to get a FR of about 54.

Would like to get more visual out of the game.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2020, 01:36:08 PM by avionix »
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Offline Bizman

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Re: Upgrades???
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2020, 01:44:48 PM »
The weakest part in your system is your video card. Just upgrading that would give you a much better experience.

However, since your system is almost a decade old, upgrading the video card only would most likely bottleneck the processor. Upgrading the entire system is the most recommendable option. If you're tight on budget getting a tad younger system with a decent video card is a valid option as well - something like an Intel 15-4590 with a GTX970 plus a suitable motherboard and RAM (your current RAM might or might not be compatible) should easily run AH at default settings at 60 FPS.
Quote from: BaldEagl, applies to myself, too
I've got an older system by today's standards that still runs the game well by my standards.

Kotisivuni

Offline avionix

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Re: Upgrades???
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2020, 02:34:46 PM »
The weakest part in your system is your video card. Just upgrading that would give you a much better experience.

However, since your system is almost a decade old, upgrading the video card only would most likely bottleneck the processor. Upgrading the entire system is the most recommendable option. If you're tight on budget getting a tad younger system with a decent video card is a valid option as well - something like an Intel 15-4590 with a GTX970 plus a suitable motherboard and RAM (your current RAM might or might not be compatible) should easily run AH at default settings at 60 FPS.

So this is what I have in mind, because I do not mind spending the money. Upgrade the processors, RAM and video card as much as I can without having to upgrade the motherboard. May be interested in a solid state hard drive as well.
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Offline Bizman

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Re: Upgrades???
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2020, 03:29:44 PM »
A solid state drive won't give a single frame more. What it does, it makes your computer and programs launch faster.

You may not be able to improve your processor much on your current motherboard so CPU, Motherboard and RAM may be a bundle you'll have to upgrade at one go. They seem to be available second hand quite often for a decend price so keep your eyes open. We just bought a set of i5-4570K, 16 GB RAM and an Asus board for €150 from a private vendor who upgraded his gaming rig.

Anyhow, the first thing to upgrade is your video card. Depending on the power requirements of the new card you may have to upgrade your power supply as well. GTX1060 is available as a low power model as well without any extra connectors needed. Check your PSU connectors and nominal power comparing them to the requirements for video card candidates.
Quote from: BaldEagl, applies to myself, too
I've got an older system by today's standards that still runs the game well by my standards.

Kotisivuni

Offline Shuffler

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Re: Upgrades???
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2020, 06:32:35 PM »
Bizman giving very good recommendations..... as usual.

Follow them and I think you will be very happy with the results and the savings.
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Offline Denniss

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Re: Upgrades???
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2020, 07:21:13 PM »
GTX1060 always requires extra power connectors, mixup with 1050Ti or 1650?

Offline Bizman

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Re: Upgrades???
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2020, 02:11:05 AM »
Thanks, Denniss! I remembered wrong.

GTX1650 is probably the fastest card at the moment without an extra power connector.
Quote from: BaldEagl, applies to myself, too
I've got an older system by today's standards that still runs the game well by my standards.

Kotisivuni

Offline Denniss

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Re: Upgrades???
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2020, 08:30:46 AM »
One just have to read the specification before buying a 1650 as several of them, ususly those labelled as OC version, do require extra power.
Anyway, they are too expensive for what they deliver.

Offline TequilaChaser

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Re: Upgrades???
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2020, 02:57:20 PM »
So, have the specs on my machine below.

AMD FX(tm)-6100 Six-Core
8GB RAM
64-bit OS
NVIDIA GeForce GT740

Motherboard info:
BaseBoard Manufacturer   ASRock
BaseBoard Product   960GM/U3S3 FX

What do I need to upgrade to get better visuals? I have had to disable all of the options in the visual area and most of the sliders are turned down quite a bit to get a FR of about 54.

Would like to get more visual out of the game.

Which 64bit OS are you using?

Are you using (1) 8 GB DIMM or (2) 4 GB DIMMs ? This particular MB only has 2 DIMM slots and only supports a total of 16 GBs of DDR3 System RAM

Quote
ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX MB Specs
CPU Socket   Socket AM3+      The socket defines which CPUs are compatible and will fit into the motherboard
CPU Compatible Make   AMD      This is the manufacturer of the CPUs that are compatible with this motherboard
CPU Chipset   760G      This is the name of the chipset, the parts of the motherboard circuit that manage data flow between PC components
Form Factor   Micro-ATX      Form factor is the motherboard's physical size standard, which dictates what cases it will fit into and can limit expansion capabilities
Max RAM   16 GB DDR3      This is the maximum amount of RAM the motherboard can accommodate
RAM Slots   2 x DDR3      This is how many slots there are for the different RAM types in this motherboard
Memory Channels   2      Multi-channel memory architecture increases memory data transfer speeds
Compatible RAM Speeds   
DDR3 800 MHz
DDR3 1066 MHz
DDR3 1333 MHz
DDR3 1600 MHz
DDR3 1866 MHz
The motherboard is compatible with only these types of RAM
USB 2.0 Internal Slots   4      Internal USB 2.0 slots are useful for long-term USB solutions such as case connections
USB 2.0 Rear   4      Back slots are designed to be accessed from the back of the case, and is generally where basic peripherals are connected
USB 3.0 Rear   2      USB 3.0 slots provide faster data transfer than USB 2.0 and are backwards compatible
Graphics Card Interface   PCIe v2.x      The graphics card interface is the specific technology the motherboard uses to communicate with the graphics card
SLI Support   1 graphics cards      SLI support allows your motherboard to utilize multiple connected Nvidia graphics cards for improved performance
Crossfire Support   1 graphics cards      Crossfire support allows your motherboard to utilize multiple connected AMD graphics cards for improved performance
Onboard GPU   yes      If you wish to support integrated graphics you would need a motherboard with a graphics chip or a complete GPU solution such as an AMD APU
PCI Slots   
1 x PCIe x1 v2.0
1 x PCIe x16 v2.0
PCI slots are hardware containers that can be used to house any compatible PCI component
SATA 1.0   0      Serial ATA (SATA) 1.0 is an old technology used to connect slower hard drives
SATA 2.0   0      Serial ATA (SATA) 2.0 is still commonly used for theoretical hard drive speeds of up to 3GB/s
SATA 3.0   0      Serial ATA (SATA) 3.0 is an increasingly popular hard drive standard that can theoretically reach hard drive speeds of up to 6GB/s
RAID Support   yes      RAID support allows you to use RAID for multiple hard drives to provide either backups or extra performance speed
Internal I/O   
1 x 24 pin power connector
1 x 4 pin power connector
CD/DVD drive connector
1 x IDE connector
These are the internal connections for items such as fans and power
Back Panel I/O   
D-Sub Connector
DVI connector"
Line In Connector
Line Out Connector
Mic In connector
Audio Input Output
PS/2 keyboard connector
PS/2 mouse connector
These are the back panel connections primarily for peripherals such as speakers
ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX compatibility review
The ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX uses the AMD Socket AM3+ CPU socket. Any compatible AMD CPU will have the same socket entry. It uses the DDR3 memory type, with maximum speeds of up to 1866 MHz, and 2 DDR3 slots allowing for a maximum total of 16 GB RAM.

The Micro-ATX ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX should fit into all ATX cases, but its smaller size allows you to downsize your system build as a whole. Its size comes at the cost of features, so there are likely to be far fewer connections and expansion options available than in a larger motherboard.

The ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX has 2 SATA 3.0 hard drive slots. These allow for theoretical data transfer speeds of up to 6GB/s, as opposed to the 3GB/s of SATA 2.0. Generally speaking, only high performance hard drives, specifically solid-state drives, will be able to take advantage of the bandwidth potential of SATA 3.0 ports, though it is backwards compatible, so you do not have to take advantage. This motherboard also has 4 SATA 2.0 slots, so numerous SATA hard drives can be connected if desired.

The ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX supports onboard graphics. This allows for integrated graphics when paired with a compatible CPU that supports them. Integrated graphics are a cheap alternative to using a graphics card, but should be avoided when frequently using modern applications or games that require intense graphical processing. There are 1 PCIe x16 slots on this motherboard. This means it is perfectly capable of accommodating the latest graphics cards, although it is important to try and use a graphics card with the same graphics card interface of PCIe v2.x, as anything below will not reach the motherboard's potential, and anything above will have its performance slashed to the bandwidth maximum of the ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX's PCIe v2.x. The ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX does not support multiple graphics cards via Nvidia SLI or AMD Crossfire.

The ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX has 8 USB 2.0 slots and 2 USB 3.0 slots. USB 3.0 slots are theoretically capable of data transfer speeds of up to 5 Gbit/s, which is over 10 times faster than the USB 2.0 top speed of 480 Mbit/s. Although USB 2.0 slots alone currently serve as well as ever, an upgrade would better future-proof your system as more USB 3.0 compatible peripherals emerge. USB 3.0 is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0, which means you do not even have to use the newer slot functionality if you do not wish to.

If your OS is either Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 64bit

You can get by with upgrading your System Ram to (2) 8 GB DIMMs (paired) and going with either the Nvidia GTX 1660 6GB GDDR go with the AMD Radeon RX590 8GB GDDR

reference link: 
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.pcmag.com/comparisons/nvidia-geforce-gtx-1660-vs-amd-radeon-rx-590-which-mainstream-graphics&ved=2ahUKEwjg-qvU7K7oAhUCTt8KHZk7C_kQFjAFegQIARAe&usg=AOvVaw1vR-fyooeOjSwGR2gVvD31

The AMD RX590 (and some RX580's) outperform the 1060 and 1660.... In both 1080i resolution and 1440 resolution

Provided your PSU has the 6 +2 (=8) or the 8 plug connector needed

Hope this helps

TC
« Last Edit: March 22, 2020, 03:01:05 PM by TequilaChaser »
"When one considers just what they should say to a new pilot who is logging in Aces High, the mind becomes confused in the complex maze of info it is necessary for the new player to know. All of it is important; most of it vital; and all of it just too much for one brain to absorb in 1-2 lessons" TC

Offline avionix

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Re: Upgrades???
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2020, 10:22:54 AM »
Thank you TC. I am running Windows X. Have 2 4GB sticks of RAM.

I may look into this as a temp fix. With the wife ack at home, have to do this on the DL.   :noid
treekilr in game.   
"Please. This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Let's not bicker and argue over who killed who..."

Offline avionix

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Re: Upgrades???
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2020, 08:58:21 AM »
Starting to build my wishlist of parts to build up over the next few months. Interested in maybe going VR somewhere down the road, so that is something that I want to keep in mind. Wondering if the parts below would be a good build for that or maxing out the visuals with my current monitor.

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8GHz 12-Core Processor
MSI MPG X570 Gaming Plus ATX AM4 Motherboard
750W Power supply
Corsair H100i RGB 750 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Corsair 32GB (2x16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory
MSI GeForce 2060 6GB Gaming Z Video Card

Will use existing case and not worried about the hard drive as that should not really matter.
treekilr in game.   
"Please. This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Let's not bicker and argue over who killed who..."

Offline Drano

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Re: Upgrades???
« Reply #11 on: April 20, 2020, 11:35:44 AM »
Starting to build my wishlist of parts to build up over the next few months. Interested in maybe going VR somewhere down the road, so that is something that I want to keep in mind. Wondering if the parts below would be a good build for that or maxing out the visuals with my current monitor.

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8GHz 12-Core Processor
MSI MPG X570 Gaming Plus ATX AM4 Motherboard
750W Power supply
Corsair H100i RGB 750 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Corsair 32GB (2x16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory
MSI GeForce 2060 6GB Gaming Z Video Card

Will use existing case and not worried about the hard drive as that should not really matter.
Essentially identical spec-wise to the rig I just put together other than an Asus mobo and GSkill ram. Crushes AH.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

"Drano"
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S.A.P.P.- Secret Association Of P-38 Pilots (Lightning In A Bottle)

FSO flying with the 412th Friday Night Volunteer Group

Offline Denniss

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Re: Upgrades???
« Reply #12 on: April 20, 2020, 04:15:59 PM »
Do you really need that many CPU-Cores? Otherwise a 3700X 8-core may be better for yur needs (and cheaper)
There are rumors out the long missing B550 boards will hit stores in June, offering PCIe4 from the CPU for Graphics and 1x NVMe SSD, chipset offers additional PCIe3 lanes. No fan on chipset. The cheaper MSI x570 have at best mediocre VRM configs
Strike Corsair RAM and replace it with Crucial Ballistix RAM of the same speedgrade - better quality RAM
Powersupply is wayyyyy overdosed, if you want headroom stick to 650W.
No one should buy a plain 2060 with just 6GB VRAM anymore - aim for 2060Super or RX5700(XT)

Offline Drano

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Re: Upgrades???
« Reply #13 on: April 20, 2020, 05:00:41 PM »
I'm not of the build a new PC every other year tribe so when I do I tend to err more on the future proofing side. I might not need that today but maybe will in a few years. That strategery worked out OK with the last build from 2011.

I'm waiting to see what happens in the GPU world before making a change there. The 2060 was the only thing I swapped from the old machine and it's been fine for AH and what little dabbling in IL2 I do. Even in VR.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

"Drano"
80th FS "Headhunters"

S.A.P.P.- Secret Association Of P-38 Pilots (Lightning In A Bottle)

FSO flying with the 412th Friday Night Volunteer Group

Offline TequilaChaser

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Re: Upgrades???
« Reply #14 on: April 20, 2020, 07:38:12 PM »
Do you really need that many CPU-Cores? Otherwise a 3700X 8-core may be better for yur needs (and cheaper)
There are rumors out the long missing B550 boards will hit stores in June, offering PCIe4 from the CPU for Graphics and 1x NVMe SSD, chipset offers additional PCIe3 lanes. No fan on chipset. The cheaper MSI x570 have at best mediocre VRM configs
Strike Corsair RAM and replace it with Crucial Ballistix RAM of the same speedgrade - better quality RAM
Powersupply is wayyyyy overdosed, if you want headroom stick to 650W.
No one should buy a plain 2060 with just 6GB VRAM anymore - aim for 2060Super or RX5700(XT)

I agree with dennis on switching the System Ram from Corsair to Crucial Ballistics Sport or Elite if you can afford it.... you can go with the 3600 RAM, but 3200 will work just as well

also, I'm with Drano on the Motherboard choice... ou of the 8 or 9 PCs I've  built for others that request MSI boards, I have found them all to show irregularities with the voltage settings and even CPU output speed when running from a stock default bios settings.... even the SYSTEM RAM would clock higher and at weird speeds (MHz readings)

I would recommend sticking with ASUS, ASRock or Gigabyte motherboards..... ( I prefer ASUS myself )

The 750 Watt PSU isn't that bad "DEPENDING" on what Brand/Model it might be.... talking about quality here

Also, there has been a new RYZEN Driver update regarding the I/O Input-output controller driver.... they released one but it was supposedly giving some people problems but not others, so they released a newer version to have fixed that issue


and get ready for this years first Major WINDOWS 10 update...... it comes out in May ( Microsoft  says 2 of these Major Big Updates are scheduled for Windows 10 each year ).....so I would recommend going into your update settings and setting both update setting options to hold off for 30 days before it downloads and installs..... this will buy you a little time so you can see if they have all the kinks worked out or if they will have to do aome patches to fix issues ( infact, anyone using windows 10, I recommend you postpone all your MS Windows 10 updates to 30 days, this will help you in the long run!)

As for your choice of MSI GPU, I've only heard good things regarding MSI's GPUs and think Drano can second me on that

Good Luck with your build and hope this helps

TC
"When one considers just what they should say to a new pilot who is logging in Aces High, the mind becomes confused in the complex maze of info it is necessary for the new player to know. All of it is important; most of it vital; and all of it just too much for one brain to absorb in 1-2 lessons" TC