506th IR Realism Unit
Open Forum => Public Discussion => Computer Hardware => Topic started by: O'Dette on March 23, 2015, 04:17:36 PM
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Hey, guys.
So, I'm (fairly certain I will be) working a job over the summer that will net me ~$2000 by the end of July, which is also when the job ends. I've already set aside ~$1100 for building a new computer*, and I thought I'd open my idea up to you guys to see what you think about the build I've been working the preliminaries on.
Just some basic rules.
1. I'm trying to keep costs on the computer itself below $1200 at the very least, $1300 at the very most. Obviously I want the latter over the former.
2. I'm not trying to build some supercomputer. I just want something that can run well and at slightly-better-than-decent graphics big games like ArmA III, Star Citizen, etc.
3. This computer needs to be easily portable (as I'm bringing it to college with me when my next semester starts in late August) and therefore needs to be inside a tower.
4. I know practically nothing about how computers actually work, so explain why you want to make a change to my proposed build and what effect it will have on the PC.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/d7HTD3 (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/d7HTD3)
Thanks,
O'Dette
*I actually plan on enlisting with the 506th not long after I come home from school in early May, meaning that this computer is mainly meant to be acquired before I return to college rather than before I join up.
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Do you have anything to start off?
A case or any sort of peripherals? I'll let others get into the nuts and bolts of the machine because I only feel like digging through mounds of reviews if I'm building it for myself and I'm sure others are already up to date with it all so it will be easier for them. I do know any sort of build, it's nice if you can save on the cheap stuff. Also I'd highly recommend getting a premium account on newegg. No interest for 12 months on anything over 500 bucks. Makes the hit of buying a new computer not so bad if you pay it over a few months.
Other will probably correct me if i'm wrong, but i feel like an SSD and high level CPU are the two best things to get for running ARMA 3 specifically. Graphics card would be a second.
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I have a mouse and can probably get a keyboard on the cheap. Either way, I've got both figured into my computer build as is just for simplicity's sake.
As for a monitor, that's a bit rougher deal. I hope I can requisition an old one from either my family or from a family friend.
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Get quality RAM and HDD. What you have is not exactly going to last. Get corsair/g.skill for memory and a WD hard drive, your SSD choice is solid. I'd look into a few other motherboards as well. MSI, Asus and Gigabyte make great boards, but their entry-mid level aren't nearly as good as their mid-high/gaming boards.
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Go for DDR4 ram ;)
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Here is a parts-list put together by a family friend. It's a bit pricier though, see what you think about this one.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bGrdwP (http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bGrdwP)
Personally, it's a bit too much out of my price-range, but is there anything you guys can gleam from this that we can drag down to a cheaper build?
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You can buy a pretty decent pre-built PC that will run Arma very well for under $1000 not including a monitor. And, even waiting a few months, prices on the current hottest stuff will go down a little bit. I thought about building my own PC but I was willing to spend just a little more for a nice pre-built system that runs everything on ultra graphics for under $1000. That was a little over a year ago.
There's lots of choices out there for less expensive pre-built pc's in my opinion.
-Brewer
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i reckon you don't need half the stuff in that list and also what SPC Brewer said is pretty accurate
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If you're looking to run Arma...you don't need that beefy of a graphic card. I have a GeForce 760 and an i7 processor take that money and put it into a better CPU....or some peripherals like a better mouse/keyboard/headphones etc.
My basic system is thus:
Intel i7-4770 CPU @ 3.4GHz
8GB DDR3 1600 RAM
Windows 8.1 64bit
Nvidia GeForce GTX 760
1TB HDD
I would bet that you can get a similar system to mine now for about $800. Search newegg.com for tons of "gaming" systems that are available.
-Brewer
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http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dGNmWZ
I found this while going on Google. What sayeth thee?
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I'd definitely go with an i7 processor. Arma relies on the CPU more than the GPU and if you're ever going to record or want to render videos, the higher powered processor will be worth the extra $150 or so.
Also, you didn't include an operating system in your build. Windows 8.1 is the way to go as it will have a free upgrade to Windows 10 this summer. Even with all of that any your stated budget you'll have $300-400 for other goodies like a good headset and mouse which I would say are the first things to spend money on. I lived with a the not-so-great keyboard that came with my system for a year before I upgraded. You can see my current setup here: Link (http://www.506thir.net/forums/index.php?action=post;msg=18059;topic=3424.0) And don't forget a good quality lava lamp. An essential part of any awesome gaming system. ;D
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Intel i7-4770 Quad-core 3.4GHz so you get the multi-threading that i5's don't have = $300
G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) = $130
MSI z97-Gaming 5 or ASUS z97-A LGA 1150 Motherboard = both $150
GeForce 960 or 970 GTX is nice and won't be all that expensive when you're planning on buying = anywhere from $200-$400 probably
750-800w Power Supply = $95
250GB SSD = $100
2TB HDD = $100
CPU Heatsink + Fan will cost ~$40 for air cool
Case: Whatever you can afford, but the Fractal Design R5 is an amazing case = $110
Monitor: Something around 1ms response time and the faster the refresh rate, the better
Mouse: Whatever you want
Keboard: Whatever you want
That's a quick base list that you can use that will give you a pretty good gaming computer and have it last, plus you can mix and match different components with this to get it down to a cheaper price point. Finding things on sale and buying them is always a good idea too.
Edit: Note that you could always move down to an Intel i5 as games rarely, if ever, take advantage of more than 2 threads, so unless you are planning on doing video editing and rendering, things of that nature, than an i5 may be more in line with what you are looking for. And it'll be cheaper.
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Here you go, 1200 exactly http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xZyWCJ
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http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dGNmWZ
I found this while going on Google. What sayeth thee?
this look alot better a windows 7 operating system in your build and your all set don't worry windows 7 also has a free upgrade to windows 10 this summer also if you want would recommend a samsung ssd if you have the spare money
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Okay, been looking at these suggestions.
Thanks, guys, really, it's helping a lot.
PV2 Goldberg, I like your build, but I don't wanna go Windows 8.1. I'll stick with Windows 7.
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You cant buy windows 7 anymore, unless you find a box copy somewhere. Win 8.1 runs a lot smoother and faster than 7. If you want to get version 10 when it comes out they are offering free upgrade to it from any current version you have.
Also that PC Parts Picker is garbage. 80% of the stuff you picked out is overpriced. I can find it cheaper of sites like Newegg. If anything, find a PC retail store. I have Fry's Electronics and they price match everything. I recently purchased a EVGA GTX 970 FTW from frys for $350. They had it priced at $390 and so they price matched it with Newegg's price.
I would also agree with some of what Thach has here but go with the i7. Its coming up on that time of the year when Intel releases their new shit(June or July). What this means is their older stuff will drop in price soon. Invest the most in your CPU, GPU, and RAM(16GB Max). SSD's are great but if you on a budget wait on that stuff. The CPU heatsink usually comes with the CPU but its not a great one(better than not having one at all, just don't overclock). Cases can be found rather inexpensive and well under the $100 line. Just look for a ATX MID tower. The Case, Monitor, Mouse, Keyboard... just shop around for. Its what your going to be looking at 98% of the time.
But to sum it all up, you can always upgrade over time to get the really good stuff.
Intel i7-4770 Quad-core 3.4GHz so you get the multi-threading that i5's don't have = $300
G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) = $130
MSI z97-Gaming 5 or ASUS z97-A LGA 1150 Motherboard = both $150
GeForce 960 or 970 GTX is nice and won't be all that expensive when you're planning on buying = anywhere from $200-$400 probably
750-800w Power Supply = $95
250GB SSD = $100
2TB HDD = $100
CPU Heatsink + Fan will cost ~$40 for air cool
Case: Whatever you can afford, but the Fractal Design R5 is an amazing case = $110
Monitor: Something around 1ms response time and the faster the refresh rate, the better
Mouse: Whatever you want
Keboard: Whatever you want
That's a quick base list that you can use that will give you a pretty good gaming computer and have it last, plus you can mix and match different components with this to get it down to a cheaper price point. Finding things on sale and buying them is always a good idea too.
Edit: Note that you could always move down to an Intel i5 as games rarely, if ever, take advantage of more than 2 threads, so unless you are planning on doing video editing and rendering, things of that nature, than an i5 may be more in line with what you are looking for. And it'll be cheaper.
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Here you go, 1200 exactly http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xZyWCJ
not bad at all. You will save $60 by losing the cooler; you dont need it for that set up.
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I haven't been on the whole liquid cooler but my suggestion to cut even more $$$ is go with air cooling.
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427223190&sr=8-1&keywords=cpu+fan (http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427223190&sr=8-1&keywords=cpu+fan)
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Cannot disagree with the Hyper 212.
Got mine a few days ago and it's really really good.
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The CPU cooler isn't necessary if you don't plan on overclocking your CPU. Just stick with the standard Intel cooler. It'll knock off a couple of bucks to upgrade other components.
Personally, I would drop the CPU Cooler and grab the pricier 4790K. You'll get higher clock speeds without needing to overclock, and you can always grab a cooler later on to crank that baby up to 4.4GHz. I recently opted to do that, my CPU has run perfectly, and I'm going to be investing in a cooler and an SSD in a few months.
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I would prefer the ASUS GTX 970 over the EVGA because it runs much quieter. Yes, benchmarks show the EVGA runs "cooler" over ASUS, however, I doubt you'll be able to tell (or even care) in real life. The fan noise however, you will see a difference as the ASUS has fans turned completely off when under light loads and under heavy loads is extremely quiet. Additionally, ASUS customer service (if you ever have to call them) is excellent!
In regards to spending money on a 1ms refresh rate monitor. I would personally rather spend my money on higher resolution over refresh rate. I play on a 1440p monitor at 60hz and Arma looks amazing on ultra. Since Arma isn't really a "twitch" shooter, I don't really see the benefit of spending the additional cash on higher refresh rate.
Just my two cents. To each his own.
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I want to say thanks to everyone for your suggestions.
The build as I'm creating it as follows.
Intel i7-4770 Quad Processor=$344.99 W/ Free Shipping
Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler=$69.99 W/ Free Shipping & -$10 bonus [price includes this for all]
Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard=$69.99 W/ -$20
Corsair 8GB Memory=$61.89 W/ $1.99 shipping
Sandisk SSD 128GB 2.5"=$49.98
Western Digital RE3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive=$40.00 W/ $4.99 shipping
MSI GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card=$211.99 W/ -$10.00 & Free Shipping
Fractal Design Core 3500 ATX Mid Tower Case=$66.99
Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply=$69.99 W/ -$10.00
Cooler Master Devastator Gaming Bundle [backlit keyboard and optical mouse, both wired]=$27.87
Logitech H390 Headset=$24.99
Windows 7 Home Premium=$86.99
I'll get a monitor off of a family friend for a decent price
I'll get Microsoft Office off of the same friend
Total Price=~$1057
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decent price so how long till you join us on the battlefield
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decent price so how long till you join us on the battlefield
With this PC? Probably sometime in August. As for me signing up, I'm finishing this semester in the first week of May, so I'm going to go home and apply as soon as I can. Expect my application by 15 May.