Hardware & Technical Computer Build to run Elite Dangerous

[rab]

These are the specs for the computer I have been looking at. It's one of the Alienware ones.

Alienware X51

Video Card 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 645 (DVI-I/HDMI/DP)
Hard Drive 1TB (64MB Cache) 7200 RPM SATA 6Gb/s
Wireless DW1506 Wireless-N WLAN Half Mini-Card
Processor 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i3-4130 processor (3MB Cache, up to 3.4 GHz)
Memory 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600Mhz
Optical Drive Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW) (Standard)
Keyboard Alienware Standard USB 2.0 Keyboard (English)
FGA Module ANDRO1405_002/HK/AN/AS/BTO
Wireless Driver WLAN Card DW1506 Driver

This is going to cost me nearly $2000 and another two months of saving.

Do your think these specs will do the job?

That is a rip off those specs are what I would class as a budget gaming rig 2000 dollars you should be able to get a really good PC for that.

This is a link from an English website just to give you an idea of what you could get sure you could find something similar in the US comes to £940 which is about $1500 us I think.
Hope the link works
https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quote-save/

 

[rab]

Or if you wanted a i7 better motherboard and more ram.
£1160 or $1850 way more powerful than the Alienware and cheaper as well

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quote-save/

link didn't work so here is the spec list instead
Case
PCS ALPHA TRION 7622B BLACK CASE

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4770 (3.4GHz) 8MB Cache

Motherboard
ASUS® Z87-A: ATX, USB2.0, USB3.0, SATA6GB/S, SLi, XFIRE

Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (2 x 8GB)

Graphics Card
3GB AMD RADEON™ R9 280X - DVI, HDMI, DP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable

Memory - 1st Hard Disk
500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 16MB CACHE

2nd Hard Disk
500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 16MB CACHE

1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM

Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W VS SERIES™ VS-650 POWER SUPPLY

Processor Cooling
Corsair H80i Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler (£69)

Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)

Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs

USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS

Power Cable
1 x 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)

Operating System
Genuine Windows 8.1 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)

Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365

Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL

Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)

Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Quantity 1

 

[Erimus Kamzel]

These are the specs for the computer I have been looking at. It's one of the Alienware ones.

Alienware X51

Video Card 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 645 (DVI-I/HDMI/DP)
Hard Drive 1TB (64MB Cache) 7200 RPM SATA 6Gb/s
Wireless DW1506 Wireless-N WLAN Half Mini-Card
Processor 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i3-4130 processor (3MB Cache, up to 3.4 GHz)
Memory 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600Mhz
Optical Drive Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW) (Standard)
Keyboard Alienware Standard USB 2.0 Keyboard (English)
FGA Module ANDRO1405_002/HK/AN/AS/BTO
Wireless Driver WLAN Card DW1506 Driver

This is going to cost me nearly $2000 and another two months of saving.

Do your think these specs will do the job?

That is a rip off those specs are what I would class as a budget gaming rig 2000 dollars you should be able to get a really good PC for that.

This is a link from an English website just to give you an idea of what you could get sure you could find something similar in the US comes to £940 which is about $1500 us I think.
Hope the link works
https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quote-save/

I agree with rab, that Alienware X51 is massively overpriced for what you get. Those specs may have warranted that price a few years ago but today you can get something far far better and much cheaper too.

I was initially shopping around for a laptop but have decided to go for a mini-pc in the new year from PC Specialists. The builds I'm looking at are around the £900 mark (hopefully cheaper in the new year sales) and all have better processors and better graphics cards than that X51, and will include a 21.5" monitor too.


Edit: That X51 build on PC Specialists comes to around £578. That's $984 Australian dollars. Not sure if you have something like PC Specialists in Australia, but it may be worth shopping around

 

[HaB1971]

I doubt i'll need to change anything on my rig it should still be good enough for a while longer

i7 -2600
GTX580
16GB of 1866ghz DDR3
180GB SATA III boot SSD and 1TB SATA mechanical drives

Had the Corsair H80 liquid cooling system for the CPU but was noisy and the wife had an identical setup and it leaked and took out her video card... so went back to a large block and fan which was quieter than the Corsair system.

 

[Commander Mick]

Or if you wanted a i7 better motherboard and more ram.
£1160 or $1850 way more powerful than the Alienware and cheaper as well

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quote-save/

link didn't work so here is the spec list instead
Case
PCS ALPHA TRION 7622B BLACK CASE

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4770 (3.4GHz) 8MB Cache

Motherboard
ASUS® Z87-A: ATX, USB2.0, USB3.0, SATA6GB/S, SLi, XFIRE

Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (2 x 8GB)

Graphics Card
3GB AMD RADEON™ R9 280X - DVI, HDMI, DP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable

Memory - 1st Hard Disk
500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 16MB CACHE

2nd Hard Disk
500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 16MB CACHE

1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM

Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W VS SERIES™ VS-650 POWER SUPPLY

Processor Cooling
Corsair H80i Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler (£69)

Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)

Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs

USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS

Power Cable
1 x 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)

Operating System
Genuine Windows 8.1 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)

Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365

Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL

Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)

Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Quantity 1

I just had a look on the JB Hi-Fi website who have a store pretty close to where I live.

I have been having look at these Note-Book-Laptop-Computers and wasn't sure about them for gaming machines, and had another look my current laptop computers specs and it says it's a Note-Book as well. I play plenty of games -no worries- on this one.

They also carry the Acer brand name as well.....

***************************************************************

ACER 15" NOTEBOOK

E1-522-45004G50MNKK

AMD A4m-5000b Quad-core 1.50ghz CPU
4GB RAM
500GB Hard Drive

Windows 8
DVD +/- & CD Recorder
3 USB Ports
USB Version 3.0
SD Card Reader
Webcam
WIFI
512MB Graphics Memory
500 GB HDD
4 GB RAM
15.6 Inch Screen
1 HDMI Ports
1366 x 768 Screen Resolution
4 Cell Battery
2 USB 2.0 Ports
1 USB 3.0 Ports

$547.00 AUD

***************************************************************

ACER 15" NOTEBOOK

E1-572-34014G50MNKK

4th Generation Intel Core i3-4010u 1.7ghz CPU
4GB RAM
500GB Hard Drive

Windows 8
1 USB Ports
USB Version 3.0
SD Card Reader
Webcam
Bluetooth
WIFI
128MB Graphics Memory
Intel HD Graphics 4400
500 GB HDD
4 GB RAM
15.6 Inch Screen
1 HDMI Ports
1366 x 768 Screen Resolution
4 Cell Battery
2 USB 2.0 Ports
1 USB 3.0 Ports

$567.00 AUD

***************************************************************

ACER 15" NOTEBOOK

V5-573G-5420G50AII

4th Generation Intel Core i5-4200u Up To 2.6ghz CPU
4GB RAM
500GB Hard Drive

Windows 8
1 USB Ports
USB Version 3.0
SD Card Reader
Webcam
Bluetooth
WIFI
2GB Graphics Memory
NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M with 2GB Dedicated Graphics
500 GB HDD
4 GB RAM
15.6 Inch Screen
1 HDMI Ports
1366 x 768 Screen Resolution
4 Cell Battery
2 USB 2.0 Ports
1 USB 3.0 Ports

$798.00 AUD

***************************************************************

ACER ASPIRE V7 15.6" ULTRABOOK

V7-582P-54204G52TKK

Intel Core i5 4200u Processor
4GB RAM
500GB + Hybrid 20gb SSD

Windows 8
2 USB Ports
USB Version 3.0
SD Card Reader
Webcam
Bluetooth
WIFI
UMA Graphics
500 GB HDD
4 GB RAM
15.6 Inch Screen
1 HDMI Ports
4 Cell Battery
20GB SSD (Solid State Drive)
1 USB 2.0 Ports
1 USB 3.0 Ports

YOU PAY $898.00 AUD,
$769.00 AUD AFTER CASH BACK

***************************************************************​

I picked these computers because they because the first one has a Quad-Core Processer (As you have mentioned before.) and the other three have something different. The one after has a 4th Generation Intel Core Processer and I'm not sure how that is opposed to Quad-Core and they all have 500GB hard-drive.

Although the other values are less than what you wrote down. These Note-Book-Laptop-Computers only ranging from only 128MB to 2GB Graphics-Memory.

Are these up to the system specs needed to run Elite -Dangerous?

I can afford these prices before December, but really only the first three since I have backed another Kick-Starter since I posted here last night and that will be taking another $300.00 AUD from my bank account on December the 8th.

I figured if I only pay this much now, use it for playing the Alpha/Beta build of the game and trade it in for better computer April next year when I have more money for descent computer.

 

[rab]

It is hard to say what performance you would get they would all probably run it but how well we wont know until the beta tests start but I am guessing it wont be to good... but I wouldn't buy a laptop for gaming anyway unless you really need it for other stuff as well none of the Acer laptops you linked are very good.

The AMD quad core is a low end one and the i5 in the other laptops isn't a really a full i5 either it is a dual core with hyper threading 2 real cores and 2 virtual cores and the GT720m is pretty crap as well.

Laptops are more expensive if you spent $1000 on a gaming PC to get the same lvl of performance you would need to spend almost double that on a laptop.

MY advice would be unless you are going to be traveling around a lot and still want to game while your away from home then get a laptop if not then get a desktop, you could always by a cheap laptop just for working watching movies or what ever as well.

 

[Asp Explorer]

A couple of years ago - I bought a dual ssd/hdd , i7, 16Gb, 2Gb AMD 5850, 1080, 18.4" laptop for gaming.

It worked great, but long, daily gaming sessions became horrendous.

The aluminium keyboard got too hot to actually touch and WASD. One corner of the screen discoloured from heat. It eventually cooked itself, warped the board and cracked some traces. Just out of warranty, of course

Shame, it was a nice machine. I'm still looking for a new board on ebay

 

[SnowGhost]

None of those JBHiFi laptops are any good for gaming. But the first is a cheap P.o.S.

The only one that has a hope is teh 3rd one with the Nvidia video chip. But even then I think you're pushing up hill

 

[Commander Mick]

If they are up to spec I might hold on to what little money I have longer and save up for a decent rig until next April.

Until then, the one I'm using now will have to do.

Although I believe it's even lesser than those others I just showed you.

 

[Erimus Kamzel]

I wouldn't bother with a laptop if I where you Mick. All the advice I've had from this community and the Star Citizen one tell me laptops won't give you a great gaming experience from either of those games unless you're spending silly money on high-end gaming ones in the region of £2-3K (4K Aus dollars). And even then you're stuck with an expensive system that you can't really upgrade.

For gaming, desktops are the way to go. If you're like me and stuck for space or need some mobility in your rig then have a look at some mini-pc's. They're a good compromise.

Since you're not about to rush out and buy one and are saving up like me, I'm going to take a wild guess here based on the info I've gained from the hardware threads on the SC forums (SC will be more demanding than ED so its a good benchmark to use), and say don't bother looking at any system unless its at least a Quad Core I-5, 8GB DDR RAM, and a GTX650Ti (or its AMD equivalent). Use that as your minimum spec to save up for and by the time Beta and Gamma release comes around we'll know what's really needed.

 

[Pyros]

I second the "laptop gaming issues" raised. Indeed, either you spend a ton of money or you have a low quality/power gaming environment. Fine for many games (strategy, puzzle, ...) but not for rich 3d experiences.

If top of the line GPUs on desktop are currently power bound, imagine on a laptop...

IF you lack the space, usually the best solution is a mini ITX system. It is a bit larger than a laptop, but the extra room allows it to have a proper GPU, that although more limited than in a full tower, can provide a far more powerful gaming system than a laptop, at a lower or comparable cost.

 

[JohnStabler]

I second the "laptop gaming issues" raised. Indeed, either you spend a ton of money or you have a low quality/power gaming environment. Fine for many games (strategy, puzzle, ...) but not for rich 3d experiences.

If top of the line GPUs on desktop are currently power bound, imagine on a laptop...

IF you lack the space, usually te best solution is a mini ITX system. It is a bit larger than a laptop, but the extra room allows it to have a proper GPU, that although more limited than in a full tower, can provide a far more powerful gaming system than a laptop, at a lower or comparable power.

Indeed, this was exactly my situation.

In the end I plumped for a mini desktop PC, sporting a shiny i7 4770k processor (graphics card to be added later). I got a lot more for my money and it's small enough that it can be put away without permanently taking up a corner of the living room.

Plus, it's easier to fix if stuff goes wrong and it can be upgraded more easily.

 

[Riandor]

Yeah stay clear of Alienware! Totally overpriced.

My rig below with an expensive tower (though without monitor) cost €2000 a year ago and as it is slot 2011 i can upgrade to the new Ivybridge-E processors once its worthwhile to do so. And you can build a very good pc for much less than i did!

Laptops just dont really cut it...

 

[Riandor]

Double post... Sorry.

 

[Majere]

Don't Panic

I have no inside knowledge but I would suggest that the required specifications might be lower than most people seem to think.

For a start, the game is being ported to Mac and also muted as a likely to move onto consoles. Take a look at those specifications of what should be able to run ED.

Secondly, ramped up specifications quite often cover over bad design and programming. I don't expect either from Frontier.

This is a showcase for the Cobra engine. I would hope there is no bloat.

Just my two penneth.

 

[xyphic]

Unfortunately not everyone is in a position to be able to use a desktop system (even a small one). It generally involves being sat in a particular place, and in my case that would be outside of the living room. I can assure you that this would be detrimental to my marriage, especially given the number of hours I would like to put into Elite.

For that reason, and that my old laptop was slowly grinding to a halt, I went for a mid-end laptop (Lenovo Y500) with a half-decent mobile graphics card (a GT 650M, which by all accounts can be overclocked a fair way) and the option of a later SLI upgrade to improve performance if necessary. It came in at the top end of my budget (£800) but is able to handle most modern games on high settings with most of the bells and whistles turned on. The Star Citizen hangar module runs like a dog, but I put that down to a highly inoptimal implementation (including that annoying motion blur effect) designed to show off eye candy as there's little else to show right now.

Given the screenshots we've seen so far, I would be surprised (and disappointed) if Elite doesn't run at least reasonably well on a system like this. I'm expecting to have to dial things down a bit for the Alpha, but hopefully as FD optimise and improve their engine for the mass market, it should hold its own.

 

[Riandor]

Unfortunately not everyone is in a position to be able to use a desktop system (even a small one). It generally involves being sat in a particular place, and in my case that would be outside of the living room. I can assure you that this would be detrimental to my marriage, especially given the number of hours I would like to put into Elite.

For that reason, and that my old laptop was slowly grinding to a halt, I went for a mid-end laptop (Lenovo Y500) with a half-decent mobile graphics card (a GT 650M, which by all accounts can be overclocked a fair way) and the option of a later SLI upgrade to improve performance if necessary. It came in at the top end of my budget (£800) but is able to handle most modern games on high settings with most of the bells and whistles turned on. The Star Citizen hangar module runs like a dog, but I put that down to a highly inoptimal implementation (including that annoying motion blur effect) designed to show off eye candy as there's little else to show right now.

Given the screenshots we've seen so far, I would be surprised (and disappointed) if Elite doesn't run at least reasonably well on a system like this. I'm expecting to have to dial things down a bit for the Alpha, but hopefully as FD optimise and improve their engine for the mass market, it should hold its own.

Yep can understand that... I consider myself fortunate that i have the space and wife that allow me to have a desktop and a separate room.

 

[Capt. Hook]

Yep can understand that... I consider myself fortunate that i have the space and wife that allow me to have a desktop and a separate room.

had to get an attic conversion to host ours in the end. Win win methinks

 

[KING5TON]

Unfortunately not everyone is in a position to be able to use a desktop system (even a small one). It generally involves being sat in a particular place, and in my case that would be outside of the living room. I can assure you that this would be detrimental to my marriage, especially given the number of hours I would like to put into Elite.

Upgrade the wife instead?

What's the difference between sitting in another room not paying attention to the missus and sitting in the same room not paying attention to the missus?

I am lucky that I've got my own man cave and an understanding girlfriend.

Alternatively you could setup a mini pc with a small screen and an xbox pad in the corner of the room or the nvidia shield could be the answer to your prayers.

 

[xyphic]

What's the difference between sitting in another room not paying attention to the missus and sitting in the same room not paying attention to the missus?

If you ever get married, you'll know!

To be honest, I like being around the missus even if she's watching telly and I'm playing a game. Plus, with a 3-month-old around, it shows a bit of solidarity. Unfortunately we don't have enough space in the living room for a desktop PC, so a laptop is a decent compromise. I'm happy to be allowed to play games at all....