Choices Choices

Bikky · Dec 23, 2013

Right, Decision time is coming....

What do I choose?

Joystick, either the Saitek x52 pro, or a cheap HOTAS Thrustmaster x. Both look comparible, apart from saitek having more buttons, and the HOTAS being 80's esque in styling.

Monitor, Any suggestions? I'm currently looking at maybe an Asus 24", with 1ms response time at 1080p.

GFX, Thinking of waiting till spring when the new gen Nvidia's are out, then hopefully the prices of the 4GB 700 series will have dropped enough to buy one, or maybe stay with the idea of the 600series but get a top of the range one for slightly cheaper.

I'll need the stick for early-mid Jan though (you can guess why), then maybe follow up in Feb with the Monitor.... March will see new GFX card. Unless in Beta 1 my FPS is poop.

What are people using, an how do they find them?

jabokai · Dec 23, 2013

Bikky said:
Right, Decision time is coming....

What do I choose?

Joystick, either the Saitek x52 pro, or a cheap HOTAS Thrustmaster x. Both look comparible, apart from saitek having more buttons, and the HOTAS being 80's esque in styling.

Get an x52 Pro and a new X55 and tell me which is better so *I* know what to buy.

Cmdr Eagleboy · Dec 23, 2013

Is it just me, or X52 looks a little better than X55?

jabokai · Dec 23, 2013

Pecisk said:
Is it just me, or X52 looks a little better than X55?

No, the X55 is 3 better than the X52. :smilie:

Pyros · Dec 23, 2013

Bikky said:
Right, Decision time is coming....

What do I choose?

Joystick, either the Saitek x52 pro, or a cheap HOTAS Thrustmaster x. Both look comparible, apart from saitek having more buttons, and the HOTAS being 80's esque in styling.

Monitor, Any suggestions? I'm currently looking at maybe an Asus 24", with 1ms response time at 1080p.

GFX, Thinking of waiting till spring when the new gen Nvidia's are out, then hopefully the prices of the 4GB 700 series will have dropped enough to buy one, or maybe stay with the idea of the 600series but get a top of the range one for slightly cheaper.

I'll need the stick for early-mid Jan though (you can guess why), then maybe follow up in Feb with the Monitor.... March will see new GFX card. Unless in Beta 1 my FPS is poop.

What are people using, an how do they find them?

Well, maybe his should have been posted in the "a rig to run elite" thread

Monitors: don't pay too much credit to the 1ms claim, besides being, lets put it politely, inaccurate, it is also mostly meaningless. Not to say it isn't a good monitor.
So, you can go for better image quality (IPS) or faster possible refreshes(TN). For Elite, I prefer the former (actually I prefer it in any game, as 120hz refreshes, while interested, are more of competitive FPS requirement). I like Dell or HP monitors but there are other options.

The 600 series were discontinued. And partially rebranded into some 700 series models. The previously top of the line 680 became the 770. Real new ones are the 780/Titan. What to buy depends on prices at the time of the purchase - currently I'd go for AMD (280x > 770 ; 290 > everything at the top in price performance). In March... Ask then

Joysticks are a bit more a question of personal tastes. Users have said good things about the x52 pro, but the Thrustmaster seems to be well regarded and way cheaper...

Perseus · Dec 23, 2013

I've just got a x52pro and I can heartily recommend it even though I haven't used it yet (I'm also waiting for mid-jan).
The two units are big and feel very substantial. All the buttons are easy to access, I think there is also a bottom trigger in addition to the top and the joystick reminds of the hilt of a cutlass. The throttle needs the whole hand to control (if you want to access all the buttons) and this makes it feel powerful. If you can, try and check out the sticks yourself.
Good luck with what ever you choose to get!

tooterfish · Dec 23, 2013

Bikky said:
Joystick, either the Saitek x52 pro, or a cheap HOTAS Thrustmaster x. Both look comparible, apart from saitek having more buttons, and the HOTAS being 80's esque in styling.

The x52's use Hall effect sensors, so are head and shoulders above the Thrustmaster X in terms of sensitivity and robustness.

The x52s are also an old Saitek design, they've since been bought out by MadCatz. So the x55 may or may not turn out to be an overpriced piece of cheap plasticky crap. Have to wait and see!

About the best budget joystick you can get at the moment is the Thrustmaster 16000m, it's the cheapest stick available that uses Hall sensors. You can pick one up for roughly same as a Thrustmaster X, and it's generally viewed as a really excellent for the price. It's not a HOTAS though.

Mars · Dec 23, 2013

Think I'll be going for a X55 and a Oculus myself.

Hamerstein · Dec 23, 2013

Having owned a Mad Catz Fly 5 (which is in the same bargain bracket as the Thrustmaster) until last week and am now using an X52 Pro, the X52 is a massive improvement. It's not easy to put into words (aside from the X52's build quality being outstanding), but you just "do" everything a "bit" better with it, and all those "bits" add up to "a lot".

Aewarin Jameson · Dec 23, 2013

Hamerstein said:
but you just "do" everything a "bit" better with it, and all those "bits" add up to "a lot".

Word .. and every bit helps when you're fleeing customs agents

That said:

Bikky said:
Joystick, either the Saitek x52 pro, or a cheap HOTAS Thrustmaster x.

X52

Bikky said:
Monitor, Any suggestions? I'm currently looking at maybe an Asus 24", with 1ms response time at 1080p.

Won't matter once you own a OR ... combined with an X52 you won't need a KB/Mouse either

Bikky said:
Thinking of waiting till spring when the new gen Nvidia's are out, then hopefully the prices of the 4GB 700 series will have dropped enough to buy one, or maybe stay with the idea of the 600series but get a top of the range one for slightly cheaper.

You don't need much power for ED so whatever you can afford nearer the time. Check back then and consult some comparison sites to guide you. Personally I took a 780GT but that's just me.

Jezzah · Dec 23, 2013

Perseus said:
I've just got a x52pro and I can heartily recommend it even though I haven't used it yet (I'm also waiting for mid-jan).
The two units are big and feel very substantial. All the buttons are easy to access, I think there is also a bottom trigger in addition to the top and the joystick reminds of the hilt of a cutlass. The throttle needs the whole hand to control (if you want to access all the buttons) and this makes it feel powerful. If you can, try and check out the sticks yourself.
Good luck with what ever you choose to get!

same here just got an x52 and its a real thing of beauty...not small as the man says but that's good ya feel the quality in the build. I've yet to use mine as im premium beta.

id like to hear from those that are alpha how they have gotten on with their x52...different thread i guess though as i dint want over run the OP's thread.

Shishakli · Dec 23, 2013

Jezzah said:
id like to hear from those that are alpha how they have gotten on with their x52...different thread i guess though as i dint want over run the OP's thread.

Welp, if Kerrash's twitch streams are anything to go by, The x52 pro is the ultimate way to play.

Aewarin Jameson · Dec 23, 2013

Jezzah said:
same here just got an x52 and its a real thing of beauty...not small as the man says but that's good ya feel the quality in the build. I've yet to use mine as im premium beta.

id like to hear from those that are alpha how they have gotten on with their x52...different thread i guess though as i dint want over run the OP's thread.

3 words : night and day !

In short ... I struggled with an xbox controller and found many of the scenarios drawn out. Switched to an X52 and the alpha was completed in no time at all

Jezzah · Dec 23, 2013

no time at all eh

Probably a good thing and a bad thing at the same time then

Thanks for feedback

Mars · Dec 23, 2013

Liqua said:
3 words : night and day !

In short ... I struggled with an xbox controller and found many of the scenarios drawn out. Switched to an X52 and the alpha was completed in no time at all

I'm presuming that when three pilots of equal aptitude meet the one with the X52 beats the guy with the mouse/controller and the guy with the Oculus and X52 beats both of them.

So if you want to be the best get a Oculus and a X52/55.

Dalkeith · Dec 23, 2013

Mars said:
I'm presuming that when three pilots of equal aptitude meet the one with the X52 beats the guy with the mouse/controller and the guy with the Oculus and X52 beats both of them.

So if you want to be the best get a Oculus and a X52/55.

There's usually a spread of ability in terms of coordination out there as well and remember some people will have played for less / more time. Plus there's different ships. Rock Paper Stone and all of that.

It is unlikely to be quite that simple.

Mars · Dec 23, 2013

Dalkeith said:
There's usually a spread of ability in terms of coordination out there as well and remember some people will have played for less / more time. Plus there's different ships. Rock Paper Stone and all of that.

It is unlikely to be quite that simple.

Thus the first 9 words.

Jezzah · Dec 23, 2013

Oculus with this type of game will be quite something indeed. As the man says though much of it will come down to rock paper scissors with the various ships and skills

Razorwire · Dec 24, 2013

Recently bought an X52 pro for E-D, and have been using it for WarThunder (as full HOTAS) and Mechwarrior Online (just the throttle, with a 5-button mouse).

Never going back.
Being able to switch six mapping profiles on the fly is awesome, and I can load a different set of six for each game before I launch the client.
Awesome.

Olrik · Dec 24, 2013

Mars said:
I'm presuming that when three pilots of equal aptitude meet the one with the X52 beats the guy with the mouse/controller

That remains to be proved. I am the guy with the mouse/keyboard