Hardware & Technical Computer Build to run Elite Dangerous

Pyros

P
Si Waters said:
Well, I've been really toying with an upgrade idea for a while now, not sure what to do.

I've got an asus p5k, with q6600 overclocked to 3.2ghz and 6gb of ddr2 at 800mhz

My gfx card is woefully out of date ( gt7600) so needs an upgrade.

So, limited budget means I'll either be getting a gtx760 to run with my current rig, which I'm not sure is a good idea due to it's age, or upgrading to a i5 4670k with gigabyte z87z-d3h with 8 or 16gb of 1600mhz ram. But use the hd4600 onboard gfx on the CPU, because I won't be able to get a GPU as well with my budget.

I saw some vids on YouTube with the hd4600 and it looked ok.

I'm not a pc gamer, I use my xbox, so this is money spent really only on elite... :)

Any input appreciated :)

Are we still on for a March release?
Click to expand...

If your PC currently meets your other software usage requirements, and if you don't want to spend much money, what I would do would depend on the PSU: If it is a 450W or so, I'd buy a R7 270X or a GTX 760. If 550W or more, a R9 280X / GTX 770.

Now, it may seem strange, but games are far more dependent on GPU than CPU. And the onboard GPU of the HAswell chip is a joke for demanding gaming. The recently launched Kaveri is quite a bit better due to the GCN radeon cores, but even so...

And your CPU, although is a bit old, won't make all that difference (10% or so) in relatively demanding graphic settings, specially taking into account it is overclocked. But if you can wait for at least Beta, one may have a better idea how the game performs on a q6600. One thing is sure, a q6600 with a GTX760/270X should be a hell of a lot faster than a 4670K in 1080p gaming.

Of course that if you intend to updated your whole config, a different path (and more money) will need to be pursued :).

March release seems not very likely at the moment, as alpha stage will not end in January.
 

Si Waters

S
Thanks for the input guys. If I did upgrade the mobo etc then I'd certainly be looking at a new gfx card much later in the year. My psu is around 750w so no issues there.

But as we may not be looking at a March release, then I'll wait and see if my amazon wishlist comes down.

I thought I was in the beta, but I think I fell short by a tenner on looking at it... Sad times :)

At least ill get a t shirt.
 

Mrjupp

Mrjupp
OK I've been looking at custom build and also looking at off the shelf.

I have found an off the shelf for £1,495 with the following specs so can you please look at these specs (I am no techie) and say if they will do the job:

http://www.medion.com/gb/prod/MEDION+ERAZER+PC+X5398+D/310018454

CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-4770K processor
Operating system (OEM version):
Windows 8.1 (64 bit)
Clock Frequency: 3.5GHz
Memory size: 16GB
Total RAM slots: 4
Used RAM slots: 2
Hard disk capacity: 2TB
SSD Capacity: 256GB
Graphic:
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX780 DirectX®11 graphics
with 3072 MB DDR5 memory, digital HDMI audio/video output, 1 x DVI-I, 1 x DVI-D and DisplayPort
Optical drives:
Multi-standard DVD-/CD writer**
with DVD-RAM and dual-layer support
Sound:
8-channel high-definition audio****
Room-filling sound – great music and gaming experience with 8-channel high-definition audio.
Miscellaneous:
Hot-Swap mobile rack*
MEDION® Data Port 3 with USB 3.0
USB 3.0 – the turbo data interface***
9-in-1 multi-card reader for SD, SDHC, Mini SD, MMC, RSMMC, MS, MS Pro, MS Duo & MS Pro Duo memory cards (memory cards not included)
Connections:
Front:
1 x USB 3.0
1 x USB 2.0
1 x microphone
1 x headphones
Rear:
2 x USB 3.0
6 x USB 2.0
1 x LAN (RJ45)
1 x DVI-I
1 x DVI-D
1 x HDMI (supports HDCP)
1 x Display Port
Audio:
1 x front line out
1 x rear speaker out
1 x side surround speaker out
1 x centre/subwoofer out
1 x line in
1 x SPDIF optical output
LAN:
Gigabit LAN network controller (10/100/1000 Mbit/s) on board
 

Mrjupp

Mrjupp
Yippee! That's my next purchase then unless there are any detractors with something better off the shelf around the same price?
 

NeilF

NeilF
Mrjupp said:
OK I've been looking at custom build and also looking at off the shelf.

I have found an off the shelf for £1,495 with the following specs so can you please look at these specs (I am no techie) and say if they will do the job:

http://www.medion.com/gb/prod/MEDION+ERAZER+PC+X5398+D/310018454

CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-4770K processor
Operating system (OEM version):
Windows 8.1 (64 bit)
Clock Frequency: 3.5GHz
Memory size: 16GB
Total RAM slots: 4
Used RAM slots: 2
Hard disk capacity: 2TB
SSD Capacity: 256GB
Graphic:
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX780 DirectX®11 graphics
with 3072 MB DDR5 memory, digital HDMI audio/video output, 1 x DVI-I, 1 x DVI-D and DisplayPort
Optical drives:
Multi-standard DVD-/CD writer**
with DVD-RAM and dual-layer support
Sound:
8-channel high-definition audio****
Room-filling sound – great music and gaming experience with 8-channel high-definition audio.
Miscellaneous:
Hot-Swap mobile rack*
MEDION® Data Port 3 with USB 3.0
USB 3.0 – the turbo data interface***
9-in-1 multi-card reader for SD, SDHC, Mini SD, MMC, RSMMC, MS, MS Pro, MS Duo & MS Pro Duo memory cards (memory cards not included)
Connections:
Front:
1 x USB 3.0
1 x USB 2.0
1 x microphone
1 x headphones
Rear:
2 x USB 3.0
6 x USB 2.0
1 x LAN (RJ45)
1 x DVI-I
1 x DVI-D
1 x HDMI (supports HDCP)
1 x Display Port
Audio:
1 x front line out
1 x rear speaker out
1 x side surround speaker out
1 x centre/subwoofer out
1 x line in
1 x SPDIF optical output
LAN:
Gigabit LAN network controller (10/100/1000 Mbit/s) on board
Click to expand...
That case is a bit marmite isn't it!

Can I suggest you go and look at the prebuilt systems at overclockers.co.uk.
 

Ervig

Ervig
I can run most games without too much trouble (on medium), but I noticed that the recommended spec has a quadcore CPU. I only have a dualcore CPU on my gaming laptop.

Would I be able to play the game with a decent framerate? Anyone in Alpha who tried playing with a similar setup?

http://www.msi.com/product/nb/GX740.html#?div=Specification
- Intel® Core™ i5 Processor (dualcore @ 2260 MHz) **below minimum**
- ATI Radeon HD5870 mobile Graphic Card (1 GB RAM) ** minimum **
- DDR3 1066MHz, 2 slots, 8GB
- SSD Drive
- Windows 8.1

(crosspost)
 

Arbanax

Arbanax
Hi all well a couple of unexpected things have meant I've gained a bit more funds than expected I'm only a about 2-300 of getting my pc parts to build. Thanks to the support of this forum and quite some time enjoying some brilliant YouTube videos (Carey Holzman - I'm looking at you for one ) I am confident I can do this. And when I compare the parts of some pcs and the prices with building the same machine myself I am utterly convinced this is the right way to go.

Anyway I am unsure on a few parts, but this pc will be for my art/photography as well as Elite, and general work. I am going to use my existing peripherals, so the following is all I need, but would love any opinions and suggestions if you have them for alternatives.

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£166.79 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.18 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£140.94 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£114.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£73.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£59.58 @ Ebuyer)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 3GB Video Card (£173.59 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case (£83.99 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£53.61 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £892.65

PCPartPicker part list: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2OU57
Price breakdown by merchant: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2OU57/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2OU57/benchmarks/

Thanks as ever.

Ab
 

CMDR Texas Stu

CMDR Texas Stu
NeilF said:
Well, I've now got a Sapphire HD 7870 XT rev2.0. Hopefully that will be enough!
Click to expand...

I have a 7870 I bought to hold me over until prices come down on the 290.
I am not experiencing the issues that are being reported (that will prob. be fixed soon I imagine anyway).
You should be fine as far as GPU
 

Faerie

Faerie
Hi Arbanax. That spec looks absolutely fine. :)
The only thing I would add is to get yourself a selection of cable ties to keep things tidy inside the case. Small to medium sized ones will do the trick, and don't be afraid of re-routing cables until you're perfectly happy with them.
 

Rog

Rog
Cody said:
The only thing I'd change would be the PSU to a Corsair RM650/750 (it'd be an extra £40-£45 though).
Click to expand...
I tested the i5 PC I built the other day:

With all four cores maxed out (Prime95), no graphics card just using the built in HD4600 the whole box was drawing only 88 Watts (101VA) measured at the wall, with all usual peripherals and HDDs spinning.

Probaly a good idea to have some sparecapacity to keep the PSU fan noise down though, and I'd definitely go for a modular like the Corsair.

Looks like a nice list the OP has, might put in slightly faster RAM though:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/G-Skill-PC-3-14900-Main-Memory-240-Pin/dp/B004JM1ZG8
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Skill-PC3-19200-2400MHz-Gaming-Memory/dp/B007V9PZFI
 
Last edited:

KING5TON

KING5TON
Arbanax said:
Hi all well a couple of unexpected things have meant I've gained a bit more funds than expected I'm only a about 2-300 of getting my pc parts to build. Thanks to the support of this forum and quite some time enjoying some brilliant YouTube videos (Carey Holzman - I'm looking at you for one ) I am confident I can do this. And when I compare the parts of some pcs and the prices with building the same machine myself I am utterly convinced this is the right way to go.

Anyway I am unsure on a few parts, but this pc will be for my art/photography as well as Elite, and general work. I am going to use my existing peripherals, so the following is all I need, but would love any opinions and suggestions if you have them for alternatives.

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£166.79 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.18 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£140.94 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£114.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£73.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£59.58 @ Ebuyer)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 3GB Video Card (£173.59 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case (£83.99 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£53.61 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £892.65

PCPartPicker part list: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2OU57
Price breakdown by merchant: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2OU57/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2OU57/benchmarks/

Thanks as ever.

Ab
Click to expand...

Personally, I would get a cheaper motherboard, get 8GB of RAM instead of 16GB and get a better GPU.

E.g.
This motherboard is only £70.79 - LINK

Plenty of 8GB (2x4GB) RAM for around £70 - LINK

This would mean you've have £288.73 to spend on a GPU rather than £173.59.

for that you could get a 280x - LINK

Which is a beast of a card

Or if you want to go Nvidia you could get a 770 - LINK

Which is also a beast

Regarding which GPU
If you're going to using 3D or want to stream your gaming online then the 770 is the better choice.
I'd recommend the AMD card if you're going to be using a 1440p Monitor due to it's 3GB of VRAM over the 770 with 2GB (I've just bought a 1440p Monitor myself and it's thing of beauty, my 7970 AMD card (which is the same as the 280x) due to the 3GB Vram plays games almost as well as I did at 1080p which surprised me).

Other than that there's not much between them, some games play better on Nvidia, some better on AMD.

All the above links are just examples of the first things I found. Do more research, look for bargains, don't just pick what I posted :)
 
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Arbanax

Arbanax
Thanks for the replies, the 16 gig of ram is because its the sweet spot for Photoshop, which I use a lot.

I think that the whole shebang as listed is coming in at 350w, so that is well below the 600w PSU, but I might look to see if I can get a better one.

As for the graphics, card, if the CPU and ram is good enough, then getting a top of the range GPU won't do me much good. I don't do much 3d, but its mainly for digital art and photography work. So a maxed out card is probably not necessary at present. I will look at the suggestions, the only thing being that if I were to go for a better GPU it would set my budget up and me back a couple more months till I could afford to get them. I realise we're still some way off from Beta 2, but I did sign up for it and would like to be ready when it does come out.

Anyway good call on the MOBO, I went for that one because it came out as fairly well rated, I wanted something that was going to be fairly sturdy in processing terms. But I'll look into the suggestions.

Anyway thanks for the suggestions guys keep em coming, and Faerie I will get those cable ties, good call.

Ab
 
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Zieman

Zieman
Arbanax said:
Anyway good call on the MOBO, I went for that one because it came out as fairly well rated, I wanted something that was going to be fairly sturdy in processing terms. But I'll look into the suggestions.
Click to expand...
Something in between would be Asus Z87 Plus, IIRC only differences compared to Pro are: no Wi-Fi dongle, Realtek Audio is ALC892 instead of ALC1150 and price.
 

Rog

Rog
I would also say that the new Nvidia Maxwell cards are supposed to be being released this month.

Might be worth making do with the Intel integrated graphics for a while and waiting to see what they're like.

Intel HD4600 will run Photoshop just fine.
 

Arbanax

Arbanax
Rog said:
I would also say that the new Nvidia Maxwell cards are supposed to be being released this month.

Might be worth making do with the Intel integrated graphics for a while and waiting to see what they're like.

Intel HD4600 will run Photoshop just fine.
Click to expand...

Thanks Rog, good point. I did always think that with a good Mobo etc, I could sell my card on and upgrade later. I just didn't want to exchange what I've got for something worse. Unlikely as that might seem, my current system is as AMD Phenom, about 5-6 years old with an old old Nvida graphics card with probably 256 mb (yup) of vram or some such. So I think this machine is gonna sing, esp with a SSD card for start up.

Anyway will be another month or so before am in striking distance.

Ab
 
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