Hardware & Technical Please Recommend Desktop PC Setup/Peripherals for Elite Dangerous

purpdrag · Aug 23, 2016

Hello,

I'm new to the forums and have not yet played this game although I plan to within the next few months. I am finally considering getting a new desktop PC to replace my 2005 Windows XP rig. From what I've read about Elite: Dangerous, I want it and I'm looking to the experts here to advise me on what hardware you all think would make for the best gaming experience playing this game.

If you could spend $1500-$2500 or perhaps a bit more on the latest hardware what would you buy for the most awesome gaming experience in Elite: Dangerous?

purpdrag

h347h · Aug 23, 2016

purpdrag said:
Hello,

I'm new to the forums and have not yet played this game although I plan to within the next few months. I am finally considering getting a new desktop PC to replace my 2005 Windows XP rig. From what I've read about Elite: Dangerous, I want it and I'm looking to the experts here to advise me on what hardware you all think would make for the best gaming experience playing this game.

If you could spend $1500-$2500 or perhaps a bit more on the latest hardware what would you buy for the most awesome gaming experience in Elite: Dangerous?

purpdrag

First off this website is an amazing source.(They already have good builds in your price range if you want to mull through those.)

https://pcpartpicker.com/

I am currently building a RV rig but there are some things I need to know first. What kind of monitor do you want to use? 1080p, 1440p, 4k, or VR? Do you want to bother with free sync or gsync?(Lower resolution and super sample?)

To start off with I would heartily recommend this case as an amazing for the price starting point.

https://www.amazon.com/Phanteks-Ent...TF8&qid=1471924380&sr=8-1&keywords=enthoo+pro

As far as a HOTAS, the new one coming out specifically for Elite dangerous next month(Made by Thrustmaster) could be worth the buy but you should probably wait for reviews to come in before grabbing one. The T-Flight HOTAS X is a great entry HOTAS to get you into the sim game for cheap.

http://www.thrustmaster.com/en_US/П...w-gameplay-experiences-announced-new-t16000m-

You should also look up Voice Attack and learn about that. For as cheap as it is it adds quite a lot to Elite.

Asp Explorer · Aug 23, 2016

It really all depends on wether you want to run VR or not.

Elite will run decently on a modern, gently petted potato as far as PC specs are concerned.

h347h · Aug 23, 2016

Asp Explorer said:
It really all depends on wether you want to run VR or not.

Elite will run decently on a modern, gently petted potato as far as PC specs are concerned.

Yeah a GTX 1060 or RX 480 would be enough to play 1080 with out dipping from 60FPS. But if you want to do VR smoothly with some super sampling you want to look at the 1070 and preferably the 1080 cards out there.

BacchusZA · Aug 23, 2016

I've run ED (not well, admittedly) on an i3 netbook, with only a built-in HD4000 or so, & 4GB RAM, and it was ok-ish, so you really don't need a beast of a machine to run ED. If you're going to be building a new PC though, an i5 or i7, 8-16GB RAM, and whichever of the new Nvida or AMD cards strikes your fancy, will be plenty, and well within your budget.

Peripherals wise, you can play quite successfully with the mouse and keyboard, though a HOTAS really does add to the fun. The Madcatz gear is popular, though personally I'd warn you to be very careful of their build quality, & would rather suggest the new Thrustmaster T.1600M FCS HOTAS, or if you want to go large, the Warthog, though you'll need rudder pedals to go along with that. I'd also recommend an XBox or similar controller, in addition to the HOTAS, though you can use one instead of a HOTAS if you'd prefer. Driving the little surface buggy is *much* easier & more fun with a controller than with the keyboard, and I imagine it'll be quite useful for when we get "space legs", probably in the next season of content. The XBox controller is *very* good, and well worth the money.

I would also very strongly suggest head-tracking of some sort, if you're not going the VR route. TrackIR works very well, though there is a far cheaper alternative called the DelanClip (http://www.delanengineering.com/shop/) which you may want to look at rather. And something people often forget when recommending builds is the sound, which is amazing in ED. Any decent speaker setup will work, but I'd suggest you get a pair of good headphones too, you won't regret it.

winterknight · Aug 23, 2016

For elite you don't need an awesome CPU, a decent mid range Intel i5 will do. Until the new AMD CPU's arrive next year I cannot recommend them.
RAM, you can never have too much, but you actually don't need more than 8GByte for Elite. Get more if other programs you use need it.
Motherboard, get one with 2 SLi capable slots, just in case you need to go down that route in the future for a graphics boost.
Graphics GTX 1070 is probably favourite, 1080 if you can afford or want to go the VR route. The 1060 is not SLi capable.
SSD/HDD, go with M2 SSD as boot drive, as big and fast as you can afford, Elite likes to be installed here as well, speeds up map display etc. You could go with SATA SSD for other programs and data, if there is not too much. But if you download lots of video's and the like a large HDD might be worth considering.
DVD/BlueRay, not need much these days, we have one of each as external devices between three of us.
HOTAS joystick, think I would stick with Thrustmaster, prices from $50 to $500. Stay away from Madkatz (saitek) build quality is poor, we've had one failure and youngest's best friend also had similar problems. The CH Pro line is a bit long in the tooth and requires motherboard to have true USB2 ports to work properly.

Case, as large as possible with floor mounted PSU, and a many large > 120mm fans as possible, we have two Fractal Design Define XL R2 cases, nice and quiet, have had no heat problems, even though the top two extraction fans have not been installed. Some drive cages can be removed if not required to improve airflow. Input fans all have microfilters, including PSU air inlet., if carefully wired the two front fans can be removed without opening case, for cleaning/changing.
Monitors, Too be honest there are that many choices, I wouldn't know what to recommend. Probably best to go and have a look at stores or better still see what your friends have got, to see what to reject most of all, so you can narrow list of what will work best for you, in space available.

Just my thoughts, feel free to accept or reject, I won't be offended.

edit] Forgot PSU, once decisions are made above, work out the probable max load and add a bit more. Go for max efficiency, hybrid modular and not too big electrically, max efficiency is only obtained at about 80% max load and above.

Silent_Star · Aug 23, 2016

You don't need the newest pc for this game unless you'll use VR

purpdrag · Aug 24, 2016

h347h said:
First off this website is an amazing source.(They already have good builds in your price range if you want to mull through those.)

https://pcpartpicker.com/

I am currently building a RV rig but there are some things I need to know first. What kind of monitor do you want to use? 1080p, 1440p, 4k, or VR? Do you want to bother with free sync or gsync?(Lower resolution and super sample?)

To start off with I would heartily recommend this case as an amazing for the price starting point.

https://www.amazon.com/Phanteks-Ent...TF8&qid=1471924380&sr=8-1&keywords=enthoo+pro

As far as a HOTAS, the new one coming out specifically for Elite dangerous next month(Made by Thrustmaster) could be worth the buy but you should probably wait for reviews to come in before grabbing one. The T-Flight HOTAS X is a great entry HOTAS to get you into the sim game for cheap.

http://www.thrustmaster.com/en_US/П...w-gameplay-experiences-announced-new-t16000m-

You should also look up Voice Attack and learn about that. For as cheap as it is it adds quite a lot to Elite.

This is all good stuff. Just what I'm looking for.

All these posts are helpful. And to answer some other posts, I am very interested in having a VR setup based on just one article I read about Elite. Seems it would add quite a bit to the cost though. Anyone here tried it? If so, what was it like? Is the Oculus VR the best for this game? Thanks all.

purpdrag · Aug 24, 2016

Asp Explorer said:
It really all depends on wether you want to run VR or not.

Elite will run decently on a modern, gently petted potato as far as PC specs are concerned.

I like this use of the English language.

purpdrag · Aug 24, 2016

winterknight said:
For elite you don't need an awesome CPU, a decent mid range Intel i5 will do. Until the new AMD CPU's arrive next year I cannot recommend them.
RAM, you can never have too much, but you actually don't need more than 8GByte for Elite. Get more if other programs you use need it.
Motherboard, get one with 2 SLi capable slots, just in case you need to go down that route in the future for a graphics boost.
Graphics GTX 1070 is probably favourite, 1080 if you can afford or want to go the VR route. The 1060 is not SLi capable.
SSD/HDD, go with M2 SSD as boot drive, as big and fast as you can afford, Elite likes to be installed here as well, speeds up map display etc. You could go with SATA SSD for other programs and data, if there is not too much. But if you download lots of video's and the like a large HDD might be worth considering.
DVD/BlueRay, not need much these days, we have one of each as external devices between three of us.
HOTAS joystick, think I would stick with Thrustmaster, prices from $50 to $500. Stay away from Madkatz (saitek) build quality is poor, we've had one failure and youngest's best friend also had similar problems. The CH Pro line is a bit long in the tooth and requires motherboard to have true USB2 ports to work properly.

Case, as large as possible with floor mounted PSU, and a many large > 120mm fans as possible, we have two Fractal Design Define XL R2 cases, nice and quiet, have had no heat problems, even though the top two extraction fans have not been installed. Some drive cages can be removed if not required to improve airflow. Input fans all have microfilters, including PSU air inlet., if carefully wired the two front fans can be removed without opening case, for cleaning/changing.
Monitors, Too be honest there are that many choices, I wouldn't know what to recommend. Probably best to go and have a look at stores or better still see what your friends have got, to see what to reject most of all, so you can narrow list of what will work best for you, in space available.

Just my thoughts, feel free to accept or reject, I won't be offended.

edit] Forgot PSU, once decisions are made above, work out the probable max load and add a bit more. Go for max efficiency, hybrid modular and not too big electrically, max efficiency is only obtained at about 80% max load and above.

My posts might come out in the wrong order because the first one is awaiting moderator approval. Anyway, this is more great stuff and I really do appreciate it. I'm already starting to think about some potential setups to read about and start pricing based on your inputs.

purpdrag · Aug 27, 2016

Well I wanted to go with this and get VR a little later ...

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/list/BPkXyf) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/list/BPkXyf/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/tdmxFT/intel-cpu-bx80662i76700k) | $319.99 @ Newegg
**CPU Cooler** | [Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/CrDzK8/corsair-cpu-cooler-cw9060025ww) | $101.99 @ Newegg
**Motherboard** | [MSI Z170A GAMING M5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/F9Gj4D/msi-motherboard-z170agamingm5) | $172.88 @ OutletPC
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/PL2rxr/corsair-memory-cmk16gx4m2a2133c13) | $74.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/3kL7YJ/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam) | $88.48 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/MwW9TW/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex) | $47.49 @ OutletPC
**Video Card** | [EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/bNcMnQ/evga-video-card-08gp46286) | $679.99 @ B&H
**Case** | [Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX Glass ATX Mid Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/NRvZxr/phanteks-case-phes515etgbk) | $199.98 @ Newegg
**Power Supply** | [EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/MfJwrH/evga-power-supply-220g20750xr) | $107.99 @ SuperBiiz
**Operating System** | [Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/wtgPxr/microsoft-os-kw900140) | $92.99 @ Best Buy
**Case Fan** | [Corsair Air Series AF140 Quiet Edition 67.8 CFM 140mm Fan](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/yYkD4D/corsair-case-fan-co9050009ww) | $17.88 @ OutletPC
**Case Fan** | [Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition 39.9 CFM 120mm Fan](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/PZNp99/corsair-case-fan-co9050001ww) | $15.95 @ OutletPC
**Case Fan** | [Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition 37.9 CFM 120mm Fan](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/vXDwrH/corsair-case-fan-co9050005ww) | $16.99 @ Newegg
**Case Fan** | [Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 37.9 CFM 120mm Fans](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/XD9KHx/corsair-case-fan-co9050006ww) | $26.49 @ OutletPC
**Case Fan** | [Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm Fans](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/hbbp99/corsair-case-fan-co9050002ww) | $25.88 @ OutletPC
**Monitor** | [Acer XB280HK 28.0" 60Hz Monitor](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/hTwqqs/acer-monitor-umpb0ee005) | $635.86 @ Amazon
**Keyboard** | [Perixx PX-1100 Wired Gaming Keyboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/zvTmP6/perixx-keyboard-11055) | $60.36 @ Amazon
**Mouse** | [Razer DeathAdder 2013 Wired Optical Mouse](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/ZdZQzy/razer-mouse-rz0100840100r3u1) | $41.88 @ Amazon
**Headphones** | [Kingston HyperX Cloud II 7.1 Channel Headset](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/tZL7YJ/kingston-headphones-khxhscprd) | $83.99 @ Newegg
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| **Total** | **$2804.05**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2016-08-27 01:39 EDT-0400 |

.. but after some thoughts about budget I am more likely to go with this and postpone the VR indefinitely:

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/list/NJDjZ8) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/list/NJDjZ8/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/xwhj4D/intel-cpu-bx80662i56500) | $198.99 @ SuperBiiz
**Motherboard** | [Gigabyte GA-H170-GAMING 3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/wBZ2FT/gigabyte-motherboard-gah170gaming3) | $103.98 @ Newegg
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/PL2rxr/corsair-memory-cmk16gx4m2a2133c13) | $74.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/3kL7YJ/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz75e250bam) | $88.48 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/MwW9TW/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex) | $47.49 @ OutletPC
**Video Card** | [EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/Psh...b-ftw-gaming-acx-30-video-card-08g-p4-6276-kr) | $439.99 @ NCIX US
**Case** | [Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/mn3RsY/phanteks-case-phes614pbk) | $93.82 @ Amazon
**Power Supply** | [EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/g63RsY/evga-power-supply-120g10650xr) | $79.99 @ SuperBiiz
**Optical Drive** | [LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/z2dqqs/lg-optical-drive-wh14ns40) | $40.98 @ Newegg
**Operating System** | [Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/wtgPxr/microsoft-os-kw900140) | $92.99 @ Best Buy
**Case Fan** | [Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm Fans](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/hbbp99/corsair-case-fan-co9050002ww) | $25.88 @ OutletPC
**Case Fan** | [Phanteks PH-F140SP_BBK 82.1 CFM 140mm Fan](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/DnL7YJ/phanteks-case-fan-phf140spbbk) | $12.99 @ Newegg
**Case Fan** | [Phanteks PH-F140SP_BBK 82.1 CFM 140mm Fan](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/DnL7YJ/phanteks-case-fan-phf140spbbk) | $12.99 @ Newegg
**Case Fan** | [Phanteks PH-F140SP_BBK 82.1 CFM 140mm Fan](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/DnL7YJ/phanteks-case-fan-phf140spbbk) | $12.99 @ Newegg
**Monitor** | [Acer XG270HU 27.0" 144Hz Monitor](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/spbkcf/acer-monitor-umhg0ee001) | $469.99 @ Newegg
**Keyboard** | [Perixx PX-1100 Wired Gaming Keyboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/zvTmP6/perixx-keyboard-11055) | $60.36 @ Amazon
**Mouse** | [Razer DeathAdder 2013 Wired Optical Mouse](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/ZdZQzy/razer-mouse-rz0100840100r3u1) | $41.88 @ Amazon
**Headphones** | [Kingston HyperX Cloud II 7.1 Channel Headset](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/tZL7YJ/kingston-headphones-khxhscprd) | $83.99 @ Newegg
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| **Total** | **$1982.77**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2016-08-27 01:42 EDT-0400 |

purpdrag · Aug 31, 2016

Here's what I ended up going with. Hopefully it all works out. Parts will arrive in a week or so and I hope to build it on September 11th.

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor	$299.99 @ MicroCenter
CPU Cooler	Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$104.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	MSI Z170A GAMING M5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$139.99 @ MicroCenter
Memory	EVGA 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 CL15 Memory	$59.99 @ MicroCenter
Storage	Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$88.48 @ Newegg
Storage	Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$49.99 @ Newegg
Video Card	EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card	$439.99 @ NCIX US
Case	Phanteks Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case	$79.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply	EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$119.99 @ Newegg
Optical Drive	LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer	$49.99 @ Newegg
Operating System	Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit	$99.99 @ Newegg
Case Fan	Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm Fans	$25.99 @ Newegg
Case Fan	Phanteks PH-F140SP_BBK 82.1 CFM 140mm Fan	$12.99 @ Newegg
Monitor	Acer XB280HK 28.0" 60Hz Monitor	$593.71 @ Amazon
Keyboard	Perixx PX-1100 Wired Gaming Keyboard	$49.99 @ Amazon
Mouse	Razer DeathAdder Chroma Wired Optical Mouse	$53.49 @ Amazon
Headphones	Kingston HyperX Cloud II 7.1 Channel Headset	$87.99 @ Newegg
	Microcenter Taxes	$30.00
	Amazon Taxes	$45.13
	Newegg Shipping	$4.83
	Newegg Promo Codes	-$13.00
	NCIX Shipping	$23.99
	Total	$2448.49
	Ordered 2016-08-29

I will buy the Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS HOTAS as soon as it comes out. I'm hoping VR headset prices will drop significantly next year and I can get something like the Oculus Rift for about $300. I decided I won't spend $600 or close for that and don't want to settle for something you stick your phone in, so I'll just wait. Thanks again for the help. Your posts were the starting point for all this.

Straha Yeagar · Aug 31, 2016

I wish I had seen this thread earlier...

As far as the monitor goes...I had the exact 4k monitor in your build, and it was really nice, no complaints. Then I went to this one...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA6BM3Z02627

Holy crap, what a difference, especially when paired with the GTX 1080. Easily the single best hardware purchase I have ever made. Words can not describe what it does the the Elite Dangerous experience, and even day to day stuff. I will never go back.

purpdrag · Aug 31, 2016

Wish you had seen this already too. I'll check into the possibility of a return and ordering of the Dell U3415W. You convinced me. I have never tried to return an Amazon purchase though and have no idea if I will be able to return the monitor for a full refund. Again, I'll check it out and thanks.

Edit: Hadn't shipped yet and was successfully canceled. Yesss! Ordered your recommendation from Newegg. Updated final build:

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor	$299.99 @ MicroCenter
CPU Cooler	Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$104.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard	MSI Z170A GAMING M5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$139.99 @ MicroCenter
Memory	EVGA 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 CL15 Memory	$59.99 @ MicroCenter
Storage	Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$88.48 @ Newegg
Storage	Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$49.99 @ Newegg
Video Card	EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card	$439.99 @ NCIX US
Case	Phanteks Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case	$79.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply	EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$119.99 @ Newegg
Optical Drive	LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer	$49.99 @ Newegg
Operating System	Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit	$99.99 @ Newegg
Case Fan	Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm Fans	$25.99 @ Newegg
Case Fan	Phanteks PH-F140SP_BBK 82.1 CFM 140mm Fan	$12.99 @ Newegg
Monitor	Dell U3415W Black 34" Curved LED Backlight Monitor 5ms GTG HDMI IPS 300 cd/m2	$704.99 @ Newegg
Keyboard	Perixx PX-1100 Wired Gaming Keyboard	$49.99 @ Amazon
Mouse	Razer DeathAdder Chroma Wired Optical Mouse	$53.49 @ Amazon
Headphones	Kingston HyperX Cloud II 7.1 Channel Headset	$87.99 @ Newegg
	Microcenter Taxes	$30.00
	Amazon Taxes	$9.51
	Newegg Shipping	$4.83
	Newegg Promo Codes	-$13.00
	NCIX Shipping	$23.99
	Total	$2524.15
	Ordered 2016-08-29

Just need a printer now, but not too worried about that and don't consider it part of the build. Will finish selecting and buying that over the next couple of days.

Patrick_68000 · Aug 31, 2016

purpdrag said:
Here's what I ended up going with. Hopefully it all works out. Parts will arrive in a week or so and I hope to build it on September 11th.

A very nice machine

Straha Yeagar · Aug 31, 2016

purpdrag said:
Wish you had seen this already too. I'll check into the possibility of a return and ordering of the Dell U3415W. You convinced me. I have never tried to return an Amazon purchase though and have no idea if I will be able to return the monitor for a full refund. Again, I'll check it out and thanks.

Edit: Hadn't shipped yet and was successfully canceled. Yesss! Ordering your recommendation from Newegg now.

Sweet!

I went from an Asus 24" 144hz 1080p monitor, to the 4k one you listed, and it was certainly an improvement, but honestly, it left me a bit underwhelmed. Not the huge leap I had thought it was going to be. I think for me, the biggest drawback was not being able to run it at it's native 4k. I am running Windows 7, and that resolution left the taskbar and things way too small to use. I know there are workarounds, but it felt as if I was having to run things crippled.

The move from the 28" 4k to the 34" 1440 ultrawide was the leap I was looking for originally. It knocked my sock off from the very first time I saw my desktop on it, and then when I loaded Elite for the first time...it left me feeling like I had just discovered how it was really meant to be played. With the GTX 1080, the side distortion is hardly noticable, far better then on the 4k. The only issue I have noticed so far is that the Galaxy and System Map navigation and info panes are not all the way to the edges of the screen. They are position for a 16:9 aspect, but the actual map goes side to side, so not really an issue at all.

purpdrag · Aug 31, 2016

straha20 said:
Sweet!

I went from an Asus 24" 144hz 1080p monitor, to the 4k one you listed, and it was certainly an improvement, but honestly, it left me a bit underwhelmed. Not the huge leap I had thought it was going to be. I think for me, the biggest drawback was not being able to run it at it's native 4k. I am running Windows 7, and that resolution left the taskbar and things way too small to use. I know there are workarounds, but it felt as if I was having to run things crippled.

The move from the 28" 4k to the 34" 1440 ultrawide was the leap I was looking for originally. It knocked my sock off from the very first time I saw my desktop on it, and then when I loaded Elite for the first time...it left me feeling like I had just discovered how it was really meant to be played. With the GTX 1080, the side distortion is hardly noticable, far better then on the 4k. The only issue I have noticed so far is that the Galaxy and System Map navigation and info panes are not all the way to the edges of the screen. They are position for a 16:9 aspect, but the actual map goes side to side, so not really an issue at all.

Thanks again. This is exactly the kind of input I was looking for ... and got. I'm feeling pretty good about this now. I'll post an update once I'm up and running, if not before. Sounds like the game may be a bit challenging for me but I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it even if I never get great at flight control and combat. I'm best at turn-based strategy and not good at twitch/reflex games but I'll manage as best as I can and expect that eventually with practice I will get reasonably competent.

Straha Yeagar · Aug 31, 2016

purpdrag said:
Thanks again. This is exactly the kind of input I was looking for ... and got. I'm feeling pretty good about this now. I'll post an update once I'm up and running, if not before. Sounds like the game may be a bit challenging for me but I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it even if I never get great at flight control and combat. I'm best at turn-based strategy and not good at twitch/reflex games but I'll manage as best as I can and expect that eventually with practice I will get reasonably competent.

If you really want the full experience, I'd get an x52 pro, and CH Pro Pedals. Oh, and Voice Attack...best $8 I have ever spent on software.

I absolutely suck at First Person Shooters, and prefer turn based strategy games too, but have always been fond of space flight sims, all the way back to the original Elite, Wing Commander Series, X-Wing series. It is entirely possible to suck at Real Time Strategy/Twitch games and still be good at, and enjoy Elite!

Straha Yeagar · Sep 1, 2016

Here is what it looks like when it's setup...

Patrick_68000 · Sep 1, 2016

straha20 said:
Here is what it looks like when it's setup...

[url]http://i1065.photobucket.com/albums/u388/straha206/Mobile%20Uploads/20160831_223059.jpg[/URL]

Awesome !