Question for the more technically inclined - Printable Version +- Hydaelyn Role-Players (https://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/mybb18) +-- Forum: Off-Topic (https://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/mybb18/forumdisplay.php?fid=42) +--- Forum: Off-Topic Discussion (https://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/mybb18/forumdisplay.php?fid=14) +--- Thread: Question for the more technically inclined (/showthread.php?tid=1704)

Question for the more technically inclined - Blade - 02-21-2013 Hey all, I'm not really a stranger to swapping parts out of my computer and whatnot, though I haven't really attempted something quite so big yet, and just want to make sure that I run this by someone who knows their stuff more than I do. I was able to rock XIV 1.0 with my Core 2 Duo, though as you can guess, it wasn't the most lovable experience.  I don't want to just straight up buy a new machine, so I'd rather upgrade the existing stuff, and change out the parts that need it most.  Which from what I have been told, are the motherboard, ram, power supply, and processor. Could someone just take a look through these parts and tell me if they would be a good buy/work properly?  I have a budget of around $800 for this, so I'm wanting to get some decent stuff, but also not splurge. Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837 PSU COOLER MASTER Silent Pro RSA00-AMBAJ3-US 1000W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.92 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171049 CPU Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770K http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116501 RAM CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145345 What do you all think of this junk?  Does this all look like it would work well together?  Are there alternate parts you would recommend?  Anything here I should avoid?  Anything critical I'm missing? Any thoughts you have would be GREATLY appreciated   I get an extra paycheck next month, and am looking to throw it at this project. RE: Question for the more technically inclined - Ellie - 02-21-2013 I haven't kept up much with current technology, but check out the listings on PassMark, they've got several lists for comparing CPU, Video Card, Ram, and Hard Drives. Definitely check out the "Best Value" lists to see what'll get you the best bang for your buck. RE: Question for the more technically inclined - Deirdre - 02-21-2013 2.0 is going to run better than 1.0, so you may not even need to upgrade your system Blade. Personal opinion, wait until 2.0 is released, or at the very least beta stages, and if you are still having performance issues, it's likely your RAM, or the video card which I don't see in that list. Your specs aren't terrible. RE: Question for the more technically inclined - Vareal - 02-21-2013 You'll be able to rock 2.0 even herder with that stuff. What graphics card do you have or are you looking to buy? RE: Question for the more technically inclined - allgivenover - 02-21-2013 Post your graphics card, though at first glance I can tell you that an i7 is probably overkill. You could get an i5 and spend more money on the GPU. RE: Question for the more technically inclined - Blade - 02-21-2013 Hey all, thanks for all the comments so far! As for my GPU, I have an nVidia Geforce GTX 295.  So not super noteworthy or amazing, but it gets me by and probably the only reason I was able to enjoy 1.0 to some degree at all. The GPU would be the next thing in line for me to upgrade, at least with my current thinking, but I could be moved to change my mind ^^ EDIT: I also am somewhat intending to look for a little bit of overkill.  It is probably going to be quite some time before I am able to afford to do this again, as in the fall I will be attending graduate school versus just working and thus will only have some spare cash from internships or work study.  The mobo, processor, PSU, and RAM will all be five years old soon and at least in terms of gaming, I'm getting limited in what I'm able to play these days, so while I can, I'd like to just buy ahead and not have to worry about it for awhile. RE: Question for the more technically inclined - allgivenover - 02-21-2013 Then I highly recommend an i5 and a current generation GPU. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115233 This is a very good cost/power ratio that's about 100$ less than the i7, giving you a great deal more wiggle room for your GPU budget.  Also, your PSU is a little excessive as well unless you plan to eventually upgrade to an SLI configuration. This is one of the best resources available for planning new PC builds, especially for those that are less tech savvy: http://www.logicalincrements.com/ Edit: I just noticed your addendum about wanting to be a little overkill. Even considering that I still recommend spending as much as you can on the GPU. CPUs suffer greatly from diminishing returns after the $220 price point. RE: Question for the more technically inclined - Moltove - 02-21-2013 I looove my i7 <3 I noticed you have a 1000w PSU. That's needed if you plan to overkill, but I have a 800W Gold, SLI for 2 GTX560 ti's, 16G of Ram, a SSD, and a HDD, along with the ASUS P8Delux/Gen3 Mobo and the PSU does perfectly fine, and I think my PC stands....er...at a medium to high level above average (What brings me down is having a 1920x1080 TV -.-; ) ARR will be a lot better, but I think you'll definitely want to upgrade to, as has been mentioned, put you on modern ground. I would check out your score from the ARR Benchmark to see where you sit for the game, and even Beta. If there will be any population indicators on the servers, try out the most popular server and the least popular server. Getting a powerful Mid-range CPU will be important (the i5) but if you will be doing any other gaming I would suggest the i7. But heck, I would suggest two good graphics cards, too, but the cost is the problem >.<. So for now, get a high powered i5 and a great GPU. When ARR becomes SLI compatible, consider getting a second card to make it worth it. You don't need the best GPU's to do this, but a decent one to begin with will keep you golden. RE: Question for the more technically inclined - allgivenover - 02-21-2013 No debate about how awesome i7s are, but if the choice is between an i7 paired with a GTX 295 and an i5 paired with a GTX 670 (just an example), I'd go for the i5/670. RE: Question for the more technically inclined - Blade - 02-22-2013 Well, it looks like I got confused on my pay dates and I actually don't get paid three times in a month until May.  A small bummer (cus I'm excited to upgrade!) but I guess this gives me more time to save up for parts and throw a graphics card in the mix. I ran the benchmark yesterday and was actually surprised at how well the game did on 'high' settings.  Granted, the resolution wasn't all that high.  If at all possible I'm hoping to get an i7 in the budget, though I realize without a current gen graphics card it isn't going to be the best buy.  So I'm going to do my best to save over the next couple months a little extra where I can to get a graphics card in that set up as well. Aside from the graphics card, is there anything else that people think is crucially missing from this setup?  Have I dotted my Is and crossed my Ts?  Hooking all this stuff up together won't cause my machine to explode? RE: Question for the more technically inclined - Lilszee - 02-24-2013 To be honest, if you're looking to save a bit of money, an i7 is overkill for everything game related. I don't know if FFXIV is properly optimized to notice more than 4gb or RAM, but idk. Graphics card will be pretty important, buuuuut. This game runs on pretty mediocre hardware too, in my experience. You're going to get a much better performance just in general. RE: Question for the more technically inclined - Olofantur - 02-24-2013 Hello, You've remarked that you won't be upgrading again for a while and that is part of your motivation for going for an i7, which while a good purchase I don't find much of a use for it over an i5. (I got my gen 1 i7 mostly due to my animation and video editing work.) A question is on which case you might end up with, if available in your area I would strongly recommend the Antec 900 gaming case. A fairly good balance between price, size and the fan placement is excellent for creating a through draft in pretty much any set up area. if your looking for something a bit bigger or have some wiggle room the 1200 series by antec is another excellent choice. http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX14869 http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX32479 Their specs are both pretty good, but a more cost efficient option, while not affording the same real-estate would be the Cooler master HAF series (the 912 is used by quite a few people I know) http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX35637 Good luck out there, PS: I would recommend perusing http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc if your into looking at other peoples builds or getting more opinions on your own. I'm not a fan of reddit most of the time, but some of the sub-groups are useful and informative.