HAWKEN servers are up and our latest minor update is live!
Forgot Password_ SUPPORT REDEEM CODE

Jump to content


Advice needed on computer component upgrade for Hawken


  • Please log in to reply
31 replies to this topic

#21 Silverfire

Silverfire

    Advanced Member

  • Full Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 2,042 posts
  • LocationThe Depths of Coruscant

Posted September 11 2014 - 04:24 PM

View PostDraigun, on September 11 2014 - 01:11 PM, said:

View PostSilverfire, on September 11 2014 - 03:15 AM, said:

View PostDraigun, on September 10 2014 - 11:23 PM, said:

View PostSilverfire, on September 10 2014 - 07:11 PM, said:

[...]
You can probably do ultra Hawken at around $700-800 with a new computer from the ground up. $600 if you really squeeze and grind and cut a few corners.

[...]

Sorry, but this is simply not true. I have rather high-end components with a GTX 780, and that alone cost me 3/4 of what your price target is. I'm even running PhysX on high. Even with that all, I still encounter severe bottlenecks in very specific places. I could push Ultra roughly 85% of the time, however. Part of the problem is the developer's poor optimization on both client and server side settings.

The way to get the best price-to-performance ratio for a gaming PC, is to just focus on the GPU.

Honestly, I would have spent the extra $125 for 2 way sli GTX 770, which is roughly a 170% boost over the GTX 780 as a single card.


Now, to the OP, I suggest getting an NVIDIA GPU, as HAWKEN is developed with that brand of video card in mind.

It's very possible. Maybe not for $600, but for $700-800 I can definitely build something that can do ultra.

Again it all depends on parts I would use and the various deals and sales that go on. I've seen deals where I can pick up a Haswell i7 for under $275. Or a 770 for under $300. Under $800_ No problem. Even at normal prices too.

And note that you still ought to have a decent CPU because otherwise, if you build an unbalanced rig, the CPU could very well be the bottleneck once more.

So, by Ultra settings, I'm assuming you're going to be running everything, including PhysX, at the maximum settings_ My definition of pushing ultra is keeping a minimum constant FPS equal to the monitor's refresh rate, which is 60Hz, or 60 FPS. If you're sensitive to input lag and FPS below 50 like me, it is a pain for it to fluctuate and bottleneck, and severely ruins the fluidity of the game.

I could see how the deals could lower the price of the entire rig altogether dramatically, however. You would seriously have to cut a lot of corners although, and even then, it could be considered risky for the quality of the components. You must ask yourself, is longevity and reliability more important than budget_ Other than that, yes, I agree, balancing the rig is rather something to note. I actually had a GTX 460 with a lowly i3, and the performance was more or less balanced for the games. However, new games are now optimized to utilize 4 cores instead of 2, so that could partially explain that.


Pardon me, I did exclude PhysX effects from the Ultra settings in my mind. :P  If I may, Ultra settings without PhysX is well within the realm of possibilities sub $800. With PhysX, things get more expensive.

Other than that, what you're describing is accurate, stable 60 FPS, there will always be fluctuations with FPS due to various scenarios in the game, but in general, around 60 FPS and up.

And the deals I find are usually with recognizable, respectable name brands (NZXT, Cooler Master, Corsair, GSkill, MSI, Asus, Gigabyte, EVGA, Kingston, etc.), not any of the offbrand names that nobody really recognizes.

Edited by Silverfire, September 11 2014 - 04:24 PM.

Posted Image

Check out my new short film Prebirth: The Eternal War! Check out my e-peen!

Need to find a mech guide_ Well, look here!
Intel Core i3 2120 @ 3.30 GHz |  Corsair XMS3 8GB RAM | eVGA GTX 550Ti 1GB OC | Corsair CX600 PSU


#22 huyzer

huyzer

    Member

  • Full Members
  • PipPip
  • 10 posts

Posted September 11 2014 - 08:53 PM

View PostZacam, on September 11 2014 - 12:38 AM, said:



The biggest thing in your DDR2 setup that is limiting you is the 2.7 Ghz per core. Assuming that your DDR2 is 800 Mhz,

In any case, best of luck to you. I know well the challenges of keeping legacy hardware on the cutting edge, but the upshot is that things don't always stay unobtainable.

Thank you for the "best of luck".  Yeah, I looked at the specific components now, and I do believe the RAM is 800 Mhz.  I'm quite sure this is the part:
http://www.amazon.co...x2048-6400c5dhx

Take care.

#23 huyzer

huyzer

    Member

  • Full Members
  • PipPip
  • 10 posts

Posted September 11 2014 - 09:08 PM

View PostSpliff_Craven, on September 10 2014 - 10:00 PM, said:

Some people are cheap and some just can't afford an upgrade. Most fall in the latter category.

I sent him a PM but I will add some extra's over looked.

Yeah, I fall under the latter (can't afford).
I'm using Windows 8.1.  At the moment, I'm downloading Hawken onto my laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium), and seeing if it will be better (Phenom II X2 N660, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250, 8GB DDR3 RAM).

#24 huyzer

huyzer

    Member

  • Full Members
  • PipPip
  • 10 posts

Posted September 11 2014 - 09:11 PM

Thank you, everyone, for the added discussion between each other on this.  I'm reading it and extracting as much info from it as possible.

I've update and edited in more info about my system, with some links to the parts.

4gb RAM Corsair XMS2 ddr2 DHX dual path ( http://www.amazon.co...y/dp/B000Q061WU ),
edit: Foxconn a79a-s motherboard ( http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813186149 ),
edit: Thermaltake 700w Toughpower ( http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817153039 ),
edit: Zalman cpu cooler ( http://www.amazon.co...lman cpu cooler ).

#25 Spliff_Craven

Spliff_Craven

    Advanced Member

  • Full Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,236 posts

Posted September 11 2014 - 11:19 PM

READY BOOST was equipped the USB storage stick I have{using it to boost my older computer}.

To learn more about it for windows 7: http://windows.micro...ures/readyboost
For windows 8: http://h20565.www2.h...44892.492883150

I hope this helps.


#26 huyzer

huyzer

    Member

  • Full Members
  • PipPip
  • 10 posts

Posted September 12 2014 - 03:39 AM

View PostSpliff_Craven, on September 11 2014 - 11:19 PM, said:

READY BOOST was equipped the USB storage stick I have{using it to boost my older computer}.

To learn more about it for windows 7: http://windows.micro...ures/readyboost
For windows 8: http://h20565.www2.h...44892.492883150

I hope this helps.

Hi Spliff_Craven.  Thanks for the reminder.  Unfortunate for me, I don't have a USB storage stick for this purpose.  :)   But thank you.

#27 Barbie_in_a_Mech

Barbie_in_a_Mech

    Advanced Member

  • Full Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 180 posts
  • LocationHidden in your bedroom, gathering intel for your sister.

Posted September 12 2014 - 12:28 PM

View Posthuyzer, on September 11 2014 - 09:08 PM, said:

Yeah, I fall under the latter (can't afford).
I'm using Windows 8.1.  At the moment, I'm downloading Hawken onto my laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium), and seeing if it will be better (Phenom II X2 N660, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250, 8GB DDR3 RAM).

All these numbers in the names don't indicate how something will perform, so to see the general picture I like to use http://www.cpubenchmark.net/
The performance listed there does not translate perfectly well with gaming (especially for CPUs), but it's still a great indicator, in my opinion.

(go to those pages and ctrl+f to search for your stuff.)
Your laptop CPU is here http://www.cpubenchm...range_cpus.html
PC CPU http://www.cpubenchm...range_cpus.html
Laptop GPU http://www.videocard...range_gpus.html
PC GPU http://www.videocard...h_end_gpus.html

Your laptop's graphic card doesn't stand a chance.

Your power supply is mooooooooooooooooooooore than enough for whatever.
Just for information, I THINK it's more or less safe to go all the way down to 300-350w for a budget gaming PC, though not all power supplies are equal.  So 700w is definitely plenty and probably a waste of electricity...  but changing it for that reason might not be worth it (I have no idea.)  Still, it's good to know that you can take something milder next time, if this one dies.


Anyway what's important is that your current motherboard only supports AM2 and AM2+ processors.  Those are no longer for sale on newegg, so they would probably be hard to find anywhere (and not worth upgrading to unless it costs 30$).  If you're not in a position to spend 250-300$ on an upgrade, I think you will have to keep things as they are.

Cheap options are to, indeed, find a cheap processor that is barely better than the one you have (if it costs 40$ or more, it's *not* worth it)
Buy a cheap USB stick to try ready boost.  USB keys are quite cheap.
Upgrade your OS to windows XP.  This one's price depends on your "morality" (hah).

I think the best reason to try any of those would be to satisfy your curiosity and improve your general knowledge, if you're curious of how much of a difference any of them would make.  I doubt you will gain significant performance from any of those, though ready boost might be quite nice.  I know nothing about it.

Edit : ReadyBoost doesn't seem to work with all USB keys.
http://en.wikipedia....wiki/ReadyBoost says the USB key needs 1ms access time or less.  That's a struggle for USB 1.
Fortunately, your motherboard supports USB 2, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a cheap USB key with 1ms or less.

Edited by Barbie_in_a_Mech, September 12 2014 - 12:55 PM.

Posted Image


#28 huyzer

huyzer

    Member

  • Full Members
  • PipPip
  • 10 posts

Posted September 13 2014 - 01:19 AM

View PostBarbie_in_a_Mech, on September 12 2014 - 12:28 PM, said:


Your laptop's graphic card doesn't stand a chance.


Hi Barbie_in_a_Mech,

Haha!  You are SO right.  I tried it last night, and in Bazaar, I was getting 6-8 fps.  Weeee... :D  Haha.  I was SO bad.

Thank you for all the links, and your thoughts on the power supply and ReadyBoost.  It's worth a shot with the ReadyBoost.  I'll have to find out if someone has a spare just for test's sake.

That's interesting that Windows XP would be better.  Hmm!

Well, I have a whole lot of thinkin' and savin'. :P

Thanks,
huyzer

#29 Barbie_in_a_Mech

Barbie_in_a_Mech

    Advanced Member

  • Full Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 180 posts
  • LocationHidden in your bedroom, gathering intel for your sister.

Posted September 13 2014 - 04:09 AM

I just realized I forgot to specify windows xp should be the 64 bit version, if you try it.  In another thread, someone had problems because he was using the 32 bit version.
Your processor supports 64 bit so that's fine.

You're welcome, good luck!

Posted Image


#30 huyzer

huyzer

    Member

  • Full Members
  • PipPip
  • 10 posts

Posted September 15 2014 - 09:30 AM

What do you guys think about this buy, a motherboard and cpu combo_  Is it worth it_
AMD FX-4300 & MSI 760GM-P23 (FX) Processor and Motherboard Combo ($109, then a $10 rebate after that).

http://www.frys.com/...FRI date:091214

Thanks.

Edited by huyzer, September 15 2014 - 09:32 AM.


#31 Barbie_in_a_Mech

Barbie_in_a_Mech

    Advanced Member

  • Full Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 180 posts
  • LocationHidden in your bedroom, gathering intel for your sister.

Posted September 15 2014 - 04:30 PM

I think it's a pretty good deal.  It's a little lame that the motherboard only supports 1333 mHz RAM, but the difference it makes should be very small anyway.

For fun I googled the motherboard and found this.
http://www.tomshardw...otherboard.html

They say you won't be able to overclock the processor, but I don't think it's a big deal, especially in your situation.

The processor itself seems good, and on newegg, it sells for the same price as the deal you've found, so I find this rather surprising.  It's not a power beast, but it's certainly a good upgrade compared to the one you have.  Anyway I think AMD's processors can only get a little better than that, and this is a quad core, which is great.  Having more than 4 cores would have no impact on gaming.


Surprising eh_  After writing that, I summoned the google demonslave again.
http://www.yelp.com/...o-alto_start=40
People seem rather unhappy with Fry, especially for customer service.

I think it's worth pondering about.  Assembling computer parts can be tricky, especially placing the motherboard's plugs at the right places so that the computer is able to boot up.  Motherboards come with a user guide that, from personal experience, is immensely helpful (and needed), but judging from this thread, I assume that you have never changed a motherboard before.  So you have to think : what will you do if you can't get the computer to boot up anymore_
If your best option is to call Fry's customer support, then perhaps you'd be safer looking for a deal somewhere else.
Just my advice.  I have never heard of this store before, so I have zero experience with them.

If you have people you can depend on, especially in real life, or if you at least have another way to access internet, then the deal should be pretty good.

If you decide to go ahead and take that deal, then you will need to buy RAM too.  You only have to remember that 1333 mHz is the fastest you can take, so make sure you don't buy 1600 mHz or more.


By the way, you should ignore the 10$ rebate.  You might get it, but you will probably have to fight very hard to get it.  It's extremely common that people follow instructions correctly and don't get their rebate back anyway because of some BS reasons.

Edited by Barbie_in_a_Mech, September 15 2014 - 04:44 PM.

Posted Image


#32 huyzer

huyzer

    Member

  • Full Members
  • PipPip
  • 10 posts

Posted September 15 2014 - 10:38 PM

View PostBarbie_in_a_Mech, on September 15 2014 - 04:30 PM, said:

By the way, you should ignore the 10$ rebate.  You might get it, but you will probably have to fight very hard to get it.  It's extremely common that people follow instructions correctly and don't get their rebate back anyway because of some BS reasons.

Thank you for all the tips Barbie_in_a_Mech.

Yes, I have my brother who can help with the computer if it should not boot. :D lol   I'm still wondering about this offer, or if I should just save up my money for something better.... or buy this and save the money I save for something else.  Dang, where's my MoneyTree! ;P  I bet the water to water it is expensive. :P

Yeah, I hate rebates for that reason.  I try to not buy anything with such "awesome" rebates for that very reason.

Thanks again,
huyzer




1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users