Generic Help me spec a PC

Hi guys.

I play Assetto Corsa on XB1 because I don't have a PC. I have a full Fanatec CSW V2 setup and want in more in terms of Simulation that I can't get from a console. I want VR support or triple screens. I want modded cars and a wider variety of games than just Forza and a watered down version of AC.

I know nothing about computers but don't think it's fair that I should suffer because of it. I would like to build a PC on a budget and would even consider second hand but I don't know what I need to play sim racers like Assetto comfortable and reliably. So who can help point me in the right direction. What do I need, what don't I need and how much can I get away with on a budget that I can upgrade in future.

Thanks in advance

Ben

 

I haven't looked that detailed into current specs, but with a triple screen or VR I think a graphics card like Nvidia GTX 1060, 1070 or used 980, 970 is what you are looking for.
This means 300-400€ new, don't know about used prices though.

A decent quad core cpu somewhere like 150-220€ new plus 60-110€ motherboard, 50 or so for 8gb ram, 70-80 for a 250gb ssd, maybe a bigger one with space (my system plus AC with some mod cars and like 8-12 tracks take like 100-120GB atm).

PSU with around 500W and a case will be 100-200€, depending on quality and looks, maybe extra case fans needed.
I don't recommend using the boxed cpu coolers, there are model for 30€ available with good performance and low noise.
Keyboard, mouse and a few minor things and you have what you need.

So I guess 700-800€ would be the lower limit for a decent system. (used maybe less possible)


I can give you more specific help tomorrow, typing on smartphone right now.


But one important thing, I've read several times now in the pc area of the forum that some people have trouble with their wheels if they are plugged into a USB 3.0 port and 2.0 ports work better. Some manufacturers even recommend using 2.0 ports, so it's reasonable to take a cpu/MoBo system that still has native 2.0 ports.

 

Intel/Nvidia system isnt budget.

Next year comes new AM4 socket (DDR4 support). In combination with a RX480 you get a very good system for ~700€

This is what you pay just for intel cpu and nvidia graphic card

 

I was a AMD guy for cpu's a long time, but IMO Intel left them behind since the first Core Duo/Quad models and all my seperately bought graphic cards were Nvidia. Gave AMD once a try before my 660Ti, but the drivers seemed messy and I wasn't happy with the overall package.

Last time I looked a RX480 wasn't much cheaper than a 1060 and reviews were comparable or slightly less powerful.

I don't want to say AMD is bad or Intel/Nvidia is necessarily better, I am just better informed on Intel/Nvidia tech.

 

whatever you do go with a Intel CPU, quad core highest ghz speed you can afford.
Intel cpu for gaming all the way these days.

Btw i have a amd fx8350 that i use for audio work and gaming. But if i would buy a gaming cpu today would be an intel no doubt. Many games run so much better with them.

 

Recommendation for NEW build:

- Intel i5 6600k: 230 €
- CoolerMaster cooler, budget model: 25 €
- MSI mainboard (no need for gaming edition, basic ones are as good I'd say) with 2*PCI-E 16 slots - 100 €
- Some PSU with 750 W (be prepared for dual GPU) - 80 €
- Case: 70 € (Corsair is good)
- RAM 8GB: 50 €
- HDD 1TB: 40 €
- DVD drive: 15 €
- GPU: a) Get a RX480 for ~250 (or maybe already cheaper 2nd hand) now and upgrade to a second one later when you have the money. This opens up the chance to go for FreeSync screens at some point. b) Go for 2*2nd hand 970s and put them in SLI, right away for ~300€. c) Buy one 970 2nd hand for around 150€ with the option to upgrade to another one, later. One 970 alone will play AC on steady 60 FPS on triples but you'll have to reduce the settings a bit.

So without screen and other peripherals this brings you into a range of 740-910 € depending on which GPU option you choose.

If you want to go for a 2nd hand PC look up a MoBo/CPU/RAM combination on eBay with a 4th generation i5.

 

I can agree on most of those things, but I would really recommend a SSD for Windows and the game installations. They really reduce loading times.
Once you get used to them you don't want to go back to slow HDDs which I only use for storage now.


(personally I newer really liked multi GPU systems due to the power demand, noise and heat, having some issues in early stages (don't know if those still exist))

 

Agree on the SSD, have one myself. I left it out because OP is aiming at budget gaming PC and SSD is something you can add anytime later when your wallet has recovered from the initial purchase ;-)

I have also stayed away from multi-GPU setups but that's based on old word-of-mouth information that they're critical. For now I know of at least 2 people running SLI setups perfectly fine. One is running 2 970s and in some games he indeed doubled the FPS, for some it's only 50 % improvement. So it might be fine by now and it can save you lots of money - 2 RX480s can reach a massive performance up to 1080 level for the price of a 1070.

 

I've recently added a second SSD because I always had to 'clean' my 5yr old 120GB (almost 200€ back then, worth every bit of it) because Win7 with my programs and AC almost filled it up. My current AC takes almost 50GB atm.
250GB Samsung as 2nd SSD was less than 70€. This would be enough for Win, AC, the programs you need to work and maybe 1-3 more games. Less often played games then could go on an HDD or get a 2nd SSD later.

My point is, my pc needed a clean Win reinstall for quite a while now and I always pushed it because I never wanted to do it. I have done it with the arrival of the new SSD, but looking at how time consuming it is and annoying it can be sometimes I recommend to get the SSD right away and install the OS and AC on it.

 

I have exactly that SSD and did exactly that :-D

 

I spec'd two PCs for you around the 1.3k USD price range (including the peripherals, guessing you already have the keyboard, mouse and all that jazz.. but will include them nonetheless just to be safe) which should support VR with no issues. A word of warning would be that no heavily budget parts are used in these builds, so you can make them easily cheaper by about 100-150 USD at least if you opt for a cheaper mobo, CPU cooler and such like but I went for stability and longevity of the parts since I'm assuming here that you are new to PC's and guessing you wouldn't want to fiddle about with your build much down the line.

The first one is a PC that would be a normal tower build which primarily sits on your desk and acts as a regular PC, with all the options for future expandability if you want to add a second graphics card, more ram, ridiculous amount of hard drives etc down the line.

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/Xsbnd6

And now for the second build that costs a tiny bit more, but would be a smaller form factor and equally as powerful mini ITX PC which you can pretty much carry over to your living room whenever you feel like it and connect it to your TV and enables you to enjoy a console-esque experience with steam's big picture mode. You can use it completely like a console, with your controllers if you are in a mood to play your PC games on your big TV.

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/MhPm3F

Ofcourse, I'll add that if you are really planning on going balls out with the build just add a GTX 1080 instead of the GTX 1070 that both these builds currently have, you'd have to add about 200$ to the price which would increase the overall price of both these builds from ~1.3k to 1.5k USD (including the keyboard, mouse and all). If I were making the second build I'd just opt for the more powerful 1080 since the smaller form factor of a mini ITX PC lacks the required expandability to add a second 1070 down the line if you so desire.

 

1080 over 1070 for a budget pc?
Here in Germany it 400€+ vs. 600€+, but afaik the 1080 isn't 50% more powerful than a 1070.
1070 vs 1060 is pretty even matched on price increase to performance increase.


But now I've seen that the RX480 dropped a bit in price compared to the 1060, last time I checked it was like 20€ or so, now it's 50-60€ difference. Maybe better for a budget build!?

 

I5 3570k at 4.0Ghz and 970GTX are perfect for one ultrawide monitor 2560x1080 allowing to keep between 100-150FPS on high settings. For triples 970 have not enough Displayports (1 only and 2 DVI - you would need to check if it work) - 1070 have usually 3 DP. And I'm afraid this config (970) is not enough for VR and not very powerful with triples.

 

Ehh I didn't make a budget PC. I said that in the beginning. He said he wants VR and triples and I gave him options for a baller VR and triples rig that will do everything and not just AC for a long time. People before me have already given many budget options so no point in me giving him another budget rig is there. I literally built the first rig a couple days ago for a friend, he was looking to upgrade from his old 2500 (non k) + 670 build and the first one costed him under 1k USD since he already had a couple bits and bobs like the power supply and all. So yeah, IMO anything under 1k fresh is budget to me. Like I said he can go a lot cheaper easily but the builds I suggested are upper mid range.

 

Hi all, opinions wanted here.
Looking to build in January with vr in mind.
I7 6700k
Gtx 1080 (zotac?) (probable sli in future)
Z170 gaming board
16gb ram (would 32 be overkill?)
256gb ssd & 1tb hdd (or just one big ssd?)
Seasonic 850w psu
Water cooler
Will I need an audio card? Using sennheiser 7.1 headset?
What else would be needed?

What headset is best htc vive or oculus rift?

 

@Torcano:
1080 for me is top of the line performance for a hefty price tag, if you're an enthusiast, then you can go for it.
Asking for a gaming pc on a budget and 1080 doesn't fit together IMO. That was my point.

 

I have exactly that SSD and did exactly that :-D

970 is no problem with triples. AVG of 90 FPS with high settings and no PP, AVG of ~60 FPS when you activate PP. This is first hand information from triple Full HDs on a 970.

 

@Schnipp Erm... where did I say 1080 is a budget build item, LOL. IDK what sort of a retard would consider a 1080 a budget item. I quote myself " if you are really planning on going balls out with the build just add a GTX 1080 instead of the GTX 1070 that both these builds currently have, you'd have to add about 200$ to the price which would increase the overall price of both these builds from ~1.3k to 1.5k USD". Balls out =/= budget. IDK why you are even arguing over a non issue really. Maybe my english is so bad that I failed to explain myself properly. I say again, it was not my intention to give him a bargain bin budget rig that he can assemble out of dried pubic follicles, I spec'd both the PCs to be a higher mid range PC with no bottom tier budget parts if he was so inclined to go that route. He really did not specify his budget so what does it even matter really. I assumed if the dude is willing to dish out 700 bucks for a CSWv2 to play on a console and wants to get into VR and triples (both of which are not a cheap prospect by any means), he'd probably be well off enough to get quality items even if the end product was a couple 100 bucks more expensive LOL. I even gave a word of warning in the first paragraph that the build contains some hefty parts which can easily be replaced by much cheaper ones if he so desires, and I even said that "I personally" would go for a 1080 if it's a mini ITX build because of lack of SLI option down the line... I gave him an option if he wants to go bigger. Do I make my intention clear now? :|

 

I was reading that part in a hurry on my phone earlier, so I may just have misinterpreted it.
Now I get your point, all good.

That's why I wrote price ranges, 150€ are entry level i5 quad cores, for 220€ you can get (1150 socket) Xeon with HT or top of the line i5 with OC features.

My low prices were about the price range what I wouldn't concider bottom tier budget parts.
Though if possible I would also recommend to spend a bit more.
I still remember my last really low budget build with new parts for a friends, my hands had so many cuts because of the cheap case and bad GPU/CPU coolers... Never again will I assamble something like that myself (for me or someone else).

 

Good components so far.
16GB Ram should be enough. (more would probably only be needed for really complex rendering stuff, I doubt any game would need more than 16GB)
~250GB SSD: Win, a few programs and AC will take somewhere like 90-120GB, depending on the mods for AC and programs you use. So there is space for more games, though if you want to run other big games it might be worth to get a ~500GB SSD.
Extra HDD depending of what you need for storage. (not everybody needs ~17TB like me )

PSU with 850W is ok if you really want to go SLI later, if not 500-600W should be plenty powerful.

Water cooler, mhh...
There are really great CPU air coolers around and also graphic cards with good ones, use a good case with good fans and it still is possible to get good performance with little to moderate noise. (thb I don't mind the louder, but not annoying, GPU fan while gaming because of the game sound)

If you don't want the big air coolers than watercooling would be the way to go.

If the Sennheiser is a good headset then yes, an audio card will most like bring better audio than the on-board sound. Something like a Asus Xonar DX/DSX.