Minimum/Recommended System Specs for rFactor 2

Discussion in 'News & Notifications' started by 88mphTim, Sep 12, 2011.

  1. Bryan Birtwell

    Bryan Birtwell Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2012
    Messages:
    620
    Likes Received:
    29
    Howdy,

    I'm not too sure I'd buy a Dell for anything... I know I wouldn't use a Dell as a gaming box.

    The machine you have posted would make a fair AutoCad/Solid Works work station.

    Look at my specs. You only need 1/4 the RAM I have, and you could chose a more modest video card. And an AMD 965 quad core.

    You will be happier with a machine that from the ground up is designed for gaming.

    If you go with the Dells... Figure on replacing the 275 Watt power supplies with real ones.

    Those video cards won't game.... period.

    If your club would like, you can pm me and I can put together a quote for the 6 boxes... Or, duplicate what I have, slimming down the specs as noted above (if needed due to cost) and build them yourselves.

    Hope this helps,

    Bryan
     
  2. Caterham_Super_7

    Caterham_Super_7 Registered

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2012
    Messages:
    96
    Likes Received:
    1
    Thanks Bryan. I kinda thought the 275 Watt power supplies were a bit doubtful. My own system has 850W.
     
  3. Caterham_Super_7

    Caterham_Super_7 Registered

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2012
    Messages:
    96
    Likes Received:
    1
  4. Bryan Birtwell

    Bryan Birtwell Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2012
    Messages:
    620
    Likes Received:
    29
    Always my pleasure!

    BB
     
  5. DonMunro

    DonMunro Registered

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2013
    Messages:
    5
    Likes Received:
    0
    I have read what the "minimum" and "recommended" systems are but can anyone post what they feel an "optimum" system would be?

    By optimum, I mean a system that will do everything for the foreseeable future, but not just the most expensive for the sake of bragging rights. For example... i5 or i7? 8 or 16 GB RAM... or more? Any advantage to a Solid State drive? Win 7 or Win 8?

    You get the idea :)

    I am in the process of replacing my Duo Core XP machine and any help would be appreciated.

    My plans currently are the following, but I'm wide open to suggestions:
    CPU: Intel Core i7 3770K
    Video: GeForce GTX670 2GB
    RAM: 8GB (Dual Channel, DDR3 1600MHz)
    Boot drive: 128GB SSD
    Storage drive: 2TB Hard Drive (7200RPM)
    Audio: motherboard (ie nothing special)
    Power: 850 w (at least)
    OS: Win 7/8 (64 bit)

    Oh yes, I have already bought the Matrox TripleHead2Go and 3 ASUS 27"monitors. My Obbutto R3evolution rig should also be delivered next week.

    any comments?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 27, 2013
  6. 88mphTim

    88mphTim racesimcentral.net

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2010
    Messages:
    10,840
    Likes Received:
    314
    Optimum is the best PC you can afford that is available today (above the rec specs) really...

    Minimum = It will run, maybe not well.
    Rec = It will run, probably well, but this doesn't mean everything ON.
     
  7. Diablo

    Diablo Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2013
    Messages:
    404
    Likes Received:
    0
    It depends what the foreseeable future is for you, I guess. Anyway here are my 2 cents.
    Maybe an i5-3570K will do as well, or as I´ve read even a Xeon v1230 (Edit: I meant a Xeon E3-1230v2), which is just 100 MHz slower than the i5-3570, costs about as much and has SMT enabled as opposed to the 3570, so in some workloads it comes close to the i7-3770. Plus you don´t pay for a useless on-die GPU.
    8 GB of RAM seem to be good enough for a while but 16 should have you covered for a very long time to come. I would save the money for an SSD drive. It is nice to have for quick startup times, but provides no performance advantage once the system or programs are loaded. I think that money is better spent elsewhere, like more RAM. ;)
    A 850 W PSU for such system?! That´s just overkill and then some. CPU + graphics card barely get to 250 W combined. An underutilized PSU has a very bad efficiency coefficient. 450 or better 550 W 80+ PSU should be sufficient.

    Cheers,
    Marcus
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 1, 2013
  8. DonMunro

    DonMunro Registered

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2013
    Messages:
    5
    Likes Received:
    0
    Marcus,
    Thanks very much. That's just the type of common sense feedback that I wanted.
    It's very easy to get caught up in the more, more, more mindset, isn't it?

    Your comments on the PSU are very interesting. I've never seen anyone say more power is too much.

    Cheers
    Don
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 1, 2013
  9. DonMunro

    DonMunro Registered

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2013
    Messages:
    5
    Likes Received:
    0
    Hi Tim,
    That's not the answer...
    For argument's sake, let's say that money is not an issue, and I spend $10k on a SUPER PC. That's hardly "optimal", is it?
    There would likely be no perceptible benefit for the last $7k spent.
    Don
     
  10. adaptable1

    adaptable1 Registered

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2013
    Messages:
    112
    Likes Received:
    0
    This is very similar to my setup (down to the Obutto Revolution) except that I have a GTX 680 and 3x Acer 27 inch 3D monitors (although I rarely play in 3D). It runs rF2 very well on this configuration, and gets more optimized with each of the last 3 builds. I cannot run everything on "full" with VSync on, but its aweful close depending on the track and whether I'm racing or just doing laps. (I will probably go to SLI or an upgraded card towards the end of the year), and with that much eye candy on the single GTX680, I'm still getting 40fps with shadows on medium and everything else on full. Almost all of the other titles I play run in "full". There is a thread about my tuning on this forum: http://isiforums.net/f/showthread.php/10517-Single-GTX-680-with-3-monitors-latest-builds

    You no longer need the separate TripleHead2Go if you use NVidia Surround with mulltiview enabled in rFactor2. I highly recommend more video memory if you want to drive 3 monitors @ 1920x1080 (ie. 4GB version of the card.... particularly if you want to do 3D )...remember that if you upgrade to SLI down the road, the memory size must match on both cards....5760x1080 will use a lot of video memory. You'll also need a Displayport to DVI-D adapter (particularly if your monitors are 3D capable). 850w can be enough, but just make sure it has enough PCI-E power plugs...my 850w only has enough ports to power one card (the GTX680 needs 2 PCI-E power connectors). My experience is that the larger the power supply, the less noise its fans make. I am going to need a larger one 1000w+ if I want to run 2 GTX680s in SLI. If I would have spent the money upfront for a larger PSU with more power ports, I would not need to upgrade it as well as get another graphics card if I go to SLI down the road.

    Take your time building the Obutto. Watch the videos a few times. Allocate 2 days and plenty of room to spread things out. The 3 monitor mount is tricky. It seems like a lot of work, but its worth it!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 4, 2013
  11. Lazza

    Lazza Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    12,346
    Likes Received:
    6,572
    Tim said "the best PC you can afford". If you think the 'last' $7k isn't going to give you enough benefit, you can't afford a $10k PC. If you could afford it, you'd be happy if it even gave you a 0.2% performance boost. People who buy expensive things are happy to boast about it no matter how trivial or insignificant the gain is.

    Your own example is "money is not an issue". If that were really the case you'd say the super pc is perfect.
     
  12. Diablo

    Diablo Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2013
    Messages:
    404
    Likes Received:
    0
    Well there is a difference between optimum and maximum. ;)
    Spending more than twice as much as the one hypothetical PC would cost to gain another 0.2% of performance is hardly optimal, but it is maximizing the performance.

    But maybe we shouldn´t quibble about Tim´s choice of words too much and just take the important bits of information:
    Edit: And it depends on what one defines as "best" as well, if that $10k PC really is the best. If it means "best bang for the buck", than it is most certainly not.
     
  13. ZeosPantera

    ZeosPantera Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    1,397
    Likes Received:
    14
    Could we drop the 7K/10K discussion. I do not think you could build a PC (and I am talking about tower not peripherals) that costs 7K.

    I will drop down a list of the ACTUAL components that affect performance. I think that would be a good start and end to this.

    Video Card - Most important? Depends on how rF2 is coded and if you run triple-head. Lets assume you get the TITAN... $1,000

    Processor - Needed to feed that monster video card. Don't want a bottleneck here. Highest Price AMD - FX8350 ($200), Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme ($1069)

    Hard Drive - Crucial 512 Gig SSD? $360

    Memory - Top of the line CORSAIR Dominator Platinum 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3 2800 (PC3 22400) $582

    Motherboard - Assuming an average board and not a server board.. $200

    Power Supply - to feed your new investment. CORSAIR AX1200i 1200W $329

    Throw it all in a $40 case because f'it. and the TOTAL for those come with $3580..

    This is the MOST EXPENSIVE PC you can build minus having multiple $1,000 video cards and nothing else is related to the performance of rF2 or any game for that matter. Everything else is a luxury item.

    Honestly, if you can't get maximum performance out of a PC costing $1000-1200.. There is something wrong on ISI's part.
     
  14. DonMunro

    DonMunro Registered

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2013
    Messages:
    5
    Likes Received:
    0
    Adaptable, thanks for the detailed suggestions. I have to read up more on NOT using the Matrox triple box.

    Lazza, Diablo, That was the point that I was trying to make... Optimal vs. Maximum

    Zeos, thanks for your input. The $10k was just a BIG number plucked out of the sky. :) In actual fact I am budgeting between $2-3K. I don't think I will bother with an SSD and will probably get a GTX680 rather than a Titan

    thanks again to everyone
    Don
     
  15. DonMunro

    DonMunro Registered

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2013
    Messages:
    5
    Likes Received:
    0
    I read the thread that you referenced... thank you very much. I did not know that 3x monitors could be done with the NVIDIA card... my plans have changed. :)
     
  16. DurgeDriven

    DurgeDriven Banned

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2012
    Messages:
    6,320
    Likes Received:
    43

    You want me to do it now...........

    You are way way way off the dearest tower omg

    CPU you can run DUAL EXTREMES 200%
    Mobo is underpriced for best 400%
    32GB ( FOR 8 slot ivybridge ) is 200% + dearer 64GB - 400%
    If you ran SSD in dearest PC they would be redundant raid ........ 400-500% derarer
    Best water cooling for all peripherals - 500% dearer

    For the Best tower nothing but triple monitors, you going to want SLI / Crossfire or better 200%/400% dearer
    Then you may run server case with 2 power supplies. 300% dearer
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 21, 2013

Share This Page