New PC advice requested

After a little over 10 years I've started thinking about a new PC. After reading some threads I've come up with a few possibilities for the required components.

Graphics: Asus Nvidia GeForce GTX 760
Processor: Intel i3 4150 Dual Core CPU (Socket 1150)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97P-D3 - 1.0 - motherboard - ATX - LGA1150 Socket - Z97 - LGA1150
RAM: Kingston Technology ValueRAM 4 GB 1600MHz CL11 DDR3
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1 TB
Power Supply: Not sure. My current PC has a Corsair 550W which may be fine. More info needed.
Case: Thermaltake Urban S21 Mid tower (not too bothered but I'm also interested in noise damping)
Sound: Hardly given this much thought. Can onboard sound be okay these days?
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit (happy to try 8.1 if others are happy with it)

My price limit is around £500. I've done some basic checking and the current components are very close to that price. I haven't been too thorough because it's best to ensure I'm looking for the right things first. I know I'd need thermal paste if buying the processor and motherboard separately. I'm happy to consider MB-CPU bundles too if the price is good.

I don't mind going over my limit if there are a couple of things that would give a real boost in performance. I could pay £900 or £800 etc but I'd prefer not to. How do you think the current components would run rFactor2?

What are my requirements? We all want smooth framerates. I'm not too bothered about anti-aliasing but besides that it's hard to describe what I want by referring to named features. If people think the game looks reasonable without HDR, I can live without that too. I see some screenshots, not just of rF2 but other sims too, which I think look more like what a camera sees than what a human sees. A small bridge should not case a pitch black shadow and I'm happy to look at kerbs without being blinded.

So, advice would be appreciated and possibly essential.

 

GTX-970, I7, Asus with Z97 Chipset, 8 GB RAM, ~ 800 W PS, Samsung SSD

 

Juergen, I have a Corsair HX750i power supply which tells me in real time how much power I'm drawing, I have GTX970 sli and the most my system has drawn is 500w it usually draws around 300-350 when gaming.
A lower wattage power supply but better quality would be fine.

 

I would advise an upgrade to an i5, I think dual cores are on the way out.
How old is your power supply? The wattage is fine but they only last x amount of years.
The onboard sound will certainly get you by, you could always upgrade in the future.
As Juergen mentioned, if your willing to push the boat out for a gtx 970 their great value for money.

 

Thanks for your replies. My PSU is a few years old. I doubt I could be more precise than that.

The prices I'm seeing for the GTX 970 are a bit high, but I won't rule it out just yet. Also, I'm happy to consider a pre-built PC, even if it means one or two things (PSU, RAM etc) require immediate upgrading.

 

i5 minimum.
I would go an i7 2600k minimum, 8 gig G skill ram minimum (LTW), 750 power supply minimum, mob z77 or better, full tower case gd cooling more fans the better. no probs with fitting gfx cards. 240 ssd samsung and then the best graphics card you can get with whats left.

 

That mobo is too dear for a i3 imo

http://www.gigabyte.com.au/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4958#ov

Esp if you only spec 4Gb of ram, ie: you would be better off with cheaper board and 8GB for same price ... i3 or i7 don't matter in that respect.

Like coops said at least a i5 and 8GB ram




Not being big headed but I think my specs below are pretty close to what you want.

Downgrade: Case a little and cooling and hardrive ......is all wont change a thing in performance in RF2 from mine.

 

I recently changed to a corsair carbide 400r case, it's cheap, quiet and a pleasure to build with. If you go for a midi case it may limit your component choice, thats the reason I had to swap cases eventually.

 

rFactor 2 is 64 bit, so get the 8 GB RAM so you aren't memory bound when running large fields on highly detailed tracks (Silverstone).
nVidia 970 is future-insurance whereas the 700 series cards are borderline. 970 requires less power and generates less heat and goes faster. (I'll likely upgrade my adequate 770 next year)
Win 8.1 is efficient internally even if you don't like how the GUI is presented. If you really can't stand it, there are alternative GUIs.
CPU... quadcore isn't necessary, but the price difference for i5/i7 is a minimal part of the system cost. Sooner or later you'll desire the extra cores.

 

GTX970

I think you pissing in the wind considering his budget based on his first selections. No offence Emery.


Graphics: Asus Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 - Get a dual fan model preferably OC model on special.
Processor: Intel i3 4150 Dual Core CPU (Socket 1150) - With a GTX660 + I would really recommend a i5 over the i3. The difference in other software is worth the extra imo.
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97P-D3 - 1.0 - motherboard - ATX - LGA1150 Socket - Z97 - LGA1150 - as I said you do not need Z97 Motherboard a cheaper H97 will be cool.
RAM: Kingston Technology ValueRAM 4 GB 1600MHz CL11 DDR3 - Absolutely 8GB of memory part paid for with cheaper motherboard.
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1 TB - No problem
Power Supply: Not sure. My current PC has a Corsair 550W which may be fine. More info needed. - Even a VS550 has more then enough grunt, solid single rail, good amps 550w continuous is all a GTX760 requires especially running a stock Processor , 2 case fans, 1 hardrive.................yadda yadda
Case: Thermaltake Urban S21 Mid tower (not too bothered but I'm also interested in noise damping) - Case is just as roomy as my Urban31, same fans and both are very quiet
Sound: Hardly given this much thought. Can onboard sound be okay these days? - Well yes and no, depends on your sound system, with good speakers Realtek is "okay"
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit (happy to try 8.1 if others are happy with it) - If you are buying new W8.1 Pro 64Bit makes sense I guess. I like W7 to run old sims though.

 

None taken! Even knowing the exchange rate, it's hard for me in the USA to compare prices for those on island nations, especially when there's import duties & VAT to be considered.

 

I wish I was in UK or US

GTX900s here are expensive. ( low $ to US atm )

Windforce GTX760 is $249 Windforce GTX970 G1 is $519

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If he can add the extra for a GTX970 then you want a i5 at least preferably a i7.

Power Supply would be real borderline then.

Case size and cooling comes into play as well and suddenly the Corsair tower you suggest is more appealing.


Adds a heap of money for him but.

 

I had a look for a H97 motherboard but the prices I've found are similar to the ones for the Z97. Most of the H97s I can see are micro ATX. I don't know if there are any performance or other implications I should consider there.

 

Id stick with atx tbh

 

this

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-443-IN&groupid=701&catid=6&subcat=1275

and this is plenty good enough

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-514-AS&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=2261

some ram

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-299-CS&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=1517

a killer card

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-259-MS&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=1010

a decent case

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-056-CS&groupid=2362&catid=2277

That brings you to around £690 but still needing windows, hard drive. Your power supply is ok for this setup.

 

Yeah sorry that Gigabyte Z97 is excellent price, confused with another model and the latest chipset makes sense.

24 quid cheaper then the Asus oHOWEo
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-498-GI&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=2811

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-532-IN&groupid=701&catid=6&subcat=567

Okay that takes up 10 of the 24 saved but the 4690 is 300MHz faster default.

That is if he does not want to overclock which I may have wrongly assumed.

 

I think Howe has you on the right track. A little stretch in the budget will go a long ways.

 

Of course it would

I just trying to be objective.

Not like he is exactly fanatical about performance is it, most likely why he opted for a i3 ( it will blow a 10 year old PC off pretty easy )

That GTX970 is 60% of his budget.

If he has very good ambient temps and air con. he can get away with stock cooler on a stock 4690.

If not both a non K and K will require some sort of cooler ? That is not in budget.

You will not have to buy thermalpaste, stock coolers have tape applied and add on coolers will have either tape or a tube of paste supplied.

IF you are not overclocking paste make is not going to be important, coolermaster paste, would do etc. No need to buy Artic Silver like.




My point is to include cooler and OS and other stuff missing from list ( HDD/DVD) it will be 1000, double the cost.

imho me wants a new PSU with more headroom IF he wants to run the GTX970 with a overclocked processor.

For the GTX760 and stock processor it is okay though.

I just don't get the feeling this fella wants to spend that much.


Saving grace is he can sell his entire going PC to recoup a bit if he goes the Higher End route.

 

Maybe something like this still 165 over budget but its complete bar PSU ( yours is fine with a GTX760) and a DVD

( I would put your W7 on a thumdrive using "Rufus "
https://rufus.akeo.ie/

That would give very decent rF2 performance for a 1920x1080 monitor imho.

I base that on the fact it would run the same as mine apart from the GTX760 OC vs GTX670 OC.........


Check FPS diff.......barely anything
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0g4CHq11fk