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Wags recommend a moderate $ystem to run BS


Flyby

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Yeah, I'm fishing for info, and shamelessly at that. I'll have a narrow window of cooperation in which to upgrade to a more powerful system, and any help from any ED personnel or combat simulation-type person would be nice. Think in terms of smooth running during heavy cpu cycles. Dual core, or quad core? Wait for the middle lineup of the Penryn series? X38 chipset? ED testros sing out too

thanks in advance,

Flyby (the lucky guy)

The U.S. Congress is the best governing body that BIG money can buy. :cry:

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wait and see?!

 

or better yet, wait and see...

Well I suppose I could. I've been trolling ExtremeTech,a nd Tom's Hardware and Firing Squad to try to see my upgrade path materialize itself. But it would be nice to have a target, hence I asked. Might as well sit by the pool and have a few while I'm waiting...:music_whistling:

Flyby

Ps I guess I need to find a pool

The U.S. Congress is the best governing body that BIG money can buy. :cry:

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What we can say now is that it would be highly recommended to have 2GB of good system RAM and at least 256MB of video RAM onboard. For Black Shark, I don't think the CPU/chipset selection is critical, as any new system should be sufficient to run the current engine equally well. Unfortunately, we don't have any details yet about ED's future game engine, so I would make the CPU/chipset selection based on other factos (price, other games you will be playing, etc.)

- EB

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Nothing is easy. Everything takes much longer.

The Parable of Jane's A-10

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I've only seen a couple of systems running Black Shark - mine and JimMack's at the open shows.

 

I think they're similar specs - Core 2 Duo at 2.3GHz or so, 2Gb system RAM, and a 7900 series graphics card. No worries so far.

This is no longer a cutting edge system - and really, anything from there upwards is a bonus :)

 

AFAIK Black Shark won't make the most of a quad-core CPU - but if they handle normal running faster than dual-core then that's fine.

 

 

. . . . you don't need to go beserk on a computer for Black Shark. Buy what you can afford and what makes sense.

 

My personal inclination for rig-buying is to hang on a little longer, wait for Vista to get it's servicepack, wait for DX10 to start coming in (Crysis, BoB), wait for the 8800 drivers to mature a little . . . and then move up.

 

Call it Vista SP1, an Intel quad-core, 4Gb RAM (blame Vista), and an 8800 series. But not quite yet.

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Good as in do not get generic brand?

 

In have 800MHz RAM. That should be ok. I guess my video card could use an upgrade, as does my processor.

 

Many of us should worry about things to fly the chopper with. I just got pedals, but trying to figure out a collective mod for my X52. (I guess strapping a metal poll to it would work.) these should help a lot with the experience.

 

Aero out

 

EDIT: @brigliderpilot: Ok, maybe my system is ok, but it could be better.

DCS Wishlist: 1) FIX THE DAMN RIVERS!!! 2) Spherical or cylindrical panorama view projection. 3) Enhanced input options (action upon button release, etc). 4) Aircraft flight parameter dump upon exit (stick posn, attitude, rates, accel, control volume, control-surface positions, SAS bias, etc). 5) ADS-33 maneuver courses as static objects. 6) Exposed API or exports of trim position and stick force for custom controllers. 7) Select auto multiple audio devices

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Can't remember what type of mobo and how many MHz on the RAM, but it's an AMD Sempron 3000+, 512 cheap RAM, GF 7600 gs and on-board sound.

 

FC ran fine on medium settings with slight stutter every now and then, but I have a tendency to bump certain settings up a notch after I found the sweet spot; I love eye candy.

ED have been taking my money since 1995. :P

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  • ED Team

Until you here that DCS:BS has gone final code, I'd really suggest not making a hardware choice based on DCS. Right now I think it runs with about a 10% greater load than FC (milage may vary!), but that could change from now an until release.

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thanks for the replies, all

 

Good input all.:thumbup: The way I see it, my next system must also handle SoW_BoB well, and I'm anticipating the clouds in that one will be a cpu hog. So I'm hoping for the x38 chipset (the more board vendors the better on that one), and a lower-priced penryn quad core. Intel plans to release a middle line of penryns in duo and quad core sometime ealry next year. Also, I've read where the prices of DDR3 are finally starting to drop. So the longer I wait, the better. I've been an ATi fan and an NVidia fan as well (shudda bought the stock while it was in the high $20s) so I'm not sure which way I lean on the gpu. I guess the main thing is to get the right board than can accept cpu and ram upgrades. Imagine being able to overclock to 4+ghz just using a good cpu fan. That's the penryn promise.;)

 

Tom's Hardware is spec'ing out a middle line system to run Crysis, so I'll follow the progress of that article to see what I can learn there. I've even read where one can enable DX10 graphics in Crysis to run on a WinXP system. No, I don't intend to buy Crysis.:P I'm also not in a hurry to upgrade to Vista until I see combat air sims that will take advantage of 4gigs of ram DX10, and Vista.

This is a fun time to catch up on the new hardware, especially that which is in the pipeline. My old Pentium 2.8, and my trusty BFG 6800 Ultra gpu ran IL2 and LOMAC/FC well enough with the proper tweaking, but that was then.

Well, gotta go and sell some more blood!

later!

Flyby

The U.S. Congress is the best governing body that BIG money can buy. :cry:

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I know what you are going thru.I myself had this same delima back in march.I searched the forums and checked the benchmarks.I asked questons out the wazoo.The 2 biggest hardware parts that I kept being advised on ,were a big prossesor and a big video card.

So whith that in mind,I bought a core 2 duo 2.4 at 1066mhz [not ever been overclocked.I also bought a 768meg Gforce8800gtx [never been overclocked].I also picked up 2 other items that I thought would help with fps.2 gigs 667 ram and a 10000 rpm sata hd.

Some performance exsamples are LOMAC highest settings 50+ fps. crtsis demo 35+fps. and a unbeleavable 30+fps on FSX.I set all my graphic settings and reselutions on high.Before the crysis demo came out,I Asked how it would play over at Toms hardware,they replied perfectly.And it did.

So my advice get the biggest Prossessor and biggest video card.I am sure glad I did.

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...'m also not in a hurry to upgrade to Vista until I see combat air sims that will take advantage of 4gigs of ram DX10, and Vista...

 

Ya, don;t get Vista yet... i made that mistake. Unless you have a game that specifically takes advantage of DX10, it's not worth it.

 

Vista really takes away a chunk from lock on especially. I'm almost sorry I upgraded (downgraded?:huh:) to vista...

DCS Wishlist: 1) FIX THE DAMN RIVERS!!! 2) Spherical or cylindrical panorama view projection. 3) Enhanced input options (action upon button release, etc). 4) Aircraft flight parameter dump upon exit (stick posn, attitude, rates, accel, control volume, control-surface positions, SAS bias, etc). 5) ADS-33 maneuver courses as static objects. 6) Exposed API or exports of trim position and stick force for custom controllers. 7) Select auto multiple audio devices

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Seriously, if you're not over clocking then cheap RAM is just as good as the expensive stuff.

Still stay away from certain no name brands though.

It just has to do it's job and it will.

 

Your main criteria is just to make sure you get enough of the stuff ;)

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I had to bite the bullet and get a new PC the other day--(I had a window of opportunity I HAD to use).

 

I went to Alienware and got a Intel Core Duo @ 2.66, 2 GB RAM @ 800, Vista Home Premium, and a GeForce 8800 GTS (320mb).

 

I was skeptical at first, about Vista--but I haven't had a single issue with it--and I really like the performance, and the way it looks. I'm running Flaming Cliffs, Silent Hunter 4, and World in Conflict--all maxed out in graphices--with no problems at all.

 

I'm hoping I can use this system for DCS:BS, and perhaps BoB. I figured if I need to--I can upgrade the processor to a quad, upgrade to 4gb of RAM, and another video card for SLI.

 

For all the Alienware Haters out there--I was really pleased with the end result--very professional--excellent wiring and cooling included. I don't know if it was worth the extra $600 bucks--but for reasons I won't go into here, I had no choice.

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I was skeptical at first, about Vista--but I haven't had a single issue with it--and I really like the performance, and the way it looks. I'm running Flaming Cliffs, Silent Hunter 4, and World in Conflict--all maxed out in graphices--with no problems at all.

 

 

LOL-- "graphices" = crappy graphics.

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which processor, XLR8?

 

So whith that in mind,I bought a core 2 duo 2.4 at 1066mhz [not ever been overclocked.I also bought a 768meg Gforce8800gtx [never been overclocked].I also picked up 2 other items that I thought would help with fps.2 gigs 667 ram and a 10000 rpm sata hd.

Some performance exsamples are LOMAC highest settings 50+ fps. crtsis demo 35+fps. and a unbeleavable 30+fps on FSX.I set all my graphic settings and reselutions on high.Before the crysis demo came out,I Asked how it would play over at Toms hardware,they replied perfectly.And it did.

So my advice get the biggest Prossessor and biggest video card.I am sure glad I did.

great feedback, XlR8! Just the type of performance results I wanted to see. But what processor did you buy? Also, what's your power supply?

Dostoevski, I am inpressed with your system too

Also thanks to everyone for your replies. Good and useful info here. I encourage others to chime in with their upgrades and performance results in LOMAC, FSX and IL2 as well.

terrific!!!! :pilotfly:

Flyby out

The U.S. Congress is the best governing body that BIG money can buy. :cry:

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Ya, don;t get Vista yet... i made that mistake. Unless you have a game that specifically takes advantage of DX10, it's not worth it.

 

Vista really takes away a chunk from lock on especially. I'm almost sorry I upgraded (downgraded?:huh:) to vista...

 

Lock on runs a lot better for me- but I doubt Vista has much to do with or against it

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Lock on runs a lot better for me- but I doubt Vista has much to do with or against it

I think it does, but probably not noticeable on a high end card? what's your system like? (7900 is low end now...)

IMO the best buy for video cards right now is the GeForce 8800 GT, it´s a dream of a card, faster than the GTS versions, nearly as fast as the GTX and about half the price (unfortunately not really available ATM, but I guess that will change soon).

Where can I get this card? (tried newegg, but it was $300 and used PCI express 2.0, not x16) and how powerful must the PSU be? This might be my next card!

DCS Wishlist: 1) FIX THE DAMN RIVERS!!! 2) Spherical or cylindrical panorama view projection. 3) Enhanced input options (action upon button release, etc). 4) Aircraft flight parameter dump upon exit (stick posn, attitude, rates, accel, control volume, control-surface positions, SAS bias, etc). 5) ADS-33 maneuver courses as static objects. 6) Exposed API or exports of trim position and stick force for custom controllers. 7) Select auto multiple audio devices

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My prossessor is a intel E6600 core duo 2 [conroe].My power supply is 750 watts.I will say I am glad I bought the 768 meg Gforce 8800gtx.I am also glad I stuck with XP.

 

My cpu specs-

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz 4M shared L2 Cache

Gforce 8800gtx @ 768 meg

2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 DimMs

160GB - WD Raptor 10000RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache

Dual Drives: 16x DVD-ROM Drive + 16x DVD+/-RW w/ dbl layer write

Sound Blaster® X-Fi™ XtremeMusic (D) Sound Card

22 inch widescreen LCD monotor

&50 watt power supply

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Ok.

 

What's the purpose of the L2 cache? and would it be worth converting to intell for the bigger L2 cache?

 

My 500W PSU looks fine...

 

Thanks very much for the info acady. Vielen Dank. Looks like the GT may be my card.

 

and sorry for taking over the thread flyby.

DCS Wishlist: 1) FIX THE DAMN RIVERS!!! 2) Spherical or cylindrical panorama view projection. 3) Enhanced input options (action upon button release, etc). 4) Aircraft flight parameter dump upon exit (stick posn, attitude, rates, accel, control volume, control-surface positions, SAS bias, etc). 5) ADS-33 maneuver courses as static objects. 6) Exposed API or exports of trim position and stick force for custom controllers. 7) Select auto multiple audio devices

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Looking good, XLR8. If you loaded LOMAC on that system, did Starforce interfere with your 16x dvd+rw unit? That's a nice spec on your hard drive too. Fast, baby, fast! ;)

Aeroscout I don't consider you taking over this thread. You ask a very important question. Some people think L2 cache is not an important factor, but I've that it is (read this on a tech site that was testing games, just can't recall the site). So I'd like a definitive answer as well.

All are welcome to ask or answere here as it suits them. We who seek will only benefit from those in the know.

Flyby

The U.S. Congress is the best governing body that BIG money can buy. :cry:

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To be honest with you,I bought it thru dell [payment plan].Its a XPS 710.I looked at alienware but to exspensive.My first 2 cpus were custom built,thay are still running today.Both of them had amd prossessors.Sold one gave the other to my son.The computer before this one was a dell XPS 410.It had a Dual core prossessor 3.2 gig and a Gforce 6800 @ 256 meg.

When I bought this XPS 710 I looked as far into the future as possible.I was tired of buying cpus every 2 years.This one is totaly upgradable.My future plans are to get another 8800gtx and posobly upgrading to a qaudcore.

As far as star force gos yes it comes up every once and a while,maybe one time a month.

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about L2 cache

 

Ok.

 

What's the purpose of the L2 cache? and would it be worth converting to intell for the bigger L2 cache?

I've been trying to find an answer to that question. maybe this link will help us understand

http://www.cyberwalker.net/columns/dec99/091299.html

Flyby out

PS obviously it's quite an old article. ;)

The U.S. Congress is the best governing body that BIG money can buy. :cry:

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