Final thread before purchase!

[Conure]

Hello everyone,

 

I am almost decided on an upgrade from your advice and the advice of a friend. My computer (gtx260,4gb ddr2 ram and a q6600 @ 2.6) mainly runs fine but slowls when rendering aircraft and that sort f stuff. Something I failed to mention is that I also have a 24 inch screen so I have to run at 1900-1600 or it looks very bad. So here is a friends idea...oc the CPU to 3ghz and replace gpu with a gtx 460...will this offer my a bit of an fps increase? If I get the all clear I will purchase today!

 

Thanks again for all your help everyone!

[Sticky]

Sounds good to me, but you will still get low fps when using the cannon, DCS is not fully optimized yet.

Edited January 2, 2011 by Sticky

[Konovalov]

I agree with the above. Why rush. Sandybridge CPZ's by Intel are out soon and hopefully they will shake up the Market a little on pricing. So I would recommend wait and see regarding both the CPU and also DCS A10. That will enable you to make the most informed decision and hopefully get the best bang for buck.

[Konovalov]

One other thing I forgot to mention is that given you have a decent sized 24 inch screen the GTX460 may be ok but something like a GTX570 may be better suited to the kind of resolution that you want to run.

[Thorvald]

Almost forgot, check the last two characters of the video cards part number if you are buying EVGA.

 

-AR means lifetime warranty and can partake in the step up program in case you want to move up within 90 days to a better one

 

-TR means limited (2 year?) warranty and no step up.

 

I just bought two cards and got royally screwed on both of them, they were both -TR cards... Even the GTX580.

 

Cheers

Tim

[JG27_Arklight]

Hello everyone,

 

I am almost decided on an upgrade from your advice and the advice of a friend. My computer (gtx260,4gb ddr2 ram and a q6600 @ 2.6) mainly runs fine but slowls when rendering aircraft and that sort f stuff. Something I failed to mention is that I also have a 24 inch screen so I have to run at 1900-1600 or it looks very bad. So here is a friends idea...oc the CPU to 3ghz and replace gpu with a gtx 460...will this offer my a bit of an fps increase? If I get the all clear I will purchase today!

 

Thanks again for all your help everyone!

 

1900-1600 resolution?

 

I have never heard of that.

[EtherealN]

1900x1600 is actually a very common resolution - especially for the larger of the classic CRT screens.

 

Our current widescreen standards used to be an extremely rare exception.

[JG27_Arklight]

1900x1600 is actually a very common resolution - especially for the larger of the classic CRT screens.

 

Our current widescreen standards used to be an extremely rare exception.

 

1900x1600 was never a standard or "common" resolution here in the U.S., not on classic CRTs either. lol

 

CRTs were predominantly 4:3 aspect ratio.

Edited January 2, 2011 by JG27_Arklight

[EtherealN]

Had them mixed up with the 1600x1200. Whoops.

[JG27_Arklight]

Here's the standards:

 

As you can see, that resolution is one of the nodes in the standard 4:3 aspect ratio that dominated the CRT's. They were expensive to buy so home users seldom bought them, but they were in easy supply for those who wanted them.

 

Anyways, this is OT so let's leave it at that.

 

 

Where do you see that reolution listed there?

 

I used to own one of the most prominent retail mainstream CRTs available (4:3 obviously), 1900x1600 was not a resolution on that CRT, nor the other 5 CRTs I purchased new way back in the day, nor the Viewsonic I have on the floor here. It isn't standard in the FP2141SB or PF790, both were solid CRTs back when they were prominent.

 

1900x1600 is not 4:3 aspect ratio. You may be able to set a CRT to that, but I have never seen or heard of it as a standard resolution. It deviates from a standard aspect ratio.

 

I'd be interested to know what model of CRT the OP has. :)

 

*EDIT* Yes, quite off topic (sorry, OP!!). I have always been interested in various displays, CRT and Panel. Wish i could find another FP2141SB. I loved that thing. :) :)

Edited January 2, 2011 by JG27_Arklight

[EtherealN]

Awh, you had to expose my blooper, did you? When I noticed where my brain had farted I tried to hide the evidence. :D

 

I did find some wallpaper-makers that create 1900x1600 res papers, so I'm pondering whether it's a double display or something like that. Conure, you sure about that resolution thing? The resolution does impact the GPU you'll end up needing, so it would be nice to know.

[JG27_Arklight]

Awh, you had to expose my blooper, did you? When I noticed where my brain had farted I tried to hide the evidence. :D

 

I did find some wallpaper-makers that create 1900x1600 res papers, so I'm pondering whether it's a double display or something like that. Conure, you sure about that resolution thing? The resolution does impact the GPU you'll end up needing, so it would be nice to know.

 

Hehe :)

 

I saw a reference to the resolution in a forum where the individual had a 15" monitor and a site with some wallpapers, but that is it.

 

It is the elusive resolution. lol

[Conure]

Sorry guys...I meant 1900-1200...:D

 

Okay, I've done some thorough research...Basically, my chip/mobo combo will not go above a 285fsb..it's something to do with the RAM and a lack of a multiplier..So, I've narrowed it down to just upgrading the GPU.

 

My final, final, final question is...

 

given that my CPU is locked at 2.6ghz, will I see an FPS increase moving up to a GTX460, from my GTX260?

 

Thank you :)

[JG27_Arklight]

Sorry guys...I meant 1900-1200...:D

 

Okay, I've done some thorough research...Basically, my chip/mobo combo will not go above a 285fsb..it's something to do with the RAM and a lack of a multiplier..So, I've narrowed it down to just upgrading the GPU.

 

My final, final, final question is...

 

given that my CPU is locked at 2.6ghz, will I see an FPS increase moving up to a GTX460, from my GTX260?

 

Thank you :)

 

Have you tried lowering your memory divider in the bios? That might free up some room for OC'ing.

[Conure]

Ah sod it, I'll abuse the credit card. I've got a budget of about 250 pounds...What can I get for that in terms of mobo/cpu and ram...I'm looking to upgrade now rather than the next few months, though...

 

Thanks!

[Konovalov]

Ah sod it, I'll abuse the credit card. I've got a budget of about 250 pounds...What can I get for that in terms of mobo/cpu and ram...I'm looking to upgrade now rather than the next few months, though...

 

Thanks!

For around 250 quid you could grab yourself an Intel based system such as a Intel i5-760 CPU, Asus P7P55LX Mobo, and 4GB (2x2GB sticks) PC3-12800 DDR dual channel RAM. You can overclock the i5-760 easily up to 4Ghz with ease. When you have the spare cash you may want to then later upgrade your GPU from the GTX260 to something more capable of running DCS A10 with lot's of eye candy.

 

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/intel-i5-760-s1156-lynnfield-quad-core-28-ghz-8mb-cache-core-ratio-21x-95w-retail

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/asus-p7p55-lx-intel-p55-express-s1156-pci-e-20-(x16)-ddr3-2200(oc)-sata-3gb-s-sata-raid-atx

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/4gb-(2x2gb)-corsair-xms3-ddr3-pc3-12800-(1600)-non-ecc-unbuffered-cas-9-9-9-24-xmp-165v

 

If you can wait a week or two to see how things settle down with the release of sandybridge CPU's then that would be a better choice. But if you need an upgrade now and can't wait then go for it.

Edited January 3, 2011 by Konovalov

[Conure]

Thanks Konov, however I have already ordered the GTX460 and was going to order this too - Thank god for credit cards :)

 

The setup you mentioned would run A10 final release well at highest graphics wouldnt it?

[power5]

Too bad you live in the UK. Newegg has a great great deal on a 5870. I am trying to justify the purchase myself. I do not think they will be that cheap for another 6 months.

 

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1572980

 

i5 2500k is showing to be an outstanding overclocker. No idea how much it will cost though. Also, with AMD 970 you could keep your current ram and get an older Am2+ chipset (cheapest possible that supports a 125w CPU) and then upgrade to DDR3 and AM3 at a later date. Not possible with any current intel offerings.

 

Buying now I would go with AMD 970, but that is personal preference. Has anyone done any benchmarking of AMD vs Intel in the DCS series? Would be interested to see which give more FPS at set frequencies. If intel is only a tiny bit of an advantage over AMD, it would save money by going with AMD over intel.

[Conure]

Thanks for the help guys - sadly on the site you linked the i5 is out of stock! Also, why is it that here:http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html

 

The I5 only gets a slightly higher score than my own cpu? I keep seeing the 1055t

 

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/amd-phenom-ii-x6-1055t-thuban-sok-am3-28ghz-9mb-total-cache-125w-retail

 

Quite cheap and does well on tests - what do you think?

[Konovalov]

Thanks Konov, however I have already ordered the GTX460 and was going to order this too - Thank god for credit cards :)

 

The setup you mentioned would run A10 final release well at highest graphics wouldnt it?

I don't think anyone can say for certain how well DCS A10 will run on a given system as what has been released are beta versions only. My guess is that DCS A10 will run well enough on this kind of rig if you are prepared to involve yourself in overclocking the i5-760 from it's stock clock up to around 3.6 to 4Ghz.

 

Being on such a tight budget I really recommend that you wait another week or so when Intel release the Sandybridge CPU's. I expect that there will be some price drops at retailers on the existing i5 and possibly i7 lines of processors. Hopefully by then your limited budget may take you further. :)

[Konovalov]

Thanks for the help guys - sadly on the site you linked the i5 is out of stock! Also, why is it that here:http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html

 

The I5 only gets a slightly higher score than my own cpu? I keep seeing the 1055t

Are you confusing the i5-760 for something else? On that chart the i5-760 is ranked at 69 on the chart with a score of 4558 CPU Mark. Your Core 2 Q6600 is ranked down at 164 with a score of 2976.

 

Also the AMD option suggested may be a good cheap alternative in particular if you can carry over your old DDR2 memory.

[Conure]

Okay...Despite the advice about waiting my childish side won..I also have a 2 week holiday coming up so I wanted it ready for that..Here's what I went for..

 

https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Memory/DDR3+Dual+Channel+-+PC3-12800/Mushkin+4GB+%282x2GB%29+DDR3+PC3-12800+9-9-9-24+Blackline+-+996659B+?productId=41791

 

https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Motherboards/Intel+1156+H55%2FH57/Gigabyte+GA-H55M-S2+Intel+H55+%28Socket+1156%29+DDR3+Motherboard+?productId=41496

 

https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/CPUs+%2F+Processors/Intel+Core+i5/Intel+Core+i5+760+2.8GHz+%28Lynnfield%29+%28Socket+LGA1156%29+Processor+-+Retail+?productId=40924

 

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/126410

 

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176157

 

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/249221

 

 

Here's hoping A-10 runs a little smoother :)

 

Thanks so much for all the help guys