In need of a new sim racing computer

[snowflake11]

I am looking to buy a new sim racing computer. My 8 year old DELL is on its last leg so its time to upgrade. I want to be able to run nr2003, iracing, rfactor 2, etc...it will only be used for sim racing. I have a monitor so that does not have to be included.

If anyone has any suggestions, that would be very helpful. Happy Holidays everyone!!!

 

[NossedEvo]

d.e.j.a. view

I'm no expert, but...

... I would look for a multicore cpu around 3GHz or better.

...4 gigs of decent ram

....an ATI 6850 video card ($150 and lends itself well to upgrading to 3 monitor setup) or a GTX 460 if you need an nvidia for folding, or brand issues.

...Asus/Gigabyte/Asrock motherboard appropriate to your processor socket

...an ssd big enough to hold your os and ap's & a conventional/cost-effective harddrive to hold your less frequently used files.

And most importantly Corsair power supply in the 500 to 750w range.

Passmark is good for comparing video card horsepower.

jonnyguru is my go to guy.

There's a calculator for those (y) anal about the psu.

A budget, and additional needs (graphics/bitcoining/video), are two things to consider early.

Don't scrimp on power supply -- it's important.

.

 

[dalejrgamer]

For NR2003, you don't need that powerful of a system. iRacing should be down the line. rFactor 2, on the other hand...it's best to prepare yourself. First of all, what kind of budget that you're working with?

 

[David24]

Don't scrimp on power supply -- it's important..

Let me reemphasize this. I fried a video card because I had a stock (250w) PSU. Not a good thing after you had just bought a new one.

 

[snowflake11]

For NR2003, you don't need that powerful of a system. iRacing should be down the line. rFactor 2, on the other hand...it's best to prepare yourself. First of all, what kind of budget that you're working with?

For a budget I am looking to keep it around $1,000 maybe. I just graduated college in May but landed a great job just outside NYC so I got some cash to spend for the first time in my life and I wanna keep my sim racing hobby going. As long as the computer meets my needs for sim racing, I will be very happy.

 

[dalejrgamer]

(This post has been made assuming you're building your own. If you want a computer with everything in it already built after you walk out of a Best Buy, disregard)

Priority one would be a power supply with a higher wattage. It's not the video card, it's the power supply. Reason being is because those two go hand-in-hand. For an adequate system with that kind of budget, I suggest you go for a 500-watt PSU and a video card around $50-150 (ATIs 5500 and above or nVidia GeForce GT450 or above would work well, but keep in mind that higher-grade video cards require a beefier power supply, so think before choosing) I recommend ones that are 1 GB in GPU.

Next would be the processor. Since quad-cores are bound to be cheap by now, get one of those. I know AMD has six (and now eight, IIRC) cores, but with the budget you have, keep at four. AMD's choices are kind of complicated, but Intel's are easier. In the case of the latter, i5 series should keep you satisfied.

As for RAM, I'm assuming you're building a Windows platform. Since XP support will be cut next month, might as well go with Windows 7. Home Premium would be my recommendation, and you probably need at least 3 GB of RAM to run a 64-bit system. I suggest 4 or 6 GB.

1 TB hard drives are around $50-$70 now because there's higher-capacity drives available. You can opt for a solid state drive (SSD), but those tend to be in the $200s.

I also recommend an ASUS motherboard. Some are SLI-enabled (nVidia) and some are Crossfire-enabled (ATI). As far as compatibility goes, it doesn't matter (an ATI on a SLI-enabled board is okay, you just don't get SLI). If you're really aiming for quality graphics, it's a good idea to buy a motherboard based on what graphics card you have.

There's also casings, wires, and fans that you have to worry about. Apart from the cases, you're pretty much going to find some that are under $30, unless you want to go for liquid-cooling in case you're an overclocker (which, by the way, isn't recommended unless you have said liquid-cooling system). In that case, those are pretty high-end and rather pricey.

Not an expert, but take those into consideration when buying the right parts to build your own.

 

[NossedEvo]

Just an OF's O2

Congrat's on graduating, and the new job -- well done!

$1,000 will have you drivin' like you stole it, in any sim I know of. Don't forget about Dirt3. From what I gather, it is the most hardware challenging game, in the racing genre.

Be careful of the whitebox crowd. Sellers love to put a couple decent components in, and then use the rest of the rig, to get rid of inferior parts -- usually the PSU & motherboard. On the positive side; I'm seeing some reputable vendors offering a $50 service, that gets the parts you pick, and your os, installed.

An i5, i7 (Intel -- Sandy Bridge), or an (AMD Thuban/Zambezi) 1055T to an 1100T or any of the new FX line will be a more than capable sim processor. I don't fret much about the flavor of cpu -- there's lots of good ones out there -- and they are fiercely competitive. So a dollar spent with the blue guys, will be roughly the equivalent value (performance wise) of the green guys offering at a similar price point.

(When comparing number of cores -- double the Intel number -- 2 cores of Intel is like 4 cores of AMD -- I dunno -- just is...)

Spend about as much on your psu, as you do on your cpu, or your video card. The psu protects your hardware, and your data. The wattage indicated is solely the say so of the manufacturer/vendor. Best to stick with reputable brands like Corsair, Antec, Thermaltake & SeaSonic. There are many others. Don't want to geek out on reviews? Just buy a Corsair in the 700w or so range. Take advantage of the current Corsair promo. It's that easy.



Have fun!

I do! :gunsmilie:


.

 

[Golden44]

My 10 year old dell even with a upgraded NVidia 5200 was not cutting it anymore, so just last week i called Dell and orered a new Dell ,
I got a 8300 xps i7 with 500gb upgraded the video card to a AMD Radeon HD 6770 and sound blaster to a sb XFI Extream with every thing except a monitor it was 1200,00 Should hyave got a moniter as mine quit 4 days later, but got a new samsung 24" thats awesome, with my old dell i was running between 30 and 60 fps with just over half the grafics on, now i am at 145 fps with everything on, Its awesome, well, thats what i did..

 

[NossedEvo]

Attach imo to everything please.

Wattage means nothing until you have ascertained it is a recommended manufacturer, by those with credibility.

ATI's do not build a 5500 (Geforce FX DID BUT it won't do squat for sims). I would go with the Passmark chart. ATI and Nvidia numbering system defies easy explanation for this thread's purpose. A higher model number will not guarantee higher performance -- it almost guarantees overpayment & disappointing gameplay. The 6850 is considered the current bargain card. Farts rainbows. To the best of my knowledge: there is no GT 450 Nvidia card -- so looking for one might waste your time.

Processor: 2 Intel cores/4 AMD cores are lots.

As for ram. You can't exploit more than four gigs, unless you have more than one ap running. Who needs Crysis or Photoslop running while they race??? If you get two, two gig sticks (so you can run in dual channel mode -- can't with one stick of 4 gig -- & dual channel is quicker) you will be fine. Four is overkill. Six is a waste, for anyone with a budget. You Photoslop, video edit etc. -- 16 gigs! It's cheap. Expensive if you don't use it tho.

OS -- if you like XP, or have a copy, go for it. Your sim won't know the difference. Bill Gates never comes to my house anyways.

hdd -- every time you boot up, or load a favorite ap' you'll be happy you went with an ssd. They are significantly faster. Newegg has over one hundred models for well under $200. They start at around $60.

Base your mobo purchase on the socket of the cpu. SLI and Crossfire are not used in any sim I use. The technology needs support from the particular game. Unless you specifically play a game that does, (or you like to bench your card(s)) simply no concern. (SOCKETS: Intel probably a LGA 1155 -- AMD probably an AM3+)

Overclocking? I do oc. 'Higher' clocks can be reached on liquid, is generally accurate, but great clocks can be reached on air. Cost is comparable. My Corsair H50 (liquid) cost less than my Titan Vanessa (air). Not a sim concern tho. If your priority is overclocking, that is a whole nutha :taz:beast, & forum.

Case? Important, but really a personal deal. Case needs to keep things cool. But you monitor temps, and if you're running warm -- add fans. I would check out the recommended list on a gear head forum myself. There's stuff like this too. Being flexible can save big bucks.

Congrat's racingforfun11! Def' a great sim rig there. I'm a Dell fan, as long as gamers stay away from the budget models -- sometimes there is no expansion slot for a gpu. The i7 2600 rules. (y) Might want to treat yourself to an upgraded power supply next. Not saying you need it now, but I would put it on the list of things to seriously consider.

Least, that's my story, & I'm stickin to it...