The "Will my computer run this?" thread v1.8

[Kion]

I generally just don't look close enough.

*and I meant the Radeon 5570
Crisis Benchmark
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z88/kion_01/430gt_crisis.png

[Niloklives]

ok, but you can get a 5770 and a motherboard for ~$200 which would be much better than using an i5's intel HD 2000/3000 or the 430 in that motherboard you linked to

[Niloklives]

eviently people forgot this thread exists

[blazingsonic]

Not everyone knows how to build a PC from scratch.

[Niloklives]

which is why the opening post have a guide on how to do it and also talks about upgrading a computer you already have. I bumped this because someone creqted another thread with the same intent at this one when they clearly weren't aware this one existed.


Also, thanks for using my thread to up your post count...try to keep that to a minimum please

[blazingsonic]

So I can even update my outdated Inspiron 1420.
And for the record, I didn't even know I had a post count til you brought it to my attention.

[Niloklives]

What I'm saying is you're commenting for the sake of commenting and I'd rather you didn't do it in this thread (stating in a thread where the opening post clearly states that building a computer isn't for everyone and then offers a guide on how it's done while anyone who knew how to build a computer probably wouldn't come here to ask questions anyway is commenting for the sake of commenting)

if you have questions on the other hand I'm happy to help.

[Ark22]

AH HAAAA found it. So now I just need to look over...every single piece.......of info. THANKS MAN!

CPU- Intel Core i5 2400 3.3GHz -$189.99
Motherboard- MSI P67A-C43 (B3) -$114.99
RAM- GSkill Ripjaws-X 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz CL9 -$49.99
GPU- Asus Radeon HD6850 DirectCU 1GB GDDR5 -$159.99
Optical Drive- Asus 24x DVD Burner -$20.99
HDD- Samsung F3 1TB 7200rpm -$69.99
PSU- SILVERSTONE ST50F-ES 500W -$59.99
Case- COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 -$59.99
OS- Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit -$99.99

Total: $825.91

How long would this last me o.O?

[Niloklives]

depends on the game since some games require more gpu power than others and others still require more CPU than others. I'd say that one would last you about 2-3 years where you'd still feel the gpu was holding up to your demands, but you could swap in a new PSU and GPU at that time and keep the CPU as is for another 2 years after that with little issue. at the same time you could just put in a better PSu from the start and swap GPUs in 2-3 years.

[ShinMaruku]

AH HAAAA found it. So now I just need to look over...every single piece.......of info. THANKS MAN!

CPU- Intel Core i5 2400 3.3GHz -$189.99
Motherboard- MSI P67A-C43 (B3) -$114.99
RAM- GSkill Ripjaws-X 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz CL9 -$49.99
GPU- Asus Radeon HD6850 DirectCU 1GB GDDR5 -$159.99
Optical Drive- Asus 24x DVD Burner -$20.99
HDD- Samsung F3 1TB 7200rpm -$69.99
PSU- SILVERSTONE ST50F-ES 500W -$59.99
Case- COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 -$59.99
OS- Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit -$99.99

Total: $825.91

How long would this last me o.O?
4-5 years. Well really depends what batshit stuff Sony does really. But 4 years easy.

[Hotobu]

I'd also like to note that the question "how many years will it last" isn't really a valid one.

Computers aren't like a carton of eggs where they just "go bad" after a certain amount of time. How long a computer "lasts" is a function of the needs of the user. If all you ever want to do is go on the internet and play PSO then even a run of the mill computer will last for 6+ years as long a you perform the necessary maintenance. If suddenly you decide to become "hardc0re PC gamer" and want to run Crysis 3 in WTF mode then even the best computer you can get is gonna feel "dated" to you in about 1.5 - 2 years.

When I had to sell PCs, "so how long before I need to upgrade," was probably the question that made me cringe the most.

[Niloklives]

default answer is 3 years. computers tend to run on a cycle of planned obsolescence and if you follow that path of expanding your needs as you use the computer, this is probably accurate. in cases where you only have one use and never go beyond that, then 6+ years is entirely realistic. When -i- sold computers, this is exactly when I told my customers

[Cielo]

Im sorry if somebody asked this already but i tried to go through the whole thread and it was hella long. Do you think you could like make a list of a few labtops that would probably work for pso2?

[Niloklives]

I link to a laptop on the first page in my laptops section that will do very well for gaming. If you give me a budget, I can maybe look at another one for you. I want to remind you however that I dont recommend laptops for gaming only because they are not upgradable - meaning if PSO2 gets a graphics bump in a few years you may need a whole new laptop, and they price to performance ratio isn't as good as desktops. basically you're paying a lot of extra money for the portability.

[Ark22]

I would say look for a AMD Laptop rather Intel processors

[Niloklives]

uh...why?

[Ark22]

Most Intel laptops in the range of $300-$600 have Intel HD graphics 3000, while the $600 laptop I have has a Discreet Graphics card that can Play Star Craft 2 on med settings with 50+ FPS. So I would say AMD for now..unless you have $800+

[Niloklives]

you're missing the point. no laptop in that price range will play pso2 and you dont ever aim low on laptops for gaming since any graphics bump or any increased demands will easily result in you needing a brand new machine

[Ark22]

I highly doubt it will buff up graphics. Plus the machine I got will handle it at the very least

[Niloklives]

That's fine, but it's not something i would suggest to others

[Ark22]

Well it's cheap if they want a laptop. Even the Geek of a friend that works there said IF YA WANT A GAMING LAPTOP GET THIS UNIT. An told me a heck of alot of stuff. But if they want to build a PC use the $577 build Nuke gave me =D

[Niloklives]

seriously, you dont know what your saying. cheap doesn't mean good. not only that but the 577 rig that nuje linked you to didn't account for the lack of an OS. so all told it's actually 676, not 577. I also woudn't trust the case of the PSU he linked to, but regardless he didn;t include a OS in the price. so the 577 is a misrepresentation.

[Ark22]

$677 there =D.Now as for the PSU I asked my friend joe. he told me "Don't worry about the PSU because it doesn't seem it will overclock and yada yada". Lol I may have a job but I rather just have a laptop JUST for this game. So if it even runs on med settings. I don't give a dang :P

[Niloklives]

yeah my friend thought PSUs were all th esame and ended up blowing up his computer this last week. There IS a difference and your friend may not know or may not care, but I have a responsibility to inform people of what they're buying. if you wanna buy cheap parts that will under perform and end up costing you more money in th elong run, then be my guest but since you're quoting an imaginary friend with no technical info and making mention of a laptop that you haven't provided a link to, I suggest you leave this alone til you have more info.

[Ark22]

Alright no need to be hostile my friend. Just voicing my opinion here.

[Kion]

After looking around at a lot of laptops, I agree with Nilok on this one. Only the specs for the alpha have been released and we don' have any data on how the alpha runs yet at all. Laptops can't be upgraded, so you'd have to shell out for more to be on the safe end of being able to run the game. So trying to be cheap could end up costing you more money.

[LuckyDay]

Hi everyone.

I've bought a recent notebook, it's an Asus. It's not as good as the one listed in the first post, but people recommanded it to me if I wanted to play recent games. Being a complete PC ignorant, could you tell me if my laptop will be able to run PSO 2 quite smoothly ?

Here are th specs (Asus x53s - I believe it's quite new -) :

*Intel Core i7-2630QM, 2GHz (same CPU as the one recommanded, I think)
*4GB
*Geforce nvidia GT 540M, 1GB

What do you reckon ?

Cheers

[Malachite]

I reckon you'll should be more than safe for PSO2. Its specs aren't very demanding.

I haven't been paying much attention to the computer world since I built mine, but from what I can see, you should be able to whoop PSO2's ass.

[LuckyDay]

That's great news, then. I wanted to buy the one listed in the this topic, but couldn't find it here. Then I saw this Asus notebook, it was a bit cheaper but still had good specs, so I bought it. I've tried running the Sims 3 on it and it worked like a charm, so I assumed it could be able to run lots of recent games.

All I need now is PSO2.

Thanks for the quick reply mate.

[Clunker]

Ok, trying to see if my MacBook Pro is good enough; according to what's been posted, I think that it's slightly short, but here goes.

Thoughts appreciated - I'm a 'turn on and go' guy, so much like an earlier poster, most of this thread is in a whole other language for me.

Hardware Overview:

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro3,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.6 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz

NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT:

Chipset Model: GeForce 8600M GT
Type: GPU
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 256 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0407
Revision ID: 0x00a1
ROM Revision: 3175
Displays:
Color LCD:
Resolution: 1920 x 1200
Pixel Depth: 32-Bit Color (ARGB8888) <-That's supposed to be 4 "8's" in a row.
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Built-In: Yes

[Malachite]

Um... you're aware it's not for Macs right? lol. I mean, there's always Bootcamp, but I'm not sure how well that would work, as I don't use macs.

But yes, the GPU comes up a little short.

[The Last Baron]

So I Don't Meet One Or More Of the Minimum Requirements, Do You Think I Could Run The Game (I Couldn't Run PSU On This LapTop If That Helps).

[Malachite]

If you don't meet the minimum requirements then you're obviously going to have troubles. If you couldn't run PSU, then yeah, I wouldn't bet very highly on you running PSO2.

[OmGiTzAndre]

Hey Guys im new here..i know my old computer cant run PSO2 so now im buying a new one can you tell me if it can run this Cleanly and smoothly

Intel Core 2 Duo / Quad CPU (Socket 775)
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 (4 x 3.0GHz) 1333MHz 12MB CPU
Asus P5G41T-M LX Core 2 Quad Intel G41 DDR3 A&V&GbE MATX Motherboard
4GB DDR3 1333MHz Memory (2 x 2GB kit)
500GB SATA3 6gb/sec Hard Drive 7200 RPM
nVidia GeForce GT220 1GB Video Card


Will This run it? thanks again

[Malachite]

The GPU is a little low, other than that, it's fine. Opt for a better card, and maybe a lower end processor to balance the price out a bit, if all you're lookin for it PSO2.

[The Last Baron]

If you don't meet the minimum requirements then you're obviously going to have troubles. If you couldn't run PSU, then yeah, I wouldn't bet very highly on you running PSO2.

Oh Wow, Thanks For The Advice Man.

[OmGiTzAndre]

Whats a good Processor that can run it

[Ezodagrom]

Hey Guys im new here..i know my old computer cant run PSO2 so now im buying a new one can you tell me if it can run this Cleanly and smoothly

Intel Core 2 Duo / Quad CPU (Socket 775)
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 (4 x 3.0GHz) 1333MHz 12MB CPU
Asus P5G41T-M LX Core 2 Quad Intel G41 DDR3 A&V&GbE MATX Motherboard
4GB DDR3 1333MHz Memory (2 x 2GB kit)
500GB SATA3 6gb/sec Hard Drive 7200 RPM
nVidia GeForce GT220 1GB Video Card


Will This run it? thanks again
Based on the alpha specs, that graphics card might be able to barely run it...
I would recommend getting a new graphics card, for something not too expensive, there's the Radeon HD5670 (around $75), the Radeon HD6670 (DDR3 version around $85, GDDR5 version around $95), and the Radeon HD6750 (around $105).


Whats a good Processor that can run it
Based on the alpha specs, most processors made in the last 3~4 years should be fine (with the exception of netbook or low-end laptop processors).

[OmGiTzAndre]

Based on the alpha specs, that graphics card might be able to barely run it...
I would recommend getting a new graphics card, for something not too expensive, there's the Radeon HD5670 (around $75), the Radeon HD6670 (DDR3 version around $85, GDDR5 version around $95), and the Radeon HD6750 (around $105).


Based on the alpha specs, most processors made in the last 3~4 years should be fine (with the exception of netbook or low-end laptop processors).

Well imma keep the processor and then ill just order a different graphics card alone...Can you Link me to all 3? So i can calculate the prices? Thanks alot


Also this was my original choice for the Processor
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650
(4 x 3.0GHz) 1333MHz 12MB CPU

I chose this to lower the price
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400
(4 x 2.66GHz) 1333MHz 6MB CPU

Is that good too

And is this the one your reffering to?
http://www.amazon.com/HIS-Radeon-Eyefinity-DisplayPort-H675F1GD/dp/B004YJBMB4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312408759&sr=8-1

[Clunker]

Um... you're aware it's not for Macs right? lol. I mean, there's always Bootcamp, but I'm not sure how well that would work, as I don't use macs.

But yes, the GPU comes up a little short.

Was well aware it's not for Mac OS; I've a Bootcamp partition with XP on it to run some of my older
PC games.

Just a dumb thought - by how 'far' is my GPU 'past expiration'?

[KingBeeb]

Commodore BASIC 2.0 GEOS
MOS Technology 6510
0.985 MHz
64 kB RAM
20 kB ROM
VIC-II 320 × 200, 16 colors

Think my machine is good enough? I haven't updated for a while.

[Vashyron]

Commodore BASIC 2.0 GEOS
MOS Technology 6510
0.985 MHz
64 kB RAM
20 kB ROM
VIC-II 320 × 200, 16 colors

Think my machine is good enough? I haven't updated for a while.

If that could even run PSO2, you'd be getting negative FPS.


Yeah, that's how great that Commodore there is. :>

[Kion]

I found a deal on an Asus laptop. Would an i3-2310M /2GB RAM / Geforce GT 520M manage PSO2?

[KingBeeb]

If that could even run PSO2, you'd be getting negative FPS.


Yeah, that's how great that Commodore there is. :>

How dare you.

I'm joking, of course. My laptop can probably run it, but it would be a bit laggy. My WoW needs to be on fairly low settings ;(

[Ezodagrom]

I found a deal on an Asus laptop. Would an i3-2310M /2GB RAM / Geforce GT 520M manage PSO2?
GT520M is really low-end, and most likely it is below the alpha specs.


Well imma keep the processor and then ill just order a different graphics card alone...Can you Link me to all 3? So i can calculate the prices? Thanks alot


Also this was my original choice for the Processor
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650
(4 x 3.0GHz) 1333MHz 12MB CPU

I chose this to lower the price
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400
(4 x 2.66GHz) 1333MHz 6MB CPU

Is that good too

And is this the one your reffering to?
http://www.amazon.com/HIS-Radeon-Eyefinity-DisplayPort-H675F1GD/dp/B004YJBMB4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312408759&sr=8-1
Oh...you're building a completely new PC? When I saw the Core 2 Quad I thought you already had that PC (should have read better ^^;).
Say how much you want to spend and I can do a better configuration, while Core 2 Quads are above the alpha specs, nowadays there are better processors for lower prices.

[Kion]

GT520M is really low-end, and most likely it is below the alpha specs.


^^; Yeah, I've decided against that. My plan is to build a Pentium 620T, 2GB DDR3, Geforce GT 430 mini-itx computer. Doubt I'll hit 70 fps on high settings, but I'm hoping it's enough to run it. I'm going to at least wait until the beta comes out to make sure that will be enough before I actually go through with it.

[Ark22]

I think they are over shooting the game :P The game doesn't look all that Graphics consuming =D

[lostinseganet]

The nic card did wonders for warfract.

http://www.bigfootnetworks.com/

[OmGiTzAndre]

Will this run it?
asus dvd burner
antec 300 case
WD 1tb drive
EVGA GTX560
550 watt might need 600 there wouldn't be a difference in cost)
8 gig of ram (for video editing/multitasking)
and I5 3.1ghz

[Malachite]

Yes it will, and yes you will most likely need the 600w PSU.

[Randomness]

Commodore BASIC 2.0 GEOS
MOS Technology 6510
0.985 MHz
64 kB RAM
20 kB ROM
VIC-II 320 × 200, 16 colors

Think my machine is good enough? I haven't updated for a while.

Nice. Can it handle Pong?

[OmGiTzAndre]

Can you link me to a good one?

[McLaughlin]

Not so much "can I run it", but "how well can I run it?"

Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
6GB DDR3 RAM (dunno the speed, but if you tell me how to check I can)
500GB SATA II HDD (I think it's 7200 RPM but again, dunno how to confirm)
ATI Radeon HD 5800 series GPU with 512 MB VRAM (I think it's a 5850, but the device manager is non-specific).

Also, I'm using a really outdated version of Catalyst Control Center, but the last time I tried to update my GPU drivers, it turned into a nightmare. Anyone want to give me a how-to for dummies?

[AnnabellaRenee87]

I found a deal on an Asus laptop. Would an i3-2310M /2GB RAM / Geforce GT 520M manage PSO2?

That should be beyond good enough, I have a laptop running a Geforce 310m and it runs WOW at 30-60 FPS, L4D 1 and 2 at 60 FPS (I have vsync turned on for everything so highest is 60FPS) with a 520m you will e getting DX11 with bout the same performance I see.

[Nidramag]

Ah my laptop will rape it on the highest settings. I was almost worried for a moment there probably

[WiZ1988]

Yeah I have no idea on computer specs. I am concerned if my laptop will run this bad boy. I bought it about 3 years ago. It is a Dell Studio XPS 1640.

Here are some specs I know:
Processor-Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo CPU T9400 @ 2.53GHz
RAM- 4.00 GB
64-Bit operating system
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3670


I'm having trouble figuring out if this will work or not. Not trying to be repetitive.Thanks ahead of time. It does fine with PSU, that's the only game I play on it. I plan to mainly play PSO2 on a computer, maybe venture out and try some more games for the computer. Hope I am good for now, if not I'll take the necessary steps to get the right specs.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If more information is needed let me know.

[RikkiBlackNanobeast]

I plan on dual booting my new Macbook Pro my sister's giving me as a gift, with Windows XP. From what I could see from what the Apple site says, it will have Quad Core i7 and that's all I remember. Anyone mind giving me the specific specs of it and whether it will play PSO2 since I'm dual booting it with Windows?

[kyuuketsuki]

Yeah I have no idea on computer specs. I am concerned if my laptop will run this bad boy. I bought it about 3 years ago. It is a Dell Studio XPS 1640.

Here are some specs I know:
Processor-Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo CPU T9400 @ 2.53GHz
RAM- 4.00 GB
64-Bit operating system
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3670


I'm having trouble figuring out if this will work or not. Not trying to be repetitive.Thanks ahead of time. It does fine with PSU, that's the only game I play on it. I plan to mainly play PSO2 on a computer, maybe venture out and try some more games for the computer. Hope I am good for now, if not I'll take the necessary steps to get the right specs.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If more information is needed let me know.The CPU is pretty much on par with the alpha minimum requirments, but your graphics chipset is a bit less powerful than the 7800GT.

So, basically, you're skating right on the edge of the minimum requirements for the alpha. So, it's possible you may squeak by okay with that setup (on the lowest settings), or you may not have a very good experience. It's hard to say for sure.

[WiZ1988]

The CPU is pretty much on par with the alpha minimum requirments, but your graphics chipset is a bit less powerful than the 7800GT.

So, basically, you're skating right on the edge of the minimum requirements for the alpha. So, it's possible you may squeak by okay with that setup (on the lowest settings), or you may not have a very good experience. It's hard to say for sure.

Well shit. Lol. Thank you for letting me know. I don't have time to build a laptop, I have no idea and with school starting next week and a new job I will have NO time. I'm going to look thru the thread and see if anyone has posted some good gaming desktops for under $1,000.

I have been looking around cyberpowerpc.com and came across a few but still not sure.

Came across the Fang EVO gaming PCs, lol.
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/LandingPages/FangEvo/

Or should I just update my computer? I found you can do that, and I have a buddy who could help me out with it. Not sure where to start with the upgrades though. I guess the CPU and Graphics chipset. Prob a whole bunch more....lol

[kyuuketsuki]

Or should I just update my computer? I found you can do that, and I have a buddy who could help me out with it. Not sure where to start with the upgrades though. I guess the CPU and Graphics chipset. Prob a whole bunch more....lolI was under the impression you were quoting specs for a laptop? If so, there likely isn't much you can do to upgrade it. You certainly can't swap in a new CPU.

Cyberpower is decent if you want to get a fully assembled rig shipped to you. Of course I'd always recommend building it yourself if possible, or having a competent friend/acquaintance/family member do it for you. You could easily build a rig that could handle PSO2 on the highest settings for under a grand.

[WiZ1988]

Sounds good. Yeah I'm on a laptop. Thanks for the help.

[kyuuketsuki]

Just thought I'd post this for anyone considering building a new rig:

Newegg Bundle (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.720933)

Just add a case and a graphics card and you'll have a kick-butt rig for under a grand. I also advise adding an SSD (60GB or more, much as you can afford, and just stay with a SATA II model), or at least using a Seagate Momentus XT Hybrid HDD as your system/game drive.

[xBladeM6x]

Will my computer run this?

http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab39/xBladeM6x/ComputerSpecs.jpg

[SELENNA]

Just thought I'd post this for anyone considering building a new rig:

Newegg Bundle (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.720933)

Just add a case and a graphics card and you'll have a kick-butt rig for under a grand. I also advise adding an SSD (60GB or more, much as you can afford, and just stay with a SATA II model), or at least using a Seagate Momentus XT Hybrid HDD as your system/game drive.

I'd be very thankful if you could create such a wishlist but for newegg.ca with a graphic card you'd consider great for PC gaming. I've been trying to build a PC but I never know what to buy online. It's very confusing! My budget is $1500 CDN.

[kyuuketsuki]

I'd be very thankful if you could create such a wishlist but for newegg.ca with a graphic card you'd consider great for PC gaming. I've been trying to build a PC but I never know what to buy online. It's very confusing! My budget is $1500 CDN.
Disclaimer: These are my personal recommendations. Yes, my brand biases/personal tastes/etc. will be present here. Some people may disagree with my recommendations, and that's fine.

These are from the Canadian Newegg site, as per Selenna's request, looking at her budget of $1500 (although this comes out around $1200, but that's before taxes/shipping).

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072)

Graphics Card: SAPPHIRE Toxic Radeon 6950 2GB (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148591)

Motherboard: Asus P8P67 (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131770)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB 1600 CAS9 (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233199)

Power Supply: Antec TruePower 650W (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371021)

SSD (for OS/productivity/limited games): OCZ Vertex 2 120GB (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227590)

HDD (for mass data/secondary applications) - Option 1 (more storage): Hitachi Deskstar 1.5TB / 7200RPM 64MB cache (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145520)
Option 2 (more performance): Seagate Momentus XT 500GB Hybrid Drive (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148591)

Case: Antec Three Hundred (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042)

Stop here if you don't want to get into a bunch of me going computer-enthusiast on you.

Notes:
1) The choice of case is a bit subjective. If you don't like the look of that case, any will do and you could easily get a more expensive one while staying under $1500. I just have never liked to spend much on the case. As long as it's spacious, has good airflow, adequate cable routing options, and looks okay that's all I worry about.
2) People will argue with the choice of using an SSD, but with a good sized budget I wholeheartedly recommend using one for your operating system, productivity (office, excel, etc.), web browser, and any games you play frequently (and can fit on it). The difference in responsiveness, load times, multitasking, etc. is more than worth it. Once you go SSD you never go back. Oh, and definitely DO keep your swap file on it (though with 8+ GB of RAM you don't need more than a 1GB swap file).
3) You can get a bigger secondary HDD and stay in budget, but few people need more than 1.5TB. I don't need more than 500GB still, and that's why I use the Momentus XT as my secondary drive. If you need more space, you can always add in additional HDDs later.
4) The graphics card is another controversial recommendation. Some will say the 560ti is better, or that you can get a 570 and so on. I like the 2GB of VRAM on the 6950, and that card has been reported as successfully unlocking the disabled shaders to turn it into a downclocked 6970, essentially. I recommend ONLY unlocking the shaders, not flashing to an actual 6970 BIOS, btw. And I see little reason to spend more on a graphics card at this point in time, unless you really want extreme performance, and then you're looking at Xfire/SLi (and getting a more expensive mobo and power supply). I'd rather save the cash and use it to upgrade when the next gen cards come out if it's worth it, or maybe the generation after that.
5) Finally, you should at least do the integrated one-button super-easy overclocking built into the ASUS board. Part of the point of the 2500K is that it's unlocked, and you can easily do modest overclocking even with the stock cooler. If you add an aftermarket cooler, like I did, you can hit 4.5+GHz no problem. I think some have gone as high as 5GHz (though that requires water cooling and the luck to get a good chip that can run that high stably).

Phew. Okay, I'm done. For now. ;)

[SELENNA]

Wow thanks, wasn't expecting such a detailed answer. You made my day good sir! I'll try to keep you guys updated about my new rig! Definately considering many of your suggestions, though the case, as you said, is really a personal choice. 650W PSU seems a bit low to me and I think I'll get a Lian Li case even if that makes me go over budget a bit.

[kyuuketsuki]

650W PSU seems a bit low to me and I think I'll get a Lian Li case even if that makes me go over budget a bit.
650W is not low at all. Of course it depends on your components, but I'm running a similar rig with that PSU and it's more than enough. The only reason you would be likely to need more is if you Xfire/SLi a second vid card. Even then, 750-850W will be enough. People getting 1000+ W PSUs are just wasting their money and actually making their system less efficient (since PSUs are less efficient when running far below their rated capacity). Unless they're doing tri-/quad-Xfire/SLi of course.

Lia Li makes great cases so you can't go wrong there.

[Mag-X]

I have a Core i5 750 overclocked to 3.8GHz and two Geforce GTX 470s running on a 750 Watt power supply. 650 Watts should be plenty for that build.

[Mag-X]

So, I got bored and read through this thread. Lots of facepalming and headdesking was done. Some of you know what you are talking about. Some of you... well, I can see why you really want this game to come to the Xbox 360. Some of you need to stop giving advice.

The stated minimum requirements for the alpha testers are very low. If they're already letting people try out the game for early server stress testing, they're nearing the end of development. Sega isn't going to make any major changes to game's graphics enigne at this point.

First I would like to point out that the minimum CPU listed for alpha testers is the Core 2 Duo E6300. This CPU was released six years ago, and doesn't even hit 2GHz. That would have been a pretty expensive CPU back then, but if your PC is less than four or five years old, you probably meet the minimum CPU requirement. This was one of the very first dual-core CPUs, so if you have pretty much any dual-core CPU, you'll probably be fine.

2GB of RAM needed? If you PC came with Vista or Windows 7, I'd be surprised if it had less than this. Either way, if you need more RAM, 2GB can be had for around $20, and a retarded gorilla could install it.

Video card. This is where most pre-configured, store bought, Dell/HP type PCs fail. Most of you should be able to buy a lower end add in card (since the shitty power supplies that come in these PCs can't handle anything better). This card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125377) should be able to handle it. It even comes with a half height adapter bracket for those of you who purchased those shitty slim PCs. If you have a laptop, you are screwed. Sorry.

For those wondering if your graphics cards can handle the game or not. Check out the Tom's Hardware Graphics Card Hierarchy Chart (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-performance-radeon-geforce,2997-7.html). Find the 7800 GT (about in the middle of the chart). If your graphics card (or integrated GPU) is equal to or higher up the list than the 7800 GT, you should be fine.

Anyway, for those of you who have total crap PCs, and will be needing to build a new one, here is a super cheap build. This PC should be able to handle PSO2 perfectly fine, and even most Xbox 360 to PC ports (that being pretty much everythhing at this point) on medium to high-ish settings. That said, the hardware is pretty much a dead end. It wouldn't be worth upgrading, so keep that in mind. There is a reason that it's so cheap.

CPU Intel Pentium E7500 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116381) $66.99 This is really a Core 2 Duo with some disabled cache
Motherboard Foxconn G41MXE-V (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186202) $44.99
Video Card GIGABYTE GV-R567D3-1GI Radeon HD 5670 1GB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125360) $69.99
Memory Crucial Ballistix sport 2GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148432) $13.99 I would suggest going with 4GB, but 2GB will do.
Case Some Cheap Ass Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811233061) $21.99 Watch your fingers
Optical Drive Some DVD Burner (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136216) $18.99
Power Supply Rosewill Stallion Series RD400-2-SB 400W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=17-182-074&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2) $29.99 Meh, but fine for this build.
Hard Drive Seagate 500GB drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767) $39.99
Operating SystemWindows (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986) $99.99

Total: 406.91 + shipping to your shanty. Subtract $100 if you are a pirate and don't need a Windows disc.

[Azure Knight]

So, I got bored and read through this thread. Lots of facepalming and headdesking was done. Some of you know what you are talking about. Some of you... well, I can see why you really want this game to come to the Xbox 360. Some of you need to stop giving advice.

The stated minimum requirements for the alpha testers are very low. If they're already letting people try out the game for early server stress testing, they're nearing the end of development. Sega isn't going to make any major changes to game's graphics enigne at this point.

First I would like to point out that the minimum CPU listed for alpha testers is the Core 2 Duo E6300. This CPU was released six years ago, and doesn't even hit 2GHz. That would have been a pretty expensive CPU back then, but if your PC is less than four or five years old, you probably meet the minimum CPU requirement. This was one of the very first dual-core CPUs, so if you have pretty much any dual-core CPU, you'll probably be fine.

2GB of RAM needed? If you PC came with Vista or Windows 7, I'd be surprised if it had less than this. Either way, if you need more RAM, 2GB can be had for around $20, and a retarded gorilla could install it.

Video card. This is where most pre-configured, store bought, Dell/HP type PCs fail. Most of you should be able to buy a lower end add in card (since the shitty power supplies that come in these PCs can't handle anything better). This card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125377) should be able to handle it. It even comes with a half height adapter bracket for those of you who purchased those shitty slim PCs. If you have a laptop, you are screwed. Sorry.

For those wondering if your graphics cards can handle the game or not. Check out the Tom's Hardware Graphics Card Hierarchy Chart (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-performance-radeon-geforce,2997-7.html). Find the 7800 GT (about in the middle of the chart). If your graphics card (or integrated GPU) is equal to or higher up the list than the 7800 GT, you should be fine.

Anyway, for those of you who have total crap PCs, and will be needing to build a new one, here is a super cheap build. This PC should be able to handle PSO2 perfectly fine, and even most Xbox 360 to PC ports (that being pretty much everythhing at this point) on medium to high-ish settings. That said, the hardware is pretty much a dead end. It wouldn't be worth upgrading, so keep that in mind. There is a reason that it's so cheap.

CPU Intel Pentium E7500 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116381) $66.99 This is really a Core 2 Duo with some disabled cache
Motherboard Foxconn G41MXE-V (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186202) $44.99
Video Card GIGABYTE GV-R567D3-1GI Radeon HD 5670 1GB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125360) $69.99
Memory Crucial Ballistix sport 2GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148432) $13.99 I would suggest going with 4GB, but 2GB will do.
Case Some Cheap Ass Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811233061) $21.99 Watch your fingers
Optical Drive Some DVD Burner (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136216) $18.99
Power Supply Rosewill Stallion Series RD400-2-SB 400W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=17-182-074&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2) $29.99 Meh, but fine for this build.
Hard Drive Seagate 500GB drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767) $39.99
Operating SystemWindows (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986) $99.99

Total: 406.91 + shipping to your shanty. Subtract $100 if you are a pirate and don't need a Windows disc.

Excellent reply sir, glad to hear some proper perspective. At times reading this thread makes it sound like PSO2 is going to be the next Crysis in terms of system requirements and people are getting a bit carried away.

BTW I've got one of those shitty slim Dell PC's you mentioned and the only thing I've had to do is put a low profile HD 5570 into it (though I might get a more powerful one down the line). That meets the minimum requirements and then some for this game.

[Keilyn]

I use a 480 GTX SLI on an i7-2600K.

PSO-2 will be a PC-based game which means it will compete against PC RPGs, MMORPGs and even shooters for a fanbase. The game will be ok, but when SEGA starts doing the very same thing as they do in PSUJP where people not just spend real money for Guardians Cash and most of the things you can get are by random selection, players will leave for other PC games.

Current Cost in USD for Ten +100% Experience Point Boosters that each last for 30 minutes = 1500 GC ($21 = $2.10/per booster)
Current Cost in USD for a Double EXP booster in a typical F2P MMORPG game that lasts for 2 - 3 hours = $0.12 - $0.25

Not trying to troll this thread, but before you spend your money on a PC I would recommend for you to make a FREE COURSE account in Phantasy Star Universe Japan and see how SEGA milks the public for what its worth. If this is any indication of the future, you are in for a high-end cash cow.

My advice is for you to make a PayPal account and if you want GC or the PSO-2 equivalent to hunt rare items, raise them and them RMT them for real money in exchange for using that money for GC like a LOT of the PSUJP players which currently exist.

[Ark22]

Lol My Graphics card is higher than that card. And people say it wasn't LOLOLOLOLOL!

[kyuuketsuki]

Excellent reply sir, glad to hear some proper perspective. At times reading this thread makes it sound like PSO2 is going to be the next Crysis in terms of system requirements and people are getting a bit carried away.

Not sure if you and Max-X are referring to me in any way, but I was only posting that build in response to Selenna's specific request for assistance within a $1500 budget. I hope that no one thought we were looking at meeting the minimum requirements for PSO2 in any way. Obviously, that build is total overkill.

Some people would like to build a new computer for PSO2 that can also do other things and play more graphically demanding games now in the future as well, and that isn't a total hardware dead-end like your cheap-o build is. However, if someone is just looking to build the cheapest possible computer that will run PSO2 decently, I can't argue with your selections.

Hell, I've got my old Core 2 Duo, Geforce 8800GT build sitting in the corner of my office that could run PSO2 just fine. If anyone wants to buy it off me, I'd be more than willing... ;)

[Ark22]

10 BUCKS!

[kyuuketsuki]

10 BUCKS!
Tempting, but I'm pretty sure it'd cost more than that just to ship it. ^^;

[Ark22]

lol if it could run it...100?

[Mag-X]

Not sure if you and Max-X are referring to me in any way
I wasn't talking about anyone in particular.

[redroses]

As I turn totally stupid when it gets technical with computers, I will just ask in the most stupid way possible. If I am able to play PSU on high grafik settings, will I be able to play PSO2?

[Keilyn]

As I turn totally stupid when it gets technical with computers, I will just ask in the most stupid way possible. If I am able to play PSU on high grafik settings, will I be able to play PSO2?

You may not like me and we had our differences but I never abandoned you. You abandoned me. When we first met I told you you could ask me any comp question directly and I would try to "answer in english."

Unless the game requires some high end technology to run you may be able to run it at the lowest settings without any of the visuals on the screenshot. If that fails, then you will have to upgrade.

[redroses]

You may not like me and we had our differences but I never abandoned you. You abandoned me. When we first met I told you you could ask me any comp question directly and I would try to "answer in english."

Unless the game requires some high end technology to run you may be able to run it at the lowest settings without any of the visuals on the screenshot. If that fails, then you will have to upgrade.

I really wonder why you had to write that first paragraph up, but fine.

Either way, thank you for answering my question.

[kyuuketsuki]

lol if it could run it...100?
Now... Are you seriously interested or just messing around? :laptop:

As I turn totally stupid when it gets technical with computers, I will just ask in the most stupid way possible. If I am able to play PSU on high grafik settings, will I be able to play PSO2? The best answer that can be given to that question is: maybe. For a better answer you have to find out your CPU, graphics chipset, and amount of memory at the very least.

[redroses]

Ok, here is some info about my laptop (so I really hope it will be good enough):

Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU P7450 @2.13GHz
RAM: 4,00GB
Windows 7
Graphicscard: GeForce GT 230M

Thank you much for any help and info!

[Mag-X]

I'm going to go with a "most likely."

[Hatemachine]

Btw little bit of advice about building a PC in regards to Processors, anything above 4 cores is pretty much a waste of money, most games aren't even able to fully utilize 4 cores let alone 6-8 or whatever ungodly number they've managed to jam onto those little bundles of silicon and graphite. Investing in anything over that is just overkill and not really worth the cash, it's more of a long term investment really at this point, so a good 2-4 core processor will suit just about every need in gaming you'll have for about the next 2 years or so, and can help save some cash and possible frustration as well as Power drain.

Also make sure you get some good cooling in whatever machine you build, again more does not equal better, HOW the air flows is actually more important than HOW MUCH flows, and if folks plan on playing for long sessions last thing you want is to get dropped because your PC overheats and forces a restart in the middle of a run.

Just a few minor lessons I learned when I built my PC about 3 years ago, and it's still goin stronger than ANY prefab store bought, garbage program laden pile of swill, Build it yourself, do your home work, ask the questions and you will be rewarded with sense of pride and satisfaction you may have never known before.

Good luck to ya'll and see ya folks in PSO2, HOPEFULLY later this year lol.

[kyuuketsuki]

Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU P7450 @2.13GHz
RAM: 4,00GB
Windows 7
Graphicscard: GeForce GT 230MI concur with Mag-X here. Judging solely off the requirements for the alpha, I'd say you should be able to run it. I wouldn't expect to be able to turn the graphics up past low/medium, though.

[RobochiVulture]

Hey guys, i made an attempt to create a build for those of us on a budget.


CD/DVD Burner (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151235) 22.90
Case/PSU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121002) 59.99 - 10 dollar mail in rebate
HDD (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136771) 39.99
Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130663) 109.99 - 20 dollar mail in rebate
Memory (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148419) 29.99
Mother board (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188064) 64.99 - 30 dollar rebate
CPU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115221) 109.99
Tax 31.74
Shipping 9.01

Grand total before mail in rebates 478.59
After rebates 418.59

I'm really curious to see how cheap i could make a build by the time PSO2 comes out.

Let me know if you see any problems with this build that i may be overlooking.

[kyuuketsuki]

Nothing wrong with that for a budget build, although the PSU is some kind of off-brand I've never heard of, so you're kind of gambling there.

However, even with a budget build I'd say go with a Sandy Bridge (LGA 1155) platform. Not only is Sandy Bridge faster clock-for-clock than the previous architectures, but it also gives you room to upgrade later if you desire. On the other hand, that LGA 1156 platform is a dead-end. Pretty sure you can find comparable parts for similar prices on the CPU/Mobo. Just make sure you get 1.5v or lower memory with Sandy Bridge (will usually say something about being Sandy Bridge or P67-/Z68-compatible).

Then again, I think I heard Ivy Bridge is going to use yet another incompatible pin standard. -_- I hope Bulldozer is able to compete when it (finally) comes out...

[RobochiVulture]

Yeah, i had never heard of that brand for the case/PSU either, i just picked it because it was cheap and well reviewed.

This was just a test build for right now to see how cheap a build i could make, when we get close to the launch of PSO2 I'll make another budget build and see how cheap i can make it. (I'm hoping 300-400ish)

[Mag-X]

Those power supplies that come bundled with cases are often paper weights at best and fire hazards at worst. Either way, at that price, there's no way they'll be able to sustain the amount of power they claim to be capable of.

[Hatemachine]

Aye look around for that GFX cards Power supply recommendations before you buy, you may find out it requires a bit more juice than your thinking otherwise it looks alright, also don't forget the cost of a copy of Windows unless you have everything from a previous copy.

[Dabian]

"lol you use a mac /point /flame" aside, I wonder how well the client will work in a WINEskin.

Assuming of course there's a workaround for gameguard in that respect.

I say this because that iMAC 21.5'' is screaming "buy me" :p

[RobochiVulture]

So, apparently just because something isn't very expensive it's automatically garbage now?

I looked at the reviews on that PSU and it's actually rated higher than the one suggested in the OP.

[kyuuketsuki]

So, apparently just because something isn't very expensive it's automatically garbage now?

I looked at the reviews on that PSU and it's actually rated higher than the one suggested in the OP.
With PSUs, often yes, cheap ones are garbage. They use cheap parts, can't provide ample/steady amperage on the different rails, don't have sufficient over-/undervoltage protection (among other protection systems), and usually aren't capable of anywhere near their rated wattage without shutting down or, in extreme cases, actually catching on fire.

However, that's not to say that particular one necessarily is bad. But the PSU is not a component I'd recommend skimping on, for reasons of safety, preventing damage to components from over-/undervolting, and the fact that inefficient PSUs will end up negating their cost advantage over the long term if you factor in the extra charges on your electric bill.

Just looking at the reviews on that PSU, it looks like it's decent enough for a cheap build. But they also often mention the fan developing a high-pitched whine, the cords being a tangled mess with no wraps (which is very bad for case air flow, which is very important), among other things. I'd usually recommend sacrificing wattage and getting better quality/features. Most people way overestimate the wattage they need (plus the fact that better quality PSUs will come closer to actually providing their rated wattage).

Using this calculator (http://support.asus.com/powersupply.aspx), the build Robotvulture posted requires around 400W. So something around 480W or 500W should be more than sufficient (allowing a buffer for inefficiency and spikes).

[Serephim]

PSU was a bad game, but man it wasn't that bad : 3



im done now

[kyuuketsuki]

PSU was a bad game, but man it wasn't that bad : 3



im done now
I know you're just joshing around, but just for those who might not be aware:

PSU = Power Supply Unit (in computer terminology)

[RobochiVulture]

With PSUs, often yes, cheap ones are garbage. They use cheap capacitors (cheap parts all around really), and usually aren't capable of anywhere near their rated wattage without shutting down or, in extreme cases, actually catching on fire.

However, that's not to say that particular one necessarily is bad. But the PSU is not a component I'd recommend skimping on, for reasons of safety, preventing damage to components from over-/undervolting, and the fact that inefficient PSUs will end up negating their cost advantage over the long term if you factor in the extra charges on your electric bill.

Just looking at the reviews on that PSU, it looks like it's decent enough for a cheap build. But they also often mention the fan developing a high-pitched whine, the cords being a tangled mess with no wraps (which is very bad for case air flow, which is very important), among other things. I'd usually recommend sacrificing wattage and getting better quality/features. Most people way overestimate the wattage they need (plus the fact that better quality PSUs will come closer to actually providing their rated wattage).

Using this calculator, the build Robotvulture posted requires around 400W. So something around 480W or 500W should be more than sufficient (allowing a buffer for inefficiency and spikes).

Thank you, your post was very informative. I'm still pretty new at building PC's and i figured the reviews were a good thing to go on.

Here's a 430W one i found that's very popular and highly rated and only 27 dollars after rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153023

Here's another highly rated one at 500W for 40 dollars

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182044

and i guess a case to go with it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154095

[kyuuketsuki]

Thermaltake is generally reputable, although 430W is a little close to 400W for my liking. You do want a bit of a buffer between what you're likely to use and the PSU's rated maximum.

Rosewill one looks okay.

You're not going to get super-duper features and efficiency staying under $50, so don't take me not getting excited as meaning anything.

I'm not trying to talk people into blowing all their budget on a PSU or anything. If anything just take away that you should do a little research rather than going with the first cheap -- or expensive -- one you see (as with most anything you spend a good bit of money on, really).

[RobochiVulture]

What are your thoughts on this PSU calculator? (was the first one that popped up when i googled PSU calculator)

http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

i entered my build in there and it said my minimum wattage would be 238W and recommended a 288W PSU. According to that, the 430W PSU should be way more than enough.

I also tried the newegg PSU calculator and it recommended a 367W PSU. Not really sure which of these PSU calculators is the most accurate/trustworthy.

[xRedd206x]

Hey can I just buy a computer at the store to play this? Like which types?

[Mag-X]

Sure, but you'll pay more for it. Most pre-built systems aren't targeted at gaming though, and won't be capable of playing anything more than Facebook games. Pre-built "gaming" systems usually have lame video cards and a several hundred dollar n00b tax.

If you really want to go pre-built, your best bet is to buy a decent system, and then add your own video card (very easy to do). That might require upgrading the power supply though.

And it really isn't as easy as "which types" can and can't do it. Even pre-built PCs come in many different configurations.

[SolRiver]

I just want to mention that PSO2 most likely will be more bottleneck(heavy) on CPU more than GPU, as it is the trend of current PC MMo games now days. (same as Aion and Tera and so on)

Main clue is the low GPU requirement and the lack of dynamic weather/lighting effects; however with the amount of texture shown in some alpha video, one would think GPU RAM and normal RAM memory would help quite a bit. (also, current RAM memory industry is in a big hurt as they overproduced which cause the price to be too low, so if you want a new DDR3, do it now)

As for PSU (power supply unit), that is one of the last thing you want to go cheap in a PC. A cheap/poor PSU may take your motherboard + CPU to junkyard when it burn.

[Mag-X]

They don't always burn out. I have a cheap-o one that technically works, but it's just ... weird. When I was using it, my motherboard would keep insisting that I changed the CPU every time I rebooted. Also, if I added more than one hard drive, the extras would show up in Windows, but they wouldn't work. Otherwise, the PC booted up and worked just fine. Once I replaced the power supply, everything worked great. That one was a headache to figure out.

[kyuuketsuki]

One thing I feel I should mention for those looking to build a bargain rig for PSO2:

AMD's new Llano A8-3850 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103942) should be able to handle PSO2 just fine as long as you're at lower (1440x900 or below) and low to medium settings. The fact that there's no discrete graphics card also enables you to use a smaller case, lower wattage power supply, and makes things a bit simpler for those who don't like to get too into building their own rig.

The only caveat is that you don't want to skimp on the memory, since the APU (integrated GPU) is using the main system memory. You'll want at least 8GB of DDR3-1600, preferably DDR3-1866.

[Raven5_1]

wait i forget, Geoforce 9500 gt is fine right?

[Mag-X]

Probably.

[kyuuketsuki]

wait i forget, Geoforce 9500 gt is fine right?
Thanks to the confusing naming schemes that nVidia/AMD have adopted, the 9500GT is actually less powerful than the 7800GT that is the minimum requirement for the alpha. So, I'd say probably not. Depending on the rest of your system, you might be able to simply swap in a new graphics card, and you can get a good enough graphics card for PSO2 for cheap nowadays... even cheaper if you wait until PSO2 actually comes out.

Edit: Wait... is that 9500GT the DDR3 or DDR2 version? The DDR3 version actually seems to be on par with the 7800GT.

[Mag-X]

According to the Tom's Hardware chart, it should be pretty close to a 7800. Honestly, from the footage I've seen of the game, I really think the 7800 GT requirement is going to be the recommended spec, not the minimum.

I'd give the game a shot with that GPU.

[Raven5_1]

Edit: Wait... is that 9500GT the DDR3 or DDR2 version? The DDR3 version actually seems to be on par with the 7800GT.

what's the best place to find that out ?

sighes... My computer is only 26 months old. worse comes to the worse i should be able to upgrade

[Mag-X]

what's the best place to find that out ?

http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/

[Raven5_1]

http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/

thanks. My 9500 GT is a DDR2.

Still i've got time to upgrade the graphics card if needs be.

[Mag-X]

I would wait for the open beta and at least try it first.

[Raven5_1]

I would wait for the open beta and at least try it first.

yeah of course i'm going to wait till i try it before even considering upgrading the graphics card. (i actually planned to upgrade my Ram and add more hard drive space later in the year, worse comes to the worse i'll upgrade my PSUnit and Graphics card around the same time)

[kyuuketsuki]

According to the Tom's Hardware chart, it should be pretty close to a 7800. Honestly, from the footage I've seen of the game, I really think the 7800 GT requirement is going to be the recommended spec, not the minimum.

I'd give the game a shot with that GPU.
DDR2 version is a bit under the 7800GT, DD3 version is on par. But yeah, I agree that judging by how (what we assume are) the low-settings look, the game can scale down pretty far and 7800GT may not be the minimum requirement.

Waiting until you can actually try out the game is a good idea, since it may be your current hardware will run it if you're straddling the fence. Also, if it turns out you do need to upgrade, better hardware will be available for cheaper then.

[SolRiver]

They don't always burn out. I have a cheap-o one that technically works, but it's just ... weird. When I was using it, my motherboard would keep insisting that I changed the CPU every time I rebooted. Also, if I added more than one hard drive, the extras would show up in Windows, but they wouldn't work. Otherwise, the PC booted up and worked just fine. Once I replaced the power supply, everything worked great. That one was a headache to figure out.

You luck out with cheap PSU just not supplying enough power to your PC.

There are cases where cheap PSU literally burn the PC...

Besides, a good PSU can last you many years during your upgrade from motherboard to motherboards.

Anyway. Enough about that.
-------------------
I really really wish/hope PSO2 will have a 64 bit client so it won't crash because of memory limit like some of the games out there. However, I doubt it will...

[RobochiVulture]

One thing I feel I should mention for those looking to build a bargain rig for PSO2:

AMD's new Llano A8-3850 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103942) should be able to handle PSO2 just fine as long as you're at lower (1440x900 or below) and low to medium settings. The fact that there's no discrete graphics card also enables you to use a smaller case, lower wattage power supply, and makes things a bit simpler for those who don't like to get too into building their own rig.

The only caveat is that you don't want to skimp on the memory, since the APU (integrated GPU) is using the main system memory. You'll want at least 8GB of DDR3-1600, preferably DDR3-1866.

That's cool to know, i attempted a build using that on newegg and the total came out to be 412.93 after tax, shipping and mail in rebates, didn't come out too much cheaper due to the price of those FM1 socket motherboards though. (maybe in the future it will be a cheaper way to go though, who knows.)

[WiZ1988]

So my laptop might be able to run PSO2, on the minimum settings. I'm looking to buy a new computer, desktop or laptop, that is a good deal. I've been looking on newegg.com and some other websites, I found some I'm considering but if anyone has any they would recommend it would be much appreciated. I'd like to stay around 1,000 over or under a bit.

[Koric]

Will my laptop be able to run this on max? <.< I can run dragon age 2 on max and battlefield bad company 2 on max... so I'm assuming I can...

Below is the specs that matters:


Processor: Intel Core 2 duo P8700 2.53 GHZ
Ram: 6GB DDR2 800
Video Card: Nvidia GTX 260M 1GB
Screen: 1440x900 LCD
Hard Drive: 500GB 5400rpm
Wireless: B/G/N

[Kion]

That's cool to know, i attempted a build using that on newegg and the total came out to be 412.93 after tax, shipping and mail in rebates, didn't come out too much cheaper due to the price of those FM1 socket motherboards though. (maybe in the future it will be a cheaper way to go though, who knows.)

I'm waiting until the A8-3800 comes out. Hopefully by then it motherboards will come down in price a little.

[Mag-X]

Will my laptop be able to run this on max? <.< I can run dragon age 2 on max and battlefield bad company 2 on max... so I'm assuming I can...

Below is the specs that matters:


Processor: Intel Core 2 duo P8700 2.53 GHZ
Ram: 6GB DDR2 800
Video Card: Nvidia GTX 260M 1GB
Screen: 1440x900 LCD
Hard Drive: 500GB 5400rpm
Wireless: B/G/N

Yeah. You'll be fine.

[ChronoTrigga]

Processor: Intel i5 2500k Processor 3.2ghz
Ram: 4gb DDR3
Video Card: 9600 GSO 1gb
Screen 1366x766
HD: 120gb SSD

[Dinosaur]

Processor: Intel i5 2500k Processor 3.2ghz
Ram: 4gb DDR3
Video Card: 9600 GSO 1gb
Screen 1366x766
HD: 120gb SSD

Your card can use an upgrade, but it doesn't matter because your processor will easily carry the weight.

[kyuuketsuki]

Your card can use an upgrade, but it doesn't matter because your processor will easily carry the weight.
Not really the way it works. That i5-2500K obviously won't be bottlenecking his performance, but it won't make up for a poor GPU.

That being said, the 9600 GSO is a few steps above the 7800 GT, so it should play PSO2 just fine. Dunno about max settings, but your screen resolution is fairly low, so I wouldn't think it'll have much trouble.

@ChronoTrigga - If you were to upgrade your system, expanding to 8GB of memory and getting a newer graphics card would be my first steps. Then, get a monitor with a better resolution. Your system is rocking otherwise.

[ChronoTrigga]

Not really the way it works. That i5-2500K obviously won't be bottlenecking his performance, but it won't make up for a poor GPU.

That being said, the 9600 GSO is a few steps above the 7800 GT, so it should play PSO2 just fine. Dunno about max settings, but your screen resolution is fairly low, so I wouldn't think it'll have much trouble.

@ChronoTrigga - If you were to upgrade your system, expanding to 8GB of memory and getting a newer graphics card would be my first steps. Then, get a monitor with a better resolution. Your system is rocking otherwise.

Yeah I put these all together because I won 1000 dollars in the lottery the other day...

i5-2500k (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072) = $106
gigabyte z68 board (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128520) = $110
cooler master storm scout case ... have it and love it (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196) = $70
asus dvd burner (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204) = $22
Corsair Vengeance 4gb (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145343) = $33
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V v2.2http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006 = $50

Grand Total = 391, shipping included.

Already got the graphics card until I need to play BF3 & Skyrim.
Not to mention the processor and power supply both got 50% discounts through internet friends. :D Life is good.

[Mag-X]

Processor: Intel i5 2500k Processor 3.2ghz
Ram: 4gb DDR3
Video Card: 9600 GSO 1gb
Screen 1366x766
HD: 120gb SSD

Why is your system so unbalanced, and why is your 2500K underclocked by 100MHz?

[kyuuketsuki]

Why is your system so unbalanced, and why is your 2500K underclocked by 100MHz?
I think he said he stuck in a graphics card he already had.

He must've made a typo with the CPU. No i5 has a default clock of 3.2.

[Ezodagrom]

Got the alpha client, was able to check out a few things related to graphics settings.

There's not many individual settings, but there's 5 presets, which change several settings that are in the .ini configuration file. While the configuration file itself is encripted, in the settings there's an option to create a .txt log of the configuration file. Basically, it's possible to check what each of the presets does, but it's not possible to change each of the individual options in the configuration file.

Anyway, here's the individual settings that can be changed in the launcher.

- Screen: Window Mode or Fullscreen.
- Texture Resolution: Low, Medium, High
- Shader Quality: On, Off
- Resolution: 640x480, 800x600, 1024x576, 1024x600, 1024x768, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1400x1050, 1600x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200

And here's what each preset changes in the configuration ini file.


Preset 1:

- Texture Resolution: 0 (low)
- Shader Quality: false

Shadow:
- Quality: low
- Player: false
- Friend: false
- NPC: false
- Enemy: false
- Object: true

Display:
- Effect Draw Distance: 10
- Simple Model Number: 12
- Background Draw Distance: 10
- Detail Model Number: 5

Function:
- Reflection: false
- Light Geography: false
- Light Shaft: false
- Light Effect: false
- Bloom: false
- Depth: false
- Blur: false
- AntiAliasing: true

Preset 2:

- Texture Resolution: 1 (medium)
- Shader Quality: true

Shadow:
- Quality: low
- Player: true
- Friend: true
- NPC: false
- Enemy: true
- Object: true

Display:
- Effect Draw Distance: 25
- Simple Model Number: 18
- Background Draw Distance: 25
- Detail Model Number: 5

Function:
- Reflection: true
- Light Geography: false
- Light Shaft: false
- Light Effect: false
- Bloom: false
- Depth: false
- Blur: false
- AntiAliasing: true

Preset 3:

- Texture Resolution: 1 (medium)
- Shader Quality: true

Shadow:
- Quality: middle
- Player: true
- Friend: true
- NPC: true
- Enemy: true
- Object: true

Display:
- Effect Draw Distance: 50
- Simple Model Number: 24
- Background Draw Distance: 50
- Detail Model Number: 12

Function:
- Reflection: true
- Light Geography: false
- Light Shaft: false
- Light Effect: true
- Bloom: false
- Depth: false
- Blur: false
- AntiAliasing: true

Preset 4:

- Texture Resolution: 1 (medium)
- Shader Quality: true

Shadow:
- Quality: middle
- Player: true
- Friend: true
- NPC: true
- Enemy: true
- Object: true

Display:
- Effect Draw Distance: 75
- Simple Model Number: 62
- Background Draw Distance: 75
- Detail Model Number: 20

Function:
- Reflection: true
- Light Geography: false
- Light Shaft: true
- Light Effect: true
- Bloom: true
- Depth: true
- Blur: true
- AntiAliasing: true

Preset 5:

- Texture Resolution: 2 (high)
- Shader Quality: true

Shadow:
- Quality: high
- Player: true
- Friend: true
- NPC: true
- Enemy: true
- Object: true

Display:
- Effect Draw Distance: 100
- Simple Model Number: 100
- Background Draw Distance: 100
- Detail Model Number: 30

Function:
- Reflection: true
- Light Geography: true
- Light Shaft: true
- Light Effect: true
- Bloom: true
- Depth: true
- Blur: true
- AntiAliasing: true

When it comes to graphics settings, there's one thing that I hope they will add in later builds, a vsync option.

One note, those with older PCs or low end PCs will have to play with the Shader Quality option turned off.
On my laptop (Core 2 Duo T7200, Mobility Radeon X1600, which is below alpha specs), with the Shader Quality option turned on, the "Press Enter" screen runs at 1~3 frames per second. With that option turned off, it runs at around 45 fps.

On my desktop (AMD Phenom II X2 550, Radeon HD4850), with the shader quality option on, the "Press Enter" screen runs at 60~65 fps, while with the option turned off, it runs at 200 fps.
Can't see how it runs ingame though, since I don't have an alpha account.

[Mag-X]

Ugh. I really hope they aren't hard coding the resolutions again. My TV has overscan, so if I run at normal resolutions, I usually end up with the UI half way off the screen.

[Zaix]

At least this time they have more than 5 resolutions and they go above 1280 x 720 (16:9) or 1280 x 1024 (4:3)

[ChronoTrigga]

I think he said he stuck in a graphics card he already had.

He must've made a typo with the CPU. No i5 has a default clock of 3.2.

Yes, twas a typo.

[ChronoTrigga]

Why is your system so unbalanced, and why is your 2500K underclocked by 100MHz?

Explain unbalanced? If you're referring to a graphics card and harddrive, I already have those covered, not to mention I'm just gonna stick with Team Fortress 2 for a while until I really need to get a new graphics card to play the games I want to play.

[kyuuketsuki]

Ugh. I really hope they aren't hard coding the resolutions again. My TV has overscan, so if I run at normal resolutions, I usually end up with the UI half way off the screen.
Your TV doesn't have an option to do pixel-by-pixel, it always overscans? You need a new TV dude. :p

[Bulgereek Nookstain]

Got the alpha client, was able to check out a few things related to graphics settings.Oh good, 1680x1050. I don't think PSU had any high resolution 16:10 options. 16:10 is way better than 16:9 and if you think otherwise then you are dumb.

[Mag-X]

Your TV doesn't have an option to do pixel-by-pixel, it always overscans? You need a new TV dude. :p

It's not really that old. It's a DLP.

[kyuuketsuki]

Oh good, 1680x1050. I don't think PSU had any high resolution 16:10 options. 16:10 is way better than 16:9 and if you think otherwise then you are dumb.People are funny. A whole 120 lines of vertical resolution and people make a big deal about it. Everything's moving to 16:9... I have nothing against 16:10, but I couldn't care less about 16:9 becoming dominant either. Either way is a big improvement over 4:3.

It's not really that old. It's a DLP.
Ah, DLP. Gotcha. Can't beat the price/size ratio on those, and good ones have very decent picture.

[Mag-X]

Ah, DLP. Gotcha. Can't beat the price/size ratio on those, and good ones have very decent picture.
Not to mention it does Nvidia 3D Vision too.

[kyuuketsuki]

Not to mention it does Nvidia 3D Vision too.
Speaking of which, PSO2 in 3D... :-o Unfortunately, I won't be getting a 3D monitor until they have ones that can use passive glasses and aren't trashy TN panels.

[Shadaki-Kun]

Well I'll be going back to school soon and decided to get a new laptop. It isn't here yet, but these are the specs for it:

Processor: 2nd generation Intel Core i7-2620M processor 2.70 GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.40 GHz

Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M 3GB graphics w/ Optimus

RAM: 6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory

Hard Drive: 640GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive

Screen is 17.3" FHD (1080p)

Also using a 90 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery..which I don't really know how to translate that (haha), I just know that it can last around 7 hours or so unplugged.

These are the specs for my desktop:

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)^2 Quad CPU Q6660 @ 2.40GHz 2.39GHz

Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT

RAM: 3.00 GB

Monitor: 23" Widescreen, 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz resolution (Though I'm sure the monitor is fine haha)

I was thinking my desktop may need an upgrade eventually? It's ran games like Final Fantasy XI, World of Warcraft and Mass Effect II and some other smaller games (free MMOs or offline games) on some pretty high settings (if not max..it's been awhile) very well. Thought I'd get some other opinions?

[Mag-X]

Your laptop sounds pretty nice.

Your desktop could use some updating (although, as it is now, it's way more than enough for PSO2).

[Shadaki-Kun]

Ah ok, thanks. I know hardware somewhat decently but my main thing was really the graphics card hah. I really..don't know much about graphics cards at all

[JRDeBo]

Just looked at the specs, and my CPU is what fails me >.< My graphics card is fine and I barely have enough RAM, but considering how old my rig is, I'm not surprised. If there is an open beta I'll still try it just to see if it will even launch, I can live with 10 FPS.

[Mag-X]

Just looked at the specs, and my CPU is what fails me >.< My graphics card is fine and I barely have enough RAM, but considering how old my rig is, I'm not surprised. If there is an open beta I'll still try it just to see if it will even launch, I can live with 10 FPS.

What kind of CPU? You rockin' a P4 or something?

[JRDeBo]

AMD Athlon 64 3000+

I might as well ask but a GeForce GT 430 will run this, right? I'm really bad at knowing exactly how powerful things are and only picked it up as it was on sale.

[Mag-X]

AMD Athlon 64 3000+

I might as well ask but a GeForce GT 430 will run this, right? I'm really bad at knowing exactly how powerful things are and only picked it up as it was on sale.

The graphics card should be fine. ...but that CPU. That's really slow even for an Athlon 64.

[Ark22]

is a intel P4 good?

[sperle]

How about my laptop. Intel Q9000 with a nvidia GeForce GTX 260M? Win 7 64bit and 6gb ram. Thinking about getting an SSD drive for primary drive. Thoughts?

[kyuuketsuki]

For anyone with a "is my GPU (a.k.a. graphics card) good enough?", reference this chart. (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-performance-radeon-geforce,2997-7.html)

The 7800 GT, which is was the minimum recommended (required?) GPU for the alpha is 17 cells from the top. Any GPU in the same place or higher should be able to run PSO2. Obviously, the higher up the chart you are, the higher you will be able to push the settings.
Thinking about getting an SSD drive for primary drive. Thoughts?
Always a fine idea, if you have the spare cash. Get a good amount -- at least 60GB, enough for the OS, primary applications, and a couple games (such as PSO2 when it comes out). If you can, 120GB is really the sweet spot for capacity/performance/dollar-per-gig ratio at the moment. And don't waste your money on the latest and greatest unless your budget is pretty much unlimited.

[Mag-X]

is a intel P4 good?
No.


How about my laptop. Intel Q9000 with a nvidia GeForce GTX 260M? Win 7 64bit and 6gb ram. Thinking about getting an SSD drive for primary drive. Thoughts?
That's plenty powerful. SSDs are awesome, I highly recommend getting one.


For anyone with a "is my GPU (a.k.a. graphics card) good enough?", reference this chart. (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-performance-radeon-geforce,2997-7.html)
Get a good amount -- at least 60GB, enough for the OS, primary applications, and a couple games (such as PSO2 when it comes out). If you can, 120GB is really the sweet spot for capacity/performance/dollar-per-gig ratio at the moment. And don't waste your money on the latest and greatest unless your budget is pretty much unlimited.
I'd say 120GB is as low as I would go with a laptop. 60GB is fine for a desktop, because you can put just Windows and your primary applications on the SSD, and then install the big stuff (like games) on a regular hard drive. But, you can only have one hard drive in a laptop, so if you run out of space, your kinda screwed.

[Kion]

I'd say 120GB is as low as I would go with a laptop. 60GB is fine for a desktop, because you can put just Windows and your primary applications on the SSD, and then install the big stuff (like games) on a regular hard drive. But, you can only have one hard drive in a laptop, so if you run out of space, your kinda screwed.

You could get a usb powered external hard drive. Personally the next time I get a hard drive my plan is to get a usb 3.0 2.5" external case and switch out the internal disk with a 80GB SSD. Hopefully they'll come down in price some more.

[kyuuketsuki]

No.


That's plenty powerful. SSDs are awesome, I highly recommend getting one.


I'd say 120GB is as low as I would go with a laptop. 60GB is fine for a desktop, because you can put just Windows and your primary applications on the SSD, and then install the big stuff (like games) on a regular hard drive. But, you can only have one hard drive in a laptop, so if you run out of space, your kinda screwed.
Well he said "primary drive", so I assumed he'd have a secondary one for media/application storage. Some laptops do have space for 2 2.5" HDD/SSDs, and sometimes you can sacrifice the optical drive to get that second HDD space in smaller form factors.

However, if you only have one HDD in a laptop then yeah, I wouldn't go lower than 120GB either. If you don't have the cash for a 120GB or larger SSD atm, then a great compromise is the Seagate Momentus XT hybrid drive.

[Dillo64]

Sorry, Mac user here. Thinking about running Bootcamp on my Mac just to play this game.

Though not sure if my GPU is good enough. My GPU is NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, on my 13in Macbook I got in 2008. I didn't see it on any of the lists listed on the first page.

Its a hard question, but if I bootcamp, could I run this game smoothly? Or am I doomed to buy a new computer?

[Ezodagrom]

Sorry, Mac user here. Thinking about running Bootcamp on my Mac just to play this game.

Though not sure if my GPU is good enough. My GPU is NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, on my 13in Macbook I got in 2008. I didn't see it on any of the lists listed on the first page.

Its a hard question, but if I bootcamp, could I run this game smoothly? Or am I doomed to buy a new computer?
This was in the first post:

a 9400 GT is not better than 7800 GT
And the 9400M is even worse than the 9400GT.
Will it run PSO2? We don't know, but it is below the alpha specs.

[Dillo64]

Thanks, didn't know the difference between M and GT, zero computer knowledge here.

This royally sucks though, may have to buy a new computer just for this game... wish there was a console version...

[S|e|7|e|N]

Will I be able to run this on Max settings (going off Alpha Requirements)? If not what all would I need to upgrade to do so?

Processor
[= Quad Core =] AMD Phenom™ II X4 955 Black Edition Quad-Core CPU
Processor Cooling
Liquid CPU Cooling System w/ 92mm Radiator
Memory
4 GB [2 GB X2] DDR3-1333 Memory Module -
Video Card
AMD Radeon HD 6450 - 1GB
Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-880GMA-UD2H -- AMD 880G Hybrid CrossFire Chipset w/8-ch HD Audio, Dual-Channel DDR3, Gb LAN, 2 PCI-E MB
Motherboard USB / SATA Interface
Motherboard default USB / SATA Interface
Power Supply
450 Watt -- Standard
Primary Hard Drive
1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 16M Cache, 7200 RPM, 3.0Gb/s - Single Drive
Optical Drive
24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black
2nd Optical Drive
None
Flash Media Reader / Writer
12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer - Black
Sound Card
3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Home

[Mag-X]

Your video card is lame sauce compared to the rest of your system. It'll run the game. I don't know about full settings though.

[S|e|7|e|N]

Yeah. I've been meaning to upgrade some parts here and there. Video Card being one of them.

[AzureBlaze]

Well I guess I have to find out eventually.
And now better than at the last minute before release. Will mine work? And more importantly will it do WELL?
I tried the PSU demo on an ooold PC and it barely ran. The floor turned itself off & etc. so I don't want to go in with some super minimal things. I am willing enough to buy something new if I must, but I'd rather try to upgrade it with a part, if it is not too difficult.

It is Gateway, with Windows7 64bit version
AMD Phenom X4 9550 49 °C
Agena 65nm Technology

6 GB ram
SyncMaster (2048x1152@60Hz)
SyncMaster (2048x1152@60Hz)
ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics (Acer Incorporated [ALI])
ATI Radeon HD 3400 Series (MSI)
CrossFire Disabled (<--what is that even)

For some reason the monitor thinks it has 2 of itself. When you push print scn, even, there's always a second one shown, though there's only 1 monitor on the system. I have no idea why this is. Will it disrupt the ability to show PSO2 on the TV if I plug the TV to the PC with a HDMI cord? The TV is 55 inch. I read in the OP that if the monitor is too big, the card has to work too hard. Does this count for the TV too? Will I have to buy some sort of megacard and new power supply?

Clearly, it would need the NVidia card to be able to see the....well whatever they're going to make the PhysX do with this game.

AND...
If it turns out to be something cool that you don't want to miss out on...how hard ARE graphics cards to put in? Do you just open the PC and push it in where the old one was and it's fine? Nobody ever talks about actually -installing- the things, they just argue about which one, and how to buy it. Do you have to set them up somehow?

Obviously waiting closer to release so the price goes down / if they change their mind on the specs is best, but having a target in mind helps too.

Can you buy a "bad one" where you plug it in and it won't work?
When I got this PC when it was like 3 days out of warranty 1 of the pieces of RAM inside it "Went Bad" and the whole thing quit working. I have actually bought 'bad ram' brand new from retail store too--it is damm identical to one that works and you catch heck for it. I've had enough instances of trying to buy stupid internal things and then they do nothing that I've got to ask.

Thanks for any help with these, post got a little complex.

[ethereal]

Hey, just came to the party. Can I run this max settings?

GPU: HIS IceQ X Turbo H695QNT2G2M Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card ...

PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate

RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory

CPU - i5 2500k OC to 4.5ghz

Lemme know if I left anything important out.

[Ezodagrom]

@S|e|7|e|N and AzureBlaze:
Like Dillo64's Geforce 9400M, don't know if both your graphics could run PSO2 or not, but both of them are below the alpha specifications.

@ethereal: I would be surprised if there was any game that your PC can't run. It's definitely more than enough to handle a game like PSO2 at max settings.

[Mag-X]

ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics (Acer Incorporated [ALI])
ATI Radeon HD 3400 Series (MSI)
CrossFire Disabled (<--what is that even)

What? Are you actually using a graphics card or the integrated GPU? HD 3200 I believe is integrated, and "HD 3400 series" sounds like a HD 3450 or something. Either way, both are poo. Crossfire is how you can use two video cards to work together.



For some reason the monitor thinks it has 2 of itself. When you push print scn, even, there's always a second one shown, though there's only 1 monitor on the system. I have no idea why this is. Will it disrupt the ability to show PSO2 on the TV if I plug the TV to the PC with a HDMI cord?

It probably thinks it has a projector or something connected. Press Windows Key + P and select Disconnect Projector. See if that makes it stop. As long as your video card (if you actually have one) has dual outputs, it should be easy to extend your desktop onto it.



The TV is 55 inch. I read in the OP that if the monitor is too big, the card has to work too hard. Does this count for the TV too? Will I have to buy some sort of megacard and new power supply?

Size doesn't have anything to do with it. It's the resolution of the screen that matters. Any half decent video card can handle 1080p just fine.



Clearly, it would need the NVidia card to be able to see the....well whatever they're going to make the PhysX do with this game.

Yeah. It's Nvidia only. There may be an option to set it to run on the CPU, but that usually makes games run terribad.



AND...
If it turns out to be something cool that you don't want to miss out on...how hard ARE graphics cards to put in? Do you just open the PC and push it in where the old one was and it's fine? Nobody ever talks about actually -installing- the things, they just argue about which one, and how to buy it. Do you have to set them up somehow?

It really is just that easy. Nicer video cards will require a far better power supply than what comes in pre-built systems, but you should be able to find something that will work with what you have.



Can you buy a "bad one" where you plug it in and it won't work?
When I got this PC when it was like 3 days out of warranty 1 of the pieces of RAM inside it "Went Bad" and the whole thing quit working. I have actually bought 'bad ram' brand new from retail store too--it is damm identical to one that works and you catch heck for it. I've had enough instances of trying to buy stupid internal things and then they do nothing that I've got to ask.

Defective parts happen, but it's usually pretty rare. The good brands will test the stuff before they ship it out. Do you mean that you bought RAM and it was defective or that you bought the wrong kind?

[Mag-X]

Hey, just came to the party. Can I run this max settings?

GPU: HIS IceQ X Turbo H695QNT2G2M Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card ...

PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate

RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory

CPU - i5 2500k OC to 4.5ghz

Lemme know if I left anything important out.

Not sure if serious. ಠ_ಠ

[ethereal]

Not sure if serious. ಠ_ಠ

I actually was, I kind of skipped the first post like an idiot... xD. Thanks guys.

[Mag-X]

I can't imagine there is anything your computer cannot run.

[ethereal]

Metro 2033 Max settings :X

[kyuuketsuki]

Metro 2033 Max settings :X
Only if you turn the DoF (depth of field) effect on, because it's absurdly resource intensive. Minus that, you can run Metro 2033 max settings.

There's also The Witcher 2... I have an almost identical setup, and the game stutters a bit on max settings even without ubersampling.

[AzureBlaze]

Thank you for this great and detailed answer!
Actually thank everyone who is helping us nonpcgame people out in such a way. I NEVER would have known it wasn't going to work until I pushed the CD into the PC or whatever and by then it'd be too late. So, you are saving me with your great info here, and I totally appriciate it.

Windows+P solved the monitor from having that fake double of itself (yay!)
However, it won't show its screen to the TV even though it's HDMI cable to it. It will probably change its mind once I buy a new graphics card, right?

Why are there 2 video cards in it? (it came that way--I guess rehtorical, why did they feel the need for 2 of it when both are not much good)
When I get a new video card, which one do I pull out to fit it in? Do you have to pull both old ones out because they are bad/old and will disrupt it? How do I know which is which they probably aren't labeled in there.

Ok, so putting a graphics card should be easy...
But what about a power supply? Are those hard? Dangerous in any way? This is........kind of my "work machine" that has things from work all over it so like...I can't break it. (I edit video)Why do they not just have an option where the graphics card has a cord coming out of it and you plug it into the wall or something. That would make it better b/c not have to buy another thing.

Yes, it was the ram itself that was bad or defective or whatever it does when it never worked. I always research the heck out of all buys to make sure I buy the right thing.

So what do I do/ which card do I buy with Nvidia?
This is turning into quite an ordeal with 2 to remove, 1 to buy AND a power supply. Is it something I ought to do myself still? I will pretty much buy whatever anyone says in here because the numbers to these things dont' make a whole lot of sense and they seem difficult to shop properly for.

[Mag-X]

Windows+P solved the monitor from having that fake double of itself (yay!)
However, it won't show its screen to the TV even though it's HDMI cable to it. It will probably change its mind once I buy a new graphics card, right?

It's hard to say without knowing your specific set up.



Why are there 2 video cards in it? (it came that way--I guess rehtorical, why did they feel the need for 2 of it when both are not much good)
When I get a new video card, which one do I pull out to fit it in? Do you have to pull both old ones out because they are bad/old and will disrupt it? How do I know which is which they probably aren't labeled in there.

It sounds to me like you have an actual video card in your system (the HD 3400 series). The 3200 series would be the video processor built into the motherboard. Except for high end gaming motherboards, most come with a cheap graphics processor built in. When you install an add-in graphics card, it disables the built in one. Taking a picture of the rear of your PC would tell me a lot here.



Ok, so putting a graphics card should be easy...
But what about a power supply? Are those hard? Dangerous in any way? This is........kind of my "work machine" that has things from work all over it so like...I can't break it. (I edit video)Why do they not just have an option where the graphics card has a cord coming out of it and you plug it into the wall or something. That would make it better b/c not have to buy another thing.

You can get low power video cards that are much better than what you have now that will still run off the power supply you have. If you want to upgrade to a high end card, you will need to replace the power supply. Replacing a power supply looks terrifying, but is actually very easy. All of the connectors are keyed, so you'd have to be a gorilla to really screw anything up.
[/quote]



Yes, it was the ram itself that was bad or defective or whatever it does when it never worked. I always research the heck out of all buys to make sure I buy the right thing.

It happens.



So what do I do/ which card do I buy with Nvidia?

You don't need an Nvidia card. There aren't any games that require PhysX. It's just extra eye candy. I guess if you are going to replace your video card anyway, you might as well get one though.



This is turning into quite an ordeal with 2 to remove, 1 to buy AND a power supply. Is it something I ought to do myself still? I will pretty much buy whatever anyone says in here because the numbers to these things dont' make a whole lot of sense and they seem difficult to shop properly for.
The first thing you should do is take a picture of the back and inside of your PC so I can actually tell what you have in it. Then, find out the wattage rating for your power supply. You'll see a sticker on the side of the power supply (inside the PC) that looks something like this:
http://admintell.napco.com/ee/images/uploads/gamertell/EPSPOW850PRO_specs_sticker.jpg
The important bits are the grand total wattage rating (this one says 850W in big red letters), and the max wattage for the 12V rails (this one says 760W).

[Fenn777]

If using the absolute lowest settings possible, will this be able to run with minimal lag? Graphics can look like mud, it doesn't matter

Inspiron Laptop
Core i5 Processor
3 GB RAM
Intel HD Graphics Family
Ethernet connection

[Mag-X]

Maybe, but probably not. Intel graphics chips are shiiiite, but the "HD" graphics are the least shite.

[Fenn777]

Maybe, but probably not. Intel graphics chips are shiiiite, but the "HD" graphics are the least shite.

I'll take the maybe. No way I can invest in a new graphics chip, never mind a new laptop so I'll just have to cross my fingers.

[Mag-X]

You'd have to get a new laptop anyway. You can't usually replace the graphics chip in a laptop, especially since with with yours, it's built into the CPU.

[relentless]

How well can this Notebook run PSO2? I'm a noob at specs.

Acer Aspire 5750G-2638G50Mnkk

Intel Core i7 2630QM / 2 GHz (2.9 GHz) (4-Core)

500 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm

Network Adapter - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft), Bluetooth 3.0 HS

8 GB DDR3 SDRAM - 1066 MHz (2 x 4 GB)

Sound card

Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M, 2 GB DDR3 VRAM

[Ark22]

AMD Quad-Core A8-3510MX Accelerated Processor (2.5GHz/1.8GHz, 4MB L2 Cache)
• 1GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD Dual Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
• 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 640GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

Windows 7 64 bit


Is this good :P?

[Mag-X]

How well can this Notebook run PSO2? I'm a noob at specs.

Acer Aspire 5750G-2638G50Mnkk

Intel Core i7 2630QM / 2 GHz (2.9 GHz) (4-Core)

500 GB - Serial ATA-300 - 5400 rpm

Network Adapter - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft), Bluetooth 3.0 HS

8 GB DDR3 SDRAM - 1066 MHz (2 x 4 GB)

Sound card

Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M, 2 GB DDR3 VRAM

This should be plenty.


AMD Quad-Core A8-3510MX Accelerated Processor (2.5GHz/1.8GHz, 4MB L2 Cache)
• 1GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD Dual Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
• 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 640GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

Windows 7 64 bit


Is this good :P?

AMD's combined CPU/GPUs are still pretty new, so I don't really know. They're a hell of a lot better than anything Intel makes though. I'd bet on this being fine.

[Ark22]

Thank you for the reply =D! Now I can commence the jizzing of my pants from complete and total happiness.

[Arkios]

AMD Quad-Core A8-3510MX Accelerated Processor (2.5GHz/1.8GHz, 4MB L2 Cache)
• 1GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD Dual Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
• 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 640GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

Windows 7 64 bit


Is this good :P?

That hard drive is terrible, but the rest of the specs look good. I'm assuming this is a laptop right?

I'd recommend looking for a faster drive, if that option is available. Just use a large USB drive to store everything else. (I wouldn't buy anything under 7200RPM and would HIGHLY recommend getting a Solid State Drive)

[Zorafim]

Can I run this game on my cell phone?

[Ark22]

If I was rich...I would would glady have done that but if it runs..I don't care :P

[AzureBlaze]

Now that it has calmed down enough here are the photos of the inside of the PC

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26375225@N08/6173530219/in/photostream

This is the power supply
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26375225@N08/6173527995/in/photostream

It is LITE ON PS 6301 08A
Which unfortunately doesn't seem to say how much power it will supply. I tried googling it but all I get are "if you want to replace it you need..." or what looks like the same thing but costs any range of prices with different outputs.

This is the red card ( I imagine ) because it has a little fan on it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26375225@N08/6173525671/in/photostream

And so that the post isn't just an info sponge...I have been looking over some videos to see what might help out:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvClS_M-09o

illustrates that it's pretty easy to screw it in, but the rest seems to be matching the pinned things and the SATA plugs...since he was building rather than replacing and that the case is absurdly huge..from those photos mine is not nearly like that.

And how loud are these things?
I never took this into consideration before reading people's complaints about some of the crazy, glowing oddball ones that "It sounds like the PC is blasting off again" and "There's a helicopter in the room". My PC is really quiet...I like that about it. Will the new item/s be super noisy? I mean, I want to be able to hear the music and all in this game.

[Mitz]

I'm not simply wondering if my PC will be able to handle it, because in a way it will; lowest settings and with a lower FPS. Not the most optimal way to play the game. So my question is, what would be the easiest(and most budget-friendly) way to be up to a decent graphic setting and have at least 30-40+ fps(we hope).

Specs:

CPU: Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200 - 2.50 GHz(Overclocked to 2.70 GHz)
MB: MS-7392-010 MSI Intel P31 Neo-F, 8CH Audio, GB LAN, Socket 775
Memory: 2GB single-channel DDR2 (Easy and cheap to upgrade so I'll pick up another 2GB stick)
GFX: NVIDIA GeForce GT 220, 1GB
HDD: 80GB, SATA

Got more info np, cpuz here.

-edit: How do you add the show-hide spoiler tags? Regular spoiler tag just makes it all black.

[Keilyn]

I've seen some specifications here...so my advice to all on the following points:

1) 5400 RPM Hard Drives

"Don't use them on desktops. They are the slowest and pushing a lot of files to make a game run will slow down the entire computer. Min on a desktop is 7200 RPM HDDs...If you must use those slow hard drives then Stripe Raid them."

2) Laptops.

"Yeah I know....we love our games already, but you might want to think of Thermaldynamics. A lot of laptops use plastic shell cases and have low cooling that to fix the problem means putting in noisy coolers...It doesn't change the proximity of all internals to heat.

I can imagine this game requiring tons and really heating up laptops. I don't want any of your laptops to overheat. Its not a question of hardware, but heat.

Processors: Dual Core and Quad Core...

"I do not know a SINGLE MMORPG or RPG engine that effectively supports Quad Core processing in an optimized fashion. Some decent Quad Core games exist out there but most are programmed for Dual Core. What you want.....are FASTER individual Cores vs More Cores for gaming. You will go farther from doing that."

Memory: I actually recommend 4 - 8GB and a 64 bit OS if possible. Memory architecture has been 64 bit since 1992 - 1993. There are many things you can do with the extra amount of memory and memory is actually cheap today.

Power Supply: Make sure any power supply you buy is actually 80 PLUS certified. If you are going SLI/Crossfire...make sure that it has passed inspection. Your supply is more important than anything linked to it.

Finally.......

Take into account you will be playing a game for long periods of time. This means on a desktop or laptop you want to spend extra money on cooling, a case with good airflow and really set the room up. Casual gaming is fine if you run 2 hours, but if you plan on stressing a system for 8+ hours in a game....Consider the wear the system takes at high load and prolonged usage.

Part Quality and Structural Integrity really play a role here.

[kyuuketsuki]

So my question is, what would be the easiest(and most budget-friendly) way to be up to a decent graphic setting and have at least 30-40+ fps(we hope).

Specs:

CPU: Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200 - 2.50 GHz(Overclocked to 2.70 GHz)
MB: MS-7392-010 MSI Intel P31 Neo-F, 8CH Audio, GB LAN, Socket 775
Memory: 2GB single-channel DDR2 (Easy and cheap to upgrade so I'll pick up another 2GB stick)
GFX: NVIDIA GeForce GT 220, 1GB
HDD: 80GB, SATA
Well, besides adding another 2 or 4 GB of memory, you'd want to upgrade your graphics card and CPU. Can't offer a recommendation without knowing what your budget would be.

[Mag-X]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26375225@N08/6173530219/in/photostream

That red thing is a video card. GPUz should be able to tell you what it is: http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/



This is the power supply
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26375225@N08/6173527995/in/photostream

It is LITE ON PS 6301 08A
Which unfortunately doesn't seem to say how much power it will supply. I tried googling it but all I get are "if you want to replace it you need..." or what looks like the same thing but costs any range of prices with different outputs.

I can't see shit. It looks like the info I need is all written up at the top, which is too blurry to read.



illustrates that it's pretty easy to screw it in, but the rest seems to be matching the pinned things and the SATA plugs...since he was building rather than replacing and that the case is absurdly huge..from those photos mine is not nearly like that.

It's really easy. Everything is standardized. If it fits, it's the right plug.



And how loud are these things?
I never took this into consideration before reading people's complaints about some of the crazy, glowing oddball ones that "It sounds like the PC is blasting off again" and "There's a helicopter in the room". My PC is really quiet...I like that about it. Will the new item/s be super noisy? I mean, I want to be able to hear the music and all in this game.

Not very unless they're really cheap or there is something wrong with them.

[Mag-X]

Specs:

CPU: Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200 - 2.50 GHz(Overclocked to 2.70 GHz)
MB: MS-7392-010 MSI Intel P31 Neo-F, 8CH Audio, GB LAN, Socket 775
Memory: 2GB single-channel DDR2 (Easy and cheap to upgrade so I'll pick up another 2GB stick)
GFX: NVIDIA GeForce GT 220, 1GB
HDD: 80GB, SATA



Well, besides adding another 2 or 4 GB of memory, you'd want to upgrade your graphics card and CPU. Can't offer a recommendation without knowing what your budget would be.

I don't see why he'd need to upgrade his CPU. It's quite a bit faster than what Sega recommended for the alpha testers. The graphics card is also about even with what they suggested. I'd say this system is probably fine as is. Adding another 2GB of RAM probably would make the whole thing run better though, not just for games.

[kyuuketsuki]

I don't see why he'd need to upgrade his CPU. It's quite a bit faster than what Sega recommended for the alpha testers. The graphics card is also about even with what they suggested. I'd say this system is probably fine as is. Adding another 2GB of RAM probably would make the whole thing run better though, not just for games.
I know it meets the minimum alpha specifications. He specifically asked what he should upgrade to get better frame rates at higher graphics settings, though. The answer is both the CPU and graphics card, in addition to the memory.

[sugarFO]

Checking to see if my computer will!! If there can be improvements or suggestions to get the best out of this laptop I'm all for it. ^^

[SPOILER-BOX] Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.110622-1506)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Acer
System Model: Aspire 5552G
BIOS: InsydeH2O Version V2.06
Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) II N660 Dual-Core Processor (2 CPUs), ~3.0GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 4090MB RAM
Page File: 1940MB used, 6239MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode[/SPOILER-BOX]

[Mag-X]

I know it meets the minimum alpha specifications. He specifically asked what he should upgrade to get better frame rates at higher graphics settings, though. The answer is both the CPU and graphics card, in addition to the memory.


From some of the screen shots I've seen, and what Sega has shown (assuming they're showing the game running on full settings), I kind of doubt that a 7800 GT is going to be the minimum. Some looked worse than PSU, and that ran on my old old gaming PC with a 1.7GHz P4 with a 128MB FX 5200.

[Mag-X]

Checking to see if my computer will!! If there can be improvements or suggestions to get the best out of this laptop I'm all for it. ^^

[SPOILER-BOX] Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.110622-1506)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Acer
System Model: Aspire 5552G
BIOS: InsydeH2O Version V2.06
Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) II N660 Dual-Core Processor (2 CPUs), ~3.0GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 4090MB RAM
Page File: 1940MB used, 6239MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode[/SPOILER-BOX]

This doesn't list the GPU.

[ChronoTrigga]

Here's my complete new computer....

GIGABYTE GA-Z68P-DS3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i5-2500k 3.30ghz (3.60ghz OC)
Nvidia Geforce GTX 560 1gb
4GB(2 x 2GB) Corsair Vengeance 1600Mhz memory
Here's my sexy case btw - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196

[sugarFO]

This doesn't list the GPU.

How do I find what the GPU is? What's a GPU? lol

[Anon_Fire]

How do I find what the GPU is? What's a GPU? lol

Graphics processing unit.

[sugarFO]

Graphics processing unit.

I posted what dxdiag.exe told me so I dunno how else to find it :-?

[blace]

I posted what dxdiag.exe told me so I dunno how else to find it :-?

From the Start/Windows icon go to Computer and right click and on click on Properties.

Can't remember much else from there.

[Vashyron]

I posted what dxdiag.exe told me so I dunno how else to find it :-?

In dxdiag, look inside the display tab, then look at device.

[sugarFO]

In dxdiag, look inside the display tab, then look at device.

Thanks! Here it is...

[SPOILER-BOX]http://i54.tinypic.com/2qcfaf5.jpg[/SPOILER-BOX]

[Canard de Bain]

Thanks! Here it is...

[SPOILER-BOX]http://i54.tinypic.com/2qcfaf5.jpg[/SPOILER-BOX]

HOLY CRAP. You have a powerful laptop and you are so ignorant about computers. XD

[sugarFO]

HOLY CRAP. You have a powerful laptop and you are so ignorant about computers. XD

Lol :( well i read good reviews about it on newegg and that its a gaming laptop so i bought for 600$. i just need a nice cooling fan so it will stay nice and healthy for a long time ^^

[Canard de Bain]

Lol :( well i read good reviews about it on newegg and that its a gaming laptop so i bought for 600$. i just need a nice cooling fan so it will stay nice and healthy for a long time ^^

O.o Only $600? woweee

[Evegodenraven]

Well I'll be going back to school soon and decided to get a new laptop. It isn't here yet, but these are the specs for it:

Processor: 2nd generation Intel Core i7-2620M processor 2.70 GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.40 GHz

Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M 3GB graphics w/ Optimus

RAM: 6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory

Hard Drive: 640GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive

Screen is 17.3" FHD (1080p)

Also using a 90 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery..which I don't really know how to translate that (haha), I just know that it can last around 7 hours or so unplugged.

These are the specs for my desktop:

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)^2 Quad CPU Q6660 @ 2.40GHz 2.39GHz

Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT

RAM: 3.00 GB

Monitor: 23" Widescreen, 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz resolution (Though I'm sure the monitor is fine haha)

I was thinking my desktop may need an upgrade eventually? It's ran games like Final Fantasy XI, World of Warcraft and Mass Effect II and some other smaller games (free MMOs or offline games) on some pretty high settings (if not max..it's been awhile) very well. Thought I'd get some other opinions?

damn..... i really do hope that your laptop has some insane cooling power cause thats a lot of stuff for a laptop. i have the same stuff almost just a little under, and my laptop gets really hot sometimes. just make sure you keep that thing nice and cool cause i always feel like my laptop is gonna blow up from the heat(i bought a fan for it so i can put under it) also your Desktop is pretty much in the shitter.

[Mitz]

I know it meets the minimum alpha specifications. He specifically asked what he should upgrade to get better frame rates at higher graphics settings, though. The answer is both the CPU and graphics card, in addition to the memory.

The CPU is outdated and needs replacing, however I'd probably have to change sockets to properly upgrade it which means buying another motherboard, which means changing out and upgrading my RAM. The graphics card, is it that bad? I bought it a year ago and even though it was a lower or middle end card(still $140 though) I was under the impression it was pretty decent.

[Kion]

AMD e350. Hoping I can manage this game on low settings.

[Dinosaur]

AMD e350. Hoping I can manage this game on low settings.

Not going to happen. Look into buying a new computer.

[Kion]

Lol. This is a new computer.

[Ark22]

I've seen some specifications here...so my advice to all on the following points:

1) 5400 RPM Hard Drives

"Don't use them on desktops. They are the slowest and pushing a lot of files to make a game run will slow down the entire computer. Min on a desktop is 7200 RPM HDDs...If you must use those slow hard drives then Stripe Raid them."

2) Laptops.

"Yeah I know....we love our games already, but you might want to think of Thermaldynamics. A lot of laptops use plastic shell cases and have low cooling that to fix the problem means putting in noisy coolers...It doesn't change the proximity of all internals to heat.

I can imagine this game requiring tons and really heating up laptops. I don't want any of your laptops to overheat. Its not a question of hardware, but heat.

Processors: Dual Core and Quad Core...

"I do not know a SINGLE MMORPG or RPG engine that effectively supports Quad Core processing in an optimized fashion. Some decent Quad Core games exist out there but most are programmed for Dual Core. What you want.....are FASTER individual Cores vs More Cores for gaming. You will go farther from doing that."

Memory: I actually recommend 4 - 8GB and a 64 bit OS if possible. Memory architecture has been 64 bit since 1992 - 1993. There are many things you can do with the extra amount of memory and memory is actually cheap today.

Power Supply: Make sure any power supply you buy is actually 80 PLUS certified. If you are going SLI/Crossfire...make sure that it has passed inspection. Your supply is more important than anything linked to it.

Finally.......

Take into account you will be playing a game for long periods of time. This means on a desktop or laptop you want to spend extra money on cooling, a case with good airflow and really set the room up. Casual gaming is fine if you run 2 hours, but if you plan on stressing a system for 8+ hours in a game....Consider the wear the system takes at high load and prolonged usage.

Part Quality and Structural Integrity really play a role here.

If it's a harddrive and saves space I don't care. It's a laptop I basically got for free.

[Puppet_Papaya]

How's mine look? Is a laptop!
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz144/genmaarock02/systeminfo.jpg

[kyuuketsuki]

The CPU is outdated and needs replacing, however I'd probably have to change sockets to properly upgrade it which means buying another motherboard, which means changing out and upgrading my RAM.
Well yes, you could do a much better upgrade if you got a new mobo with a current socket. However, there are still some decent upgrade options on the LGA 775 (I believe that's the socket your current mobo would be using).

The graphics card, is it that bad? I bought it a year ago and even though it was a lower or middle end card(still $140 though) I was under the impression it was pretty decent.
It's not bad, and it should be able to handle PSO2 just fine. However, you can upgrade to something significantly more powerful for fairly cheap nowadays. For example, you can get a Radeon HD 6790 for $99 on Newegg (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131397&cm_mmc=FallSale_092311-_-48-_-N82E16814131397&nm_mc=FallSale_092311) (after MIR).

Only problem would be that your CPU would likely bottleneck a graphics card like that. However, it would be a good upgrade and you could easily carry it over to your next computer if and when you build an entirely new rig.

Lol. This is a new computer.
Yes, but it's a Zacate, which is AMD's answer to Atom. While it's quite decent for low-power platforms like a netbook, it's not going to handle modern games at any decent resolution/detail. However, as Mag-X has pointed out, what we've seen of the low graphics options in PSO2 look pretty damn low, so it may be doable on hardware lower than the minimum alpha specs.

[Kion]

Yes, but it's a Zacate, which is AMD's answer to Atom. While it's quite decent for low-power platforms like a netbook, it's not going to handle modern games at any decent resolution/detail. However, as Mag-X has pointed out, what we've seen of the low graphics options in PSO2 look pretty damn low, so it may be doable on hardware lower than the minimum alpha specs.

Plays Resident Evil 5 on 1280x720 resolution on high settings with no problem. I should be able to scale back what I need to as far as PSO2 goes. It doesn't look like a very demanding game.

[Selphea]

TBH the E-350 has a much better chance of running PSO2 than any Intel option, and I've done my share of laptop gaming on Intel Integrated for a while.

Then again, I also killed 3 fans on my laptop over 3 years =x

[T_Esquire]

How's the Asus G53SX-A1? I'm looking at getting one of two new laptops (pending funding options) and the Asus is the easier-to-get of the two, the other being a tweaked Serval Professional from System 76.

[Arkios]

I don't understand why people still continue to get laptops for gaming. It makes no sense to me.

Build a nice gaming desktop and pickup a netbook if you need something portable for school/whatever.

[T_Esquire]

I need a laptop cause I don't feel like lugging around a tower for when I go to game at a friend's house. Not only weren't towers designed to be tossed around like that, I just don't have the strength for it. A laptop is ideal for me, so why not be a little constructive instead of peeing all over people who aren't as buff as you.

[Selphea]

I don't understand why people still continue to get laptops for gaming. It makes no sense to me.

Build a nice gaming desktop and pickup a netbook if you need something portable for school/whatever.

QFT. Ends up being cheaper than buying a "gaming" laptop too =p

[Kion]

I was thinking that would be a good idea, until I realized that I would probably never use my school netbook ever. It's nice to have one computer I can game on for an hour and then go back to dreamweaver or word.

[kyuuketsuki]

How's the Asus G53SX-A1? I'm looking at getting one of two new laptops (pending funding options) and the Asus is the easier-to-get of the two, the other being a tweaked Serval Professional from System 76.
Are you serious or just showing off? That will have no trouble running PSO2 on max settings, guaranteed.

Only thing that laptop needs is an SSD. Or at least swap in a Momentus XT hybrid drive. Shame to see a blazing system bogged down by mechanical storage.

[Puppet_Papaya]

So, can anybody critique my machine on the previous page? I'm really really curious to see how I stand.

[Arkios]

So, can anybody critique my machine on the previous page? I'm really really curious to see how I stand.

It looks like a really expensive Sony laptop.

I'd be willing to bet that your HDD is the bottleneck on your system, everything else looks fine.

[Cayenne]

Intel Core 2 Quad @ 3.2 mhz
2 GB Ram (might upgrade)
EVGA Geforce 9800 GTX+ on a EVGA 750i FTW Edition Mobo
Output on a 27" iMac display 2560 x 1440

Can I run it maxed? I might go SLI if I have to.

[Geistritter]

"If you have to ask, the answer is probably 'no'."

[Cayenne]

I'm really asking, can I?

[kyuuketsuki]

Intel Core 2 Quad @ 3.2 mhz
2 GB Ram (might upgrade)
EVGA Geforce 9800 GTX+ on a EVGA 750i FTW Edition Mobo
Output on a 27" iMac display 2560 x 1440

Can I run it maxed? I might go SLI if I have to.
That's a definite maybe. I'd say yes, except we don't know much about the graphics requirements for sure yet. And unless they change something between alpha and release, there may not be support for your insanely high resolution monitor.

So, can anybody critique my machine on the previous page? I'm really really curious to see how I stand.
Your laptop is fine, as far as playing PSO2 goes. Dunno if you'll be able to do max settings at your panel's native 1080p, but it's possible.

[Cayenne]

Yeah, the monitor size is why I might have to go SLI. I can always swap it for my 22" 1680x1050 that's sitting in the garage so I can get 60 fps+ and maxed out but nothing can beat this beautiful mac screen!

[kyuuketsuki]

Yeah, the monitor size is why I might have to go SLI. I can always swap it for my 22" 1680x1050 that's sitting in the garage so I can get 60 fps+ and maxed out but nothing can beat this beautiful mac screen!
Well I mean that there is no support for that resolution, as in, you can't choose to run the game at anything higher than 1920x1080 (or the 16:10 equivalent), at least in the alpha. You could still use your Apple monitor, but it wouldn't be running at its native resolution (dunno how well they scale, don't have any experience with them).

I advise against SLI anyways, for a couple reasons:

1) Microstuttering (sudden dips in frame rates) is a verified issue with 2-way SLI setups, unless you're running 570s or 580s. 'Course, how much of an issue it is seems to vary from setup to setup (as well as the user's sensitivity to lower frame rates).

2) Generally you're better off saving your money and just upgrading when the next architecture refresh comes out that is generally much faster than any two-way SLI of the previous generation architecture.

[Cayenne]

Ah, I see, ok.

I never tried playing games on the mac screen or even bothered to lower the res because, well I don't want too (it's too good looking haha). If push comes to shove I can always break out the other monitor if I can't go that high in res and be fine, it's just my eyes get annoying with anything blurry and I would rather have less pretty color than look at a down scaled blurry game. It will also save me from cash as well.

[Puppet_Papaya]

It looks like a really expensive Sony laptop.

I'd be willing to bet that your HDD is the bottleneck on your system, everything else looks fine.

"bottleneck"?

[T_Esquire]

They mean the thing that slows down your performance. This is where the solid-state drives shine in that they are, literally, massive flash drives. That, unfortunately, makes them very expensive. But they have the added benefit of no moving parts! Personally, the performance 'hit' from a standard hard drive makes the SSD little more than an expensive toy (right now). I do suggest getting one... a few years from now when they're a bit more economical.

[Mag-X]

I'm not sure why SSDs are being suggested for some of these fairly old systems. Are SSDs really nice? Yes, but I think it's a waste of money for people who just want to know if their PCs will play the game or not. I'd just like to point out that an SSD will not make the game run better or faster in any way. It will make your system run much smoother and snappier, but it won't make your video card or processor any better.

I have an SSD in my PC. It cost me $200 and is only 120GB. I still install all my games onto the 1TB regular hard drive and they run just fine.

A 5400 RPM mechanical drive may not be the fastest thing available, but it works, and most of the people in this thread would just be a danger to their system if they tried to upgrade it.


Yeah, the monitor size is why I might have to go SLI. I can always swap it for my 22" 1680x1050 that's sitting in the garage so I can get 60 fps+ and maxed out but nothing can beat this beautiful mac screen!

...or you could just play the game at a lower resolution on the Mac monitor. The video card can't tell what size your monitor is. Games run exactly the same on my normal sized PC monitor as they do on my 60-inch HDTV.

[Puppet_Papaya]

Well, the way I figure, I'm running FFXIV on my laptop with medium settings with my monitors full resolution in windowed mode. FFXIV has rediculously high requirements but I turned off desktop composition and some other appearance settings and the game runs very smooth and nice. So I figure PSO2 will be ok then?
I dunno, I'm not a computer scientist. Any thoughts?

[Mag-X]

My thoughts are that PSO2 appears to be designed to run on a toaster oven and most of you are freaking out over nothing.

[Canard de Bain]

I don't understand why people still continue to get laptops for gaming. It makes no sense to me.

Build a nice gaming desktop and pickup a netbook if you need something portable for school/whatever.

I like to lay on the couch, bed, floor.

[Ark22]

My thoughts are that PSO2 appears to be designed to run on a toaster oven and most of you are freaking out over nothing.

My Sega Genesis could run this game brosieden.

[Arkios]

I'm not sure why SSDs are being suggested for some of these fairly old systems. Are SSDs really nice? Yes, but I think it's a waste of money for people who just want to know if their PCs will play the game or not. I'd just like to point out that an SSD will not make the game run better or faster in any way. It will make your system run much smoother and snappier, but it won't make your video card or processor any better.

I have an SSD in my PC. It cost me $200 and is only 120GB. I still install all my games onto the 1TB regular hard drive and they run just fine.

A 5400 RPM mechanical drive may not be the fastest thing available, but it works, and most of the people in this thread would just be a danger to their system if they tried to upgrade it.

This actually isn't accurate. Running a SSD will effect performance quite a bit. Take a look at the size of some of the games you're playing. The system has to load TONS of game files off the drive. (The graphics card and processor are not getting game data magically from thin air.)

When I switched from a normal drive to a SSD, changing areas in MMOs was MUCH faster. Basically any time the game has to read data from the game files, it's going to be SIGNIFICANTLY faster.

Also, SSD's are a bit cheaper these days. You can pickup a 120GB drive for $160 now and just keep all your music and videos on an external drive.

I'd never build a system without an SSD these days, it's hands down the single greatest upgrade I've ever seen in a system.

[HUCastCrim]

So I was curious...

My rig is as follows:

4tb HDD
12 Gb RAM
2 x GTX 560s in SLI configuration
4.1 Ghz Processor
2 x 23" LED monitors
7 x 23mm cooling fans inside the case.

Will my rig be able to run this at minimum?




:lol:

[Kion]

^Pentium 4 4.1Ghz processor?

Anyone have any ideas on when the beta is coming out?

[Mag-X]

This actually isn't accurate. Running a SSD will effect performance quite a bit. Take a look at the size of some of the games you're playing. The system has to load TONS of game files off the drive. (The graphics card and processor are not getting game data magically from thin air.)

When I switched from a normal drive to a SSD, changing areas in MMOs was MUCH faster. Basically any time the game has to read data from the game files, it's going to be SIGNIFICANTLY faster.

Also, SSD's are a bit cheaper these days. You can pickup a 120GB drive for $160 now and just keep all your music and videos on an external drive.

I'd never build a system without an SSD these days, it's hands down the single greatest upgrade I've ever seen in a system.

I know how an SSD works. I know it makes games load faster. But it won't make the game itself run better. My point is that it keeps being made a bigger deal of than it is.

If you can afford one, I recommend it 100%. I'll never build a system without one ever again. But, it's a big hassle to install one and have to either image your drive or reinstall Windows and all your programs, and frankly I don't think a lot of the people in this thread are up to it.

[kyuuketsuki]

I think we can all agree that SSDs are great, if you can afford one and are comfortable managing your data between two drives or living within the confines of a smaller SSD. Also, they do make disk imaging software that makes it easy to clone the data from your HDD to your SSD, therefore negating the need to reinstall the OS and programs (though I'm sure you knew that).

But anyways, let's get back to actually helping people with their computer-related queries and watching trolls post their obviously over-kill specs for lulz/e-peen.

[Mag-X]

So I was curious...

My rig is as follows:

4tb HDD
12 Gb RAM
2 x GTX 560s in SLI configuration
4.1 Ghz Processor
2 x 23" LED monitors
7 x 23mm cooling fans inside the case.

Will my rig be able to run this at minimum?




:lol:

I'm sorry. But the game won't run without an SSD. Also, you should add a third Nvidia video card as a dedicated PhysX processor. This game is going to be the new Crysis! :P

[KaFKa]

I'm going to take a stab in the dark and assume that my computer will be able to run max settings with little to no chop.

OS: win7 64-bit
CPU: i7 970
GPU: GeForce 570
RAM: 12GB DDR3
HDD: 100GB SSD

Would just like to know, in case I need to set up water cooling or something if I need to overclock.

[edit] This isn't a 'will it run?' post, I'm wanting to know if it will be able to run with everything maxed out, since I want to be able to play PSO2 will full eye candy turned on.

[Mag-X]

We won't really know until it comes out what you'll need for max settings, but I can't see yours not being able to handle it. From what I've seen, I'd honestly be surprised if a Core 2 Duo and a 8800GT weren't able to run the game at max settings.

[Kazzi]

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 380 @ 2.53GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.5GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Hard Drive: 485 GB
Video Card: Intel(R) HD Graphics

I ran the alpha version and lagged like crazy on the start screen, but not in the actual game. Any recs for a new graphics card?

[kyuuketsuki]

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 380 @ 2.53GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.5GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Hard Drive: 485 GB
Video Card: Intel(R) HD Graphics

I ran the alpha version and lagged like crazy on the start screen, but not in the actual game. Any recs for a new graphics card?
Budget?

If you're looking for el-Cheapo, this is a decent card that will handle PSO2 just fine (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161365) for $65.

[Kazzi]

Budget?

If you're looking for el-Cheapo, this is a decent card that will handle PSO2 just fine (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161365) for $65.

I can splash out on more expensive ones if you know a good one for a laptop?

[Ezodagrom]

I can splash out on more expensive ones if you know a good one for a laptop?
Unfortunately graphics cards can't be replaced in laptops.

[kyuuketsuki]

I can splash out on more expensive ones if you know a good one for a laptop?
Oh, sorry about that. Didn't notice you were rocking a mobile Core i3 and, therefore, obviously a laptop.

Yeah, generally you can't replace your graphics chipset in a laptop (although some actually do have an actual card that can be swapped out -- usually with major disassembly/reassembly involved -- these are rare and usually you have to buy an overpriced card made by the laptop's manufacturer. Given your laptop uses the integrated Intel graphics and the rarity of these sorts of laptops nowadays, I'm going to say you probably simply can't do anything with it). While the integrated graphics with the new Core i3/i5/i7s are a definite step up from what Intel has done previously, and even taking into account that PSO2 will probably run on some pretty low-end hardware on low settings, you may be out of luck with that laptop, unfortunately.

[Kazzi]

Oh, sorry about that. Didn't notice you were rocking a mobile Core i3 and, therefore, obviously a laptop.

Yeah, generally you can't replace your graphics chipset in a laptop (although some actually do have an actual card that can be swapped out -- usually with major disassembly/reassembly involved -- these are rare and usually you have to buy an overpriced card made by the laptop's manufacturer. Given your laptop uses the integrated Intel graphics and the rarity of these sorts of laptops nowadays, I'm going to say you probably simply can't do anything with it). While the integrated graphics with the new Core i3/i5/i7s are a definite step up from what Intel has done previously, and even taking into account that PSO2 will probably run on some pretty low-end hardware on low settings, you may be out of luck with that laptop, unfortunately.

Well as I said, the title screen and character creator lagged like crazy, but the actual game wasn't half as bad. I'm not sure why that is though. Looks like I'm going to be grabbing a new desktop to play o7 thank you so much for the advice! I really appreciate it!



Unfortunately graphics cards can't be replaced in laptops.

They can, I replaced the one in my previous VAIO. It's just incredibly difficult and a pain in the butt.

[Ezodagrom]

They can, I replaced the one in my previous VAIO. It's just incredibly difficult and a pain in the butt.
Well, they can be replaced in some laptops, but those are quite rare (I think the cards they had were called mxm cards?), in most laptops the gpu is soldered into the motherboard though (except for the recent Intel integrated graphics and AMD Fusion chips, where the gpu is in the cpu itself).

[Kion]

Personally i'm looking forward to external graphics like what the Sony Vaio Z has. Or if integrated graphics just continue to get better that would be fine too. My AMD e350 is working surprisingly well.

[Mag-X]

Improved integrated graphics is going to be the way to go. All the external graphics solutions so far suck due to their interfaces being unable to supply enough bandwidth. Also, it's pretty niche. Most people don't know what a video card even is, much less why they would need to use one.

Judging from this thread, it sounds like most of the people in this thread have never even thought about the graphics processors in their laptops, and even now that they know, they still don't understand what they have.

If more people are going to have gaming capable systems, it's going to have to be included and just work.

[Arkios]

Improved integrated graphics is going to be the way to go. All the external graphics solutions so far suck due to their interfaces being unable to supply enough bandwidth. Also, it's pretty niche. Most people don't know what a video card even is, much less why they would need to use one.

Judging from this thread, it sounds like most of the people in this thread have never even thought about the graphics processors in their laptops, and even now that they know, they still don't understand what they have.

If more people are going to have gaming capable systems, it's going to have to be included and just work.

Quoted for truth.

[RemiusTA]

I only do gaming on my laptop as an added bonus to having one, really. Emulators of the PSX/64/Dreamcast days and under. I dont think one should really expect their laptop to run "gamer" games unless they specifically paid for it to do so.

And even then.

[l3iohazard]

Integrated ATI Radeon HD4200 Graphics will this be enough :[

[Mag-X]

That's below what was required for the alpha test. I'm going to go with a maybe at really low settings. I wouldn't bet on it though, and even if it does, I don't imagine it will be an enjoyable experience.