Modern hardware guide for EQ2 computers [Archive]

Qiao Elu

04-04-2012, 06:07 PM

So you want to build (or buy) a new system to get the most bang for your dollar but really be able to get a great EQ2 experience? Me too but looking at the stickied "Hardware Guide for EQ2 Computers" shows how really out of date it is, so I thought I'd create a new thread with more recent information. <hr />Budget AMD route IMHO AMD is a better choice then Intel if you are concerned about cost, longevity of a system and future upgradability. AMD CPU sockets have been backward compatible going back to 2006 right on up to the present! So this gives AMD systems a leg up on longevity in my book.<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%"><colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%"> </td> <td width="50%">COOLER MASTER Elite 430 <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119227" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$39.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">This is a very solid, basic case that looks good without being garish. I've used it in a number systems myself.</td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">Extra case fan</td> <td width="50%">COOLER MASTER 120mm Blue LED Case Fan <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103060" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$7.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">IMHO the case needs more ventilation than the single included fan provides so I opt to add an exhaust fan in the blow hole position.</td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">Power Supply</td> <td width="50%">CORSAIR CX600 V2 600W 80 PLUS Certified <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139028" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$69.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">Very reliable power supply with plenty of amps to power most video cards someone building a system in this price bracket would be considering</td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">Motherboard</td> <td width="50%">ASUS M5A97 <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131767" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$89.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">IMHO the AMD 970 chipset is the best buy for budget gamer AMD systems. Most manufacturers have a board using this chipset at this price point.</td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">CPU</td> <td width="50%">AMD Phenom II X2 560 Black Edition (3.3 GHz) <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103887" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$94.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">Seriously, any more than 2 cores is a luxury. So this is the fastest dual core AM3 CPU you can get.</td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">RAM</td> <td width="50%">Crucial Ballistix sport 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148419" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$23.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">With RAM prices as low as they are right now, it's tempting to get 8GB but that's nearly double the price of 4GB and you honestly don't need it. EQ2 wont even come close to maxing out 4GB of RAM</td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">Video card</td> <td width="50%">GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 550 Ti <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125409" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$129.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">IMHO this is once of the best choices for around $100. </td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">Hard drive2.5" to 3.5" adapter <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817812011" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td width="50%">Seagate Momentus XT 500GB with NCQ Solid State Hybrid Drive <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148591" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$119.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">Hard drive prices have gone through the roof due to recent flooding in Asia. This Momentus XT drive has 32MB of SSD cache built-in and it's seamless with no set-up for configuration to mess with. If you use the Elite 340 case, you'll need the adapter bracket.</td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">Optical drive</td> <td width="50%">LG DVD Burner <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136236" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$16.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">There are a number of manufacturers selling basic SATA CD/DVD burners for under $20 Pick which ever tickles your fancy.</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" width="75%" height="15">Total price not counting any discounts or shipping: At the time of this writing there are $30 in mail-in rebates and $20 off in promo codes which could be applied to lower the total cost. </td> <td width="25%">$593.91</td></tr></tbody></table> <hr />Budget Intel routeMotherboard<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%"><colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%"> </td> <td width="50%" valign="TOP">GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD3 Intel Z68 <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128512" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$149.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%" valign="TOP">I tend to favor Gigabyte motherboards for Intel builds because they are the OEM that Intel subcontracts out with to design and build their reference boards. Although, their EUFI interface isn't nearly as usable as ASUS.</td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">CPU</td> <td width="50%" valign="TOP">Intel Core i3-2130 (3.4 GHz) <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115092" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$149.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%" valign="TOP">This is the fastest dual core CPU Intel makes. I suggest this CPU for the same reasons I chose the AMD processor above.</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" width="75%" valign="TOP">Total price not counting any discounts or shipping: At the time of this writing there are $10 in mail-in rebates</td> <td width="25%">$703.91</td></tr></tbody></table> Summary: Really the only difference between the AMD and Intel builds are the motherboard and CPU. Well, that and the cost of course. The Intel build is $110 more than the AMD build. Is the performance difference worth the extra cost? Not in my opinion but check out <a href="http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/204?vs=289&i=2.5.3.4.6.25.26.27.28.29.30.31.32.33.34.35.36.37 .38.39.40.41.42.43.45.46.53.54.55.60.61.62.129.63. 64.57.56" target="_blank">this</a> comparison chart and decide for yourself. And yes, I know the chart isn't EXACTLY the same chips as I listed in the builds, but they are close enough to help you decide if the Intel option is worth the extra expense. <hr />Upgrades: If you'd like options on where to go from the basic builds above, here are some suggestions on where you can spend some of that surplus budget of yours.CPU Cooler<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%"><colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%"> </td> <td width="50%">COOLER MASTER GeminII <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103100" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$34.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">Yes, if you don't plan on overclocking you could totally get by with the stock heat sink that comes with the CPU but IMHO this is $35 well spent. It will keep your CPU cooler than stock, run quieter, and best of all, it'll also help keep your RAM cool. This is the first upgrade I do.</td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">AMD CPU</td> <td width="50%">AMD FX-4170 (4.2 GHz) Quad-Core <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819106009" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$139.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">Unless you are doing some very specific tasks using one of the few software titles which are truly multi-thread aware, or if you are a serious over-acheiver with the multi-tasking, more than 4 cores is a waste. This is the fastest quad-core CPU AMD makes.</td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">Intel CPU</td> <td width="50%">Intel Core i5 2550K (3.4 GHz / 3.8 GHz Turbo Boost) Quad-Core <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115230" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$229.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">Same logic choosing this as the Intel upgrade from the i3 that I noted above for the jump from the AMD dual core Phenom II to the FX quad core</td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">RAM</td> <td width="50%">Mushkin Enhanced Radioactive 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226219" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$44.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">Honestly anything more than 4GB is a luxury that isn't really needed but with prices this low it's very tempting to do this upgrade.</td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">Hard drive with SSD cache drive</td> <td width="50%">Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 32MB <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136795" target="_blank">Link here</a>Corsair Accelerator Series 2.5" 60GB SSD cache drive <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233262" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$104.99$94.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">This setup gives you all the speed of using an expensive SSD as your primary drive without having to spend so much. It also saves you the hassle of managing 2 hard drives. This solution is also easier to configure than Intel SRT cache solution so IMHO it's by far the best option to get SSD speeds. It literally delivers 5X read speed over a standard HDD alone and it's roughly 2X faster than the Momentus XT solution.</td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">Graphics card</td> <td width="50%">GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 560 Ti <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125363" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$229.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">The $200-$250 mark is the "sweet spot" for graphics card performance. The 560Ti hits a great blend of power consumption and performance. Systems I've built with this card have hit 74 FPS in Qeynos Harbor on High Quality setting and over 100 FPS in overland zones.Yes, the 600W power supply I have listed above is more than capable enough to run this video card. </td></tr> <tr><td rowspan="2" width="25%">Case</td> <td width="50%">COOLER MASTER Storm Scout <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196" target="_blank">Link here</a></td> <td rowspan="2" width="25%">$69.99</td></tr> <tr><td width="50%">If you are looking for an amazing case that will hold you over upgrade after upgrade and even into your next few total rebuilds this is the case for you</td></tr></tbody></table> <hr />Conclusion: Of course keyboard, mouse, monitor and OS are not included. I tend to prefer Logitech input devices but Microsoft, Razer and now Cooler Master all make very solid options. See what looks like it'll work for you and your budget. A very good, super low price keyboard/mouse combo ($20) is <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126097" target="_blank">this</a> Logitech MK120 Black PS/2 Wired Slim Classic Desktop kit. I also suggest using an OEM version of Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit which will cost about $100 on Newegg. Click <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986" target="_blank">here</a>.

TSR-MattG

04-05-2012, 07:58 PM

Some good info/recommendations on a budget machine that would run EQ2 quite well - great post! I have some of this hardware in my PC at home so I'm sure this will help someone <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

Lempo

04-06-2012, 01:09 AM

The GTX550ti is an excellent card and I am certain that it resolved the rare but occasional system freezes I was having with the ATI I had prior.I disagree with the 4GB memory statement, If I am playing I almost always have act open, multiple pages in IE and other apps, 4GB is simply not enough unless you are running EQ2 with nothing else then overall system performance will suffer.

oafgirl

04-07-2012, 06:03 PM

This is such a low-tech problem, but it sure messes with high-tech components.I live about a quarter mile from I-105, a major freeway in Southern California. My family has lived in this house since 1962 (yep, 50 years), and lived across the back fence since December 1950 (moved in a couple weeks after I was born; yes, I am old). I mention all this so you will understand I have historical memory behind me when I say that, since the freeway was built, our house has become significantly dustier.I am currently looking after my widowed, 83-going-on-84-in-May mom, which is why I am back at the family abode; mom is still quite healthy and very sharp mentally, so it looks like I'll be here a while.I've had repeated problems with overheating. I keep the fan outlets clean. The tower is on a wooden floor, which I clean regularly with one of those Swiffer-type dust mops to keep the dust out of the air. I have a tiny 6" fan which I have aimed at the back of the case.Is there any kind of filter that one can put inside the case to keep the air clean(er)? I had to replace my first vid card in this custom box because of dust buildup that caused the fan on the card to work only intermittently.I guess the only good thing about having moved my system into my room, away from the window with the air conditioning unit, is that the printer (aka Pixma model cat bed) is eight feet away from my desktop workspace (due to room layout and the wonders of household wireless nets).I'm looking forward to any suggestions about this. A friend will be helping me with my next upgrade, and Mo-my-computer-guy has already submitted his bid (listing one of the CPUs you recommended, so I'm feeling good about its capabilities now).

TSR-MattG

04-10-2012, 07:07 PM

There are actually fan filters you can get to prevent dust buildup. Bear in mind these will cut down on airflow so you'll want to have plenty of case fans to make sure air is moving at a good rate, and clean the filters regularly, since they'll build up all the stuff that would've otherwise gone inside your case.Here's a link to some:Bear in mind this is not my official reccomendation to buy from that company or anything, but to give you an idea <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />Another key to good airflow is understanding the flow of your case. You mentioned you have a fan blowing air *in* on the back side. This may actually be working against you, as most cases flow from front to back. That is to say, if the case has front and rear fans, the front is likely your intake and the rear your exhaust.