Is this a good gaming pc spec?

[MrSourGit]

Hi all , I bought my pc over 2 years ago and its struggling to run the recently released 'DayZ standalone' in any decent settings without very poor FPS. Im currently using a 'AMD Radeon HD 6700 series'.

Im looking at buying the 'MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB' link below.
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/2gb-...-900mhz-boost-975mhz-1280-streams-dp-dvi-hdmi

Do you guys think ill see a big improvement if I upgrade to this card ? Also is there a better card around the same price range anyone can recommend ?

I purely use my pc for gaming so thats all I care about

Also my processor is a AMD-FX-4100 ,3.6Ghz quad-core , think thats sufficient ?

Thanks guys , im not too good at this stuff , wish I knew more.

From UK by the way

 

[the54thvoid]

I recently got my dad a 270X to replace his old HD5850 (COD Ghosts didnt like the old card). The 270 should do fine. The processor is a bit weak though.

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=AMD FX-4100 Quad-Core&id=255

It might slow you down and at some point with newer games.

Oh and BTW, the DayZ standalone is an alpha game - don't expect any reasonable graphics optimisations yet.

 

[MrSourGit]

So the 270X card is decent enough , but my main processor is a bit shabby , I can replace that in time though right ? Then maybe crossfire the 270X ?

Would I see a better performance increase with a new main processor or graphics card you think ?

Ya DayZ is alpha so you mean it for examples uses more than it needs bacuase it renders things it doesnt need to (like every room in a building you are not close to) ? Love the game though , so much fun , nice change from starcraft 2 !

 

[the54thvoid]

So the 270X card is decent enough , but my main processor is a bit shabby , I can replace that in time though right ? Then maybe crossfire the 270X ?

Would I see a better performance increase with a new main processor or graphics card you think ?

Ya DayZ is alpha so you mean it for examples uses more than it needs bacuase it renders things it doesnt need to (like every room in a building you are not close to) ? Love the game though , so much fun , nice change from starcraft 2 !

If this is your motherboard:

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3645#sp

You can't crossfire. It only has one PCI-e x16 slot.

Also, if it's not AM3+, your CPU upgrade options are limited (though BIOS revisions may help?)

If it is AM3+ socket then you have a good CPU upgrade path (again check your motherboard BIOS).

If you were to upgrade only one thing, for gaming it would be the graphics card.

As for alpha - it means the coding is not yet optimised for final release so it is buggy, incomplete and should improve vastly with drivers on release.

 

[qubit]

When you're ready to upgrade your CPU and mobo, I recommend something like an Intel 4670K or 4770K* for maximum CPU performance. It'll cost significantly more than an AMD system, but the performance gain will make up for it. My "old" 2700K system for example, can still run any game you throw at it with great performance.

As far as your graphics card upgrade goes, I recommend checking out the graphics card reviews to get a good idea of what to expect from any particular model. TPU has a really good search engine for this, too. Just go to the home page and click on Reviews.

*Or equivalent if you do this sometime down the line.

 

[MrSourGit]

@the54thvoid

Yes that looks like the correct motherboard as I took a video of all my specs on CPU-Z at the end of last night.

Here is a screenshot of the video saying I do have this 'AM3+' you mentioned I think ? http://imgur.com/zIwzWse
Good CPU upgrade path means I could just switch processor when I get the spare cash easily or ?
Sorry mate I feel like such a doughtnut talking with tech guys although ill do my best to get it


Would I be better waiting a few months and just making an entirely new pc in your opionion or is this upgrade worth it to tide me over for another year or so ?

Thanks again for this help.

 

[MrSourGit]

Ok s

When you're ready to upgrade your CPU and mobo, I recommend something like an Intel 4670K or 4770K* for maximum CPU performance. It'll cost significantly more than an AMD system, but the performance gain will make up for it. My "old" 2700K system for example, can still run any game you throw at it with great performance.

As far as your graphics card upgrade goes, I recommend checking out the graphics card reviews to get a good idea of what to expect from any particular model. TPU has a really good search engine for this, too. Just go to the home page and click on Reviews.

*Or equivalent if you do this sometime down the line.

So if I got this graphics card to tide me over for a bit , it wouldn't be compatible with an Intel mobo and CPU Would it ? Would I need a new graphics card if I was to switch to intel CPU ?

 

[qubit]

So if I got this graphics card to tide me over for a bit , it wouldn't be compatible with an Intel mobo and CPU Would it ? Would I need a new graphics card if I was to switch to intel CPU ?

No no, that's a misconception. Any brand of graphics card will work perfectly with any brand of CPU as they all adhere to the same set of standards, PCI Express in this case. There's nothing stopping you from using an NVIDIA graphics card with your system, for example.

Note that I personally prefer NVIDIA cards, because they tend to have less driver issues and I like the design of the driver control panel, but it's not a hard and fast thing. Also, if you buy a reference model, they tend to be quieter, too. Note that the model you linked to isn't reference, so the noise comment won't apply and in fact, that card is likely to be very quiet.

Great username btw.

 

[MrSourGit]

No no, that's a misconception. Any brand of graphics card will work perfectly with any brand of CPU as they all adhere to the same set of standards, PCI Express in this case. There's nothing stopping you from using an NVIDIA graphics card with your system, for example.

Note that I personally prefer NVIDIA cards, because they tend to have less driver issues and I like the design of the driver control panel, but it's not a hard and fast thing. Also, if you buy a reference model, they tend to be quieter, too. Note that the model you linked to isn't reference, so the noise comment won't apply and in fact, that card is likely to be very quiet.

Great username btw.

Haha thanks , had it since way back when I played runescape , jesus that feels long time ago , I was about 12 I think ?! Haha!

So , if I was to get this graphics card , then in 6 months , change to an Intel CPU and Motherboard (with sufficient PCI-express slots , minimum of 2 so I can crossfire this graphics card with a another R9 270X) I should have a fairly good gaming pc ?

Hope I kinda got that right

 

[qubit]

What you have there is a lower midrange graphics card, so to be honest, it won't give you the best framerates in modern games. Once the card becomes the bottleneck, adding more CPU power doesn't help.

The best thing may be to sit this out and get the Intel system when you can afford it, along with a higher or high end graphics card that can really give you smooth gameplay. There's no hard and fast with this though, so instead you may want to buy this card now, then sell your system, including this card and get an Intel-based one with a better graphics card later on.

Do have a browse through those TPU reviews to get a good idea of what performance each price point can buy you. It can be a real eye opener.

Just remembered that Scan currently sell an EVGA GTX 580 OEM for £120, which looks like very good value to me. These are now discontinued, but it's a top end graphics card and will still blast through all your games with ease. I know, because I've got two GTX 580s in SLI for even more power. Note that cards like these demand more from your system, so is it capable of running it?

In particular, what PSU and system case do you have? Your specs don't say. If these are not sufficient, then I don't recommend getting it.

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/1536...r-1544mhz-512-cores-mini-hdmi-2x-dual-link-dv

Also, get the freebie framerate counter, Fraps from www.fraps.com

 

[happita]

Haha thanks , had it since way back when I played runescape , jesus that feels long time ago , I was about 12 I think ?! Haha!

So , if I was to get this graphics card , then in 6 months , change to an Intel CPU and Motherboard (with sufficient PCI-express slots , minimum of 2 so I can crossfire this graphics card with a another R9 270X) I should have a fairly good gaming pc ?

Hope I kinda got that right

You are correct sir. Most if not all motherboards now accept both CrossfireX AND SLI setups, so its easier to choose now which brand of graphics you want without having to worry.

 

[kn00tcn]

CF 270... i would just go for the 280 or 290

isnt dayz very cpu demanding? CF increases cpu demand, watch out for that

 

[the54thvoid]

Edit: - misread a post - edited to clear it up!!

Here's a random performance chart - see where the 270X falls in the bottom one.

old review of 7870 with 580.

Current 270x review (diff res, same idea)

The 270x will be a good upgrade path for what you have. Don't listen to Nvidia or AMD centric viewpoints (if you note I'm using an £800 Nvidia card, so i am certainly not an AMD fan!)

AMD still have a the better performance per buck ratio. The card I got for my father was the Asus 270X Direct CUII (about £160). It's also prepped for any game that developers might code for via a thing called Mantle which will help with performance (although the Mantle API is still a bit of a controversial subject - google it.)

 

[MrSourGit]

What you have there is a lower midrange graphics card, so to be honest, it won't give you the best framerates in modern games. Once the card becomes the bottleneck, adding more CPU power doesn't help.

The best thing may be to sit this out and get the Intel system when you can afford it, along with a higher or high end graphics card that can really give you smooth gameplay. There's no hard and fast with this though, so instead you may want to buy this card now, then sell your system, including this card and get an Intel-based one with a better graphics card later on.

Do have a browse through those TPU reviews to get a good idea of what performance each price point can buy you. It can be a real eye opener.

Just remembered that Scan currently sell an EVGA GTX 580 OEM for £120, which looks like very good value to me. These are now discontinued, but it's a top end graphics card and will still blast through all your games with ease. I know, because I've got two GTX 580s in SLI for even more power. Note that cards like these demand more from your system, so is it capable of running it?

In particular, what PSU and system case do you have? Your specs don't say. If these are not sufficient, then I don't recommend getting it.

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/1536...r-1544mhz-512-cores-mini-hdmi-2x-dual-link-dv

Also, get the freebie framerate counter, Fraps from www.fraps.com

I had a browse through the TPU reviews but im at work at the moment and doin it on my galaxy S4 is a bit of a task (got about 15 tabs open lolol) the MSI 270x seemed to get some good ratings though , do you think the EVGA card is actually better or more 'bang for buck' ? I don't mind paying a little extra for it if it gets me through. If i could play dayz on pretty good settings for now with either card I would be happy.

Ill have to check the PSU when I get home and case and let you know , although i think my friend who built his own comp was going to intall a spare water cooled PSU on mine When I get my new card , cant remember the wattage though ill have to speak to him.


I always feel that changing a part in a PC has 100 different contributing factors

Ill get you more info when I get home . Cheers

 

[MrSourGit]

Edit: - misread a post - edited to clear it up!!

Here's a random performance chart - see where the 270X falls in the bottom one.

old review of 7870 with 580.

Current 270x review (diff res, same idea)

The 270x will be a good upgrade path for what you have. Don't listen to Nvidia or AMD centric viewpoints (if you note I'm using an £800 Nvidia card, so i am certainly not an AMD fan!)

AMD still have a the better performance per buck ratio. The card I got for my father was the Asus 270X Direct CUII (about £160). It's also prepped for any game that developers might code for via a thing called Mantle which will help with performance (although the Mantle API is still a bit of a controversial subject - google it.)

So as long as my CPU isnt too shabby from that graph the R9 270X looks pretty strong , my CPU used to run at below 50% I think on battlefield3 medium to high graphics.

That API sounds smart , I wiki'd it. Does it basically take the hard work away from the CPU and onto the GPU more ? Sounded like it :X

 

[jboydgolfer]

I can't speak for the DayZ standalone, but if it is ANYTHING like the Arma2 engine, or the DayZ Mod, it is VERY Hard Drive, and CPU intensive. I, For example, have been playing Arma for quite a while, and I have a 6950 with 1Gb of RAM. My CPU is an i5 2500k @ stock, and I have 16Gb of RAM. I USED to get Poor frames , but then once I learned the in's and Out's of setting up Arma, I gained alot of performance. Setting up Launch parameters, and Learning the in game graphics, and How they effect the FPS count is a huge step in the right direction. Also, I HIGHLY recommend using a HDD SPECIFICALLY for Arma, (I have Arma 2 & 3 installed on a barracuda) and it has worked wonders for Me. I see NO Reason why having other games on the HDD would cause a problem, I just do it that way, because I can. I now can lpay with 10,000 view distance, and VERY high , or highest graphic settings.

My main point in bringing this up, is that You REALLY don't need a super GPU, a good one , Yes, but NOT the best, or Even second best. Look @ mine, it's 3 years old, and STILL running strong. A 270 , or 7870, would be fine, NOT the best, but Fine, You really just need to pick one, then once it is installed, figure out the setting's which allow YOU to attain the Best possible FPS on Your system. If $ is not an issue, I'd even recommend a SSD for Arma, IF they weren't SO expensive I'd have one too.

I personally wouldn't go ANY lower than a 7870's performance level though. Best of Luck, and.......

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all. have a safe , and fun night...

 

[happita]

From what we understand, Mantle is designed to utilize the CPU a lot more, making the video card work less.

I don't think EVGA makes AMD cards, they are exclusive to Nvidia. However, I do think that a 270X is a good upgrade option for you. I don't know how much you want to spend, but coming from a 6700 series GPU, it makes a lot of sense.

 

[qubit]

Hey no rush to check out those reviews - best not to get into trouble with the boss!

I can't tell you specifically about that game as it's still in development, but that card will do a decent job in any modern game. Also, one can't guarantee that everything will run smoothly at high settings all the time, regardless of what system you have. Obviously, the faster the computer the less of a problem this is.

Check out these comparisons between many different graphics cards which will help you to get a feel for the performance of the various cards. The 580 ends up being somewhat faster than the R9 270. which is what matters most. In fact, the one you've linked to has especially low clocks, so the difference will be even wider.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/charts/2013-vga-gpgpu/benchmarks,135.html

Note that while a stock 580 doesn't make a huge amount of noise, it's not exactly quiet either when it's playing a game, although the tone of the noise isn't objectionable. However, that MSI cooler on the 270 will sound significantly quieter and more pleasant than the one on the 580 and keep temperatures down, too.

Note that even though I'm plugging the benefits of that 580, there's lots of different cards out there at different price points and sale prices and offers eg bundled games, so there might well be something better out there, from either AMD or NVIDIA.

Bottom line is that a decent gaming rig isn't cheap. Unfortunately, it's the case that to upgrade one component may mean upgrading several others to accomodate it, which can get expensive. For example, a new CPU may need a new motherboard and perhaps RAM. A powerful graphics card will take a lot of power from your PSU, so you need to ensure that you have a good brand of sufficient wattage and not too old, either. Also, the case must be roomy enough for the card to fit properly and have decent airflow so the card and the rest of the PC doesn't overheat. I must have easily spent £1500+ on my gaming rig with all the upgrades over the years. My next one will likely be a GTX 780 Ti when they drop in price, hopefully to around £450, which is still really expensive.

When you check out what components you have please tell us what make and model your PSU and case are so that we can advise you.

Finally, note that PSUs are not usually watercooled.

 

[TheMailMan78]

You can get a 2600k for cheap and a couple of 670's for cheap and blow all the "newer" stuff out of the water for less money.

Hey no rush to check out those reviews - best not to get into trouble with the boss!

I can't tell you specifically about that game as it's still in development, but that card will do a decent job in any modern game. Also, one can't guarantee that everything will run smoothly at high settings all the time, regardless of what system you have. Obviously, the faster the computer the less of a problem this is.

Check out these comparisons between many different graphics cards which will help you to get a feel for the performance of the various cards. The 580 ends up being somewhat faster than the R9 270. which is what matters most. In fact, the one you've linked to has especially low clocks, so the difference will be even wider.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/charts/2013-vga-gpgpu/benchmarks,135.html

Note that while a stock 580 doesn't make a huge amount of noise, it's not exactly quiet either when it's playing a game, although the tone of the noise isn't objectionable. However, that MSI cooler on the 270 will sound significantly quieter and more pleasant than the one on the 580 and keep temperatures down, too.

Note that even though I'm plugging the benefits of that 580, there's lots of different cards out there at different price points and sale prices and offers eg bundled games, so there might well be something better out there, from either AMD or NVIDIA.

Bottom line is that a decent gaming rig isn't cheap. Unfortunately, it's the case that to upgrade one component may mean upgrading several others to accomodate it, which can get expensive. For example, a new CPU may need a new motherboard and perhaps RAM. A powerful graphics card will take a lot of power from your PSU, so you need to ensure that you have a good brand of sufficient wattage and not too old, either. Also, the case must be roomy enough for the card to fit properly and have decent airflow so the card and the rest of the PC doesn't overheat. I must have easily spent £1500+ on my gaming rig with all the upgrades over the years. My next one will likely be a GTX 780 Ti when they drop in price, hopefully to around £450, which is still really expensive.

When you check out what components you have please tell us what make and model your PSU and case are so that we can advise you.

Finally, note that PSUs are not usually watercooled.

Qubit why are you linking Tomshardware? Of all places to link misinformation and you pick them? You might as well source 4Chan for your proof.

 

[qubit]

Qubit why are you linking Tomshardware? Of all places to link misinformation and you pick them? You might as well source 4Chan for your proof.

I linked to it, because I couldn't find a performance comparison between the 580 and the 270 on tpu and I know they publish big comparisons like this.

I hear a lot of people on tpu slagging off tom's, but I don't know why as they seem ok to me, much like any other site. Anyway, this is off topic, so feel free to continue it in PM or another thread if you'd like to talk about it further.

 

[the54thvoid]

I couldn't find a performance comparison between the 580 and the 270...

And you won't get one. That's the problem i had (thus the two tables from different reviews). The older 7870 reviews use much older drivers and AMD made sterling optimisations with the drivers over the past couple of years. I think a 7870 now would pull ahead quite a bit. Someone feel free to prove me wrong if I am.

 

[thebluebumblebee]

This thread reminds me of this thread. I'm too lazy to repeat here what I said there.

I hate these ultra low end "gaming" systems pieced together with outdated parts and sold to unsuspecting customers. AMD, you are giving yourself a black eye by allowing this to go on. (how many of these people, when they realize what they have, will never buy AMD again?) The chipset on the OP's motherboard is basically a tweaked nForce 4! (Athlon 64) I don't believe that you have to have the latest and greatest. How much more would it cost to build a system around an AMD 970 chipset motherboard?
No one has even mentioned his PSU......

 

[TheMailMan78]

And you won't get one. That's the problem i had (thus the two tables from different reviews). The older 7870 reviews use much older drivers and AMD made sterling optimisations with the drivers over the past couple of years. I think a 7870 now would pull ahead quite a bit. Someone feel free to prove me wrong if I am.

Drivers are not pixie dust. They make MINOR improvements to newer game and even smaller ones to old games. W1zz even redid an entire benchmark a few years back just to prove this to the TPU community.

No one has even mentioned his PSU......

This is a very valid point. I just assumed we were pushing him to a new build anyway. However if he stays with his current system and just a new GPU hes gonna need a new PSU. PERIOD.

 

[jboydgolfer]

This thread reminds me of this thread. I'm too lazy to repeat here what I said there.

I hate these ultra low end "gaming" systems pieced together with outdated parts and sold to unsuspecting customers. AMD, you are giving yourself a black eye by allowing this to go on. (how many of these people, when they realize what they have, will never buy AMD again?) The chipset on the OP's motherboard is basically a tweaked nForce 4! (Atlon 64) I don't believe that you have to have the latest and greatest. How much more would it cost to build a system around an AMD 970 chipset motherboard?
No one has even mentioned his PSU......

+1 This is the reason I ended up building My current PC.

 

[kn00tcn]

Drivers are not pixie dust. They make MINOR improvements to newer game and even smaller ones to old games. W1zz even redid an entire benchmark a few years back just to prove this to the TPU community.

well sometimes we get things like the bf3 & borderlands2 game specific boosts for all GCN cards, nearing 10% is quite a lot compared to most driver updates, it made reference 7970 perform like the ghz edition